NIBBLES

TASTE OF THE WEEK: THAI WITH A TWIST

The extract of the pretty anchan plant, known as the butterfly pea flower, adds a transformative magic to a simple beverage. My cobalt blue glass of lemonade turned shades of violet as lemon juice was swirled in at Anchan Thai restaurant.

Everything I tasted recently at the Longmont eatery (1325 Dry Creek Drive) provided a slight twist on standard Thai dishes.

My rad na was a captivating bowl of chewy wide rice noodles tossed with fermented bean sauce, egg, collard greens, veggies and chicken. The complex, slightly sweet flavor was brightened by an unexpected ingredient: whole green peppercorns on the branch.

My dining partner’s Northern Thai jungle curry was a spicy soup rather than a creamy sauce, packed with green beans, carrots, bell peppers and those tasty little round Thai eggplants. Its big flavor infusion was provided by red curry, Thai basil, lime leaves and “finger root” — a ginger-galangal relative.

We also enjoyed fried roti — hot, thin, crispy wedges of flatbread ready to dip in a craveable peanut sauce.

Local Food News

Congrats to Chef Nick Swanson of Longmont’s Urban Field Pizza & Market. He placed seventh (out of 51 competitors) for crafting the best pan pizza in the world at the recent 2023 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

● Kapow Thai is serving dishes like curried noodle soup with chicken at 1377 Forest Park Circle in Lafayette.

● Lafayette’s Three Leaf Farm hosts onsite dinners June 18, July 16, Aug. 13, Sept. 10, threeleaffarm.com/farm-dinners

Words To Chew On

“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him... the people who give you their food will give you their heart.”