Quick & Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott

Author:Nancie McDermott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2004-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

INTRODUCTION TO RICE & NOODLES

Rice is the key to the magnificent cuisine of Thailand. The myriad ingredients, captivating aromas, and intense flavors that make Thai food unique evolved from a simple ancient imperative: to make the rice go down. Thais eat rice with a pleasure and dedication that I couldn’t comprehend until I had lived for several months in a small town, eating simple country food. Without butter or even salt for flavor, Thai rice seemed so plain. But as I ate rice, plate after plate, meal after meal, day after day, I came to see “plain” as a good thing, describing the simplicity of rice, its satisfying, generous essence as the bearer of good food, and as fuel for our daily life. Most Thais, in fact most of the people of Asia, prefer not to go a day without eating rice.

Thai people love a big, juicy piece of grilled chicken as much as anyone, but they eat it in pinches, pulled off and paired with bite-sized lumps of sticky rice. They adore a bowl of mussamun curry, studded with potatoes, peanuts, and big chunks of tender beef, but they spoon the sauce onto plain rice and enjoy the meat in small bites, appreciating what it does for the rice. In an upcountry home, one chicken fortifies a curry that will feed ten people, as long as there are lots of little side dishes and lots and lots of rice.

Then there are noodles, a Chinese import warmly welcomed to the Thai table long ago. Not all Thai noodle dishes are quick and easy, but many are, such as Soy Sauce Noodles with Beef and Greens (page 104), Rice Noodles with Lettuce and Ground Beef Gravy (page 112), and Rice Noodles in Soup with Roast Chicken and Crispy Garlic (page 114). I have also adapted several more complex noodle dishes such as Chiang Mai Curry Noodles (page 116) and Paht Thai Noodles (page 107), streamlining here and there to create a delicious version for your everyday kitchen.

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