Table of Contents
Click on any of the titles to take you to the appropriate piece
Features
Columns
Thai Rice: How Much Do You What’s Cooking? 4 Find out what’s up with the Vegan Know? 14 By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Thailand has an incredible variety of rice. Learn about a few of the more popular types and get Jill’s recipe for black rice pudding.
Small Bites, Big Flavors 17 By Robin Robertson
No Thai meal is complete without a few small bites that pack a wallop of flavor.
Comfort Food Fusion 20
Culinary Experience this month.
Vegan Cuisine & the Law: The Poop on Big Chicken 30 By Mindy Kursban, Esq. & Andy Breslin
Read about the link between climate change, water pollution, big chicken, and what’s going on in the legal world about it.
From the Garden: A Thai Kitchen Garden 33 By Liz Lonetti
By Madelyn Pryor
Madelyn shares some easy‐to‐ make Thai recipes that are soul‐ satisfying and fun to make.
Kaffir limes and other Thai staples may not always be easy to find, unless you grown them in your own garden.
Heart Healthy Thai Pizza Pies 22
The Vegan Traveler: South Florida 36
By Mark Sutton
By Chef Jason Wyrick
Pad Thai pizza and a pineapple dessert pizza? Yum! Mark takes us step by step through his pizza creation process.
Chef Jason journeys to Jacksonville, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami. Read about his travels and the great, and not so great, food.
Sustenance and Squirt Guns: Marketplace 9 Gotta Love Thai Food! 27 By LaDiva Dietitian
A Taste of Thai
What do Buddhism, food, and squirt guns have in common?
Get connected and find out about vegan friendly businesses and organizations. see the following pages for interviews and reviews…
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Features Contd.
Columns Contd.
The Lonestar Vegetarian Chili Cookoff Report 40
Recipe Index 79
By Jason Wyrick
A listing of all the recipes found in this issue, compiled with links.
Austin is one of my favorite cities, especially when I am asked to be a Making Curry Paste 80 chili cookoff judge there! Read Making curry pastes can be as about the world’s premier vegan complex or as simple as you want chili cookoff. it to be.
Thai Ingredients 44 By Jason Wyrick
Interviews
Big Bald Mike, the Strongest Check out the list of some of the more uncommon ingredients used Vegetarian in the World 55 in this issue. With a heart as big as his arms, Mike is winning the world over and Salty, Sweet, Spicy, Sour, & proving that vegans are Bitter 50 powerhouses of good. By Jason Wyrick
The five quintessential Thai flavors Kristin Lajeunesse of Will need to be balanced for the Travel for Vegan Food 59
perfect meal, but where do those flavors come from?
Vegan Substitutions for Quintessential Thai Ingredients 53
Ever thought about doing a vegan roadtrip? Kristin did it and then some, visiting over four hundred vegan eateries during her year long journey.
Cheryl Durzy and John Salley Not all Thai ingredients are easy to of The Vegan Vine 63 By Jason Wyrick
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find outside of Southeast Asia or specialty markets. Plus, many of them aren’t even close to being vegan. Find out how to replace those flavors with kinder, easier to find fare.
Who says being vegan isn’t fun? Cheryl and John share their experiences getting The Vegan Vine line of wines off the ground.
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Reviews
Book Review: A Taste of Europe 65
The Vegan Vine Wines 75
By Jason Wyrick
Vegan wines that are great for beginners and experience wine drinkers alike.
Good recipes that are elegant, simple, and capture the flavors of a region.
Book Review: Vegan Eats World 67
By Madelyn Pryor
A solid book showcasing the author’s spin on world cuisine.
Book Review: Fresh from the Vegan Slowcooker 69
By Jason Wyrick
Organic Gourmet Miso and Veggie Bouillon 77 By Madelyn Pryor
Interesting miso with low‐sodium options and veggie bouillon with a twist.
By Madelyn Pryor
Hot, delicious, and ready for dinner!
Book Review: Nut Butter Universe 71 By Madelyn Pryor
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So much more than peanut butter and jelly.
Book Review: Vegan for the Holidays 73 By Madelyn Pryor
Tasty treats for the end of the year holidays.
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The Vegan Culinary Experience Thai! February 2013 Publisher Jason Wyrick Editors Eleanor Sampson, Madelyn Pryor Nutrition Analyst Eleanor Sampson Web Design Jason Wyrick Graphics Jason Wyrick Reviewers Madelyn Pryor Jason Wyrick Contributing Authors Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Liz Lonetti Sharon Valencik Mark Sutton Bryanna Clark Grogan Jill Nussinow Marty Davey Robin Robertson Mindy Kursban Andy Breslin Photography Credits
Cover Page Jason Wyrick Recipe Images Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Milan Valencik of Milan Photography Bryanna Clark Grogan Jill Nussinow Mark Sutton Liz Lonetti Restaurant/Wildlife Photos Jason Wyrick Chili Cookoff Photos Jason Wyrick Algal bloom, Thai basil, GNU Free Documentation rice worker, water License fight Black rice, curry tree, Public Domain galangal, ginger, monks, che Kaffir lime, lemongrass, Creative Commons rice plant, novice monks, Big Bald Mike Courtesy of Big Bald Mike Kristin Lajeunesse Courtesy of Kristin Lajeunesse Vegan Vine Courtesy of Cheryl Durzy
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What’s Cooking? Balance is a cornerstone of Thai cooking (although to someone who can’t tolerate any heat, the balance of a Thai dish may be nowhere to be seen!). The interplay of salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, and sour floats through the cuisine, influencing every dish and every meal. I cut my teeth as a chef with Thai food, not knowing at the time that I was learning how to make one of the most refined cuisines in the world. Refined, however, belies the playfulness that also surrounds the art. It’s a cuisine that shows care in preparation and ingredients, yet there is a freedom to it, a balance to the care if you will, that is expected of Thai cooks. You do not need to add exactly seven cloves to a dish just because a recipe calls for it. You can add just what you think you need, to taste, using a recipe as a guideline and not a rule. That way of cooking is good advice in any kitchen, though it sometimes gets lost in more formalized settings. The recipes in this issue are a bit more involved than normal. Thai dishes can have a lot of ingredients and there are rustic traditions that are time consuming, but produce outstanding meals. Don’t worry about banging out a curry with a mortar and pestle if you don’t have the time or patience. There are plenty of shortcuts talked about in the recipes and having fun in the kitchen is just as important as the finished result. Find your own balance between your patience and the art of Thai cuisine and you will have a truly spectacular meal. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well!
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Contributors Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. He is also the NY Times best‐selling co‐author of 21 Day Weightloss Kickstart Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
Madelyn Pryor ‐ Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com. Bryanna Clark Grogan ‐ Author of 8 vegan cookbooks, Bryanna has devoted over 40 years to tasty, healthful cooking, 23 as a vegan. She was a frequent contributor and reviewer for Vegetarian Times magazine for 5 years, and, more recently, wrote and published a subscription cooking zine, “Vegan Feast”, for 5 years. She is moderator of the Vegsource “New Vegetarian” forum. Bryanna has conducted cooking workshops and classes locally (including a 5‐day Vegan Cooking Vacation on beautiful Denman Is.), and at numerous vegetarian gatherings in North America. Bryanna’s recipes appear in the The Veg‐Feasting Cookbook (Seattle Vegetarian Association); on Dr. Andrew Weil's websites; in No More Bull! by Howard Lyman; and in Cooking with PETA. Bryanna also developed the recipes for the ground‐breaking book, Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. Robin Robertson ‐ A longtime vegan, Robin Robertson has worked with food for more than 25 years and is the author of twenty cookbooks, including Quick‐Fix Vegan, Vegan Planet, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, Vegan Fire & Spice, and Vegan on the Cheap. A former restaurant chef, Robin writes the Global Vegan food column for VegNews Magazine and has written for Vegetarian Times, Cooking Light, and Natural Health, among others. Robin lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. You may contact her through her website: www.robinrobertson.com.
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Contributors Mindy Kursban, Esq. ‐ Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐ based diet. Mindy welcomes feedback, comments, and questions at mkursban@gmail.com. Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations and workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com. Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. Sharon Valencik ‐ Sharon Valencik is the author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. She is raising two vibrant young vegan sons and rescued animals, currently a rabbit and a dog. She comes from a lineage of artistic chef matriarchs and has been baking since age five. She is working on her next book, World Utopia: Delicious and Healthy International Vegan Cuisine. Please visit www.sweetutopia.com for more information, to ask questions, or to provide feedback. A Taste of Thai
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Contributors Andrew Breslin ‐ Andrew Breslin is the author of Mother's Milk, the definitive account of the vast global conspiracy orchestrated by the dairy industry, which secretly controls humanity through mind‐controlling substances contained in cow milk. In all likelihood this is a hilarious work of satyric fiction, but then again, you never know. He also authors the blog Andy Rants, almost certainly the best blog that you have never read. He is an avid book reviewer at Goodreads. He worked at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine with Mindy Kursban, with whom he occasionally collaborates on projects concerning legal issues associated with health and food. Andrew's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a wide variety of print and online venues, covering an even wider variety of topics. He lives in Philadelphia with his girlfriend and cat, who are not the same person. Mark Sutton ‐ Mark Sutton has been the Visualizations Coordinator for two NASA Earth Satellite Missions, an interactive multimedia consultant, organic farmer, and head conference photographer. He’s developed media published in several major magazines and shown or broadcast internationally, produced DVDs and websites, edited/managed a vegan cookbook (No More Bull! by Howard Lyman), worked with/for two Nobel Prize winners (on Global Climate Change), and helped create UN Peace Medal Award‐winning pre‐college curriculum. A vegetarian for 20 years, then vegan the past 10, Mark’s the editor of the Mad Cowboy e‐newsletter, an avid nature photographer, gardener, and environmentalist. Oil‐free for over 5 years and author of the 1st vegan pizza cookbook, he can be reached at: msutton@hearthealthypizza.com and http://www.hearthealthypizza.com Milan Valencik ‐ Milan Valencik is the food stylist and photographer of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. His company, Milan Photography, specializes in artistic event photojournalism, weddings, and other types of photography. Milan is also a fine artist and musician. Milan is originally from Czech Republic and now lives in NJ. For more information about Milan, please visit www.milanphotography.com or www.sweetutopia.com. Eleanor Sampson – Eleanor is an editor and nutrition analyst for The Vegan Culinary Experience, author, and an expert vegan baker with a specialty in delicious vegan sweets (particularly cinnamon rolls!) You can reach Eleanor at Eleanor@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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About the VCE The Vegan Culinary Experience is an educational vegan culinary magazine designed by professional vegan chefs to help make vegan cuisine more accessible. Published by Chef Jason Wyrick, the magazine utilizes the electronic format of the web to go beyond the traditional content of a print magazine to offer classes, podcasts, an interactive learning community, and links to articles, recipes, and sites embedded throughout the magazine to make retrieving information more convenient for the reader. The VCE is also designed to bring vegan chefs, instructors, medical professionals, authors, and businesses together with the growing number of people interested in vegan cuisine. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well.
Become a Subscriber Subscribing to the VCE is FREE! Subscribers have access to our Learning Community, back issues, recipe database, and extra educational materials. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCESubscribe.htm to subscribe. *PRIVACY POLICY ‐ Contact information is never, ever given or sold to another individual or company
Not Just a Magazine Meal Service The Vegan Culinary Experience also provides weekly meals that coincide with the recipes from the magazine. Shipping is available across the United States. Raw, gluten‐free, and low‐fat diabetic friendly options are available. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEMealService.htm for more information.
Culinary Instruction Chef Jason Wyrick and many of the contributors to the magazine are available for private culinary instruction, seminars, interviews, and other educational based activities. For information and pricing, contact us at http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEContact.htm.
An Educational and Inspirational Journey of Taste, Health, and Compassion A Taste of Thai
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Marketplace Welcome to the Marketplace, our new spot for finding vegetarian friendly companies, chefs, authors, bloggers, cookbooks, products, and more! One of the goals of The Vegan Culinary Experience is to connect our readers with organizations that provide relevant products and services for vegans, so we hope you enjoy this new feature! Click on the Ads – Each ad is linked to the appropriate organization’s website. All you need to do is click on the ad to take you there. Become a Marketplace Member – Become connected by joining the Vegan Culinary Experience Marketplace. Membership is available to those who financially support the magazine, to those who promote the magazine, and to those who contribute to the magazine. Contact Chef Jason Wyrick at chefjason@veganculinaryexperience.com for details!
Current Members Bad Kitty Creations GoDairyFree.org Robin Robertson (www.badkittybakery.blogspot.com) (www.godairyfree.org) (www.robinrobertson.com) Bryanna Clark Grogan Sweet Utopia Milan Photography (www.milanphotography.com) (www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com) (www.sweetutopia.com) Jill Nussinow, MS, RD Heart Healthy Pizza LaDiva Dietitian (www.theveggiequeen.com) (www.hearthealthypizza.com) (www.ladivadietitian.com) Non‐profits Vegan Outreach Rational Animal Farm Sanctuary (www.veganoutreach.org) (www.rational‐animal.org) (www.farmsanctuary.com) The Phoenix Permactulture Guild (www.phoneixpermaculture.org) A Taste of Thai
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Marketplace
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Marketplace
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Thai Rice: How Much Do You Know? By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, aka The Veggie Queen™ I am not a rice expert which became painfully apparent as I started researching the subject. I knew that rice is a staple in Thailand and other Asian countries. Did you know that rice feeds one in three people throughout the world? And that 90 percent of the rice grown comes from Asia? I am providing a brief overview of Thai rice. I have left a lot out here but wanted to give you a taste and some tidbits to chew on. When I think of Thai rice, I automatically think WHITE rice: the fragrant Jasmine rice found in Thai restaurants in the US. Truth be told, there are many kinds of rice in Thailand. Although the most commonly eaten, and celebrated, is Jasmine, you can easily find others in your local Asian or natural food store. The Thai people also like sticky rice: white, purple and black to use for desserts. See recipe below. Marie Simmons, author of The Amazing World of Rice cookbook, when asked about Thai rice said, “Most Jasmine rice grows in Thailand. They also grow it in Texas. Kasma Loha‐unchit my Thai cooking teacher hates the Texas rice. Look her up,
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she knows a lot about rice.” Kasma Loha‐unchit, a Thai native, and author of Thai Food and Travel website knows more about rice than most people. She offers a wealth of rice information. She points out a very important fact that likely many of us have not considered: rice being an agricultural crop is influenced by where and how it is grown. Jasmine rice from the Northeast of Thailand is not the same as the jasmine rice grown in another area (she says, jasmine rice is, therefore, not just jasmine rice: where it is grown is very important. The Chinese know this and Thais know this, but many Americans have yet to understand the difference),
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and certainly not the same as Jasmine rice grown in Texas. She goes on, “As for the jasmine rice grown in the much more temperate climates of Florida and Texas, you might as well forget it – it simply is no longer jasmine rice. Thailand holds the patent for jasmine rice, so it’s unlikely anyway that the rice grown in these two states can claim to be true hom mali jasmine rice.” Loha‐unchit also writes, “I read in a book on Thai food history that Thailand has some 3,500 varieties of rice within her borders, both wild and cultivated. Wow! That’s astounding! But wait till you hear this: The same passage reveals that there are as many as 120,000 varieties, both wild and cultivated, worldwide! Now, that’s unfathomable to the average citizen of Middle America who may know rice only in the form of Uncle Ben’s converted or that highly processed stuff called “Minute Rice”. Thankfully, many of us know more than Loha‐ unchit thinks. Her favorite brand of Thai rice is Golden Phoenix, available in Asian stores, usually in 5 pound or larger bags in both white and brown. I have not yet tried it because I prefer to buy organic rice from Lotus Foods or Alter Eco, or rice in bulk. I must say that imported jasmine rice is much tastier and cooks better than American rice. Here is what Lotus Foods says about its brown jasmine rice: Considered the premium rice of choice in Thailand, the poetically named Jasmine Rice is also referred to as "fragrant rice" due to its floral aroma and flavor. When cooked, this long‐grain brown rice is distinguished by its moist and tender, slightly sticky texture—the softest brown rice you may ever taste! The 10% rice bran gives our Organic Brown Jasmine Rice its light tan color and oat‐like flavor. It cooks in 35 minutes (and half that time in the pressure cooker). Alter Eco offers white
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harvesting rice seedlings
jasmine (Hom Mali), red (Khao Deng Ruby Red) rice and Thai sticky purple rice which I use for dessert. They used to sell long grain Thai black rice, too. In your favorite Asian store, you might find many more varieties of rice although they are often labeled in a foreign language so you might need to ask what they are and how to cook them. Most rice is steamed, cooking it by putting it in a container above boiling water, using a rice cooker (Thai people do not approve of this), stove top or pressure cooking. The difference between the white and colored rice, including brown, is black rice that the darker ones are whole grain rice. The white rice has had the outer hull and bran removed. You probably already know that I will suggest eating whole grain rice for health. I also love it for the nutty flavor and firmer texture. Lately I have often been soaking my rice overnight or longer which makes the rice turn out better by using less water and cutting cooking time in half. Loha‐unchit recommends soaking for 22 hours which increases nutrition.
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The same cannot be said of the purple sticky rice which is, well…sticky which is why it makes such an amazing dessert. The traditional dessert is usually served with sliced mango. I like to serve it plain. You can make this Thai Sticky Rice Pudding with coconut water, as shown, or full fat or lite coconut milk for a richer dish. I cook it in the pressure cooker but you can cook it in a pot on top of the stove, if you prefer. It will take double the amount of time and need about 25% more liquid which is easily monitored during the stovetop simmering. This is a simple and tasty end to a Thai‐inspired meal. The Author Jill usually makes rice once a week or more, switching between Jasmine, Basmati, black, pink, and other colors of whole grain rice. Her favorite way to cook it is in the pressure cooker because it takes half the time. You can visit Jill at www.theveggiequeen.com.
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Purple or Black Sticky Rice Pudding Serves 6–8 This pudding can be made with purple or black sticky rice. It might also work with white sticky rice but I haven’t yet tried it. They are different. The whole grain black sticky rice has more fiber and is less sticky, and it’s what I prefer to use. It does, though, take about twice as long to cook but it’s worth it. This is a special treat, especially served with fresh berries, summer fruit or the more traditional mango. (I have not yet tried making it with soaked rice so cannot report on how it turns out.) 15 minutes for purple rice or 30 minutes high pressure for black rice; natural pressure release 1 cup purple or black sticky rice 2½ cups coconut water or coconut juice Pinch of salt ¼–½ cup agave or maple syrup ½ cup soy, rice or other nondairy milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Combine rice, (liquid) coconut water or juice and salt in the pressure cooker and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure. Remove from the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you and add the agave, milk and vanilla extract. Let cool a bit. Top with fruit, or not. From The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
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small
bites, BIG FLAVORS Two Celebrated Thai Appetizers by Robin Robertson
To me, there’s nothing that quite compares to Thai food, a cuisine that features a refined blending of hot, sour, sweet, salty, and bitter to create flavors that many people find almost addictive. Two of my favorite Thai appetizers showcase the unique flavor palette found in Thai cuisine. The first is called miang kam, which consist of a mixture of peanut, ginger, chile, and lime, all wrapped in a leaf (traditionally a wild pepper leaf) and eaten in one bite. The concentration of bold elements is like a burst of flavor fireworks in your mouth. From the pungent tang of lime, ginger, and scallion to the chile heat, coconut sweet, and peanut crunch, miang kam encompasses an ideal balance of flavors and textures that typifies Thai cuisine, all in one tiny leaf‐wrapped package. Since wild pepper leaves can be difficult to find, I like to serve miang kam using Belgian endive leaves arranged aesthetically on individual plates with a small amount of each of the filling ingredients and sauce in the center of each leaf. Instead of Belgian endive, you can instead use baby spinach leaves or pieces of leaf lettuce. Perhaps less exotic, but no less delicious, is the satay, another skewered appetizer that can be found on street carts and Thai restaurant menus alike. Traditionally made with meat, the preparation is a natural for vegetables such as eggplant and mushrooms. It is also sensational when made with seitan. Served with a luscious peanut sauce, satays are typically served as an appetizer, but they also make a great main dish. And like miang kam, satays are also a fun and flavorful option when entertaining. A Taste of Thai
Miang Kam Serve this easy and unusual appetizer as a prelude to a Thai meal. Wild pepper leaves (bai cha plu) can be found in Asian markets, but Belgian endive or baby spinach leaves provide more accessible alternatives. Serves: 4 Ingredients Sauce: ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted ¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce 2 tablespoons palm sugar or other natural sugar 1 tablespoon minced scallion February 2013|17
1 teaspoon grated ginger ½ cup water Leaves: 24 Belgian endive leaves (or spinach, leaf lettuce, or wild pepper leaves) Filling: 3 small Thai chiles, cut into very thin rounds 1 fresh lime, sliced and finely chopped, including peel ½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted ¼ cup finely minced scallion 2 tablespoons grated ginger 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves Instructions Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl and place on a large serving platter. On the same serving platter, arrange the leaves and a small amount of each of the filling ingredients in a mound on each leaf. Alternatively, arrange six leaves with a mound of the filling ingredients on individual salad plates. Top each with a small amount of sauce or serve the sauce alongside in a separate small bowl. To eat miang kam, place a filling‐topped leaf in your hand, top with a small spoonful of sauce, and eat it in one bite. Repeat.
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Vegetable Satays with Peanut Sauce Satays with peanut sauce are a popular Thai appetizer. Be sure to soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Instead of grilling or broiling, the satays may instead be roasted on a baking sheet in a 425 degree F oven. Serves: 4 Ingredients Sauce: ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk 2 tablespoons peanut butter 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon natural sugar 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Spice Mix: ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon natural sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne Satay Veggies: 2 Japanese eggplants, halved or quartered lengthwise and cut into ½‐inch slices 2 Portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1‐ inch chunks 1 large red bell pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1‐inch pieces 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 4 leaves leaf lettuce
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Instructions In a bowl or food processor, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, sugar, tamari, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer on low heat until slightly thickened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Set aside. Preheat the broiler or grill. Place the eggplant, bell pepper, and mushroom pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with the oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the vegetables with the reserved spice mixture, tossing to coat. Press any remaining spice mixture from the bottom of the bowl into the vegetables so the spices adhere. Thread the vegetables onto the skewers and place them under the broiler or on the grill until softened and well browned, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Arrange the skewed vegetables on plates lined with lettuce leaves. Drizzle the skewers with some of the peanut sauce and divide the reserved peanut sauce among 4 small dipping bowls and place them on the plates with the skewered vegetables. Serve at once.
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The Author Robin Robertson is the author of more than twenty cookbooks, including Quick‐Fix Vegan, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, Vegan Planet, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, Vegan Fire & Spice, and Vegan on the Cheap. Her latest book is entitled Nut Butter Universe: Easy Vegan Recipes with Worlds of Flavor. A former restaurant chef, Robin writes the Global Vegan food column for VegNews Magazine and has written for Vegetarian Times, Cooking Light, and Natural Health, among others. She blogs regularly on her website: www.robinrobertson.com.
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Comfort Food Fusion By Chef Madelyn Pryor I fidgeted, uncomfortable with the knowledge that I was a fraud. Unqualified and uncomfortable, I started counting the hours until the rotten tomatoes were thrown at me. The new issue of The Vegan Culinary Experience was about Thai cuisine and about all I knew was I liked the tom kha that Jason would make for me. I also knew that Thai basil is an essential in my kitchen, and that green curry was easier to buy than make. None of this would help me write an engaging, witty article about something I knew less about than how to build a cold fusion reactor. After reading two great books on the subject I felt somewhat better, but that my specialty of American comfort food and this subject was an uncomfortable marriage. I was wrong, so very wrong. The secret to my success was the revelation that many of the key flavors of Thai cuisine can not only work with American cuisine but many of them can be obtained in major supermarkets. If you do not have access to an Asian grocery, you can still enjoy switching up your normal routine with many new treats. If you have access to a major supermarket, in the Asian section, you should be able to find green curry paste in a small jar. Be sure to check and make sure it has no animal ingredients, as this country loves its fish sauce and fish pieces in general. Green curry paste is a fun little ingredient, and one of the components to my sandwich below. If you need a quick weekday meal, just add some to coconut milk, the kind in the can, not the carton, with tofu, potatoes and carrots with a few mushrooms. Instant quick and tasty dinner!! Limes are everywhere, especially here in the Southwest. Just adding in some lime can punch up so many flavors, instantly making something taste fresh. Lemonade is as innocuous as apple pie here, A Taste of Thai
but limeade is something that is much rarer, and much more of a treat. When making oven fries, add some lime juice just as they come out of the oven! It can be that special element to your standard oven fries that make them stand out from the rest. Another simple addition to your menu is mango. I do not know what I would do without mango. It is one of those foods that makes my taste buds sing, my heart smile, and makes me glad to be vegan and alive. There is nothing quite like perfectly ripe mango, something we rarely find in the U.S. and find even less frequently in the average supermarket. Rather than putting up with a mango that was picked unripe and then left to its own devices as it attempts to do something like get softer on your counter, try frozen. If you have access, Trader Joes has frozen mango packaged in the Philippines that tastes better and brighter than most. When looking to take some of these tastes and combine them into a few new recipes, try my Thai Green Curry sandwich and the bright Thai flavored water I make to go with it. Of course, nothing quite says comfort food to me like a delicious vegan sandwich. Though lower in calories than other comfort food, the water is almost calorie free. Why pay for expensive soda that will load you with sugar or chemicals when a few cents of ingredients can give you such bang for your buck. That is refreshment for you and your wallet. So if this magazine is your introduction to Thai cuisine, you are in excellent hands. You will love the variety of flavors, textures, and aromas you are about to discover. However, if you are someone who likes to dip your toes in the pool rather than jump, try this sandwich and this flavored water. February 2013|20
Thai Green Curry Sandwich
Makes 8 cups
Makes 3 servings
1 small French baguette, about 12 inches 1 package of seitan, premade (about 8 oz, or 1 cup of homemade seitan) 2 cubes of veggie bouillon and three cups of water or 3 cups of veggie broth. 3 tablespoons of reduced fat vegenaise 1 teaspoon green curry paste 2 limes 1 cup of cubed mango 6-8 kalamata olives, sliced thin 1 medium shallot or two Asian shallots 1 tablespoon of cilantro 1 tablespoon of Thai basil or Italian basil Prep: In a small dish, combine the vegenaise and green curry paste. Set to the side. Combine the seitan with the vegetable broth and simmer on the stove for 10-15 minutes. Dice the shallot. Remove the pits from the olives if needed and slice. In a separate pot, combine the shallots, mango, and olives. Cook over low heat until the shallots are soft and slightly translucent. Roughly mince the cilantro and basil. Assembly: Slice the bread in half lengthwise and sprinkle both sides with the lime juice of 1 lime. Spread both sides of the bread with equal parts of the green curry vegenaise. Drain the seitan and add to the sandwich. Remove the tofu mixture from the heat and add. Sprinkle with the herbs. Place the top part of the bread on the sandwich and cut into three equal pieces. Serve with a slice of fresh lime.
Basil Water
2 inches of fresh ginger root ¼ cup loosely packed Thai basil or other basil ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves 2 limes, sliced thin 8 cups of water 8 teaspoons of agave (optional) Slice the ginger and limes thinly. Bruise the basil and mint leaves. Add all to a pitcher with 8 cups of filtered water and place in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy chilled in the morning as is, or add a touch of agave, about 1 teaspoon per cup. The Author Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperi ence.com.
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Heart Healthy Thai Pizza Pies by Mark Sutton The cuisine of Thailand originates from an intriguing mixture of cultural influences: China (noodles), India (curries and exotic spices), and culinary input from countries adjacent to Thailand (Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia). Thai meals are known for including five main tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. One might well argue that unique color combinations, textures, and fragrance are also important in the preparation and presentation of Thai food in general. The goal was to create two “Thai‐like” pizzas, a savory one for a main course, and a sweet one for a dessert. It was also desirable to incorporate “heart healthy” cooking concepts into these recipes, having been inspired by the landmark peer‐ reviewed research of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., who, via a strict “no added oil” plant‐based diet, was able to not only reverse heart disease, but in theory, also prevent it. In view of the growing popularity of “gluten‐free” food, at least one of the pizza’s crusts should contain no gluten. It would also be necessary to examine primary Thai food components and decide how best to re‐integrate them into a “pizza” format.
A SAVORY THAI PIZZA Among the all‐time favorite Thai dishes is the quintessential “Pad Thai,” generally a stir‐fried mixture of rice noodles, crunchy bean sprouts, vegetables, sugar, chili powder, peanuts, onion, eggs, and fish sauce. Exciting in taste contrast, Pad Thai is re‐constructed in this pizza recipe to reflect
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the essence of the meal’s general composition along with a few ideas from other classic Thai recipes. Brown rice (instead of noodles) is integrated with chickpea flour, fresh cilantro, flaxseeds, and (if desired) red chili pepper flakes into a firm base for the pizza. A “sweet’n’spicy chili corn sauce” provides not only sweetness and heat, but the corn element brings a color reminiscent of egg yolk. Sliced cucumbers add a “cool” contrast to the bottom sauce, whereas the shredded carrot and red pepper slices dance with color beneath bean sprouts and chopped scallions. The finish is a “cheese‐like” sauce using cooked millet, ginger (instead of the customary Thai “galangal” root), peanut butter (instead of chopped peanuts), and the delicate fragrance and acidity of lime juice to, ahem, “tie” it all together...
A SWEET THAI PIZZA Thai desserts are often recognized for the creative use of fresh fruits (particularly pineapple), mint, and of course, coconut. “Heavenly Pineapple Rice” is a popular stir‐fried Thai dish that, although there are many variations, is usually made with pineapple, chiles, cashews, eggs, raisins, scallions, and other interesting ingredients. In this recipe a stronger “pizza foundation” manifests to support a thicker sauce and heavier dessert topping. Whole wheat flour mixed with millet flour (making for a lighter taste and texture) are mixed with a banana puree, moving the crust towards a sweeter tropical taste.
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The topping sauce draws upon the creaminess of tofu, the fragrance and color of fresh mint, and flavorful coconut (by using coconut extract the high fat and saturated fat content of coconut milk is avoided). Lime juice brings a nice tang to the sauce, sunflower seeds a fluffiness, and corn starch is a thickening agent. Pineapple chunks are marinated in dark rum, scattered on top of the sauce, and sprinkled with unsweetened grated coconut for contrast and taste.
THE RECIPES Here are two heart healthy Thai plant‐based recipes unveiled for your pleasure, enjoyment, and a gourmet Thai Vegan Culinary Experience. Chai‐yoh! (English: Cheers/Good Health!)
PAD THAI PIZZA PIE
Overall Structure: • Brown Rice, Chickpea, and Cilantro Crust (recipe follows) • Sweet’n’Spicy Chili Corn Sauce (use around ½ cup, recipe follows) • Filling Ingredients: ‐ sliced cucumbers ‐ shredded carrots ‐ sweet red pepper strips or slices ‐ bean sprouts (rinsed and drained) ‐ sliced scallions ‐ raisins (optional) • Millet, Ginger, Peanut, and Lime Sauce (recipe follows)
Brown Rice, Chickpea, and Cilantro Crust Makes one thick 12” to 14” pizza
A visual feast, this rice, chickpea, and fresh cilantro gluten‐free crust harmonizes with a sweet and spicy chile garlic corn sauce, crunches with fresh vegetables, and smoothes the palette with a tangy millet, ginger, and peanut lime topping sauce.
A Taste of Thai
INGREDIENTS: 3 cups leftover cooked brown rice (de‐clumped) 1 T. red chili pepper flakes (optional, stirred into rice) ½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped) 2 T. flaxseeds 2/3 cups water 1 cup garbanzo flour (also called chickpea flour, or "besan") METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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2. Mix cilantro into rice. 3. Grind flaxseeds in a spice blender, mix into rice & cilantro. 4. Slowly add garbanzo flour and mix, gradually adding water. This will be a somewhat stiff and sticky “dough.” 5. Use your hands to compress the dough into a large cohesive "round,” slightly wetting your hands if needed. 6. Press into lightly oiled baking or pizza pan, using wet fingertips to smooth if desired. 7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until starting to get firm and brown on the bottom. 8. Let sit and cool for 10 minutes. 9. Add sauces and toppings of choice, bake for another 15 minutes or until cooked as desired. VARIATIONS: 1. Fresh basil can be substituted for fresh cilantro. 2. A rectangular glass casserole dish (lightly oiled) also works well with this dough, making more of a “deep dish” pizza.
SWEET’N’SPICY CHILI CORN SAUCE
Makes just under 2 cups INGREDIENTS: One 15.25 oz can of drained unsalted corn 2 T. corn starch 2 T. Sriracha sauce (chili garlic sauce) ¾ c. water METHOD: 1. Put all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. 2. Stir and simmer until the sauce thickens. Let cool. NOTE: This is a variation on the "Corn Comfort Sauce" recipe in my book, Heart Healthy Pizza.
MILLET, GINGER, PEANUT, AND LIME SAUCE Makes around 1 ½ cups INGREDIENTS: 1 c. cooked millet 2 t. ground ginger 3 T. peanut butter ½ c. water 1 ½ t. sugar (or sweetener of choice) ½ T. lime juice
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METHOD: 1. Put all ingredients except water in a blender, slowing adding the water and processing to achieve the desired thickness. VARIATIONS: Use another nut butter or a small amount of chopped nuts instead of peanut butter. 2. Add a few drops of Tabasco sauce while blending.
• Red Chili Pepper Flakes (optional)
WHOLE WHEAT, MILLET, AND BANANA CRUST
HEAVENLY PINEAPPLE PIZZA
The taste of bananas inspires in this whole wheat and millet crust, which is blanketed by a luscious and bright rich‐tasting tofu, coconut, and lime sauce, then topped with rum‐infused pineapple chunks and sprinkled with a chorus of coconut “lights.” Overall Structure: • Whole Wheat, Millet, and Banana Crust (recipe follows) • Tofu, Coconut, Mint, and Lime Sauce (recipe follows) • Rum‐soaked Pineapple (recipe follows) • Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut (optional)
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Makes enough dough for two 12” to 14” pizzas INGREDIENTS: 2 c. whole wheat flour 1 ½ c. millet flour 1 c. mashed ripe banana (about 1 ½ bananas) 1/3 c. water 1 t. sugar (or sweetener of choice) 2 ¼ t. yeast 2/3 c. water METHOD: 1. Mix flours together with a whisk, set aside. 2. Puree banana(s) and 1/3 cup water in a blender. 3. Whisk in sugar, yeast, and 2/3 cups water. 5. Combine yeast and flour mixtures. 6. Knead dough in bread machine or by hand until nicely elastic. 7. Let rise, covered, in a warm location for at least an hour. 8. Shape dough onto a lightly oiled pizza pan or cookie sheet. 9. Add toppings and sauces of choice, bake for 15 minutes or longer as desired. VARIATION: Molasses would be an interesting choice instead of sugar (use ½ T.)
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TOFU, COCONUT, MINT, AND LIME SAUCE
RUM-SOAKED PINEAPPLE
Makes about 2 cups of sauce INGREDIENTS: 1 box Nori‐Tofu (lite extra‐firm) 1/3 c. chopped fresh mint 1 t. sugar (or sweetener of choice) ¼ c. raw sunflower seeds (option: soak overnight) 1 to 1 ¼ c. water (as needed) 1 ½ t. coconut extract 2 T. corn starch METHOD: 1. Put all ingredients except water in a blender, slowing adding the water to obtain the desired thickness. NOTE: Special thanks to Susan Voisin, of http://www.fafreevegan.com, for her superb idea of using coconut extract instead of coconut milk in recipes!
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Makes about 2 cups of very tasty pineapple chunks INGREDIENTS: One 10 oz. can pineapple chunks (packed in own juice, drained) ½ cup dark rum METHOD: 1. Soak pineapple chunks with rum in a shallow glass bowl, mixing occasionally, for 30 minutes or longer. Drain in a colander or strainer a few minutes before serving. All recipes and photos ©2012 by Mark Sutton.
The Author Mark Sutton has been the Visualizations Coordinator for two NASA Earth Satellite Missions, an interactive multimedia consultant, organic farmer, and head conference photographer. He’s developed media published in several major magazines and shown or broadcast internationally, produced DVDs and websites, edited/managed a vegan cookbook (No More Bull! by Howard Lyman), worked with/for two Nobel Prize winners (on Global Climate Change), and helped create UN Peace Medal Award‐winning pre‐college curriculum. A vegetarian for 20 years, then vegan the past 10, Mark’s the editor of the Mad Cowboy e‐newsletter, an avid nature photographer, gardener, and environmentalist. Oil‐free for over 5 years and author of the 1st vegan pizza cookbook, he can be reached at: msutton@hearthealthypizza.com and http://www.hearthealthypizza.com
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Sustenance and Squirt Guns – Gotta Love Thai Food! By LaDiva Dietitian!, MS, RD, LDN Thailand ‐ Land of Contradictions or so the 1950’s travel brochure says. But it isn’t far off when it comes to religion and sustenance versus culture and water balloons. Approximately 94% of Thais are Theravada Buddhists. Buddha lived and taught a path to Enlightenment reaching Nirvana. When Buddha became Enlightened, he left the earth and went “beyond the call of prayer”, meaning you cannot pray to him as a saintly being. He further taught that one should not pray or deify another. One must do caring works, living within the construct of knowing individual action has a cause and effect. Each person is responsible for their own movement up the stairway of karma to attain Nirvana.i Many cultures have a religious element, but almost every Thai Buddhist family has at least one male become an ordained monk and spend time at a monastery during their life. Ordination is usually for a specific time period. Most ordination periods are anywhere between 5 days to
3 months. It is not unusual for men enter a monastery after the death of a wife. The government will pay full salary up to three months during ordination in a monastery. The historical high rate of literacy in Thailand, prior to nationwide education, has been attributed to the pervasive scholarly monastic presence within Thai culture. Interesting, but what does this have to do with Tom Yam soup? Buddhism teaches that food should be only eaten as sustenance. When saffron‐robed monks appear on the street with empty bowls, pedestrians ask for blessings and donate food. Monks live on whatever they are given. Food eaten for flavor is considered gluttonous. The basic rules for acceptable food can be boiled down to theseii: • No killing sentient beings, nor eating of animal products • No alcohol or other intoxicants because they not only distract the mind from enlightenment, but are listed in the "Five Moral Precepts" including no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or partaking of intoxicants. • No ingestion of the “Five Pungent Spices” which are Onions, Garlic, Scallions, Chives and Leeks. Supposedly, these can lead to anger as well as repelling good deities and summoning ghosts.
thai novice monks
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fight. After you have sufficiently pumped your Super Soaker, you can squirt some soy sauce on spring rolls. Not wasting the bounty of the earth is a lesson for all. So, be sure that after licking your lips with the Gaeng Kiaw Waan [green curry],iii you finish that coconut mango sticky rice and lassi. And Buddha would appreciate you bringing an extra towel ‐ wet saffron robes are heavy. The Author
monks receiving food offerings
But the food culture in Thailand ain’t what’s eaten by monks. Most cultures have three daily meals. The Thais have those and snacks, snacks, snacks. Nibbling and noshing are normal throughout the day. A short walk around the capital, Bangkok, fills the air with aromas of outdoor food stands. As opposed to many other cities where one avoids street vendor dishes, these stands are the where some of the tastiest food is prepared. There are sweet liquid desserts and Kanom [savory pastries] so numerous in typography that most vendors have their own specialty. One Thai tourism website said to look where the expensive cars line up. That’s where enlightened locals await the most delectable tidbits. And don’t forget the festivals and holidays. There are 16 public holidays each year. Many with feasting. Some have dishes with their own significance such as long noodles meaning a long life. The New Year festival celebrated in April includes throwing water on someone to have them start the year anew. It begins with a sprinkle on the elderly and becomes the world’s biggest water
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Marty Davey, RD, MS is not only LaDiva, Dietitian!, but a Registered Dietitian with a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that there were more chemicals in cattle then attendants at a Grateful Dead concert. Her family is all vegan, except the dog who drew the line at vegetarian. She conducts factual and hilarious presentations and food demos. While her private practice includes those transitioning to a plant‐based life, LaDiva's most popular private consulting topic is "I'm too busy and I don't cook." Her website is www.ladivadietitian.com.
waterfight at the songkran festival!
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i
Marimari. Retrieved November 13, 2012 http://www.marimari.com/content/thailand/gene ral_info/religion/religion.html ii Grygus, A. 2008. Retrieved on November 16, 2012 from http://clovegarden.com/diet/buddha.html iii Dupelia, M. Retrieved on November 16, 2012 http://www.vegansa.com/recipe-thai-greencurry.php
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Vegan Cuisine and the Law: The Poop on Big Chicken By Mindy Kursban, Esq. & Andy Breslin Hurricane Sandy’s catastrophic landfall on the east coast in October catalyzed a lot of long overdue discussion about the impact of human activity on climate change. At long last we’re talking about clean renewable energy to replace polluting fossil fuels. We’re having a serious talk about new fuel economy standards, cleaner cars, cap‐and‐trade, carbon credits and even more creative uses for ethanol than my endlessly inventive family devises every Thanksgiving. But there’s a gaping lacuna in our national discussion of climate change and environmental protection, and it’s long past time that we brought the chickens home to roost. Roosting chickens, it turns out, are a huge part of the problem. Meat production is the most significant cause of pollution in the world, causing at least 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. That was a conservative estimate by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in its 2006 “Livestock’s Long Shadow” report. A 2009 analysis conducted by scientists at two other United Nations’ specialized agencies showed that meat production may account for 51% or more of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Nine billion “broiler” chickens are slaughtered every year to satisfy Americans’ appetites for grilled chicken breasts, battered and fried chicken nuggets, and oven‐roasted chickens. That’s 14 times the number of chickens the U.S. consumed in 1950. Not only has the number of chickens increased, they are far more concentrated now. The more than 1.6 million small farms spread across the country in the 1950s are now made up A Taste of Thai
of just 32,000 huge factory farms typically producing more than 600,000 birds per year across a limited 15‐state “Broiler Belt.” These factory farms – more benignly referred to as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” (CAFOs) – cram as many as 40,000 birds in 20,000 square foot windowless warehouses like these.
Photo: David Harp Broiler chickens often spend their short lives in cavernous warehouses.
The 523 million broiler chickens raised each year just in Maryland and Delaware factory farms generate 42 million cubic feet of chicken waste – enough to fill the dome of the U.S. Capitol with crap almost once every week. This is almost as quickly as our elected representatives manage to do it. This “broiler litter” waste, a mixture of manure, urine, feathers, dropped feed, and bedding, is collected from the warehouses and piled in a storage shed or outdoor area. But it doesn’t stay there. The farmer isn’t going to let all that waste . . . go to waste. Eventually it’s going to be spread all over crops as fertilizer. While in storage or after being spread onto fields as fertilizer, this untreated waste leaches into the ground, seeps into local creeks, runs off into small February 2013|30
ditches and canals, and ends up in receiving streams. Water contaminated with chicken waste run‐off contains elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. This can produce harmful algal blooms that create “dead zones” of water depleted of oxygen essential to all marine animal life. The EPA estimates that more than 100,000 miles of rivers and streams, close to 2.5 million acres of lakes, reservoirs and ponds, and more than 800 square miles of bays and estuaries in the U.S. have poor water quality because of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. More than 150 rivers and streams drain into the majestic Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the US. The bay is bordered on the east by the Delmarva Peninsula, one of the major centers of chicken production and home of Perdue chicken, an enormous corporation with annual revenues of about $4.75 billion. Not coincidentally, a third of the Chesapeake Bay is also a dead zone. In 2010, Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit water protection group run by Robert Kennedy, Jr., brought a landmark lawsuit against Perdue for contaminating the Chesapeake Bay. This suit, which went to trial this past October, is the first to seek to hold a poultry company accountable for violations of the Clean Water Act. The University of Maryland’s environmental law clinic represents the Waterkeeper Alliance in the suit. A few weeks after the lawsuit was filed, state legislators introduced legislation to retaliate algal bloom in sichuan province
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against the law school for suing Big Chicken. Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley took a very public stand against the lawsuit and wrote to the Dean of the law school to express his displeasure. Emails between O’Malley and Perdue’s lawyer made public by Food & Water Watch made clear that the Governor has Perdue’s back. The PEW Environment Group notes in its 2011 Big Chicken: Pollution and Industrial Poultry Production in America report that “in theory, [factory farms] have been regulated under the Clean Water Act for more than a quarter of a century. In practice, the regulatory impact of the law on the broiler industry and its enormous waste generation has been minimal at best.” Maryland, Virginia and Delaware each use taxpayer dollars to pay the poultry industry to transport broiler waste out of heavy waste concentration areas. In fiscal year 2011, Maryland farmers received $354,012 in state grants to transport 61,150 tons of manure. At least 17 states use taxpayer dollars to help farmers implement Best Management Practices intended to reduce their operations’ pollution. Enforcement of the Clean Air Act has been left largely to states. It took a petition to the EPA from a diverse group of nonprofit health and animal welfare organizations to push EPA to consider regulating ammonia and other air pollutants from CAFOs, which have escaped Clean Air Act regulation for decades. Cramming tens of thousands of chickens into a small space is a great way for chicken companies to make enormous profits. Without help from Uncle Sam to clean up the mess, they would be far less profitable and the value of intensively confining animals would diminish. All of us are paying for the clean‐up costs, whether we eat chickens or not. The government should require Big Chicken to wholly internalize its pollution costs, rather than pass them on to everyone either through more pollution or paying the costs to clean up their pollution. February 2013|31
The price of chicken would likely – and fairly – increase. Those who continue to buy chickens at this higher price will be essentially paying a user fee, similar to a toll road. Those of us who don’t eat chickens should not be forced to pay the price for those who do, and it’s long overdue that we stand up and put a stop to this "fowl" play. The Authors Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐based diet. Mindy welcomes feedback, comments, and questions at mkursban@gmail.com. Andrew Breslin is the author of Mother's Milk, the definitive account of the vast global conspiracy orchestrated by the dairy industry, which secretly controls humanity through mind‐controlling substances contained in cow milk. In all likelihood this is a hilarious work of satyric fiction, but then again, you never know. He also authors the blog Andy Rants, almost certainly the best blog that you have never read. He is an avid book reviewer at Goodreads. He worked at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine with Mindy Kursban, with whom he occasionally collaborates on projects concerning legal issues associated with health and food. Andrew's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a wide variety of print and online venues, covering an even wider variety of topics. He lives in Philadelphia with his girlfriend and cat, who are not the same person.
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A Thai Kitchen Garden by Liz Lonnetti
is also easy to grow from seed. The ideal time to plant basil is April to June and again in the fall late October to September. Basil is a sun loving plant and will happily grow in full desert sun. Harvest regularly by pinching back new growth. This prevents flowering and promotes bushy plants. Harvesting is Thai Basil Ocimum best done in the early basilicum var. morning when the volatile thyrsiflora essential oils are at their Let’s start with Basil, most potent. Plant your because it is so easy to grow Thai Basil in good draining here in Phoenix. Thai Basil, soil or in pots and be careful along with the whole basil not to overwater. family, is a frost tender Overwatered basil can look plant that can be pale and wilty and you overwintered. Plants over a might mistakenly think you few years old tend to loose the author's whiskey barrel garden contains need to water it more – resist their flavor and vigor so I like to lemongrass, curry leaf, Thai basil as well as the urge to water without first ornamental kale (edible), oregano and lettuce take cuttings and start new checking to see if the soil is plants regularly. Basil cuttings still wet! Stick your finger into the soil at least half root easily in water in an opaque container, as the an inch and feel if it is dry or moist, if it’s still moist, roots prefer dark, although I’ve rooted cuttings in hold off on watering and recheck the soil later. clear glass on a windowsill it will just take longer. It Basil needs protection from frost, so be sure to move your potted plants either indoors or to another safe sunny location. Alternatively you can use frost cloth to cover your plants, it can be purchased by the roll in 12’ wide sections and as long as your garden space requires. It is what I use to cover the plants when the weather report forecasts any overnight lows 39°F or below. If the projected low is closer to freezing, I’ve been known to string old fashioned Christmas lights (not the Thai cooking is all about fresh healthy ingredients and nothing beats the flavor of harvesting plants from your own garden to eat that same day! You can grow many of the essential ingredients of South Asian cuisine right in your own backyard with just a few helpful guidelines.
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new LEDs) around the plants and under the frost cloth to provide more heat.
Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus This tall grass is a beautiful addition to your garden. Its graceful foliage makes it a perfect accent plant. It can do well in full sun but can also thrive with afternoon shade. Lemongrass is a very easy plant to grow here, but is frost tender so either protect with frost cloth or plan on growing it as an annual and replanting in the spring. Well draining soil is preferred ‐ if you don’t know what that means, try digging a hole about a foot in all directions, fill with water, let it drain and then fill it again. If it takes more than 4 hours to drain the second time, you have poor drainage and will need to check for a caliche layer and/or amend your soil with compost for best results.
Curry Leaf Tree Murraya koenigii This wonderful plant is a member of the Citrus family but is more frost tender than the other citrus in my yard. A good source for fresh leaves can be hard to find, so growing them yourself is a
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great option! I grow my Curry Leaf in a half wine barrel so it remains fairly small in size, after 3 years it grows fuller each year but not much taller than 4 feet (of course I keep pruning back leaves for eating!). The entire planter is on wheels so it can be moved to the best seasonal growing locations, full sun in the winter and somewhat shaded in the summer. This tree, in the right conditions, can grow to be 20 feet tall, but I wouldn't expect much more than 10’ here in Phoenix if planted in the ground. As with any tree, it is best to set up a berm to flood the root zone to the tree’s drip line providing deep regular water, approximately every week in the summer and only once or twice a month in the wet winter season. To check how deeply you’ve watered your Curry Leaf, use a soil probe or other long pointed object (very long screwdriver or piece of rebar) and push it into the soil. Dry soil is not easily penetrated by the probe and you’ll be able to tell how deep your water has percolated. Be sure to mulch the basin you’ve created to conserve water, help keep that root zone cool in the summer and provide organic material to the soil.
Kaffir Lime Citrus hystrix Since the Kaffir Lime is also a citrus, the same rules apply to this tree as to the Curry Leaf. If you have a choice of rootstock, the Sour Orange is a good one for our soils. Limes are the most frost tender of the citrus family, but Kaffir is the hardiest lime so they do well in this area especially with a little extra TLC as they get through their first couple years. I would suggest planting your most frost tender plants together so it is easiest to cover them all with a large frost cloth at once.
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Ginger/Galangal Zingiber Officinale and Alpinia Galanga I lumped Ginger and Galangal into the same category because they are both root crops with similar cultivation needs (and these instructions for care apply to tumeric and cardamom as well). Galangal, Alpinia galangal, along with most plants in the ginger family, is native to South Asia and is a staple in Thai and other cuisines from that region. You might guess that fact from its other common name, Thai ginger. Ginger root, Zingiber officinale, has crossed over into widespread use and become a staple around the world. While not always easy to grow, it merits space in your garden! These ginger family plants can be cultivated from your grocery store produce or you can sometimes find them at a local nursery or have them shipped to you online. If you can find them at a local market, pick only plump, firm, good looking specimens and avoid any moldy, shriveled or otherwise badly damaged roots. Since these plants are native to South Asia, they prefer more humidity than the Phoenix area provides. Keeping the plant root zone moist and out of direct mid‐day sun is essential. Sandy loam soil is ideal and an eastern exposure will provide the best results. I’ve had success with growing these plants in very large containers with ollas for keeping the soil evenly moist in the summer. Galangal can become a very large plant, so it is best grown in at least a half wine barrel size or better planted in well amended soil with a steady water supply. Ginger grows to only a nice 3’ tall and has done well in my half wine barrels when planted under shade cloth. With both plants, a heavy layer of mulch, up to 4‐5 inches thick will help to keep the root zone moist and cool during the summer. The gingers should be planted in Spring, after any danger of frost has passed. These plants are frost tender and you may consider them as annuals to be harvested in the fall,
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especially if we have any really cold snaps over winter. Galangal may be more likely to come back after a freeze when planted in the ground, heavily mulched and provided frost cloth.
Conclusion Thai Basil, Lemongrass, Curry Leaf, Kaffir Lime and the Gingers are all frost tender plants, so I would recommend choosing a location in your yard that is protected from the cold, against your home with a southern or eastern exposure is ideal! A good mix for growing these plants in containers would be a well draining cactus/succulent potting soil. For best results, provide slow release fertilizer applications three times a year on Valentine’s, Memorial and Labor Days and more often if container gardening. Slow, deep and infrequent watering will encourage healthy root development. Happy Gardening! For more information: Valley Permaculture Alliance Frost Protection Irrigating Citrus Trees The Author As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan.
Resources www.urbanfarm.org www.phoenixpermaculture.org
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The Vegan Traveler: Enchanting Florida By Chef Jason Wyrick
Recently, I had the opportunity to travel through much of Florida, visiting Jacksonville, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Palm Beach to teach vegan cooking classes. Of course, I made an effort to get to as many vegan restaurants as I could get to! Along the way, I had some fantastic food, a few disappointments, and some treasured finds. I also got to travel through the Everglades, I stumbled across a colonial fort, visited a plantation, spent some time on the spectacular beeches, and got rained on a few times. All in all, a great trip. Jacksonville was my first stop in Florida. I had no idea what to expect, but looking ahead, I could see there weren’t many places to eat. First hand experience taught me how much of an understatement that was. I pretty much spent my time going between Whole Foods and Starbucks. Although the vegan food scene was non‐existent, at least the weather was beautiful, so rather than staying in Jacksonville on my last day, I headed south to see what I could find. It wasn’t long before
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I arrived in St. Augustine, so I decided to stop in the historic district to see if they had any tasty treats. Not so much, but as I pulled around the bend, I saw a huge stone fortress looking out over the coast. Of course, I had to see what it was! That’s how I found myself at the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States. The Castillo de San Marcos was originally a Spanish fortress established to protect against piracy and nearby English interests. Eventually it passed into English hands, then back to Spain, then to the US, then to the Confederacy, and then back to the US. As part of a Spanish colony, it provided safe haven for escaped slaves (at least, those who would become Catholic). As I walked across the draw bridge to the completely intact fort, I could feel the history of the place come to life and hear the voices of the people that used to occupy it. I spent half a day there and would have spent more if I had the time. If you have an opportunity to visit this historical landmark, take it. I also visited the Kingsley
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plantation. Knowing that I was walking on ground that had been worked by slaves just a hundred and fifty years before was a moving experience and learning the details about the plantation was an eye‐opening experience, from how much land a slave was expected to tend each day, to harvests, to the fact that the owner’s wife was a former slave of his and that she in turn purchased and managed her own slaves, to the seashell construction of the walls. Jacksonville was terrible for vegan food, but great for history lovers. A couple weeks later, I was back in Florida, stopping first in Ft. Lauderdale. The first place I went after getting off the plane was Sublime. Sublime is one of those landmark vegan destinations and I had been waiting several years for an opportunity to go here. I got there fairly early, so I was one of two people in the restaurant, not counting staff. Sublime has a very private feel to it and an elegant, classy interior. Dark wood, water features, soft lighting, and everything else you would expect from a high end restaurant. The food, however, was anything but. I tried several dishes. The Frito Misto, a crispy cauliflower dish with a sweet chile sauce, was by the best out of the group. It very much reminded me of something I would get at a good Asian restaurant and let me say, the portion was not appetizer sized, unless you are the Hulk. After that, I had the Spinach Salad, which was ok, but a bit out of balance. It was
simply too acidic. Not bad, just not up to high end standards. Finally, the tamales came. I don’t see them on Sublime’s regular menu as I check their site, so perhaps they were a special, but if they were special, it was based on just how awful they were. I live in the Southwest and I know tamales and these…globs…were a travesty to taste. Imagine doughy, wet masa covered with some sauce that is supposed to pass itself off as vegan cheese, but comes off like thinned out Velveeta flavored with nutritional yeast and a picture of culinary torture should start to form. Couple that with unseasoned beans, a chile sauce that made me cringe, and a sour cream that tasted like grainy lemon‐flavored tofu, and that picture is probably something you don’t want to look at anymore. Tongue trauma. I wouldn’t feed these to my worst enemy. Actually, I probably would. Even though I was completely full from dinner, I went out for food later that night just to get the taste of those tamales out of my mouth.
the patio at darbster
I made my escape from Sublime and headed off to Palm Beach, hoping I would find better food. What I wasn’t expecting to find was Darbster in West Palm Beach. This ended up being one of my favorite vegan restaurants I have been to. It’s a small, quaint place, with the restaurant opening up
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onto the patio, which in turn overlooks a quiet waterway. The staff was incredibly friendly and you could tell they really cared about their food. The Palm Cakes, made with hearts of palm, coupled with a tangy remoulade, were addictive. I had a great pizza, a nice Caesar salad, nachos done right, raw tostadas which were not only full of flavor and texture, but left me feeling great afterwards, a tempeh reuben,
laid‐back beach property, artists, and isolated natural scenery to make for a relaxing, fun drive. By the time I got to Miami Beach, though, storms had rolled in, so I headed off to my hotel and then to my next restaurant destination after a rest. Located in Coral Gables, La Vie en Raw is a small raw restaurant that emphasizes education. I walked in fairly late at night and they were recovering from having taught two classes that day. The owners were very welcoming and went out of their way to make
sure I had a great meal, even if it was and a few other delicious sides. tasty palm cakes with remoulade only fifteen minutes before closing. It was café food with a lot of The food is about what you can expect from a raw love and a lot of flavor. I ended up going to café and like most raw foods, a bit pricey, but not Darbster twice just so I could have the palm cakes overly so. The pizza they made me was soul‐ again. Great atmosphere, great staff, and great satisfying and delicious and the cucumber soup a food. Unfortunately, I missed going to Christopher’s Kitchen in Palm Beach Gardens were nice refreshing end to the day. The next day I I was staying because of the particular timing of the taught another class, and although I had grand class I was teaching. Everyone I have talked to plans afterwards, bed won out. That let me get an about it says Christopher’s Kitchen is topnotch raw early start on my last day in Florida. I stopped at foods cuisine and is in the running for the best raw Choices, a vegan restaurant that reminded me of a (mostly raw, as they do have some cooked dishes) restaurant in the country. I very much hope I have some time to go back to Palm Beach so I can check this place out. As far as entertainment, the area was a little too glitzy for me. I did enjoy a midnight walk on the beach, but fortunately between my class and scouting out food, I was kept fairly busy. One thing I should note is that the Whole Foods in Palm Beach Gardens had some hard‐to‐find ingredients for sale, like kaffir lime leaves. Check it out if you have a chance. My last stop was in Miami. I had some time to kill, so I drove down the coast from Palm Beach all the way to Miami Beach. Coastal drives are one of my favorite road trips and I was not disappointed. The coast has an eclectic collection of industry, wealth, the narrow entry at choices
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flight home. All in all, I enjoyed Florida way more than I expected to enjoy it. The history was fascinating, the landscape was peaceful, the food was excellent (mostly), and I can’t wait to go back. Contact Info Darbster – www.darbster.com La Vie en Raw – www.lavieenraw.com Sublime – www.sublimerestaurant.com Castillo de San Marcos – www.nps.gov/casa Kingsley Plantation – www.nps.gov/timu/historyculture/kp.htm Everglades – www.nps.gov/ever diner I would see around a college campus, with food to match. The menu consists mostly of salads, sandwiches, and wraps. It’s good, sloppy vegan diner food, perfect for a quick bite. I ate my salad there and the “Chicken” Homie Wrap sustained me on my drive to the Everglades. I should also mention that Choices has lots of organic juices and smoothies. Yum! Although storm clouds threatened, it turned out to be a beautiful day and the Everglades were another part of Florida I would love to visit again. After a few hectic days, the Everglades were a peaceful contrast with plenty of wildlife and plants to capture your attention if you find ecology fascinating like I do. Plus, I got to see plenty of birds, frogs, lizards, and giant spiders! I ended up spending a bit too long in the Everglades and had to race back to the airport to catch my
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The Author Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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The Texas Chili Report By Chef Jason Wyrick I love a good bowl of chili, so imagine how excited I was when I was invited to be a judge at my favorite vegan event in the country, the Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cookoff. That’s Texas, for those of you who don’t know that Texas is the Lone Star state. I am a chili connoisseur, so this was definitely the place to be. Not only that, I miss Texas. Texas is like a second home, and while the stark Arizona desert will always be my first home, Texas has a pulse to it that draws me back on occasion. The cookoff had over twenty contestants and judges from all around the US, from back East and all the way up from Alaska. This is truly the premier chili cookoff event in the country. All of the contestants had to prepare five gallons of chili fresh on site. That meant a lot of shopping and a very early morning for the cooks! Succeeding in the chili cookoff is as much planning as it is having an outstanding bowl of goodness. I’ve been to this event several times and have seen some great chilies fall to poor planning, the cooks either not finishing or burning their chili (you can call it smoked if you want, but I really know that it was burned!) because they weren’t prepared to cook in such large quantities. Wind can be a factor, too, since it can put out those finicky portable burners. Cooking a huge quantity of food on portable burners outdoors can be intimidating, but most everyone managed to pull it off this year. Of course, that meant more chili for me to eat… The festival was basically rows and rows of chili contestant stalls and a throng of people moving through them tasting the different chilies. When I say a throng, I mean a couple thousand people A Taste of Thai
showed up that day to have their way with vegan chili! The rest of the booths were local businesses there to promote their products, plus a vegan tamale seller, who also happened to be the person that owned the property where the festival was taking place. Thanks to her for supporting the event! (and making some damn fine tamales). The contestants themselves were local businesses, restaurateurs, cooking schools, rescue organizations, bloggers, and home cooks and the chiles they made were as diverse as you can
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imagine. As a judge, I was not allowed to carouse the festival before the competition started, so I was escorted through the press of people to meet my fellow critics. All the tasting is done blind, so to speak, with chilies being brought in cups with numbers on them. Each chili is judged on taste, texture, appearance, and its “chiliness.” That last one may sound odd, but vegans can be very creative and some of the chilies stretched the boundary of what
judging takes a lot of water!
can really be defined as a chili. For example, one of the chilies tasted more like tom kha with red curry than anything resembling chili. As much as I might like that, it’s not chili. Some of the chilies were bland, some were unbalanced, and some had no texture, but there were even more chilies that were incredible. Fire roasted chilies, a chili that used hominy, another that used a mix of several chiles, some smooth, some rough. Each contestant’s chili was unique, but the two that stood out for me were the chilies from The Vegan Nom and Coseppi Kitchen for the Food Bloggers’ Alliance. Their chilies were smooth and complex A Taste of Thai
james seppi and taylor cook, winners of the chili cookoff
with a texture that melted in your mouth. They were spicy without being too hot and highly addictive. Once the judging was done, I went throughout the festival to discover which ones were my favorites and took the opportunity to talk with the chefs. The Vegan Nom is a food truck that specializes in artisan vegan tacos. No wonder I loved their chili so much! Chris, the chef and owner, knows his Mexican street food. Coseppi Kitchen is the team of James Seppi and Taylor Cook, who run an educational website where they share their recipes and photos. Take a look if you have an opportunity. They do lots of ethnic dishes, are highly creative, and know what they are talking about. I think you’ll find their food inspiring. They also happened to be the winners of the competition, netting both the main chili division and the people’s choice award. I spoke briefly with James and he was kind enough to share his recipe with us: We had a couple things in mind when we came up with the recipe. First, we wanted to use some seasonal vegetables, but without ending up with a chili that was too much like a vegetable stew. Eggplant was in abundance at our local farm, Johnson's Backyard Garden, and it seemed like it would make a great chili ingredient ‐‐ it doesn't have too strong a flavor on its own, February 2013|41
but it holds up well to cooking and soaks up flavors pretty well. The other seasonal veggie we used from the farm was poblano peppers, which have a nice smokey flavor and low heat level (we didn't want the heat level to overpower the flavors!). The second big idea we had was to start with whole dried Mexican chili peppers instead of a premade/premixed chili powder. This was certainly inspired by the influence of Mexican cuisine here in Texas, and we think starting with whole ingredients adds deeper, richer flavors to any dish.
Black Bean, Lentil, and Eggplant Chili ½ lb black beans, pre‐soaked overnight 2 dried Chili Pasilla peppers, stemmed 4 large cloves garlic, diced and divided 3 bay leaves 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 dried Chili Pasilla peppers 3 dried Chili Cascabel peppers 2 dried Chipotle peppers 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 poblano pepper, diced 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch cubes ½ 15‐ounce can crushed tomatoes ½ 15‐oounce can diced tomatoes 1 quart water 1 tablespoon Better‐than‐Bouillon ½ cup dry green lentils Juice of 2 key limes Salt to taste Preparation 1. Boil the black beans with 2 stemmed chili pasilla peppers, 3 bay leaves, and half of the diced garlic until soft, about 1 1/2 hours.
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2. While the beans are cooking, finely dice (or use a food processor) the remaining chiles pasillas, chiles cascabeles, and chipotle peppers. 3. When black beans are tender, remove from heat. 4. Saute the onion, diced dried chilies, and ground cumin in olive oil over medium‐high heat until the onions are soft and the cumin is fragrant, about 10 minutes. 5. Add the remaining diced garlic and the diced poblano pepper, and saute for 5 minutes more. 6. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt, then continue to saute until it is tender, about 8 minutes. 7. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, water, Better‐than‐ Bouillon, and lentils. Bring to boil then lower heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost cooked, about 30 minutes. 8. Add the cooked black beans and let the chili simmer until the lentils are soft and the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes more. The longer you let the chili simmer, the thicker it will become, so you can adjust based on your preferences. 9. Season with salt to taste and add the key lime juice. 10. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, diced jalapenos (for extra heat), or your preferred chili topping. Towards the end of the festival was an iron chef competition, which Chris from The Vegan Nom won. After that, it was cleanup and more sampling, and a few more tamales to tide me over. I have to mention Stevie Duda and Brendan Good for all their hard work in getting this festival together.
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The Author
chris of the vegan nom at the iron chef chili competition
Without them, it would not have happened and certainly would not have gone off so well. This is the biggest vegetarian chili festival in the world and next year is the 25th anniversary. I imagine it is going to be even bigger! I look forward to going back and trying a host of new chilies, seeing old friends, and making new ones, all over a pot of compassionate, delicious Texas red. Contact Info Check out the Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cookoff at www.veggiechilicookoff.com, The Vegan Nom at www.thevegannom.blogspot.com, and Coseppi Kitchen at www.kitchen.coseppi.com.
A Taste of Thai
Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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A Guide to Thai Ingredients By Chef Jason Wyrick Many of the ingredients in this issue will be quite familiar, but you may not recognize some of the Thai‐specific ingredients, or you may have heard of them, but never seen or tasted them. That’s ok. Before I started exploring Thai cuisine, I hadn’t experienced many of those ingredients either, except mixed into a curry at a restaurant. That was a long time ago. Since then, trips to my local Asian markets have become commonplace and many of these ingredients are now staples in my household. I hope some of them become staples in yours, too. Please note that there are a lot of ingredients in this list! I put the ones that will get the most use towards the top of the list. Chances are you will need to visit an Asian market to find some of them and for the others, you should anyway. They tend to be fresher and the price much lower than the small, substandard ones sold at conventional markets.
Galangal – Galangal is one of my favorite ingredients to use and absolutely necessary if you want real Thai flavor. It has a flavor like crisp, mellow ginger without the burn. No surprise since it is related to ginger, but they are definitely not the same. You do not need to peel galangal and when slicing it, I try to get it as thin as possible to get the most flavor out of it. It is smashed into curry pastes or sliced and simmered in soups to flavor the broth. When
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simmered in a soup or broth this way, you are expected to eat around the galangal without eating the galangal itself, but if it is sliced thin enough, I eat it anyway! If you do not have access to fresh galangal, I find it better to use half the amount of ginger as a replacement rather than use dried galangal. The dried stuff is worthless and although ginger will make the dish taste different, the freshness is just as important.
Purple Shallots – Purple shallots are basically the red onion of shallots. They tend to be small to medium size and often have two or three shallots coming out of one bulb. You can use the larger yellow shallots or the French gray shallots in their place, but they won’t be quite as sweet. Peel these like you would an onion.
Kaffir Limes & Lime Leaves – Kaffir limes are difficult to come by, but highly valued for their zest. This is because this knobby, wrinkly lime has such a large surface area of zest compared to most other limes and that zest contains tons of volatile lime oil. You can use strips of this or a Microplane zester to get the most zest from the lime. Their juice is not quite as smooth as the juice of other limes, so it’s really only used for its zest. You can use the zest from other limes in
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place of kaffir, even if they don’t pop as much. The leaves of the plant, like the limes, are highly fragrant, but unlike the limes, there is not adequate substitute. Leaves from other types of lime trees simply don’t taste the same. You can find the leaves at a few markets, like Whole Foods, but they are also very expensive.
Lemongrass – Chances are you know what lemongrass is. Its fragrance is light, lemony (hence the name), and it lightens a dish. When you see lemongrass in a recipe, only use fresh. Dried lemongrass tastes and feels nothing like fresh lemongrass. I prefer to use the part of the lemongrass that is this lemongrass cost me $0.99 at my local asian market light in color, below the stringy top and just above the thick bulbous bottom. That region is soft and has the best flavor. When using lemongrass, give it a smash with the back of your knife to get some extra fragrance from it.
Chiles – It is impossible to think of Thai food without thinking of chiles, particularly those small, hot Bird’s Eyes! Those aren’t the only chiles used in Thai cuisine, or in this issue, however. Some are used in stir fries and soups, while others are used dried to make chile powders, while others are smashed to use in curries. As you can see from the list below, prik means chile. In general, if I can’t find a Thai chile, I will replace it with a Serrano if fresh, and a chile de arbol if dried.
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Fresh Bird’s Eye Chiles – There are actually several different chiles called Bird’s Eye and they are used in rather different ways. The longer versions are typically found dried and are a couple inches in length. These are the milder chiles and are ground up and used in many red curries, while the smaller prik kee nu suan is preferred fresh. Its high piquancy makes it much better for flavoring soups and some nam prik. Long Chiles – Long chiles are similar to prik chee faa, but much longer and milder. They make a great base for pastes when you don’t want them super hot. Prik Kee Noo Suan – These are the smallest of the Bird’s Eye chiles. They are very hot, about the low end of a habanero in heat, and they are very small, quickly tapering at the end. They are used for intense heat and are almost always used fresh. Prik Kee Noo (aka Thai chiles) – Another one of the chiles referred to as a Bird’s Eye, this chile is about one to two inches long and hot, but not quite as hot as the prik kee noo suan. I often find these sold fresh under the name “Thai chiles.”
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Prik Chee Faa – Out of all the Bird’s Eye chiles, this is the mildest and is used both in its ripe red and unripe green states. It is slightly longer than a prik kee noo and a bit fatter. Use this one when you want some heat, but not too terribly much. Prik Haeng (dried Thai chiles) – These are usually prik chee noo chiles and are usually sold bagged in large quantities. At many Asian markets, they are simply labeled “dried Thai chiles.” Perfect for grinding up for curries and chile powders. Prik Num (aka banana chiles) – Banana chiles are about four inches long, curved like a banana, and usually sold when they are either a very light green color or fully ripened into a yellow or orange. They are mild and slightly tangy in flavor. Roasted and smashed, they make an excellent chile base for a nam prik. I typically have to purchase these at either an Asian or Mexican market and if I can’t find them, I substitute Hungarian wax chiles for them.
Fermented Tofu – Fermented tofu is a tofu that has been brined and cured. It has some cheeselike qualities due to the breakdown of protein during the fermentation process, with salty, sweet flavors. It is also known as stinky tofu (the bacteria that causes it to ferment makes it stink like stinky cheese!) and makes an excellent substitute for shrimp paste. It almost always comes cut up in small cubes and jarred.
Fresh Turmeric (orange and white varieties) – The difference between fresh turmeric and dried turmeric are immense. It’s the difference between fresh ginger and dried ginger. Whereas dried turmeric has an almost bitter taste, fresh turmeric springs to life with vibrancy. You do not need to peel it to use it and it works best if you use a Microplane to grate it. Orange turmeric, the kind with which most people are familiar, has that carrot‐like flavor, while white turmeric lacks that, but makes up for it with a strong pungency.
Burro Bananas – Burro bananas are a squat, fat version of more common bananas. They are denser, starchier, and sweet. They are best used when the skin A Taste of Thai
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has just started to develop some black spots, but don’t let them get as black as you would a plantain. Mostly, these are used for desserts.
Banana Leaves – Banana leaves are just what they sound like. Leaves from the banana plant. These thick, pliable leaves are perfect for wrapping food and roasting or grilling it. The leaves protect the food inside from direct flames and the thick, dense leaves trap steam inside them, keeping the food moist. If I know that I am going to be roasting something for awhile, I soak the banana leaves first so they stay moist longer. Look for these at both Asian and Mexican grocers.
Although it may go by those names, the plant is a bit heartier than its monikers imply. The leaves hold up well under heat, reducing, but still feeling hearty, much like kale, and the stems are thicker, like baby broccoli, making it excellent for stir fries. The taste reminds me of a cross between spinach and kale (including the bitter parts). I have only seen this in my local Asian markets.
Thai Eggplant (apple eggplant) – Although
– Called bai tuey in Thai, pandanus leaves are used to impart a unique, herbal note to broths and desserts. They are also used as beds for presentation and are available at some Asian markets, but not all of them. There is no adequate substitution for them, but you can do without them unless the dish itself is based on pandanus.
several different types of eggplant are used in Thai cuisine, including long purple Chinese eggplant, the small round green ones are the most widely recognized Thai variety. They have a crisp, clean, semi‐sweet taste (hence apple eggplant), and can be eaten plain or cooked. I typically quarter these, or, if serving them fresh, I quarter them cutting from the bottom and going almost all the way to the stem, but leaving the stem intact. This way, you can splay the quarters out all attached to the stem, making a “flower.” When choosing an apple eggplant, make sure the skin looks vibrant and tight against the flesh. If you do not use the eggplant right away after cutting it, submerse it in cold water with a touch of lemon juice to keep it fresh. It turns brown quickly!
Pak Bung – Pak bung also goes by the name
Pickled Limes – If it can be pickled, it will be
“Chinese watercress” and “Chinese spinach.”
somewhere in the world, and limes are no
Pandanus Leaves
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exception. Pickled limes are usually pickled in a sugary, briny solution, so they add a strong shot of sweet and sour flavor to broths. When using them, they should be left intact and only simmered for a few minutes, up to five. Beyond that and they tend to overwhelm a dish with sourness, but up to that point, they bring a liveliness to a broth that can’t be found otherwise. I have included a recipe for making your own in this issue, but of course, you can find them jarred at most Asian markets in the Thai section.
Tamarind – Tamarind is actually a legume, albeit an incredibly tangy one. In Thai, it goes by the name má kăam. A special type of tamarind has been cultivated in Thailand that can be eaten fresh. Technically, other cultivars can, as well, but they are much too sour while the Thai cultivar is sweeter and less acidic. Fresh pods can be used simmered to make teas or tamarind juice. Tamarind is also sold as a sauce or paste. Tamarind sauce usually refers to tamarind concentrate and is added in small quantities to sauces and soups to infuse them with flavor. Tamarind paste is a block of pulped, pressed tamarind. The block usually has seeds in it that need to be removed, which can be done by mixing the paste with some water (in essence, making tamarind concentrate) and then running it through a sieve to catch the seeds. You can also remove the
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seeds by hand and use the actual pulp to make a thick nam prik. See the Tamarind Nam Prik recipe for an example. Tamarind sauce can be found in most grocery stores while the paste or block is more commonly found at Asian and Mexican markets.
Soy Sauces – Several different types of soy sauce are found in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. Each one has its own use, some with hints of sweetness, some with strong salty notes. Thai soy sauces are not like Japanese soy sauces, but if I had to use a Japanese one for a Thai dish, I would probably use tamari. I also find it is more acceptable amongst the Thai soy sauces to use a light one in place of a dark one, but not vice versa. Thai soy sauces should be available at most Asian markets, though they will probably be identified more by type (e.g. light soy sauce) than by region. Sweet Dark Soy Sauce – Sweet dark soy sauce has a salty, sweet, caramel flavor and is perfect for stir fries. It is also served as a condiment. Thin or Light Soy Sauce – Light soy sauce is a thin, very watery sauce with a mellower flavor and a hint of sweetness. I find this soy sauce is great for flavoring broths. You still get a soy sauce flavor, but you don’t overwhelm the sauce the way the darker ones will. Dark Soy Sauce – Dark soy sauce has a heavy, salty flavor and is probably most analogous to
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standard soy sauces. It’s perfect for when you want that “pow” of soy sauce flavor in a dish. The Author Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Salty, Sweet, Sour, Spicy, and Bitter (and aromatic and pungent) By Chef Jason Wyrick When I think about Thai food, I immediately think about the five flavors found in every Thai meal. Salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter. Not all of these flavors may be prevalent in a dish, though they likely are, but they will absolutely be found throughout the meal. Sometimes these flavors play counterpoint to each other and sometimes they balance and accentuate each other, one flavor playing a support role for another. Supporting flavors give depth and complexity to another flavor, but take a back seat while doing it. The best supporting flavors meld into the dominant flavor to create one flavor that is better than the sum of its parts. Flavors in counterpoint vie for attention on the tongue. Done poorly, a dish becomes unpalatable. Done well, counterpoint flavors are intriguing as your brain shifts attention from one flavor to the other and back, creating a delightful interplay. Dominant flavors are the featured flavors of a dish. Figuring out how this interplay works takes experimentation and learning by taste what a large amount of salt does to a sour meal, for example, as opposed to a light amount of salt. Below are a few guides and a list of major ingredients that provide each type of flavor. When creating your own Thai meal, make sure to include each flavor and decide which flavors you want to be dominant and which ones will play support.
Five Traditional Flavors
Salty
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Thai food is fairly salty, though rarely is a dish salty just for the sake of being salty. Salt either props up another flavor or provides counterpoint to it. Generally, a touch of salt will accentuate sweetness while a great amount of salt will create a balanced counterpoint to sweetness, both asking to be the featured flavor on the tongue. A touch of salt should be used with bitter flavors while I find a large amount of salt coupled with a large amount of bitters to be not very palatable. For sourness and spiciness, salt plays a supporting role and should be used to prop up those flavors, particularly with spiciness. Saltiness is generally derived from salt (of course), “fish” sauce, and Thai‐style soy sauces less frequently.
Sweet Sweet flavors are typically dominant in desserts and drinks. When sweetness is dominant, spiciness and/or saltiness can play counterpoint to it, bitters a minor role, and sour can heavily support it. Sweetness is typically derived from palm sugar, white sugar (though I prefer to use turbinado), citrus, fresh fruit, and in very minor part from ingredients like shallots, coconut milk, and fermented tofu.
Sour Sour flavors can be found dominant in many brothy soups and all pickled veggies. It is even a dominant flavor in a few curries, like the sour orange curry. In nam prik, it usually plays a support role or counterpoint role with spiciness. In other dishes, it
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plays a support role, with just a little bit of citrus or vinegar used to make a dish pop and come to life, but not so much is added that your mouth puckers! The lime zest in a curry is a perfect example of this, or a squeeze of lime juice over fresh mango. In these cases, sourness usually supports sweetness (think of a sweet coconut milk with a squeeze of lime), or couples with sweetness when both are used in small doses to give a subtle sweet and sour undertone to a dish. Curry, again, is a great example of this subtle pairing, where you can see the use of both small amounts of sugar and lime zest to create a supporting flavor combo. Be aware that sour ingredients can quickly overwhelm a dish. You might be amazed at how much one lime can change something, so when you want sourness to play a supporting role and you are not exactly sure how much to add, start light. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out of the dish. Sourness is usually a good support for bitter flavors, but is rarely good when the two play counterpoint. Having a sour flavor and bitter flavor fight for attention is usually not much fun! Sourness is typicall achieved with limes (both juice and zest), tamarind, rice vinegar, fermented foods, unripe fruit like green papaya, and pickled veggies.
Spicy Spiciness doesn’t just come from chiles, it also comes from white pepper, ginger, and even galangal to a lesser extent. But usually, it comes from chiles. Spiciness can play a support role to all the other flavors. When it is in a support role, it is usually derived from white pepper, ginger, and galangal. More often than not, spiciness is also in a dish in a counterpoint role and that comes from either chiles or large amounts of ginger. Interestingly, chiles were not part of Thai cuisine before the 1600s, but the food was still made spicy through the use of ginger, pepper, and Szechuan peppercorns, though using these has fallen out of favor.
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Bitter Bitter flavors are sometimes found dominant in dishes that feature greens. I find these are typically stir fries or noodle dishes topped with stir fried greens. Obviously, there are exceptions, but when I think of dominant bitter flavors, I immediately think of stir fried veggies like pak bung, spinach, Chinese broccoli, eggplant, chapoo (bitter leaf), and many of the bok choy cousins. Shallots and garlic, when sautéed either on their own or as part of a curry paste, also develop a touch of bitterness which supports the finished dish.
Other Flavors Although the ones above are the flavors traditionally balanced within Thai cuisine, I find that there are two other flavors which play a predominant role.
Aromatic Aromatic flavors are those flavors that give lightness to a dish. They provide the high notes of a meal. Lemongrass, basil, galangal, lime zest, and ginger all have that brightness to them that heightens the flavor of a dish. Generally, at least one of these ingredients are present in a Thai dish, either in whole form, sliced to flavor a broth, or pureed to form part of a paste or rub.
Pungent This is the flavor that comes from shallots, garlic, and sometimes chives. It forms the base of nearly every curry paste and rub. If you’re looking to make your curry or a thick sauce, consider liberally using shallots and garlic.
Conclusion Whew! It’s not an exhaustive list, but I hope that gives you some direction when making your own Thai creations. Remember, think about what you
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want the dominant flavors to be and think about how the other flavors support that, then start balancing your ingredients using some of the ones above and you should be on your way to an amazing dish. The Author Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Vegan Substitutions for Quintessential Thai Ingredients By Chef Jason Wyrick Thai cuisine is built upon several quintessential ingredients. Shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and chiles are ubiquitous throughout the region. A few other foundation ingredients, however, are not vegan and without these, Thai dishes can come up lacking unless there is a good substitute, something that is not always easy to find! I have searched many times through Asian markets across the country for vegan versions of fish sauce and shrimp paste, but the few that are out there are rarely available and nearly all of them contain msg. Personally, I would rather go without than use those products. Of course, I would rather not go without at all, so I’ve found or developed excellent replacements for these foundation ingredients that bring as much flavor to the party as their non‐ vegan counterparts. Some of these take time to create, but the payoff is worth it. Not only that, they still leave your dishes tasting clean. It’s been a long, long time since I have eaten any animal products, but when I did, certain ingredients left a dish feeling heavy or dirty. These won’t do that. Now, if you don’t have the time to make your own fishless sauce, don’t worry. There are a few cheats that will get your dishes pointed in the right direction. It should be noted that these substitutions won’t matter when using recipes from this issue. This is a guide on how to substitute these ingredients when using traditional Thai cookbooks and recipes. Also, do not feel like you must follow a recipe exactly. Adjusting a recipe to taste is expected by
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most Thai cooks and there are plenty of slight variations on lots of dishes. Plus, vegetarianism is widely accepted, so there are plenty of vegetarian versions of dishes that normally rely upon non‐ vegetarian ingredients. Have fun, play around with some of these substitutions, and don’t ever let anyone or any cookbook make you feel like you are doing it wrong! Nam Pla (fish sauce) – I once heard Alton Brown describe fish sauce as smelling like a graveyard of fish. Yeah, I don’t want to eat that either, even if I wasn’t vegan. It is, however, an important staple of Thai dishes. It imparts saltiness and in an odd way, a bit of sharp pungency and earthiness. Without it, some of the bass notes are missing in Thai dishes. If you are willing to take the time, you can make the Fishless Sauce recipe from page 180. If you plan on making a lot of Thai dishes, make a double or even triple batch. It’s easy to make and keeps for a very long time! If you’re in a pinch, or simply don’t want to make the Fishless Sauce, you can substitute an equal amount of tamari for fish sauce in a traditional Thai recipe. It’s not quite the same, but you will get the saltiness and some of the earthiness you need. Kapi (shrimp paste) – Shrimp paste has a heavy, salty, slightly sweet flavor with strong ocean notes. To mimic that flavor, I use fermented tofu cubes, which can be found at most Asian markets. It has a very similar flavor, minus the ocean and sweetness. To add that to the dish, you can use a very small
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pinch of ground seaweed (wakame is a great choice, here) and a very small pinch of sugar. By small pinch, it should be 1/8 of a tsp. or less, for both the seaweed and the sugar. If the dish already has any sugar in it, you won’t need to add that pinch. There are three types of shrimp paste used in Thailand. The above substitution will work for every recipe in this issue and most recipes you come across. There is also a sweet version and one made with both shrimp and fish. To substitute for the sweet version, add in ¼ tsp. of palm sugar instead of 1/8 tsp and to substitute for the shrimp/fish paste, use smash one fermented tofu cube with ½ tsp. of Fishless Sauce for every tbsp. of paste called for in the recipe. Kung Haeng (dried shrimp) – Dried shrimp is sometimes used to make chile pastes and in a few curries. It has a strong salty, oceanic taste. If you see a recipe in a Thai cookbook that calls for it, you can use a small pinch of seaweed and about 1/8 tsp. of coarse salt with a small pinch of palm sugar. Again, this should be 1/8 tsp. or even less. Palm Sugar – Palm sugar has a rich, almost buttery, flavor not found in plain white sugar. You can substitute in an equal amount of turbinado sugar. It also has a richness to it, though not quite the same level of buttery flavor. It is not a perfect substitute, but it is still a very good one! Kaffir Lime Leaves – Don’t do it! They are distinct and if you do not have them, just omit them from the dish. Kaffir Lime Zest – Kaffir limes are not easy to find. When substituting for them, I choose a lime that has a knobby, hard, dark green skin. They are usually filled with heavy lime oil and fragrance, which is what you would get out of a kaffir lime.
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Coriander Roots – In several traditional curries and pastes, the root stalk of coriander is scraped into the mix. However, that coriander with the roots attached is not easy to find. When I see this in a recipe, I usually end up using a like amount of coriander stems. It doesn’t have that earthiness that the roots have, but it still gets in that important coriander flavor. The Author Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Big Bald Mike, the Strongest Vegan in the World!
Please tell us a bit about yourself I am the most massive, powerful vegan in the world. I also compose ambient, soothing music on the guitar and piano for a motivational production company. I am a former drug, alcohol, and processed food addict, and turned it all around 4 years ago. Since then I have inspired a documentary, built a following of vegan athletes for my hardcore weightlifting gym, designed and fabricated a custom line of old‐school gym equipment, lost 103lbs on a whole food vegan diet, reversed heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety, and have gained so much energy that I have to keep starting businesses to give me something to do. I worked hard to look tough, but no one believes it and just calls me a teddy bear. I love fuzzy bunny rabbits too. Why did you become a vegan and what was that transition like for you? Were you an athlete beforehand?
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The suffering that animals endure to become a porterhouse steak or a carton of yogurt is absolutely terrible, and I decided that I wanted to have NO PART in their suffering anymore. Once my eyes were opened to the cruelty animals suffer in slaughterhouses, I immediately gave up meat. March 31, 2009 was the day I started living a better life for the animals and my own soul... the transition was very easy for me, which really shocked a lot of people because I was so obsessed with BBQ that I even have a tattoo of BBQ sauce on my arm. I have been into professional weightlifting my whole life, so the "protein issue" was initially a concern, but obviously it is pure crap because I have been stronger than ever over the past few years eating vegetables! What got you into armwrestling and how has being vegan impacted that? I have been armwrestling my whole life, and since I was a kid I have been obsessed with the Stallone movie, "Over The Top". But in June of 2010, when I first became vegan, my girlfriend encouraged me
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to get into armwrestling, so I entered my first tournament. I got my ass handed to me by a 16 year old kid in a pink t‐shirt! It was a national tournament, and I had no idea that I was competing against the best armwrestlers in the country. At that tournament, I met Jarrod Levulett who has been world champion before, and he is now my coach so I am grateful for that opportunity. Being vegan has impacted my training in a very positive way, because I eat so clean and consume so many powerfully cleansing greens. My recovery time is very fast compared to how slow it was when I first became vegan, and had a lot of acidity and dairy products in my tissues. Armwrestling freaking HURTS, and I think my body being in an alkaline state reduces the inflammation dramatically. How do other armwrestlers react to that and how do you handle their reaction? I want to mention that there are two other incredible vegan armwrestlers that are winning tournaments: Rob Bigwood from New York, and Phil Rasmussen from Australia. These guys are an incredible inspiration to me, and they are great vegan athletes that are really helping demonstrate the benefits of eating tofu and broccoli. Most armwrestlers are a bit intimidated to armwrestle a monster vegan brute, maybe out of fear that others will make fun of them since some might think that we are wimpy dudes, and losing to us
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might take their pride a little. But I think the reactions have all been positive, and it is very much a sport that has good attitudes and we all support each other. But I definitely understand the importance of being my best to show vegans are strong, so I always try to tear my opponent's arms out of their socket. What is the biggest benefit to being vegan you have seen in your life? 100% no questions asked, the greatest benefit of being vegan is the awareness brought to the welfare of animals. We truly have a solution to healing the planet, ending hunger and worldwide suffering just by choosing to eat yummy vegetables and leaving the milk for the baby cows. Also, the research is out there and obvious that almost ALL of the major diseases in the world can be reversed and prevented by eating a clean, whole food vegan diet. I'm thankful that I can eat beans, greens, squash and yams and then easily shrug 1,000lbs. And for 29 years of my life I was a taker, from the animals who had no say in that taking... for the past 4 years I've finally been making things right to them, and I have a lifetime of giving still to do. What is the most fun event you have done on the circuit? Do you have a particular moving story from someone you have influenced? I haven't competed in many tournaments, because it requires a lot of funds to do so, and it is almost impossible to get sponsors for those expenses because armwrestling is such an obscure sport. I am saving every penny I can to open my gym (Bonebreaker Barbell) in a permanent location in Austin, TX. Right now my gym is in my garage, and one of my clients has given up meat and dairy, and is doing her best to be a vegan warrior, and that is very moving to me. It makes me realize the importance of opening Bonebreaker Barbell in
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Austin, which will be one of the most hardcore gyms in the world and will be 100% vegan ‐ no leather belts or training gear, all plant based nutrition, and will have a juice and smoothie bar ‐ this is a strange combination to some, but I believe it will be a great way to show people that vegan athletes like Robert Cheeke, Benjamin Benulis, Bart Akeley, Chad Byers, and myself are great role models for competitive sports and bodybuilding. This is how I plan to make a difference in the world. What do you typically eat while training? Before a training session I will usually have a lemon‐ginger blast green juice (parsley, cilantro, lemon, ginger, carrot, celery, cucumber, habanero pepper, apples) ‐ this juice lights me up and really prepares my joints for some extreme weightlifting or armwrestling. Immediately after training, I use Warrior Force products to help aid recovery. They are a vegan company that I believe in, because of their commitment to "hardcore" whole food green nutrition. My last meal of the day is usually whole oat groats with fruit, about two hours after my training session. Do you have a favorite recipe you make for yourself at home? My morning breakfast always consists of beans, greens, squash and yams. Dr Linda Carney, a whole foods vegan doctor, taught me how to cook these nutritious foods and prepare them in a healthy way with no oil, sugar, or sodium and I love eating that way! I weighed 571 lbs. in January 2012 and now I weigh an energetic 468 lbs. Thanks to the
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educational blessings of Dr Carney, I have become a nutrition advocate. I cook all of my food exactly the way she showed me, and because of that, I will be 300lbs by the end of 2013. My favorite recipe is a black bean soup that is super simple and makes a yummy tummy happy: 2 cups of black beans, lots of cilantro, onion, and garlic ‐ serve it up with some brown rice or some crunchy whole grain bread! What advice can you give up‐and‐coming vegan athletes? Don't let people point a finger in your face and tell you it cannot be done ‐ smash thru the walls they put up around you and go show the world that EVERY sport is capable of being dominated by the plant eaters!!! The resistance is going to be there and you cannot avoid it, but remember that Big Bald Mike has your back, and I will not tolerate the naysayers messing with my fellow vegans ‐ that is a promise to you, my friends. What exciting projects or events do you have coming up? 2013 is going to be a very busy year! Onion Creek Productions is in the final year of filming for the documentary, "Wrestling Demons". The story chronicles my journey from being a drug and alcohol addict to becoming a professional wrestler, using wrestling as an alternative to rehab. You can see a trailer for the documentary on youtube.com, or on Onion Creek Productions website. I will be at the 2nd Annual Texas VegFest in Austin, TX on April 6, 2012. I am going to be doing a fundraiser kickstart there to raise the funds to get my gym open, to make a dream become a reality. If all goes
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well, by summertime Bonebreaker Barbell will be dealing out green smoothies and supporting vegan strength training and armwrestling! Another cool thing is that I'm scheduled to do some motivational speaking at schools and also for groups of troubled teenagers, using my testimony to inspire them to stay off of drugs and alcohol. Writing a book, recording an ambient instrumental record, and losing 170 lbs. will take up the rest of my time, haha. Contact Info You can see what Mike is up to at www.bigbaldmike.com and www.bbbarbell.com.
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Bio Known by some as a “mountain of a man”, Big Bald Mike has battled drug and alcohol addiction, a severe eating disorder (topping out at 571lbs), and overwhelming depression. After having his eyes opened to the realities of the meat industry, Mike decided to turn his life around, get healthy, and take a stand against animal cruelty. Since undergoing medical treatment from Dr. Linda Carney, MD (a whole foods, vegan physician), Mike has lost over 100 lbs. in less than a year and has reversed diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Mike has become very active in creating and cooking whole food, vegan recipes. Currently, Mike is working as a motivational speaker, a professional armwrestler, and a strength coach at his gym “Bonebreaker Barbell” just south of Austin, TX. Big Bald Mike hopes to represent vegans in a way that nobody has ever seen before, and that he will bring awareness to other athletes that incredible feats of strength can be achieved by following a compassionate, vegan diet.
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An Interview with Kristin Lajeunesse of Will Travel for Vegan Food!
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your vegan food trip project. My name is Kristin Lajeunesse, I’m from a small town in upstate NY and lived in Boston for the 4 years prior to my road trip. I’ve been vegan for nearly 6.5 years and was vegetarian for 8 years before that, thanks to my lovely parents (see “my vegan story” here to learn more about why I went vegan: http://wtfveganfood.com/about/) I’ve been living out of a van and off of donations for more than a year now, on a vegan food focused roadtrip across the US. My goal is to visit all 50 states while also dining at every all‐vegan eatery in the country. I’m currently in California, my 46th state, and have eaten at about 400 vegan establishments so far. What inspired you to sell all your stuff and hit the road on a vegan food trip? What started as a desired lifestyle change has turned into an epic passion project to help spread veganism, and provide free marketing to the
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hundreds of vegan restaurants throughout the US. It has also inadvertently and completely changed my life. I had a great job with an animal welfare organization in Boston and life was comfortable, but I still felt unsettled. At some point I stumbled upon some books and blogs about lifestyle design and passive income, which eventually led me to a deeper understanding of a custom, designed‐by‐ me lifestyle that sounded kind of crazy and very cool: traveling the country in search of vegan food. Once the idea entered my mind I couldn’t stop thinking about it. After about one year of reading dozens of articles and books on the topic of nomadic living I gave my notice at work, put
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together a Kickstarter project to raise money for a vehicle, and then hit the road a few months later. Now, here I am more than a year later, a different person who has spent a magical year living outside her comfort zone and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. What were you doing before you set off on your trip and have you been able to continue any of the work that you used to do? I was working full‐time for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in Boston, and also part‐time as the social media manager for Vegan Mainstream. My intentions were to continue working in some capacity but managing the Will Travel for Vegan Food blog and schedule, while also driving, eating, writing, and oh yeah ‐ sleeping ;) left very little time to do any other work. I’ve since drained all of my personal savings and have been living entirely off of donations. How do you choose where to go? It’s a five‐step process. I start with a spreadsheet that HappyCow.net provided me last year. When I’ve decided what state or city/town I’m headed to I look at the spreadsheet to see what’s there. I go through the websites for each to make sure they’re still open, mark down where they’re located, and what their hours are. Then I take to VegDining.com, Google, and Yelp! to see if I’ve missed any. Once I have a solid list I then post it to my social media pages and ask those who follow along if I’ve missed any. Once I get that feedback I clean up the list and then head over to Google Maps to decide in what order makes the most
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sense to tackle the restaurants. Also ‐ once I’ve got my list and order set, I go through all of my emails to see if anyone had contacted me, and would like to meet up. I then coordinate meeting times and places with those interested. What obstacles did you face getting this project off the ground and how did you overcome them? The biggest obstacle was myself. Even though I was motivated beyond belief to do this I was still nervous. As a result I invited a friend to join me for the first few months, which helped overcome those initial fears. But once his time on the trip had ended I was faced with the same fears as before ‐ traveling, planning, writing, and eating alone. I told myself that this is the experience I had wanted though. I had initially intended to go it alone from the start. From past experiences I also knew that this kind of fear was healthy and that it would only make me stronger. So I pushed through and convinced myself that I’d make this fear work *for* me rather than against me. And it has! The only other obstacle that presented itself early on was money. So I used Kickstarter.com to raise funds to get started and paired that with the belief tht things would just work out. As a result of Kickstarter I met some incredible people who continue to donate, to this day, to keep me going.
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What has been the most interesting experience you have had at a restaurant?
My mom (who had joined me for a week on the road) and I had just finished a great meal at Omar’s Rawtopia in Salt Lake City. On our way out I was waiting to talk to the restaurant owner, to tell him about my trip and to leave behind a window decal and bumper stickers. A woman, who I believe was waiting for a take‐out order, noticed the bumper stickers and asked what they were. I told her the short version of my trip and handed her a sticker. Without any questions she looked at me, looked into me with indescribable intensity, and then looked down into her purse, and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, handed it to me and said that she wished to donate to the journey. She went on to say how important the trip is and how she truly wishes me all the best. I was moved beyond words or reason, I’ve never felt more connected and touched by a complete stranger before. Read more of my most memorable experiences from the past year, here: http://wtfveganfood.com/one‐year‐road‐trip‐ update/ What restaurant have you been to that you think people should absolutely know about, but isn’t necessarily well‐known?
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Imagine Vegan Cafe in Memphis, Tennessee. http://wtfveganfood.com/nashville‐memphis‐ vegan/ What is your favorite recipe that you make for yourself? Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon. Here is a recipe for a double batch of ‘em: http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch‐ chickpea‐cutlets If you could give advice to vegan restaurateurs, what would it be? Your online presence will ‐ not maybe or possibly, but will ‐ make or break your business. The biggest complaint I hear from restaurant goers, and my personal one as well, is that lack of communication that restaurants have online. It doesn’t matter if you have a website or a Facebook page, or a Twitter account ‐ if you don’t use it, and use it well, then it’s best to not have those at all.
So many people spend loads of time online, and make decisions about where they’re going to have dinner based on reviews, photos, and friend’s suggestions. Make it easy for people to find you
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(please, oh please if you have a website keep your hours up to date, include your address, and an easy way to contact you), easy to recommend you, and easy to share info about your restaurant. For these reasons I suggest making social media/online management part of the job description of either you, your manager(s), or creating a separate job just for this. It’s so important on multiple levels. Don’t fall behind the competition because we ‐ who want to support your business ‐ can’t find you or share our love of your restaurant with our friends. PS ‐ I’m rolling out an e‐book this spring that’s going to cover this exact topic. Stay tuned! ;) Once you are done with this project, what is next on the horizon for you? First thing is an epic end‐of‐roadtrip party in NYC this spring. It’s going to feature a not‐to‐be‐missed vegan restaurant showdown charity invitational. The details for that will roll out in a few months. Then, I intend to stay in one location (I know, crazy! :) for about six months while I focus on monetizing other online projects I have, while also continuing to grow the Will Travel for Vegan Food brand through collaborations with restaurants, other vegan business owners, and a few books focused on doing what you love for a living, social media for A Taste of Thai
restaurants, and fundraising; among a few other digital projects and possibly some consulting as well. Once I feel comfortable with how my projects are shaking out, and am no longer dependent on donations, I intend to keep traveling ‐ spending 3‐4 months in different countries around the world in search of…you guessed it, vegan food. ;) How can people support you? If you’d like to make a monetary donation, please go to this Paypal link: http://bit.ly/WKQApf You’re also welcome to sponsor a meal if we have a chance to meet up for one! :) If you’re a restaurant owner/manager, you’re welcome to advertise on my website. Email me for banner ad or sponsored blog post options: kristin@wtfveganfood.com Thanks Kristin! Contact Info Email: Kristin@wtfveganfood.com Facebook: http://on.fb.me/10oZfCl Twitter: @wtfveganfood Instagram: @wtfveganfood YouTube: http://bit.ly/woMIIk Bio Kristin Lajeunesse is a multi‐passionate entrepreneur who has been living out of a van and off of donations for more than a year, on a nomadic journey across the country, in an effort to dine at every all‐vegan restaurant in the US. Kristin is also the founder of Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings, and moonlights as a social media consultant for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
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An Interview with Cheryl Durzy and John Salley of Vegan Vine Wines!
Please tell us a bit about yourselves! Vegan Vine is a brand owned by and conceived by Clos LaChance Wines in the Northern Central Coast of California. We focus on making wines that are animal‐ cruelty free and educating our customers and the wine drinking public about vegan winemaking. What makes some alcohols not vegan and what spurred you on to create a vegan line? In the winemaking process, several items can be used in the fining and filtering stage that make the wine non vegan. These products are filtered out of the wine before bottling…however the use of them makes the wine not appropriate to the vegan lifestyle. These items are:
Isinglass: a very pure form of gelatin from sturgeon fish bladders
Gelatin: extract from boiled cow’s or pig’s hooves and sinews
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Albumin: egg whites
Casein: a protein from milk
How does ensuring that everything is vegan impact the development process for your wines? Fortunately, our moderate climate and growing season creates little need for animal products on the wines. We fine them with a clay product instead. What sorts of challenges have you faced getting the Vegan Vine line of wines off the ground and how did you overcome them? The wine industry is a challenging one for any brand. In order for our wines to get into stores and restaurants, they have to go through a distributor. The distributor business has been consolidating over the last decade— most distributors are either HUGE and do not care about small or developing brands (i.e. small case sales = less revenue for them and developing brands require more work on behalf of the sales team. Much easier for them to go in and just take orders for existing wine brands vs. introducing/selling new or unique stuff). Or February 2013|63
the distributor is small and payment can be challenging. We just go state by state….and try and do the best for the brand. No matter what the distribution situation is in any state, a wine brand still needs to do its own sales (calling on accounts, attending distributor sales meetings and setting up programming/incentives with distributor management). As a smaller winery, we decided to hire a sales management firm to handle this for us. That has helped with the distributor communications (different distributors in each state…makes for a lot of time and efforts!). Additionally, the costs of shipping wine direct to customer are pretty high…which I think impedes a lot of people from trying it if they can’t find it in their local grocery store/wine shop. A bottle of wine is heavy and breakable, two things that do not “mail” economically. This year we are going to work on more discounted shipping offers to encourage people to try the wines. Once they do, they will be hooked!! What types of wine do you produce and what has been your personal favorite so far? The Vegan Vine makes a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Red Rhone‐style blend and Cabernet Sauvignon. Asking a winemaker to pick their favorite wine is like asking a mom to pick their favorite child! I drink the Sauvignon Blanc the most because that is a style of wine I prefer on most evenings. This next three are for John. John, how did you hear about the Vegan Vine and why did you choose to get involved? Why wine? My friend and consultant for the
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Winery (Brian Cameron ) thought we would be a good match. I eat a plant based diet, so drinking and promoting a wine that is made without animal products made sense. What is your role in Vegan Vine? To promote and educate a plant based lifestyle by eating healthy and drinking complementary wines that don’t need or use animal bi products. Do you have a favorite meal/Vegan Vine wine pairing you can share with us? I like the Sauvignon Blanc with my hearth meal. It consists of spicy string beans, brown rice and a kale salad. I like the Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark chocolate cake (no eggs or milk). Do you have any advice you can give for amateur vegan wine makers? Stay away from the big four no‐nos (isinglass, etc.). Use bentonite clay instead. It is just as effective. What is on the horizon for you? Continuing to get our distribution ducks in a row and rounding out the rest if the United States. Hiring a PR agency this year that specializes in the vegan market so we can get the word out to the right people. Lots of wine dinners around the country with John at wonderful vegan restaurants. Maybe adding a new varietal or two to the line‐up. How do people order your products? www.theveganvine.com Or call 1‐800‐ITS‐WINE. Thanks Cheryl! Thanks John!
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Book Review: Taste of Europe Author: Mark Reinfeld
Authors: Mark Reinfeld Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0738214337 Price: $18.99
Reviewer: Jason Wyrick
Mark Reinfeld’s latest book is an enticing journey through European classic dishes. His recipes cover a broad swath of flavors, touching upon just enough of a region’s recipes to give the reader a sense of the cuisine and pique their interest before moving on to another region. It’s a fun read that brought me back to days spent carousing the markets in Rome. The recipes themselves are steeped in tradition, but with the modifications necessary to make them vegan without adding a bunch of other ingredients that don’t belong. In addition, he usually gives several options for a recipe to give it a slight twist, like using macadamia nuts instead of pine nuts in the Creamy Florentine Soup. It’s simple, approachable, and full of excellent ideas like that. However, this book is not just a collection of recipes. Mark also talks about food culture, history, and puts the recipes in perspective. He also has several guest authors which cover topics like common European herbs, vegan beer and wine pairings, and mushroom foraging. That’s the kind of information that keeps me going back to read a cookbook.
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If you are looking for a themed dinner night, or are simply intrigued by fabulous food, Taste of Europe is a must.
The Reviewer Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out
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more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: Vegan Eats World Author: Terry Hope Romero Authors: Terry Hope Romero Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-0738214863 Price: $35.00
Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Munching Your Way across the Globe… Romero Style One of the consistent pieces of advice that give new vegans is to expand your tastes beyond the United States. Try new flavors from new countries. Entire regions of India are vegan. There are vegan Ethiopian recipes that will make you cry with joy because of how good they are. A Japanese seaweed salad can be a tasty treat that will tingle your taste buds. If you are a new to international cuisine or if you are a new cook, there are parts of this book that are great! For the newbie to vegan cooking, there is a great beginning section that describes pantry essentials, cooking terms, items needed, and even the proper way to dice and slice with cute vegetable diagrams. Several of the recipes are marked with a code (1‐2‐ 3) that means they are perfect for the beginner. If you are like my former roommate who did not know how to boil water at 26 years old (true story), this is a great choice. Similarly, if you are new to international cuisine and do not know your injera from your hummus, this is a fun book to page through and get ideas. There is a sprinkling of pictures throughout, but there is an introduction to each recipe to give you ideas of the recipe. You can read about fun new ingredients like fresh curry leaves, masa harina, A Taste of Thai
and jackfruit. There is even a section on making some of the basic ingredients like preserved lemons. One of the issues with this book, however, is that it is more about the author’s spin on world cuisine, rather than being about authentic world cuisine. Experienced cooks may recognize when a recipe uses creative license, such as when the carnitas recipe makes use of soy sauce, but those just getting into world fare may go into it thinking they are making vegan versions of traditional recipes. I whole heartedly approve of fusion cuisine and variations on tradition, but wish the recipes were billed as such. The very experienced, seasoned vegan might find more enjoyment out of sourcing more authentic versions of the recipes. All in all, it is a worthy addition to many vegan libraries, and is a fun gift for new vegans and new cooks, or even for parents. After all, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming and what better gift than expanding their minds to international foods and giving them something they can make for you when you come over?
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The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker Author: Robin Robertson
Authors: Robin Robertson Publisher: Harvard Common Press Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1-55832-790-0 Price: $16.95
Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Hot, Delicious, and Ready for Dinner! True story time. When I went to graduate school, my aunt scraped up to get me a very nice present. She gave me a slow cooker big enough to cook a small child. There she stood, proud as a peacock, and I thanked her again and again, because I knew she had spent a fortune. Then, I placed it on a shelf, and ever used it. To this day, it is at my mom’s, unused. I had no idea what to do with it!! If I had Robin Robertson’s wonderful new book, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker that poor device might have come out of the package. For those of you who own a slow cooker or are just cooker curious, this is the book for you. Even if you have been slow cooking forever, I am sure you can find a myriad of ideas for you. At the beginning of the book, for the uninitiated and those who want a few tips, there is a wonderful first chapter on everything you need to know about your slow cooker, but are afraid to ask (Step 1: Take it out of the box, Madelyn). There are notes on ways to coax even more flavor out of your veggies with some quick browning, and permission to skip those steps if you want. Now, if you’re like I used to be before this book and you think that you can only make amorphous A Taste of Thai
brown chili of blandness in your Crockpot, you are very wrong. You can make condiments, breakfasts, breads, desserts, and main dishes. The fun does not stop there. You can also make snacks, drinks, delicious beans, and delectable grains. Who knew that many of us had this wonder appliance that was just going to waste! If you are not interested in dusting off your slow cooker or do not own one, you will still find valuable recipes inside. There is one for a soyless, wheatless sauce that you can use instead of soy sauce or even vegan Worcestershire sauce. There is also a recipe for vegan sour cream, and one for a lovely cheese sauce. Those are items that are high on the recipe wish list for all vegans, and here, Robertson presents them. So grab a copy of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, try a recipe, and then try to figure out what you are going to do with the next 6‐8 hours of your time, because after that, you will have a delicious meal.
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The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: Nut Butter Universe
Author: Robin Robertson Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Authors: Robin Robertson Publisher: Vegan Heritage Press Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-0980013177 Price: $18.95
So much more than peanut butter and jelly… Like so many vegans, once I transitioned, I ate more than my share of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was in school, and they were inexpensive and easy to transport. At the time I could not afford the other nut butters staring at me from the shelf in Whole Foods, so I did not try exploring those flavors. After a few years of poking around recipes, I figured out that peanut butter and other nut butters could be used in more than just a PB&J. I thought there was a world of recipes out there that included nut butters. I was wrong. There is a universe of recipes and Robin Robertson is your guide. Robin starts off her book with the basics – why you should eat nuts. For those who might be shy there is information on why nut butters and nuts are healthy even though they are high in fat, I even learned a few things. Once you are comfortable in your choice, she teaches you how to make your own nut butters! There are recipes here for nut butter, nut cheese sauce, and even how to make your own tahini. For those who might be shy there
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is information on why nut butters and nuts are healthy even though they are high in fat, I even learned a few things. There are several more chapters that might surprise the person who is only familiar with the sandwich side of nut butters, including soups, starters, salads, side dishes, main dishes, breakfast, desserts, sweet treats, and of course, sandwiches. Each chapter has a wide variety of flavors from around the world. There is gado‐gado from Indonesia, a lightly spicy dish of cooked and fresh vegetables, Szechuan stir fry with fiery peanut sauce, and Thai vegetable wraps. You can sample recipes from around the globe, or you can sample a bevy of truly delicious desserts. The chocolate peanut butter cups are the answer on what to do for your craving for Reese’s, and the too‐easy chocolate‐peanut butter fudge is amazing and will change what I make people for Christmas. Those two recipes alone are worth the price of the book, but there is so much more that this has to offer. Partially because I own so many cookbooks, I love the little touches. There are tips in here though out
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the book and interesting facts, which are fun to read but my favorite I a chart on how to create a ton of interesting nut butter sandwich combinations. Recipes are marked if they are gluten free or soy free (and there are many options for both) and the index is a joy to read. You can look up recipes by a certain nut, and there is even an alphabetical listing of recipes, something many modern cookbooks leave out. With so many great recipes and fun touches, this is a great book to add to any cookbook selection. Think about giving this to friends, family, new vegans, long time vegans, and most importantly, yourself. Highly recommended.
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The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: Vegan for the Holidays
Author: Zel Allen
Authors: Zel Allen Publisher: Book Publishing Company Copyright: 2012 ISBN: 978-1570672842 Price: $19.95
Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Tasty Treats for Terrific Memories Winter is my favorite time of the year. This is partially because I live in the desert, and the winter is the only time that I can go outside. Part of it is I love the spirit of the holidays. I love seeing friends and family, all of us gathering at my grandmother’s house for Christmas. However, there is a problem of sorts. Since I became vegan, some of my extended family feeds me popcorn, carrot sticks, and tea. Apparently this is what makes a vegan meal. I eat before I come over, and then eat the carrots and popcorn. But thanks to Zel Allen, I know what I am buying them all for their birthdays. Zel Allen’s Vegan for the Holidays is a sweeping reference of terrific recipes for the winter celebrations. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and New Years all have their honored places in this book. Moreover, different traditions from around the country and around the globe all have their place. Glögg from Scandinavia, borsht from Russia, Seoul Brussels sprouts, a playful fusion pairing show off some of the places this globetrotting book goes. If your family and house
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are a small UN as my extended family is, this is a perfect book. If you are looking to expand your scope of ways to celebrate with food, this is also a fine choice. Allen realizes that not every party or celebration is the same. Are you having a formal sit down dinner? Perfect! This volume presents you with choices ranging from a savory chickpea Yule log to a phyllo pie, to Jamaican Jerk Tofu. If your get‐togethers are all about drink and finger food (mine usually are) then there are pages of “two finger tidbits” like caper stuffed dates, wassail, and almond thumbprint cookies. The beauty of this book is it is one to get more than one copy of. You will want a copy for yourself and your own bookshelf, and a copy to give to your relatives, so that you don’t have to have another Christmas brunch of popcorn and carrots. Recommended!
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The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Product Review: The Vegan Vine Wines Reviewer: Jason Wyrick The Vegan Vine www.theveganvine.com 1 Hummingbird Lane San Martin, CA 95046 1‐800‐487‐9463 Can be purchased at: online at the vegan vine store Price: $14‐$18/bottle
Figuring out which alcohols are vegan and which ones aren’t can be a pain. www.barnivore.com is a great resource, but new manufacturers pop up all the time and it can be hard to keep up. Even when you find out if an alcohol is vegan, that is certainly no guarantee that it’s good! That’s where The Vegan Vine comes in. The Vegan Vine is a line of wines produced by Clos LaChance winery in California. Inspired by a relative to fill both a public need and a family need, Clos LaChance has partnered with celebrity vegan John Salley to bring to market four excellent wines for our enjoyment. Over the past couple of years, I have delved into the world of wine (and a few other alcohols recently), especially after spending some time in Italy. Before that time, I hadn’t really developed an appreciation for red wine, but the outstanding reds there changed my mind. While a more experienced palate may appreciate the nuances in The Vegan Vine wines, it is certainly not necessary. All of their wines I tried are great for both the beginner and the seasoned wine drinker. The Vegan Vine produces four wines: a cabernet sauvignon, a chardonnay, a table red, and a
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sauvignon blanc. Their whites are crisp, with a touch of sweetness (but less than many), and strong hints of citrus. The cabernet is full‐bodied with deep hints of berry, and light on the tannins for a red, while the table red is smooth and a great catch all for dinner. Thanks to The Vegan Vine for going out of their way to provide vegans a great, compassionate product. I am looking forward to many more samplings! The Reviewer Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of over 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in
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Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Product Review: The Organic Gourmet Miso and Veggie Bouillon Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor The Organic Gourmet www.organic‐gourmet.com 14431 Ventura Blvd., #192 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 1‐800‐400‐7772 Can be purchased at: online and at select stores, Whole Foods for their VegCuisine products Price: approximately $5/product
Organic Gourmet products have been sold in Germany for several years and they have now made their way to the US market. All their products are non‐GMO and sustainably sourced. They also distribute VegCuisine (formerly Sunergia) Soy Feta and Soy Bleu cheeses, which got good reviews from us a few issues ago. Organic Gourmet Miso Paste Chili Pepper I was excited about my new chili pepper miso. At the time I tried it I was coming off a horrible flu and I needed a boost. Miso is one of the best recovery foods out there, and I needed to recover! I made a simple broth of this miso and water. Immediately I was struck by the fact that it was not as salty as many Asian misos. This was barely salty at all. There is a low heat there, but there is a residual low, smoky smolder in the back of your mouth and dancing around your tongue. The color is a dark, rich russet red which looked perfectly like a smoked chili, and added to the experience. Best of all, at 7 calories a teaspoon, it is something that can be enjoyed at any point in the day, 100% guilt free. Any time that you want a bit of a smoky chili boost, try this as a soup broth, a salad dressing base, or even add a little to dried beans before
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adding them to a salad to give them a little flavor boost. I love this flavor and I would buy it again. Organic Gourmet Miso Paste Ginger Ginger and miso are wonderful additions to any cold day, so I just tried the new Ginger Miso in a nice hot cup of soup. There are many advantages of this miso, including the fact it is soy free, organic, and shelf stable. It is also low in sodium and calories with less than 10 calories a teaspoon and only 125 mg of sodium. Unfortunately, I found this flavor to be a little flat. There is a level of salty pungency that I have come to expect from misos that was lacking, nor was it replaced with a big pop of ginger flavor. The tastes here were much more mild, which might be appealing some, but can a very simple preparation, such as just a cup of miso soup a little lacking. I found myself adding salt and vegetables to make this a more robust food, and even grating in a bit more ginger. Though I love many elements of this product, such as the shelf stability, I would not buy this flavor again.
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Organic Gourmet Vegetable Bouillon and Low Sodium Bouillon As someone who is always eating soups of various types, I have found that the need for a good bouillon is great. Of course, there are some intrepid souls out there who make their own vegetable broth using their vegetable scraps. To these people, I tip my hat. For the rest of us, a great vegetable bouillon can give your quickly made soup the ‘simmered for hours’ put together taste that is desirable. The classic Organic Gourmet vegetable bouillon offers a light, slightly salty pop of flavor to linger in the background of your soups and broths. With a neutral flavor, it can be paired with almost anything, while still retaining elements of its own personality. For me, the lovage and mace are lovely touches of flavor that just add a certain ‘something’ without being the star. This broth is the perfect back up dancer to your soup creation. Organic Gourmet vegetable bouillion also comes in low sodium. It has the same elements of flavor, such as the herbs, lovage, and mace, but has less sodium than the original (130mg of sodium per serving in this one, 890mg in the original) and a little bit more fat (2g fat per serving vs. 1.5g fat per serving in the original). Depending on what you desire, or what your health concerns are, either one would make a fine choice to your culinary creation. A Taste of Thai
The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogsp ot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Recipe Index
Click on any of the recipes in the index to take you to the relevant recipe. Some recipes will have large white sections after the instructional portion of them. This is so you need only print out the ingredient and instructional sections for ease of kitchen use. * Theses crusts and sauces are found within other recipes.
Recipe
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Curries Curry of “Roast Duck” and Pumpkin Green Breakfast Curry Green Peppercorn Curry Purple Yams with Green Curry Jackfruit Curry Jungle Curry Massaman Curry Red Curry of Plantains and Peanuts Yellow Curry of Potatoes IMPORTANT: Read page 80 before embarking upon any of the curry recipes Salads “Beef” Salad Green Papaya Salad Street Food Chive Buns Curry Corn Fritters Khao Lam Satay Veggie Satays with Peanut Sauce Miscellaneous Dishes Pak Bung Fai Daeng Saffron Coconut Rice Tom Kha Hed Wax Gourd Soup Thai Green Curry Sandwich Pad Thai Pizza Miang Kam Black Bean, Lentil, and Eggplant Chili
Page
Recipe
81 84 88 91 95 98 101 105 108 111 114 117 121 124 127 17 130 133 136 139 21 23 17 42
Nam Prik and Other Condiments Ajat Caramelized Peanuts Chiang Mai Nam Prik Grilled Coconut Relish Nam Jim Nam Jim Jeaw Roasted Crushed Bird’s Eye Chiles Tamarind Nam Prik Noodles Ginger Noodles Khao Soi Noodles Pad Thai Base Ingredients Fermented Soy Cakes Fishless Sauce Low‐fat Coconut Milk Pickled Limes Toasted Rice Drinks Basil Tea Thai Iced Coffee Basil Water Desserts Bananas in Sweet Coconut Milk Grilled Pressed Bananas Mango Sticky Rice Silken Tofu in Ginger Syrup Thai Peanut Coconut Cake Purple Sticky Rice Pudding Heavenly Pineapple Pizza
Page 142 145 148 151 154 157 160 163 166 169 173 177 180 183 185 188 191 194 21 197 200 203 206 208 16 25
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There are a lot of curry pastes in this issue. These pastes abound in Thai cuisine and they can be as simple or complex as you want to make them. Read this before delving into the recipes so you can decide just how you want to tackle making these necessary foundations. Curry pastes are created with a myriad of ingredients with a wide range of textures. This is the most important consideration when tackling making your own curry pastes. It determines how much time it takes to make a paste and in what order you need to work with the ingredients. Note spices are always toasted before being ground to add to a paste. If you decide to use powdered spices, do not toast them. Just add them straight to the paste. Most curry pastes are fried before extra liquid is added to the pot. For the best flavor, take coconut cream (not the kind with additives that keep it stable) and heat the cream over a medium heat until it cracks and the oil separates. Add the curry paste and fry it until it smells caramelized. The easier way is to add about 1 tbsp. of coconut oil to the pot and fry the paste that way. If you are looking for a low‐fat option, heat a dry pot to a medium heat and spread the past over the bottom of the pot. It will toast in about two minutes.
The Authentic Mortar and Pestle Way For centuries, curry pastes were made with a mortar and pestle. I can tell you from experience that it is a lot of work. You will get an incredible, complex flavor and texture you won’t get if you simply make it in a blender, but it takes persistence and patience to get it done. If you make your paste this way, smash the curry paste ingredients with the mortar and pestle in the order they are listed in the recipe, one at a time, until they are thoroughly incorporated into the paste. Work the paste up the sides of the mortar and add the next ingredient to
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smash. Doing it this way may burn some of those calories from the coconut milk!
The Blender Way This way only takes a few minutes to make. Grind the dry spices first, then add the ingredients, from hardest to softest, into the blender. Start on a low speed and slowly crank up the dial until the paste is smooth. If you need to, you can add a bit of water or coconut milk to get the paste smooth.
My Preferred Method I usually don’t have the patience to bang out a curry paste with a mortar and pestle. Instead, I blend it and then I transfer it to the mortar and pound it with the pestle. This will smash the paste, getting it to release extra flavor and save my arms and time.
Buying the Paste There are several vegan curry pastes available commercially. Thai Kitchen makes a red and green curry paste that is vegan. Their other types are not. Most Maesri brand curry pastes are vegan except for a couple and they have a wider range of vegan curry pastes available than Thai Kitchen, though they do tend to be on the sugary and oily side. Always look at the ingredients when purchasing a curry paste as many contain fish and shrimp. That’s why I tend to stick to Thai Kitchen and Maesri.
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Bryanna’s Thai Vegetarian “Roast Duck” and Pumpkin Curry Type: Curry Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 Tbsp. oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 cans Vegetarian “Roast Duck” (I use Companion Brand Mun‐Cha'i‐Ya‐‐ it’s a Chinese gluten product), rinsed and cut into 1‐inch pieces (BUT you can use the Alternative at end of the recipe instead.) 2 to 4 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste (Check the label for fish‐‐ fish‐free brands are Taste of Thai, and some Mae Ploy and Maesri pastes. Amazon carries them all.) 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 2 cups coconut milk or Low‐Fat Coconut Milk for cooking (see recipe on page 183) (Note: If you like your curry more “soupy”, add another cup of coconut milk.) 1 cup water 3 Tbsp. Vietnamese Vegetarian “Fish Sauce”, low‐sodium (lite) soy sauce, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or palm sugar, if you have it) 1 ½ lbs. seeded but unpeeled butternut, kabocha, or Hubbard squash 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed and drained 2 cups chopped fresh basil Salt to taste A handful of unsweetened dried coconut (large flake), toasted a wee bit in a dry heavy skillet Instructions Use a large sharp knife or cleaver to peel the squash, and cut it into 1‐inch cubes. Start cooking a pot of jasmine (or basmati) rice. In a large, heavy pot or stirfry pan, heat the oil. Add the onion and turn the heat down a little. Stir‐fry until it starts to wilt. Add the mock “roast duck” or alternate, curry paste, and ginger and stir‐fry for about 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk and water, Vegetarian “Fish Sauce”, or alternate, and brown sugar. Stir well, add the squash, and let it come almost to a boil. Watch it at this point and don’t let it boil, or it may curdle a bit. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Add the baby peas and chopped basil. Taste for salt. Serve over the rice, sprinkled with the coconut. Alternative to Vegetarian “Roast Duck”: Mix 3 cups reconstituted Soy Curls® or small chunks of “chicken” seitan (or other favorite plain vegan chicken substitute) with: 1/3 cup broth or water from soaking dried mushrooms The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
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2 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 tsp. dark sesame oil 2 tsp. dry or medium sherry ¾ tsp. organic sugar Mix well and spread the Soy Curls® and all of the marinade into an oiled 7 x 11‐inch baking pan. Spread out evenly and place about 5 inches under the broiler of your oven. Broil until it starts to char a bit on top and the marinade is absorbed.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
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Kitchen Equipment Large Knife of Cleaver Cutting Board Heavy Pot Rice Cooker or Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Red rice makes for a great color contrast to the curry. Chef’s Notes There are many versions of this dish—this is our favorite vegan take on it. Hint: What most cultures call “pumpkin” is more like our butternut or Hubbard squash, or Japanese kabocha squash. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 312 Calories from Fat 108 Fat 12 g Total Carbohydrates 41 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 8 g Protein 10 g Salt 615 mg
soy curls
a popular brand of vegetarian “duck”
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
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Spicy Green Curry with Noodles and Vegetables Type: Main Dish Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: About 1 hour Ingredients The Mushrooms 3‐4 king oyster mushrooms (aka king trumpet mushrooms), cut into rounds About 2 cups of oyster mushrooms 1 tablespoon of oil (use a neutral flavored oil, like peanut oil) The Green Curry Paste (or you can use 3‐4 tbsp. of premade curry paste and puree them with half the chiles) About 1 teaspoon coriander seeds About 1 teaspoon cumin seeds About 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1 pinch of mace or freshly grated nutmeg 20 green Thai chilies Salt 3‐4 Asian (purple) shallots, peeled About 6 cloves of garlic 4 inches of lemon grass, chopped 1 tablespoon minced galangal 1 teaspoon lime zest 1 tablespoon cilantro stems ½ teaspoon fresh chopped turmeric 1 tablespoon fresh ginger ½ teaspoon fermented soy paste The Finishing Touches 1 ½ cups coconut cream 2 cups of coconut milk About 1 cup of vegetable stock About 1 cup of hearts of palm, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds 1 large handful of Thai basil leaves 1‐2 stalks of lemon grass 2‐3 kaffir lime leaves (optional) 2 tablespoons shredded ginger (wild preferred) 4‐8 Thai chilies, red and dried The Noodles 1 ½ packages of fresh noodles, about 24 oz. (Kanom Jin Noodles preferred) The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
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Instructions Cut the king trumpets into rounds, and roughly slice the oyster mushrooms. Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the oyster mushrooms are brown and reduced in size, and the king trumpets are golden brown. Set to the side. In a wok over medium and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Cook about 1 minute until toasted. Add to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and process until a powder. Add the other ingredients for the green curry paste to the blender one at a time in order, and process until mostly smooth. Add the finished curry paste to a wok and add the coconut cream, coconut milk, vegetable stock, cooked mushrooms, hearts of palm, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, shredded ginger, and red thai chilies. Cook on medium low for about 20 minutes. Add a pot of water to the stove and cook the noodles, so they will be ready the same time as the curry. In bowls, add ¼ of the noodles curled into a nest shape. Pour ladles of hot curry over the noodles and serve.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|85
Low‐fat Version Use all light coconut milk in lieu of the coconut cream. However, this will make it spicier since fat cuts down the spice. Kitchen Equipment 3 woks (or keep washing one), cutting board, knife, pot, stirring spoons, strainer for noodles, measuring spoons and cups, mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Presentation Garnish with a few dried chiles or fresh kaffir lime leaves. Time Management Many of these things can be cooked at the same time. Sear your mushrooms as you prepare the green curry paste, then cook the noodles as you do the green curry. It will cut down on your prep and cook time. Complementary Food and Drinks A sweet Thai iced coffee would be wonderful with this, or any cool, sweet, non‐caffeinated drink. A little cool sweetness helps reduce the heat of the food on your palate. Where to Shop An Asian market will be your best resource for many of these ingredients, but some high end groceries such as Whole Foods will have many of these ingredients as well. The galangal and soy paste are probably only available at an Asian market, as well as the fresh Thai green chiles. If you use a premade curry paste, check the ingredients to ensure it does not have any shrimp paste or fish sauce in it. How It Works Cooking the very spicy green curry paste in the coconut cream and milk help reduce the heat, since the fat reduces the ability of the capsaicin to adhere to your mouth. Chef’s Notes When I made this dish, all of us stood with our bowls, eating away as the layers of heat built up in our mouths and the sweat started to pour down our faces, we all started saying how much it burned and The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
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how much we loved it! We didn’t stop eating until it was gone, despite the burn. This is now one of our favorite dishes. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 682 Calories from Fat 234 Fat 26 g Total Carbohydrates 90 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 10 g Protein 22 g Salt 556 mg Interesting Facts This dish is often sold by street vendors as a breakfast in Thailand. This is better than Cheerios if you ask me.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|87
Green Peppercorn Curry with Mushrooms and Tofu Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients The Curry Paste 10 dried red Thai chiles, soaked 1 tsp. of coriander seeds 1 tsp. of cumin seeds ¼ tsp. of salt 6” piece of lemongrass, chopped Zest of 2 limes (preferably kaffir limes) 2 tbsp. of minced cilantro stems (or scraped roots if you can find them) The Sauce and Main Ingredients 3 king trumpet mushrooms, sliced into medallions 6 oz. of baked tofu, cubed into bite‐size pieces 1 long red fresh chile, diced 2 cups of thick coconut milk 1 tsp. of palm sugar 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “fish” sauce 2 tbsp. of pickled green peppercorns (or fresh ones if you can find them) 3 lime leaves, sliced ¼ cup of sliced Thai basil leaves Instructions Making the Curry Paste Soak the chiles until they are soft. Toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for two minutes, then grind them into powder. Either puree all the ingredients together, or start by pounding the chiles and salt into a paste with a mortar and pestle, adding in the ingredients one by one until you have a rough curry paste. Making the Curry Slice the mushrooms and chop the tofu. Dice the chile. Take 3 tbsp. of thick coconut milk (I skim the super‐thickened coconut milk from the top of the can; if your coconut milk is not that thick, use 1 tbsp. of peanut oil instead) and heat it over a medium heat until it cracks and releases some oil. Add the paste and fry it for about 3‐4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the remainder of the coconut milk, the sugar, “fish” sauce, peppercorns, chile, lime leaves, and tofu and stir. Simmer this for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately add the basil. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|88
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Wok Mortar and Pestle or Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation I usually garnish the top of the curry with some extra fresh basil leaves, pickled peppercorns, and minced chile. Time Management To save time, I typically puree my curry paste and then pound the puree a few times with the mortar and pestle. It achieves virtually the same effect as the traditional method and does it in about ¼ of the time. Complementary Food and Drinks Sticky rice and a side of sliced fresh mango. Where to Shop I’ve found pickled green peppercorns at both my local Asian market and Mexican market, but I have not seen them anywhere else. You can order fresh ones from Amazon. Obviously, the Asian market will give you the best price on most of these items, though I prefer to get organic baked tofu at places like Trader Joe’s or Sprouts. Thai Kitchen produces an excellent line of canned organic coconut milk that is thick enough for this recipe. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works This is an interesting curry because garlic and shallots are nowhere to be seen. It’s basically an aromatic curry with lots of cumin and lots of heat. In fact, it’s so strong, it relies on the coconut milk to mellow everything out. That’s one of the reasons you need a good quality coconut milk. Also, if you skim the thick top off of a good quality coconut milk, it will separate as it heats, releasing coconut oil in which you can fry the curry. Chef’s Notes This is based on a very interesting recipe by chef and author David Thompson, who in turn based his on another Thai cook. It immediately caught my attention because it is so unique for a curry. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|89
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 670 Calories from Fat 450 Fat 50 g Total Carbohydrates 42 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 6 g Protein 18 g Salt 679 mg Interesting Facts Green peppercorns are simply the immature form of black peppercorns.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|90
Purple Yams with Green Curry Type: Thai Curry Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes (30 minutes if you make your own curry paste, 45 minutes if you make it using a mortar and pestle) Ingredients The Green Curry Paste 4 coriander seeds, toasted 1/8 tsp. of cumin seeds, toasted 5 white peppercorns Just under ½ tsp. of salt 2 thin slices of galangal, minced (about 1 ½ tsp.) 2” piece of lemongrass, smashed and diced 4‐5 green bird’s eye chiles (deseeded if you want a milder flavor, or substitute serranos if you can’t find bird’s eye chiles) 1 purple shallot, diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp. of lime zest (preferably from a kaffir lime) 1 ½ tsp. of minced cilantro (coriander) stalks 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn (omit these if you do not have kaffir lime leaves) ½ tsp. of grated fresh turmeric (you can substitute ¼ tsp. of ground) Option: 1 tsp. of fermented tofu (this substitutes for the traditional shrimp paste) Other Components 1 large purple yam (you can substitute any sweet potato for this), diced 1 ½ cups of coconut milk 2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice Option: 6‐8 thin slices of purple yams Instructions Start by cooking the rice (that way it will be done just as your curry is done), then make the curry paste. Making the Curry Paste (Blender Version) Over a medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds for about 1 minute. Grind the spices until they are powdered. Roughly chop the ingredients instead of following the cutting instructions in the ingredient list. Puree the paste, adding a touch of coconut milk if you need it to make the paste smooth. Making the Curry Paste (Mortar & Pestle Version) Over a medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds for about 1 minute. Remove the seeds and add them to the mortar along with the peppercorns. Smash these until they are powdered. Cut all the ingredients using the instructions from the ingredient list. In order, add them one at a time to the mortar and smash them until they are smooth before moving on to the next ingredient. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|91
Cooking the Dish Add about 2 tbsp. of coconut milk to your pot, bring the pot to a medium heat, and wait for the coconut milk to start simmering. Add the paste and fry it in the coconut milk for about 5 minutes (keep stirring it slowly so it doesn’t burn). Add the remainder of the coconut milk and bring it to a simmer. Chop the purple yams. Add them to the coconut milk and simmer them for about 7‐8 minutes (they should be soft, not mushy). Serve over the rice. Option: Cut a few thin slices of purple yams, fill a wok with about ½” of peanut oil, and bring it to a medium high heat. Fry the purple yams for one minute, then remove them and let them sit for 3‐4 minutes. Fry them again for one more minute and toss them with coarse sea salt. Serve as a garnish. Making It Simple Instead of making your own green curry paste, you can use 1 ½ tbsp. of a pre‐made curry paste. My favorite one is by Thai Kitchen. Not only does it taste good, but it’s also vegan. Be aware that many pre‐made pastes are not, which is why Thai Kitchen is my stand‐by. You can use Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, or purple yams. They will all cook about the same. Cheating with the Paste I’ve found an excellent compromise between the mortar and pestle version and the blender version. I blend the paste, then I smash the pureed paste in a mortar and pestle. This saves me about 15 minutes of work, I get a very smooth paste, and I still get the heightened flavors of a smashed paste. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|92
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Mortar & Pestle or Blender Wok or Pot Stirring Spoon Pot for cooking the rice Measuring Cup Measuring Spoons Presentation I always serve the rice and purple yams separately, garnishing them with fresh green chiles or lime wedges and the purple yam chips. Time Management If you make this with a mortar and pestle, you are in for a long, but rewarding time in the kitchen. Make sure you make the paste in the proper order so it comes out as smooth as possible. You should taste the flavors, but not feel the texture of the individual components. See my cheat for the paste to save tons of time if you make your own. It is well worth it. Also, make sure you start the rice before anything else so you can immediately serve the curry once it is done. Finally, stay at the stove while your paste fries. You want to develop the flavors, but the paste is delicate and will burn if you don’t pay attention to it. I generally make a large batch of paste and then refrigerate what I don’t need. Do not freeze the paste. It will make the garlic and galangal bitter. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a simple lemongrass and glass noodle soup. It’s cooling and will counterbalance the heat of the green chiles. Where to Shop Head to the obvious place, the Asian market. Not only will you find most of the ingredients at an amazing price, it is also probably the only place where you can find some of the ingredients like the bird’s eye chiles and lime leaves. If you use a pre‐made curry paste, go with Thai Kitchen or look for one that does not have either shrimp paste or fish sauce in the ingredient list. They are incredibly common in curry pastes, so you will need to look closely for a good vegan paste. Do not substitute regular lime leaves for kaffir lime leaves. The texture and taste are very different. I sometimes find these now at Whole Foods when I can’t find them at my local Asian market. Purple yams are actually sweet potatoes with a white skin and purple interior. You can substitute any sweet potato for them.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|93
How It Works A Thai curry paste has a lot of components, but should taste melded in the final dish. It should pop with bright flavors, heat, saltiness, and pungency. The garlic and shallot, in a way, help bind everything together with that pungency while the salt accentuates all the flavors. The lemongrass and lime zest give the high notes of the paste and the chiles are intense in flavor. This is somewhat mitigated by the fat and sweetness from the coconut milk. The fat coats the tongue, protecting it from the heat (somewhat!). Toasting the spices activates volatile oils in them that are not activated when they simply simmer. The depth they add to the paste is subtle, since they are used in small amounts, but something that is definitely missed if they are not present. If you are using a mortar and pestle to make the paste, the ingredients are added from hardest to softest and should be thoroughly mashed so the paste is as smooth as possible. Smashing the ingredients breaks the cellular structure of the food, releasing more flavor than if the paste is simply blended. However, it adds a lot more work to making the paste, so I suggest making a very large batch of it if you go this route. Once you start cooking it, the fat from the coconut milk is used to fry the paste (and to get it smooth in the blender), which caramelizes some of the natural sugars in the paste. All of this is balanced by the purple yams. I chose these instead of white or oranges sweet potatoes since they are popular in Thai cuisine and they have a great color. Chef’s Notes Green curry is the first Thai dish I ever learned how to make. It has a number of variations, but they are all fragrant, hot, salty, and absolutely delicious. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 641 Calories from Fat 333 Fat 37 g Total Carbohydrates 67 g Dietary Fiber 11 g Sugars 7 g Protein 10 g Salt 646 mg Interesting Facts Thai curries can be dry or wet, with wet referring to a saucy curry and dry to a thick, clingy curry. Wet curries are made with either coconut milk, water, or broth.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|94
Jackfruit Curry Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients The Curry Paste 8 dried Thai chiles, soaked ½ tsp. of salt 1” piece of galangal, diced 4 shallots 4 cloves of garlic 2 cubes of fermented tofu ½ tsp. of palm sugar The Curry 1 ½ cups of water 1 ½ to 2 cups of deseeded jackfruit, chopped into large bite‐size pieces Juice of 1 lime Instructions Soak the chiles, then either pound the chiles and salt into a paste, adding in remaining paste ingredients one by one, repeating this process with each one, or puree them in a blender. Combine the curry paste with the water and bring it to a simmer. Chop the jackfruit. Add the jackfruit to the broth and simmer it for about 10 minutes, replenishing water as needed. Once it is done, remove it from the heat and immediately add the lime juice and stir.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|95
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Mortar and Pestle or Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Wok Stirring Spoon Presentation Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro or mint, or simply serve it as is over a mound of rice. Time Management This curry goes fairly quickly for a curry and it’s relatively simple, too. Just pay attention to the broth level and make sure it doesn’t diminish too much. Complementary Food and Drinks Sticky rice and a set of nahm prik. Where to Shop You can get both fresh and canned jackfruit at an Asian market and quite a few foodie markets. The same is true with galangal. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works This curry has a lighter note than many other curries. First, it is made with water instead of coconut milk. It’s a mix of pungency from the shallots and garlic and heat from the chiles with the few other ingredients providing high notes of supporting flavors. Coupled with the jackfruit and the brightness of the lime juice, it makes for a curry that feels refreshing. Speaking of lime, the lime juice is added just after it comes off the heat in order to retain the freshest, brightest flavor possible. Chef’s Notes This is one of my favorite Thai curries because it is so different from the mainstays. First, it’s a water‐ based curry, so you can taste the pure chile flavors. Second, the jackfruit makes for a nice, light meal. I feel full afterwards, but never heavy. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 270 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|96
Calories from Fat 18 Fat 2 g Total Carbohydrates 56 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 6 g Protein 7 g Salt 685 mg Interesting Facts Fresh jackfruit has a sticky, waxy substance all around the interior.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|97
Jungle Curry of Eggplant Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients The Curry Paste 15 red Bird’s eye chiles 4 shallots, chopped 10 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp. of diced galangal 3” piece of lemongrass, chopped 4” piece of ginger, chopped Option: 1 cube of fermented tofu ½ tsp. of salt The Veggies and Broth 8 Thai eggplants, chopped 6‐8 long beans, cut into bite‐size pieces 8‐10 baby corns ¼ cup of sliced bamboo shoots 1 tbsp. of oil 4 cups of water 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “fish” sauce 6 lime leaves, torn Instructions Prep all the ingredients for the paste. Puree them in a blender or mash them with a mortar and pestle, adding them and bashing them one at a time until you have a smooth paste. Chop the eggplants and beans. Bring the oil to a medium heat. Fry the paste for about 5 minutes. Add the water, “fish” sauce, and stir. Add the veggies and lime leaves and simmer the curry for about 10 minutes. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|98
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Blender or Mortar and Pestle Measuring Spoon Measuring Cut Pot Stirring Spoon Presentation Serve with a few fresh lime leaves, but other than that, the presentation should be simple. Time Management The paste should fry until you can smell the capsaicin in the air. As soon as that happens, add the liquid so you don’t get choked out of the kitchen. Complementary Food and Drinks A side of rice, pickled veggies, and fresh sweet fruit to balance out the intensity of this curry. Where to Shop You should be able to find all the ingredients at a conventional market except for the Thai eggplant and lime leaves. If you can’t find the lime leaves, simply omit them and if you don’t want to go to an Asian market to get Thai eggplant, you can use Chinese or Japanese eggplant in its stead. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50. How It Works Jungle curries are noted for both their heat and the predominance of fresh flavors in the paste. Rarely do dry spices come into play, which is why this curry is made up of large amounts of ginger, galangal, chiles, and lemongrass, along with the staple shallots and garlic found in most Thai curries. The remaining ingredients in the paste, as well as the “fish” sauce, are simply ways of adding different types of saltiness to the dish. The paste fries in order to deepen the flavor of the chiles, shallots, and garlic primarily and water is used instead of coconut milk to keep the flavor of the curry as pure as possible. Chef’s Notes Jungle curries are pure Thai flavor. The water broth masks nothing and it’s one of the reasons that this style of curry is a favorite of mine. However, if you are not used to a certain level of “oomph” from your curry, this may not be a recipe for you. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|99
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 196 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 30 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 3 g Protein 10 g Salt 702 mg Interesting Facts Jungle curries are typically found in rural areas and utilize ingredients easy to find outside of the large towns.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|100
Massaman Curry (gaeng matsaman) แกงมัสมั่น Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients The Massaman Curry Paste (or use ¼ cup of premade massaman curry paste) 12 dried red Thai chiles, soaked 7 cardamom pods, roasted (or ¼ tsp. of ground cardamom) 1 ½ tsp. of coriander seeds, roasted 1 ½ tsp. of cumin seeds, roasted 4 cloves, roasted (or a pinch of ground cloves) 6‐8 black peppercorns, roasted 3 bay leaves, roasted ¾ tsp. of salt 4 shallots 8 cloves of garlic 3 tbsp. of grated ginger Option: 1 cube of fermented tofu ¼ cup of roasted peanuts The Sauce and Main Ingredients 1 tbsp. of peanut oil Option: 8 oz. of extra firm tofu, cubed, or 1 cup of seitan strips 3 cups of coconut milk 2” long cinnamon stick Option: 2 dried cassia leaves 1 onion, chopped 2 small potatoes, chopped 4 Thai eggplants, chopped or 1 Japanese eggplant, chopped 3 tbsp. of tamarind juice Option: 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “oyster” or mushroom sauce 1 tbsp. of palm sugar Instructions Making the Paste Roast the different spices, including the bay leaves, in a dry pan over a medium heat until you can smell their fragrance wafting from the pan. Break open the roasted cardamom pods and grind the seeds into cardamom powder. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the spices into powder, then add the ingredients one by one and pound them into a paste (or grind the spices, then whip everything together in a blender). Making the Curry Prepare the onion, potatoes, and eggplant and set them aside. Bring the oil to a medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry it for about 5 minutes, continuously stirring it so it doesn’t burn. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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If you are using the optional tofu or seitan, add this now and sauté it in the paste it for about 3‐4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, cinnamon stick, optional cassia leaves, onion, potatoes, and eggplants. Simmer this for about 10 minutes. Add the tamarind juice, vegetarian “oyster” sauce, and palm sugar and simmer for another 2‐ 3 minutes. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|102
Kitchen Equipment Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Knife Cutting Board Wok or Pot Mortar and Pestle or Blender Presentation Serve this in a relatively shallow bowl so that the veggies don’t sink to the bottom and get lost in the curry sauce. Time Management You don’t have to stir the paste rapidly, but you do have to continuously stir it while it fries because it will burn quickly. I sometimes wait until I have the sauce simmering and then I chop the veggies. It gives the curry and extra few minutes to simmer. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with saffron rice and pickled ginger. Where to Shop To find Thai eggplants, I usually have to go to an Asian market or a higher end market that specializes in “gourmet” foods. Thai eggplants are small bulbs with a green skin and white striations. The rest of the ingredients are relatively easy to find, unless you want to add in some of the optional ones, like the dried cassia leaves. Those I either have to go to an Asian or a Mexican market to purchase while the others I get at my local Asian market. Make sure that the vegetarian “oyster” sauce does not have MSG in it! Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works The curry paste works like most other Thai curry pastes, but you can see the heavy Middle Eastern influence in the dish with the use of turmeric, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves. The flavor carriers of the paste, however, are still the chiles, garlic, and shallots. This curry also shows its Middle Eastern roots with the diced onion and cinnamon sticks simmered in the sauce. The sugar, tamarind juice, and vegetarian “oyster” sauce are added at the end of the cooking process. The tamarind juice so that it keeps some of that bright popping flavor that it has, the sugar so it doesn’t caramelize, and the “oyster” sauce so that it acts more as a note to the curry than an integral flavor. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Chef’s Notes This is one of my favorite curries and is generally listed as one of the top dishes in the world. It’s smooth, rich, and redolent with pungency and fragrance. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 728 Calories from Fat 540 Fat 60 g Total Carbohydrates 45 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 8 g g Protein 17 g Salt 700 mg Interesting Facts Islam in Thailand comes from several different areas, notably Malay, the Hui people of China, and neighboring Burma.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|104
Red Curry of Plantains and Peanuts (geng dtaeng) Type: Thai Curry Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15‐20 minutes + time to get the grill hot Ingredients Red Curry Paste 2 ½ tsp. of coriander seeds, roasted 1 ¼ tsp. of cumin seeds, roasted 12‐15 dried red Thai chiles ½ tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of whole white peppercorns ½” piece of galangal, diced 3” piece of lemongrass, chopped 3 shallots, chopped 12 cloves of garlic Zest of 1 lime (preferably kaffir lime) 1 tsp. of minced cilantro stems Option: 1 cube of fermented tofu Plantains, Peanuts, & Coconut Milk 3 yellow plantains, sliced 1 tbsp. of peanut oil 2 cups of coconut milk ½ cup of water ¼ cup of roasted salted peanuts 2 cups of cooked rice Instructions Over a medium heat, roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Option: Deseed the chiles. Grind or pound the chiles, coriander, cumin, salt, and peppercorns into a powder. Prep the galangal, lemongrass, cilantro, shallots, and garlic. Either puree them or, in order, pound them into a rough paste using a mortar and pestle, combining everything with the spice mix. Peel the plantains and slice them into bite‐size pieces. Bring the oil to a medium heat, then add the curry paste and fry it for about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and water and stir until the paste has been evenly incorporated into the sauce. Add the plantains and peanuts and simmer this for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|105
Kitchen Equipment Blender or Mortar and Pestle Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Knife Cutting Board Pot Stirring Spoon Presentation I put a sprig of Thai basil with each bowl to add some color to the dish. Time Management Wait until the oil is hot before adding the curry paste to the pot and keep slowly stirring it once it goes in. Stirring rapidly will not allow the curry paste to properly fry while letting it just sit there will ensure it burns. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of lightly steamed veggies and greens. Where to Shop When choosing your plantains, look for ones that are yellow with few black spots. They are starchy enough at this point to serve as the substantive part of the curry and have ripened enough that they have a light sweetness that provides counterpoint to the heat of the curry paste. Make sure to use a good quality coconut milk with this recipe, since it is the flavor carrier for the curry paste. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works This paste is definitely hot, though not as hot as it appears at first glance. The coconut milk and rice both serve to mitigate the heat of the chiles quite a bit. As with many Thai curries, the bulk of this curry is comprised of garlic and shallots, which serve as the pungent palette for all the other flavors. Frying the paste caramelizes the garlic and shallots and brings out the aroma of the galangal and lemongrass. The redness of the curry comes from the extraordinary amount of chiles. Chef’s Notes I made this curry paste using the traditional mortar and pestle method, but towards the end, I was looking longingly at my blender! Still, the taste of a pounded curry paste was exquisite. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|106
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 654 Calories from Fat 270 Fat 30 g Total Carbohydrates 87 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 30 g Protein 9 g Salt 705 mg Interesting Facts Red curry pastes tend to be some of the milder curries in Thai cuisine and are almost always soupy.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|107
Yellow Curry Potatoes (gaeng kari) Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients Yellow Curry Paste 20 dried red Thai chiles 1 tbsp. of coriander seeds, toasted 1 tsp. of cumin seeds, toasted 2 shallots 6 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp. of grated fresh turmeric or 1 tbsp. of turmeric powder 2 slices of galangal, diced 1 tsp. of salt 2 cubes of fermented tofu Other Ingredients 6 waxy potatoes, chopped 2 tbsp. of oil 3 cups of water 2 tbsp. of tamarind sauce 2 tsp. of palm sugar Juice of 1 lime Instructions Making the Curry Paste Soak the chiles until they are soft. While they are soaking, toast the coriander and cumin seeds over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Grind the spices into a powder. Puree or smash the chiles until roughly smooth, then add the remainder of the ingredients one at a time, pureeing or smashing them until smooth before adding the next ingredient. Finishing the Curry Chop the potatoes into bite‐size pieces. Bring the oil to a medium heat. Fry the curry paste for about 4 minutes. Slowly stir in the water, tamarind sauce, and palm sugar and bring it to a simmer. Add the potatoes and cook until soft. Add the lime juice and immediately remove from the heat. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|108
Kitchen Equipment Blender or Mortar and Pestle Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Wok or Pot Stirring Spoon Presentation I like to garnish this with a sprig of cilantro to add a splash of contrasting color to the bowl. I also like to use a shallow bowl so that the potatoes poke out of the curry broth. Time Management For a curry, this recipe cooks fairly fast. You know the curry is done when the potatoes are just soft enough to eat. This lets them retain some bite and make the curry feel even more filling! Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with sticky rice and a sweet drink or dessert. The curry is hot and you will need the starch and sweetness to balance it. Where to Shop You will most likely need to get galangal and fresh turmeric at an Asian market. It’s ok to substitute ginger for galangal in this recipe, so if you don’t have an Asian market that is convenient, you can still get all of the ingredients for this at a regular market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The primary flavors of this curry are hot and hot, with a touch of turmeric added in. The cumin and coriander give it some depth and a small amount of galangal adds that high aromatic note found in other curries, but it is not as predominant in this one. Water is used instead of coconut milk so that the pure curry flavor can come through and the tamarind, lime, and sugar give it the final sweet and sour flavor. Chef’s Notes Water‐based curries have a pure flavor to them that I very much appreciate, but that flavor is particularly dependant on having good‐quality ingredients since there is no coconut milk to boost them. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|109
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 543 Calories from Fat 63 Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 108 g Dietary Fiber 11 g Sugars 13 g Protein 12 g Salt 690 mg Interesting Facts Yellow curries are typically made in the south of Thailand, where both the Muslim and Indian culinary influences are more prevalent.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|110
“Beef” Salad (yam neua) Type: Salad, Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients The “Beef” 2 portabella mushrooms, sliced or 2 cups of seitan strips ¾ tsp. of ground black pepper Option: 1/8 tsp. of Sichuan pepper 2 tsp. of oil The Sauce Juice of 3 limes 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “fish” sauce 1 tsp. of palm sugar (or turbinado sugar) Pinch of salt The Salad 6 shallots, sliced 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 Thai long chiles, minced 4‐5 green onions, chopped ½ cup of chopped cilantro (coriander) 2 tbsp. of minced fresh mint 1 cucumber, halved and sliced Instructions Slice the portabellas or seitan into strips. Rub them with the black pepper, then toss them in the oil. Sear them over a medium high heat until lightly browned. Grill Option: You can grill these instead of sautéing them for a subtle smoky flavor. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and add the mushrooms or seitan to it and set it aside. Slice the shallots, halve the tomatoes, mince the chiles, chop the onions and cilantro, and mince the mint. Cut the cucumber in half along the length, then slice it into ¼” thick half‐disks. Toss everything together except for the cucumber, which should be arranged around the edge of the plate. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|111
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan or Grill Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Presentation I mound the salad in the middle of the plate, then arrange the cucumbers around the edge. If you want to do something a bit extra with the cucumber, you can score lines down the length of it using a fork before halving and then slicing it. Time Management I sometimes let the mushrooms or seitan sit in the marinade for a few hours before serving the salad, but that is only if I have the patience to do so. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a side of sticky rice and fresh papaya. Where to Shop All of these ingredients, except for the vegetarian “fish” sauce, are fairly common. You can substitute soy sauce if you can’t find a vegetarian “fish” sauce that doesn’t have msg. Approximate cost per serving is $3.50. How It Works Like many other Thai dishes, this features shallots as a main ingredient, but the real star is the seared mushrooms or seitan enrobed in the sauce. It has brightness from the lime, depth and saltiness from the “fish” sauce, and some sugar to balance the heat of the long chiles. Combined with that is a strong herbal note from cilantro and mint. Quite a bit of these herbs are used because they need to compete with all the other strong flavors of the salad. Both the tomatoes and cucumber are there to provide a refreshing counterpoint to all the other intense flavors. Chef’s Notes This is probably one of the most popular Thai dishes served outside of Thailand. Ironically, I hated it the first time I had it, but I was also about ten years old. I definitely needed a more refined palate before I appreciated it. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|112
Nutritional Facts (per serving, using portabella mushroom) Calories 156 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 27 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 9 g Protein 3 g Salt 388 mg Interesting Facts Restaurants often mix lettuce into the salad because it stretches the salad and makes it more profitable for them, but the more authentic way is with the cilantro and mint serving as the green.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|113
Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) ส้มตํา Type: Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients The Salad 1 green papaya, shredded 6 to 8 fresh green beans 2 Thai chiles, deseeded and minced 2 tbsp. of toasted peanuts 5 or 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 small pinch of coarse, flaky sea salt The Dressing Juice of 1 lime 1 tsp. of soy sauce or vegetarian “fish” sauce 1 tbsp. of sugar (preferably palm sugar) 1 clove of garlic, minced ½ tsp. rice wine vinegar Instructions Cut the papaya in quarters and remove the seeds. Shred the inside of the papaya using a large grater or cut the papaya and force it down a food processor with the shredder attachment. Option: Use already shredded green papaya. Cut the green beans into 2”‐3” pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Remove the seeds from the chiles and mince them (remove the white vein in the chile if you want to reduce the heat. Mince the garlic. Place the chiles, green beans, peanuts, salt, and tomatoes on top of the salad. Mix together the sugar, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and rice wine vinegar. Dress the salad. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|114
Kitchen Equipment Shredder or Grater Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Spoon Measuring Spoon Presentation Lightly toss the papaya shreds so the salad looks light and spry instead of densely packed. Time Management This is best if eaten fresh. Since it gets made so quickly, there isn’t much else to the time management, save that if you serve this with another set of recipes, this should be one of the last ones you make. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of sticky rice and mushroom lab. Where to Shop You need an unripe green papaya for this recipe, not a yellow or orange one. The best place to find those is at an Asian market. I wholeheartedly suggest cheating and looking for green papaya that is already shredded. I typically find these in the produce section. It will save a whole lot of work and will still taste great. Look look for ripe Thai chiles at the same market or look for serranos (they are ripe when they are red.) However, if you can’t find them, any sort of small, hot red chile will do, even if it is green. Only fresh will do. How It Works The green papaya provides the bulk of the flavor for this salad accented by the tomatoes and green beans. Green papaya is used because it has a crisper taste than a ripe papaya and is easier to shred. The sauce combines classic Thai flavors, mingling the sourness of the lime, the saltiness of the soy sauce, the sweetness of the sugar, and the heat of the peppers. While each of these is strong, they are all balanced against each other. Finally, the peanut provides extra texture to the salad. Chef’s Notes This makes such a nice light summer lunch salad. If you don’t like the heat in it, feel free to omit the chiles and it will still taste incredibly delicious. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|115
Nutritional Facts (per serving Calories 111 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 17 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 5 g Protein 4 g Salt 86 mg Interesting Facts Papayas are native to South America and were imported to Siam, becoming an important part of the country’s cuisine. Papayas are filled with a compound called papain, which is extracted from the papaya and used as a salve for cuts, scrapes, and burns.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|116
Chive Buns with Soy Chili Sauce Type: Appetizer Makes: 10 cakes Time to Prepare: about 1 hour Ingredients The Batter 1 cup of rice flour or brown rice flour ¼ cup of tapioca flour ¼ cup of sticky rice flour 1 pinch of salt 1 ½ cups of water 2 tablespoons of oil (I used toasted sesame oil) 6 tablespoons of tapioca flour ¼ cup of sticky rice flour Plus about 1‐2 tablespoons of tapioca flour for dusting the buns The Filling 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil About 5‐6 cups of loosely diced Chinese chives 6‐8 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon lime zest ½ cup of loosely chiffonaded Thai basil 2 tablespoons soy sauce Pinch of white pepper About 1 teaspoon granulated sugar The Sauce 4 tablespoons of soy sauce 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1‐2 red Thai chilies, minced 1 tablespoon minced shallot Instructions In a bowl, combine the first three ingredients – the rice, tapioca and sticky rice flour. Add the salt and water, then stir into a paste. Heat the oil in a wok over low heat. Add the mixture immediately and allow to half cook until it becomes sticky and opaque, about 20‐25 minutes. Remove from heat and once cool enough to handle, knead in the other 6 tablespoons of tapioca flour and ¼ cup of sticky rice flour. The dough should be easy to handle. Roll into 10 equal balls. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest 10 minutes. Mince the chives, basil, garlic, and zest the limes, but keep them in separate piles. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
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Heat a clean wok over medium high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chives. Once the chives start to wilt, add the garlic. Cook about 30 seconds, then add the basil, pepper, sugar, and soy sauce. Remove from heat. Dust the buns with a bit of the flour and use your fingers to pat the pastry dough out into disks about 4 inches in diameter. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling into the middle of each one. Turn in all the corners, twisting and folding until the filling is completely covered. Place them in a steamer basket on top of parchment paper and steam about 15 minutes. Whisk together in ingredients for the sauce while the cakes are steaming. Remove from the heat and top with some of the sauce, about 1 tablespoon for 2 cakes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|118
Low‐fat Version Reduce the oil in the filling to 1 teaspoon and eliminate it from the sauce. However, you need the oil for the dough. Kitchen Equipment Steamer Basket Measuring Spoons and Cups Knife Cutting Board 2 Bowls Wok Stirring Spoons Presentation You can serve the sauce on the side or you can drizzle it over the cake. Time Management While the dough is resting, make the filling. Then, when you roll out the cakes, the filling has time to cool. Complementary Food and Drinks A nice iced mint tea and green papaya salad are my favorite pairings with this, since the cool refreshing drink and bright salad compliment the flavors of the buns nicely. Where to Shop The Chinese chives are most easily found at an Asian market, as are the flours for this recipe. How It Works Since all the flours used have no gluten, cooking them helps the amylase in the rice develop binding the flours and allowing the dough to achieve a greater pliancy. Chef’s Notes I have two notes. The first is that the parchment paper for the steamer is ESSENTIAL. Without it, your buns will stick to the steamer and break when you try to remove them. Poke holes in the parchment paper to allow steam to enter the basket without having your buns stick. Also, do not try to roll the dough into shape. I did this and it was not very useful. Patting the dough into shape with my fingers was much easier. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|119
Nutrition Facts (per cake) Calories 246 Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 44 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 3 g Protein 4 g Salt 446 mg Interesting Facts Amylase, the starch that allows the dough to bind, is also what makes risotto creamy.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|120
Corn Fritters (tod man khao pad) Type: Appetizer Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 5 ears of corn (about 2 ½ cups of kernels), split into 2 batches 1 ½ tbsp. of red curry paste 2 oz. of silken tofu ¾ tsp. of salt 1 cup of rice flour 1 ¼ tsp. of baking powder 5 kaffir lime leaves or 6‐8 large Thai basil leaves, sliced into ribbons Oil for frying Instructions Remove the kernels from the cobs and divide the kernels into two equal batches. Take one batch of kernels and puree it with the curry paste, tofu, and salt. Combine the rice flour and baking powder. Combine the dry and wet mixes thoroughly, then mix in the other batch of kernels. Slice the lime leaves or basil into thin ribbons and mix this into the mix. Fill a wok with oil about 2” deep and bring it to 300 degrees F. Take a heaping spoonful of the corn batter and drop it into the oil. Once the fritters float to the top of the oil and look lightly browned, remove them and set them on a rack or paper towel to dry and continue until you are out of batter.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|121
Kitchen Equipment Blender or Food Processor Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Bowl Wok Tongs Rack or Plate and Paper Towels Presentation Garnish with some chopped cilantro or more ribboned lime leaves. Time Management These don’t take long to fry, so make sure you have a rack or paper towels nearby so you can get them immediately out of the oil. Also, these need to be served within a few minutes of coming out of the oil or else they lose their crispness. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a sweet chile sauce. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are very common except for the lime leaves and Thai basil. Check out your local Asian market for those, but feel free to use whatever basil you can find if you can’t get a hold of any of the other ones. How It Works The oil is a lower temperature in this recipe than many other fried recipes so that it doesn’t burn the rice flour. Because it has more sugar than wheat flour, it is susceptible to that at high temperatures. The baking powder makes the fritter fluffy and expansive and the tofu acts like the egg found in a traditional recipe. Chef’s Notes I don’t eat many fried foods, but these were phenomenal. Light, crispy, and loaded with flavor from the red curry paste. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 260 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|122
Calories from Fat 72 Fat 8 g Total Carbohydrates 41 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 3 g Protein 6 g Salt 602 g Interesting Facts Kaffir limes aren’t used just in Thai cooking. They also show up in Creole cuisine and are used throughout parts of Africa.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|123
Bamboo Sticky Rice (khao lam) Type: Dessert, Snack Serves: Serves 6 Time to Prepare: 2 hours + time to soak the rice Ingredients 6 tubes of bamboo, about 1 foot long each Banana leaves 2 cups of stick rice 4 cups of coconut milk ½ cup of palm sugar (you can substitute turbinado sugar) ½ tsp. of salt Instructions Soak the rice for about six hours, then drain away the water. Combine the rice with the coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Pack one end of the bamboo sticks with banana leaves to create a seal. Fill the hollow bamboo with the rice coconut mix. Seal the other end of the bamboo with banana leaves to complete the seal. Light your grill and make sure the rack is at least 6” above the coals. Place the bamboo on the rack, keeping them away from the most intense heat, and do not close your grill. The rice takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours to properly cook. You can check it by unsealing one end and if the rice is chewy it is done; if it still has liquid, resume cooking it. When you serve this, you peel away the layers of bamboo until the stick rice is revealed. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|124
Kitchen Equipment Grill and Tongs Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mixing Bowl Presentation When I serve these, I remove the banana leaves from one side and start the peeling process, but leave most of the bamboo stick intact. Peeling it is part of the fun! If you want something really interesting looking, use black sticky rice. Time Management i built a couple brick stands so I could place the bamboo over the grill while i grilled a coconut relish Don’t check the rice too often. Every time you unseal it, it lets out some of the heat and steam trapped inside the bamboo sticks. Complementary Food and Drinks This can be eaten on its own or served with small cuts of steamed veggies on the side. I would only serve it that way if I didn’t add sugar to the recipe. Where to Shop Bamboo sticks and banana leaves can be found at nearly any Asian market and even some of the higher end markets, which seem to be carrying more and more specialty Asian goods. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works Because the rice takes so long to cook using this method, soaking it is important. It also plumps the rice, meaning you can add lots of rice to the bamboo stick. If you didn’t soak it, you would need extra liquid and that would take up more room in the stick. Basically, you are slowly heating the coconut milk through the bamboo tube, which then cooks the rice. It needs to be far away from the heat of the grill so that it doesn’t get too hot too fast and burn. The banana leaves make obvious seals for the tubes. Chef’s Notes For me, this is what I call party food. It’s great for inviting a bunch of friends over to an out‐door get together. Grilling rice in bamboo sticks is exotic and rustic and makes for an interesting conversation piece and while you and your friends enjoy time around the fire, the bamboo sits there as a sweet, fun promise for the end of the night. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|125
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 520 Calories from Fat 288 Fat 32 g Total Carbohydrates 52 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 13 g Protein 6 g Salt 194 mg Interesting Facts Versions of this recipe are found all over Southeast Asia and are often sold at festivals and as street food.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|126
Seitan Satay Type: Street Food Serves: Serves 12 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes to prep + 2 hours to sit + 10 minutes to grill Ingredients The Paste 1 tbsp. of cilantro stems Two 3” pieces of lemongrass (the bottom white parts) 6 shallots 4 cloves of garlic 2 Thai long chiles 3 tbsp. of oil 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “fish” sauce Large pinch of salt 1 tbsp. of minced fresh turmeric or 2 tsp. of turmeric powder Satay and Garnish 4 cups of seitan strips (you can also use tofu strips and sweet potato strips) 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced Instructions Puree all the ingredients for the paste. Toss the seitan strips in the paste and let them sit for about 2 hours. Soak bamboo skewers while the seitan marinates.* Skewer the seitan. Light your grill and brush the rack with oil. Grill the seitan skewers until they are lightly browned on each side. Peel and dice the cucumber and serve as a garnish. * If you use sweet potato instead of seitan, use metal skewers. Bamboo usually breaks. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|127
Kitchen Equipment Blender Mixing Bowl Measuring Spoon Grill and Tongs Bamboo Skewers Knife Cutting Board Presentation Serve these hot off the grill with the cucumber in side dish. Time Management You have to let these sit or the seitan will be flavorless. Complementary Food and Drinks Cucumber and your favorite nam prik or nam jim jeaw. Where to Shop If I don’t make my own seitan strips, I usually get the Beefless Strips from Trader Joe’s. They absorb the paste well and are easy to skewer. Obviously, you will get the best price on many of these ingredients at an Asian market, though you can find everything except the vegetarian “fish” sauce at a conventional market. Approximate cost per serving is $0.75. How It Works The paste is basically a pungent mix of onions and garlic with heavy aromatic notes from the lemongrass and cilantro. The turmeric is used both for color and a distinct, but subtle, undertone that runs throughout the satay. You can do without it, but there is a noticeable diminishing of complexity if you forgo it. Oil is used to make sure all the ingredients coat and stick to the satay and to help the satay itself not stick to the grill. Note that the paste has to be very strong in flavor because it needs to impart that to the seitan and much of the paste will actually fall off and be lost on the grill. Chef’s Notes I use this paste as a stir fry sauce sometimes, too. I love the combo of chiles, garlic, and shallots. So tasty. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|128
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 164 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 13 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 1 g Protein 19 g Salt 266 mg Interesting Facts Satay is actually Indonesian in origin, with a large influence from the Middle East.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|129
Chinese Watercress Stir Fry (Pak Bung Jiin Fai Deng) Type: Main Dish, Stir‐fry Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 2 large bunches of Chinese watercress (pak bung jiin, or ong choy), sliced into large chunks 1 tbsp. of soybean paste (you can use miso as a substitute) 1 tbsp. of vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce 1 tbsp. of vegetarian oyster sauce 1 tsp. of palm sugar or fine grain turbinado sugar ¼ cup of water 4‐5 large cloves of garlic, smashed 4‐5 Thai birds’ eye chiles, smashed 1 ½ tbsp. of peanut oil Instructions Pat the Chinese watercress as dry as possible and slice it into 2” to 3” long sections. Combine the soybean paste, vegetarian fish sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, and water and pour this over the watercress. Smash the cloves of garlic and the chiles and toss them in with the watercress. Bring a wok or wide sauté pan up to a high heat. Get a plate ready near your wok or sauté pan. Once it is hot, add the oil and wait about 10 seconds. Add the watercress and sauce to the wok and stir‐fry this for about 30 to 45 seconds. Immediately and quickly transfer everything to the plate (this keeps the watercress semi‐crisp and keeps the wok from cooking it further). The chiles and garlic are not meant to be eaten, but you are most impressive if you do. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|130
Kitchen Equipment Wok Knife Cutting Board Large Bowl Salad Spinner or Towels Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Serve this in a large bowl and top with some chopped peanuts if you like. Time Management This recipe goes quick! The pak bung should only be in the pan for a few seconds, long enough to just start the cooking process. Longer than that and it gets wilted and mushy. Be careful when you put it in with the hot oil. Water and hot oil are not friends. Use a long wooden spoon to get to stirring as fast as possible and avoid splattering oil. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of salted jasmine scented sticky rice. Where to Shop My local Asian market is the only place I’ve ever found pak bung jiin. If you can’t find it, don’t worry. You can substitute spinach, or even baby broccoli, and still get an amazing dish. It’s not the same dish, but it’s just as tasty. Soybean paste is not miso (although it is similar). This is available at most Asian markets, usually in the Southeast Asian sections of the store, along with both vegetarian fish sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce. Remember that you can also substitute a bit of soy sauce for the vegetarian fish sauce if you can’t find it. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works The garlic and chiles are smashed so they can better impart their flavor to the food, but these ingredients are not actually meant to be eaten with this dish (even though they are still served with it). The pak bung only cooks for a few seconds, enough to slightly soften it without wilting it. The sauce is a mix of salty and sweet, with a fermented sharpness from the bean paste. There is just enough of it to coat the veggies without drowning them in liquid. Chef’s Notes The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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While this may use some exotic ingredients, it’s still a very simple dish. Stir up some sauce, smash chiles and garlic, throw the veggies and sauce in the wok for a few seconds, and you’re done. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 294 Calories from Fat 90 Fat 10 g Total Carbohydrates 35 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 5 g Protein 16 g Salt 643 mg Interesting Facts Jiin is the Thai word for Chinese while pak bung is a hollow spinach‐like plant. In fact, pak bung is sometimes called Chinese spinach or river spinach. Pak bung is used all over Southeast Asia, but in the US, it is classified as a noxious weed.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|132
Saffron Coconut Rice Type: Side or Main Dish Serves: Serves 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 3 whole cloves or a small pinch of ground cloves 2 star anise or ¼ tsp. of ground star anise 3 cardamom pods or a small pinch of ground cardamom ½ tsp. of salt 1 ½ tbsp. of grated fresh ginger 4‐5 cloves of garlic 6 large shallots (4 for the paste and 2 for the garnish) Large pinch of saffron 5 cups of water ½ cup of thick coconut milk 3 cups of long‐grain rice 1 tbsp. of oil Instructions Making the Paste Toast the cloves and star anise for about 1 minute over a medium heat, then pound into powder. Toast the cardamom pods for about 2 minutes over a medium heat, then break them open and grind the seeds into powder. Grate the ginger. Pound the spices, salt, ginger, 4 of the shallots, and all of the garlic into a paste. Making the Rice Using a couple tablespoons of the coconut milk, fry the paste over a medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the saffron, water, and the remainder of the coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Add the rice, bring it back to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the rice for about 20 minutes. Making the Garnish and Finishing the Rice Dice the remaining shallots. Bring the oil to a medium high heat and fry the shallots until they are crispy. Garnish the finished rice with crispy shallots. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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Kitchen Equipment Pot with Lid Mortar and Pestle or Small Food Processor Knife Cutting Board Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Grater Presentation Fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Time Management Keep stirring the paste slowly so that it doesn’t burn and if the coconut milk reduces to the point where the paste sticks to the pan, go ahead and add the water and remainder of the coconut milk. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes along with several southern Thai dishes, particularly those influenced by Muslim culture, like the massaman curry. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are available at most markets, but I like to get my saffron at Trader Joe’s. It’s inexpensive and a decent quality, especially for a dish that doesn’t require it to be treated delicately. Approximate cost per serving is about $1.50. How It Works This is basically boiling rice with a touch of coconut milk and making a very simple curry paste. As you can see, it works pretty much like most other Thai curries, but with a very small ingredient list. The crisped shallots at the end are there for texture and small shots of caramelized sweetness. Chef’s Notes This recipe highlights the fusion of Muslim and Thai cuisine, taking a simple saffron rice recipe and adding a Thai spin to it. It’s indicative of the way Muslim techniques and ingredients acquire a local flair. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|134
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 626 Calories from Fat 90 Fat 10 g Total Carbohydrates 120 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 1 g Protein 14 g Salt 268 mg Interesting Facts Like the food, Islam in Thailand has adopted aspects of the dominant religion of the region, which is Buddhism.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|135
Coconut Soup with Mushrooms (tom kha hed) Type: Soup, Main Course Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients 2” piece of galangal, sliced thin 1 large stalk of lemongrass, sliced into 2‐3” pieces 2 cups of coconut milk 1 cup of water 4 fresh Thai chiles, smashed or 6 dried Thai chiles Option: 1 cube of unchicken or mushroom bouillon 1 ½ tbsp. of vegetarian mushroom sauce ½ tsp. of salt (you may want to modify this based on how salty your bouillon is) 2 cups of oyster mushrooms, chopped into large bite‐size chunks 1 ½ cups of straw mushrooms Juice of 1 lime Diced cilantro (coriander) for garnish Instructions Slice the galangal and lemongrass. Bring the coconut milk and water to a boil. Add the galangal, lemongrass, chiles, bouillon, mushroom sauce, and salt. Lower the heat and simmer this for at least 10 minutes. While it is simmering, chop the oyster mushrooms, dice the cilantro, and juice the lime. About 5 minutes before you are about to finish off the soup, add the oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, and lime juice and simmer for 5 more minutes (that means if you simmer the soup for 20 minutes to get some extra flavor into it, add the mushrooms 15 minutes into it). Divide the soup into the serving bowls and garnish with cilantro. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|136
Kitchen Equipment Pot Knife Cutting Board Stirring Spoon Ladle Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation I usually add a few extra red chiles to the top for a garnish. If you want to make things easier on your diners, remove the galangal and lemongrass before serving. Time Management If you let this simmer longer than 15 minutes, you will probably need to add in some water to replace whatever evaporates. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with sticky rice and some steamed or fried tofu with a sweet lime sauce. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are typically available at most markets, except for the galangal. You will need to head to a foodie market or an Asian market to find it. Straw mushrooms are almost always found jarred or canned. The vegetarian mushroom sauce is pretty much the same as vegetarian oyster sauce, both of which are super thick sauces usually found only at Asian markets. Get a good quality, thick coconut milk for this soup. If you don’t, omit the water in the recipe since the lower quality coconut milk will already be watery. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works The soup is an aromatic, spicy infusion of coconut milk at its heart. The substantiveness of the soup comes solely from the mushrooms, which add a wonderfully earthy flavor to the dish. The vegetarian mushroom sauce has a rich, pungent caramel flavor which gives the soup depth. Like most Asian dishes, you are expected to know not to eat the lemongrass, galangal, and chiles. Chef’s Notes This is one of many Thai coconut soups, the most famous of which is tom kha gai (coconut soup with chicken). Not only is this one vegan, it tastes better than tom kha gai, too! The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories Calories from Fat Fat 27 g Total Carbohydrates 10 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 1 g Protein 5 g Salt 789 mg Interesting Facts Straw mushrooms are picked very young to retain a delicate texture, reaching maturation after about five days.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|138
Wax Gourd Soup (fuk toon manao dong) ฟั กตุน ๋ มะนาวดอง Type: Soup Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 1 wax gourd (winter melon), peeled, deseeded, and diced 3 cups of water ¼ cup of soy sauce Option: 2 tbsp. of vegetarian “fish” sauce ¼ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of ground white pepper 2 tsp. of palm or turbinado sugar ½ cup of straw mushrooms 1 pickled lime with ¼ cup of the pickling liquid ¼ cup of chopped cilantro (coriander) Instructions Peel the gourd, then scoop away the middle part with the seeds. Dice the gourd into bite‐size pieces. In a pot, combine the water, soy sauce, optional “fish” sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring this to a simmer and add the gourd and mushrooms. Simmer this for about 8 minutes, then add the pickled lime and pickling liquid. Simmer this for five more minutes. Remove it from the heat and immediately add the cilantro and stir. Remove the pickled lime before serving.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|139
Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Pot Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation Serve this in a shallow, decorative bowl with a large, wide spoon. You need that to make sure you get both veggies and broth in one bite! Time Management Do not simmer the lime for more than about five minutes. There is a good chance it will split if you do so and that will make the brother more bitter than it should be. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a side of rice with a spicy nam prik. Where to Shop I sometimes find wax gourd, also known as winter melon, at my corner store market, but typically I have to get it at an Asian or Indian market. That is definitely the case with the pickled limes, unless you make your own! If you can’t find pickled limes, you can substitute 3 tbsp. of white vinegar, the juice of 1 lime, and 1 tsp. of sugar for the lime and pickling juice. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The soup is basically a sweet and sour soup with strong salt notes. It is meant to be light and brothy with a strong sour note. It doesn’t need to simmer long because the flavors easily meld and it should only simmer to the point at which the gourd is al dente. Because the lime can split if it is cooked too long, it is only added at the end of the simmer and to preserve the freshness of the cilantro, it is added immediately after the soup comes off the heat. There is enough heat in the pot to get the cilantro to release its flavor, but it won’t stay hot to the point where the cilantro loses that bright fresh flavor. Chef’s Notes I like this soup quite a bit because it is light on calories, easy to make, and I feel satisfied, but not The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|140
overly full after I eat it. If I want something heartier, I just add a few cubes of tofu to the soup and I have a very filling meal. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 148 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 34 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Protein 3 g Salt 900 mg Interesting Facts Winter melons have small hairs around the skin, which fall off as the gourd matures, leaving a waxy coating around the skin.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|141
Ajat (cucumber relish) อาจาด Type: Condiment Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes (includes 30 minutes of soaking) Ingredients 4 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar 1 tsp. of palm sugar ¼ cup of peeled, diced cucumber 2 small shallots, minced 3 fresh red Thai chiles, deseeded and minced Instructions Peel the cucumber. Option: Remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumber in half along the length. Cut each half in half again. Dice the cucumber into ½” pieces. Mince the shallot. Mince the hot peppers. Mix these together in dish. Dress them with the rice wine vinegar and sugar. Allow the mix to sit for 30 to 60 minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|142
Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Small Knife Measuring Spoon Bowl Presentation I like serving this in a glass bowl as it leaves nothing to distract from the cool look of the cucumber mixed with the fiery red of the peppers and the purple of the shallots. If you want to dress it with something, however, you can place a cut of cilantro along the side of the bowl. Time Management This is one of those recipes that gets much better as it sits. Because it has a lot of vinegar, it will keep refrigerated for up to a week. Just make sure to cover it so it does not pick up any other smells from the refrigerator. Complementary Food and Drinks This makes the perfect condiment for a satay or even just sticky rice. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be readily available at your local market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The cucumber is used as a refreshing food and is mixed with the shallots for a rich, pungent flavor. The hot chiles are there solely to add heat while the sugar is included to balance the peppers. Chef’s Notes For such a simple sauce, this turned out to have a much more complex flavor than I expected. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 100 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|143
Total Carbohydrates 21 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Protein 4 g Salt 13 mg Interesting Facts Cucumbers have been an important food for such a long time, they receive mention in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|144
Caramelized Peanuts Type: Condiment, Snack Serves: Makes 1 ½ cups Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 2 cups of sugar, preferably palm sugar ¼ cup of water Pinch of salt 1 cup of roasted peanuts 1 tbsp. of sesame seeds Option: ½ tsp. of chile powder Instructions Combine the sugar, water, and salt and melt this over a medium‐low heat. Turn the heat up to medium and add the peanuts and sesame seeds (and optional chile powder). Gently stir this for about 4 minutes. Spread the peanuts on a lightly oiled sheet and allow them to dry, then break them apart and store them in an airtight container (you can also spread them on wax paper instead of an oiled sheet). The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|145
Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Pot Stirring Spoon Sheet Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management Make sure you keep slowly stirring these so that the peanuts do not burn, but don’t stir vigorously or else the sugar won’t properly stick to them! Complementary Food and Drinks When used as a garnish, these should be lightly crushed. They can be added to salads, noodle dishes, and anything else you want to which you want to add a sweet crunch. As a snack, they are eaten as is. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be fairly easy to find. Approximate cost for one batch is $2.00. How It Works Basically, you are making a thick syrup and cooking the peanuts in it. Pretty simple. The salt will help accentuate the sweetness (it’s one of the counterpoints to sweet) and the touch of sesame seeds makes this just a step above being peanuts in sugar. Make sure you keep the heat low at first so you don’t burn the sugar. You can increase the heat once the peanuts go in because the peanuts will take in much of the heat. Chef’s Notes This is pretty much Thai peanut brittle, crushed and served as a condiment. Can’t complain about that! Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 2272 Calories from Fat 648 Fat 72 g Total Carbohydrates 424 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|146
Dietary Fiber 12 g Sugars 406 g Protein Salt 185 mg
Interesting Facts Peanuts are extremely high in protein, nutrients, and calories and the World Health Organization has used them to fight malnutrition around the world.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|147
Chiang Mai Relish (nahm prik num) นํา้ พริกหนุ่ม Type: Condiment Serves: Makes 1 cup Time to Prepare: 15‐20 minutes + time to get the grill hot Ingredients 5 purple shallots, unpeeled 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled 3 banana chiles (or 4 Chiang Mai chiles if you can find them) ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of sugar 1 cube of fermented tofu (about 2 tsp.) 2 green onions, minced 1 tbsp. of fresh chopped cilantro (coriander) Instructions Grill Option Light your grill and get the coals fairly hot. Grill the chiles until the skin is mostly blackened. Grill the garlic and shallots until the paper is charred black. I find this is quickest if I put all the ingredients in a grill basket. It keeps the garlic from falling through the grate and I can do them all at the same time. Oven Option Roast the chiles, shallots, and garlic in a covered baking dish at 450 degrees F, removing the garlic after 15 minutes, the shallots after 20 minutes, and the chiles after 25 minutes. Finishing the Relish Peel the chiles, shallots, and garlic once they cool. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the chiles, shallots, and garlic into a rough paste. Add the salt, sugar, and fermented tofu and pound until these are combined into the paste. You can cheat and pulse all of the above ingredients in a food processor, though the taste won’t be quite as refined. Mince the green onion and chop the cilantro. Garnish with minced green onion and chopped cilantro. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|148
Kitchen Equipment Grill or Oven Grill Pan or Baking Dish and Foil Tongs Mortar and Pestle Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Small Bowl Presentation Make sure to sprinkle the green onion and cilantro on top instead of mixing it into the relish. I leave some char on the chiles to give the relish a very rustic, primal look. Time Management Check the garlic every 2‐3 minutes to make sure that it isn’t burning. Otherwise, this recipe is fairly quick to put together. Complementary Food and Drinks This is traditionally served with cucumber, or other veggies like simmered pumpkin wedges. Where to Shop Chiang Mai chiles are very, very hard to find outside of Thailand, so go for the banana chiles. I typically find these at my local Asian and Mexican markets, though they will sometimes show up at “foodie” grocery stores. The fermented tofu will need to be purchased at an Asian market. If you can’t find it, just omit it. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50. How It Works Grilling the garlic, shallots, and chiles does a few things. First, it gives a hint of smokiness to the relish. Second, it roasts the veggies, caramelizing the garlic and shallots. Third, it makes the chiles nice and lush. All of this is turned into a rough paste to make a salsa of sorts. The fermented tofu substitutes for fish paste (not sauce) in the traditional recipe and pulls all the flavors together, unifying them. The sugar gives balance to the heat of the chiles. Chef’s Notes This is basically a Thai salsa and it is deceptively hot. It starts off a bit mild, but after a few seconds, the chiles start to do their work and there is a nice backburn to it. This condiment should be both hot and salty. Really good stuff! The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|149
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 170 Calories from Fat 18 Fat 2 g Total Carbohydrates 34 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 3 g Protein 4 g Salt 563 mg Interesting Facts Chiang Mai is the capital of Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand and the name means “new city.”
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|150
Grilled Coconut Relish (nam sup kry) Type: Condiment Serves: Makes 1 cup Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients The Paste 4” piece of lemongrass 6 shallots 6 cloves of garlic 2 tsp. of grated fresh turmeric or 1 ¼ tsp. of dried turmeric 1 tbsp. of fresh green peppercorns (pickled green peppercorns make an adequate substitute) 8 Bird’s Eye chiles 1 cube of fermented tofu 1/3 tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of palm sugar (or turbinado sugar) Coconut and Leaves 1 cup of grated coconut Banana leaves (use foil if you don’t have banana leaves) Instructions Mortar and Pestle Method Dice or mince all the paste ingredients. In order, smash them into a rough paste. Blender Method Don’t worry about chopping everything, just roughly puree it with a small blender or food processor. Finishing the Nahm Prik Combine the paste with the shredded coconut. Wrap this in banana leaves or foil and place it on the grill just off center from the hottest part of the coals. Once the banana leaves have blackened, flip the packet and blacken the other side, then remove from the heat and serve. Tip: Wrap the coconut relish in two layers of banana leaves so that only the outside layer blackens, allowing the inner layer to remain intact and work as a serving platter. If you are using foil, you will need to cook the first side for about 10 minutes and the other side for about 7 minutes. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|151
Kitchen Equipment Grill Tongs Mortar and Pestle or Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Presentation I serve this directly from the charred banana leaves. Elegant and rustic at the same time. Time Management Get your grill going before you start putting the recipe together. I also like to cheat by pureeing the paste in my blender and then bashing it several times with my mortar and pestle. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes best with tofu skewers and fresh cut veggies. Where to Shop Both my local Mexican and Asian grocers have all these products at an excellent price, though I can get them at a regular market as well (just not as cheaply!). Approximate cost per batch is $3.00. How It Works Garlic and shallots form the base of the paste. When the paste grills, the garlic and shallots lightly caramelize and turn juicy and sweet. Over that base ride the heat of the chiles and the lightness of the lemongrass. The fresh peppercorns are bright and piquant, making the nahm prik pop. Coconut holds everything together. Chef’s Notes This is great even without the peppercorns. How can you go wrong with coconut and chiles? However, the peppercorns make this one of the most intriguing dishes I’ve eaten and if you have the opportunity to hunt them down, I strongly suggest doing so. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 758 Calories from Fat 486 Fat 54 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|152
Total Carbohydrates 56 g Dietary Fiber 18 g Sugars 20 g Protein 12 g Salt 788 mg Interesting Facts Coconut trees love sand and warmth and are highly tolerant of saline soil.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|153
Sweet Chile Sauce (nam jim) Type: Condiment Serves: Makes ½ cup Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 6 red Thai long chiles 5 cloves of garlic ½ cup of water ¼ cup of rice vinegar ½ cup of palm sugar or turbinado sugar ½ tsp. of salt Instructions Puree all the ingredients together. Pour the puree into a pot and bring the puree to a simmer. Cook this down until it thickens into a thin syrup (about 15 minutes over a low simmer).
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|154
Kitchen Equipment Blender Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management Make sure the sauce is not heavily simmering. A low simmer works best. You don’t want to burn the sugar! Once you’ve got the low simmer going, you can walk away for about the first seven to eight minutes, but after that you should stir the sauce every minute or so until it thickens to the consistency that you want. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a very common dipping sauce, perfect for satay and raw veggies. It also goes incredibly well just over rice. Where to Shop You will probably need to go to an Asian market to get fresh Thai long chiles. Alternatively, you can substitute ripe red Serrano chiles for them, in which case you can get everything at a regular market. Approximate cost per batch is $1.00. How It Works This is a sweet and sour reduction with quite a bit of heat to it. Rice vinegar is used for a couple reasons. It is inexpensive to use in large quantities and the sweetness from the sugar pairs very nicely with it. Palm or turbinado sugar is used so the sweetness has some richness to it instead of just being sweet. The sauce is then reduced into a syrup over a low heat. As the sugar caramelizes, it thickens, holding the entire sauce together. Chef’s Notes This is the standard sweet and sour chile sauce served with so many street dishes. If you don’t want wait for the liquid to thicken, or you want to cut down on the sugar, but not the viscosity, you can make a slurry with cornstarch and use that to thicken the sauce. In fact, most commercial versions of this sauce do just that. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|155
Nutritional Facts (per batch) Calories 424 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 104 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 96 g Protein 2 g Salt 1175 mg Interesting Facts This sauce is ubiquitous throughout Thailand and the rest of Southeastern Asia. In fact, you can count on it being served with most grilled street dishes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|156
Chile Dipping Sauce (nam jim jaew) นํา้ จิม้ แจ่ ว Type: Condiment Serves: Makes 1 cup (enough for about 20 satay sticks) Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 6 dried red long Thai chiles, crushed 4 shallots, sliced thin 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of minced galangal ¼ cup of minced cilantro (coriander) 1 tbsp. of toasted rice powder 2 ½ tsp. of palm sugar or turbinado sugar 1/3 cup of vegetarian “fish” sauce Juice of 1 lime Instructions Crush the chiles into flakes. Over a medium heat, toast the chile flakes in a dry pan for about 20 seconds, then immediately remove them. Slice the shallots. Mince the garlic, galangal, and cilantro. Combine all the ingredients together.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|157
Kitchen Equipment Pan Spatula Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management I like to let this sit for about 30 minutes before serving it to let the lime juice work on the shallots and cilantro to get them to blend, but you can serve this right away and it will still be great. Complementary Food and Drinks This is perfect for satay. Where to Shop You will need to make your own vegetarian “fish” sauce or head to an Asian market to find one. Make sure to look for one that does not have msg. Alternatively, you can use a light soy sauce. Galangal is usually found at Asian markets, though you can use dried galangal in this recipe. Just crush it and let it sit in the sauce for about an hour for it to gain full effect. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The predominant flavor of this sauce should be salty and sour (“fish” sauce and lime juice fulfill these roles), with undertones of heat and sweetness to balance these. The cilantro and shallots both provide some bulk to the sauce, in addition to pungency and a fresh green quality. If you hate cilantro, try Thai basil instead. Chef’s Notes Most dipping sauces served in restaurants are these sweet thin peanut sauces, but this is the real deal! The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|158
Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 228 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 50 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 12 g Protein 7 g Salt 7300 mg Interesting Facts Two types of nam jim are typically served with satay. This one and a sweeter chile sauce.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|159
Toasted Crushed Bird’s Eye Chiles Type: Condiment Serves: Makes ¼ cup Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 20 dried Bird’s Eye chiles, crushed 5 cloves of minced garlic 2 tbsp. of oil 1/3 tsp. of salt ¾ tsp. of fine grained palm sugar (use turbinado sugar if you can’t find palm sugar) Instructions Crush the chiles and sift as many seeds out as possible. Mince the garlic as finely as you can. Bring the oil to a medium heat. Add the garlic and then the chiles and quickly stir for about 1 minute. Remove this from the heat and immediately add the salt and sugar, stirring until the pan cools down. Option: Omit the oil and toast the crushed chiles, then sauté the garlic separately over a medium heat in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Combine everything and stir. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|160
Kitchen Equipment Measuring Spoon Wok Stirring Spoon Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management Make sure you keep stirring everything. Otherwise the chiles will burn and release an exorbitant amount of capsaicin into the air. To store this, place it in a small jar, preferably airtight. If it is not airtight, make sure to refrigerate it. Complementary Food and Drinks This is an excellent condiment for grilled foods. Where to Shop While dried Bird’s Eye chiles are available at places like World Market and even some conventional grocery stores, you can get large bags of them for dirt cheap at most Asian markets. Approximate cost for the batch is $1.25. How It Works The chiles and garlic quickly fry, just long enough to deepen their flavor and give them a light toasting. Longer than that and they run the risk of burning. Salt enhances the flavor of the chile mix and sugar helps balance the heat. Chef’s Notes This is powerful stuff! Use it sparingly. Nutritional Facts (per batch) Calories 350 Calories from Fat 234 Fat 26 g Total Carbohydrates 20 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 9 g Protein 4 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|161
Salt 767 mg
Interesting Facts Bird’s Eye chiles are notorious for being extremely spicy, but they are actually at the lower range of a habanero.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|162
Tamarind Relish (nahm prik makam) นํา้ พริกมะขาม Type: Condiment Serves: Makes 1 cup Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients 10 dried Thai red long chiles, soaked 1 tsp. of salt 8 cloves of garlic 1 ½ tsp. of palm sugar (use turbinado sugar if you can’t find palm sugar) 1 ¼ cups of tamarind pulp or ¾ cup of tamarind paste Option: 2 tsp. of crushed wakame seaweed Instructions Soak the chiles in hot water until they are soft. Blender method Remove any seeds from the tamarind pulp, then puree everything in a blender. Mortar and Pestle Method Pound the chiles and salt until you have a rough paste. Add the garlic and continue to do the same. Add the sugar, tamarind, and optional seaweed, pound a few times, and stir. Option: This nam prik is very thick, so if you want it thinner, add about ¼ cup of water.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|163
Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Mortar and Pestle or Blender Presentation Not applicable. Time Management It only takes a few more minutes to make this using a mortar and pestle and the flavor is a step better, but a blender will work if you are in a hurry. Complementary Food and Drinks Sticky rice and split eggplant make the perfect foods to go along with this nahm prik. Where to Shop As with most of the recipes in this issue, you will get the best price on the ingredients by going to an Asian market, particularly on the chiles and the tamarind paste. While available elsewhere, they are generally twice the price. Approximate cost per batch is $2.50. How It Works This nahm prik is thick and that’s why you need tamarind pulp, not tamarind sauce. The issue with the pulp, however, is that it usually contains tamarind seeds and you need to remove those hard, unpalatable things before working with the tamarind. I start with the chiles and salt because the salt makes the chiles easy to grind with a mortar and pestle. Once they are ground, the garlic is added to make a chile garlic paste. After that, everything can pretty much be stirred together, but it doesn’t work as well if you prep in the wrong order. The flavor of the nahm prik is sweet, salty, sour, and hot. Sweet from the sugar, sour and tangy from the tamarind, hot from the chiles, and salty from the large amount of salt. It’s an intense nahm prik from all quarters of the flavor spectrum. Chef’s Notes I am addicted to this nahm prik and I love eating it with straight sticky rice and nothing else. I typically don’t serve it alongside other nahm prik because it can overwhelms some of the delicate ones. Nutritional Facts (per batch) Calories 117 Calories from Fat 9 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|164
Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 24 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 10 g Protein 3 g Salt 2250 mg Interesting Facts Tamarind is indigenous to the tropical region of Africa, but it is one of those foods that has become popular throughout southern Asia and Central America, partially because of the hot growing conditions.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|165
Ginger Noodles Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients The Sauce 3” piece of ginger 1” piece of galangal 2 dried red Thai chiles 2” piece of lemongrass 3 shallots 6 cloves of garlic ½ tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of crushed wakame ½ cup of coconut milk 1 cup of water Sprinkling of roasted chile powder Noodles and Condiments 8 oz. of thick rice noodles 1 diced green Thai long chile 1 cup of Chinese watercress, spinach, or other similar green ½ cup of bean sprouts 2 small sprigs of Thai basil Option: Cubed tofu Instructions Roughly chop all the ingredients for the sauce. Simmer those ingredients in the water and coconut milk for about 5 minutes. Puree all of this into a smooth sauce. Cook the noodles. Sauté the greens until they are reduced. Dice the chile. Place the sauce in two different small bowls and sprinkle chile powder on top. Place the noodles in two larger bowls, plate each condiment, and serve. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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February 2013|166
Kitchen Equipment Wok Pot Blender Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Colander Presentation Serve the noodles in one bowl, the sauce in another, and the condiments each in separate bowls or separated on a large plate. Time Management Once the ingredients for the sauce start cooking, I cook the noodles and prep the condiments. It may be a bit hectic, but the dish comes together in just a few minutes this way. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a meal in itself. The only other item I may serve it with would be cut fresh fruit. Where to Shop While all of these ingredients are relatively common, except for the galangal and Thai long chiles, I prefer to get everything at the Asian market. Not only will you get the best price on everything, you can usually find fresh noodles there. I have also found that Trader Joe’s has some great semi‐fresh noodles for this dish. If you can’t get a hold of the galangal, don’t stress it and just omit it. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The sauce has a bite to it, not necessarily from the chiles, but from the pure ginger. Galangal adds a complimentary flavor to the ginger (plus, it is simply used out of habit in a vast amount of Thai dishes). The wakame replaces both the saltiness and ocean flavor imparted by the dried shrimp used in the traditional recipe. Basically, the sauce is a hot, salty, pungent, coconut sauce with a bite! Unlike many sauces, you do not eat around the galangal, chiles, etc. With this one, they are simmered until they are soft enough to puree and become part of the sauce itself. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Chef’s Notes This bowl is an explosion of flavor! It is in your face with all the ingredients and dares you to come back for me. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 572 Calories from Fat 108 Fat 12 g Total Carbohydrates 105 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 2 g Protein 11 g Salt 726 mg Interesting Facts As ginger root ages in the ground, it becomes much more potent.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Khao Soi Noodles Type: Curry, Main Dish Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients The Red Curry Paste 4 fresh Thai red chiles 4 shallots, unpeeled and roasted 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and roasted 1 ½ tsp. of dried turmeric or a 2” piece of fresh turmeric 1 ½” piece of peeled ginger 1 tbsp. of minced cilantro stems (or 1 tsp. of scraped cilantro root if you can find it) 1 tsp. of coriander seeds, roasted ½ tsp. of cumin seeds ½ tsp. of salt Option: Instead of making your own curry paste, you can mix 3 tbsp. of premade red curry paste with 2 tsp. of yellow curry powder. Broth and Main Ingredients 1 tbsp. of coconut oil 1 cup of simmered seitan or chopped trumpet mushrooms 2 ¼ cups of coconut milk Noodles 10 oz. of rice noodles, divided into 2 portions Peanut oil Hot Water Condiments Lime wedges Pickled cabbage or pickled mustard greens Chopped cilantro Sliced fresh shallots Fried chiles (see below) (or just use crushed dried Thai chiles instead of making this condiment) 20 crushed red Thai chiles 5 cloves of minced garlic ¼ cup of oil 1/3 tsp. of salt ¾ tsp. of palm sugar Instructions Making the Paste Roast the chiles, shallots, and garlic until the skin on the chiles is mostly blackened and the paper on the garlic and shallots looks charred (I either do this over an open flame or in the oven at 475 degrees F, checking the ingredients every 5 minutes or so). Peel the chiles, shallots, and garlic once they are cool enough to handle. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Roast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 1 ½ minutes. Pound or puree all the curry paste ingredients into a smooth paste. Making the Curry Bring the coconut oil to a medium heat. Fry the paste for about 2 minutes, then add the seitan or mushrooms, sautéing for 2 more minutes. Add the coconut milk, stir, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat until the sauce is just simmering and simmer this for 10 minutes (there should still be a lot of sauce, so reconstitute the sauce with water if it cooks down). Making the Noodles Soak half the noodles in warm water until they are soft, then set them aside. Bring the peanut oil up to a medium high heat (about 375 degrees F). Fry the remaining noodles until they are slightly golden (this happens very quickly), then drain them and set them aside. Making the Fried Chiles Crush the fried chiles so you have small chile flakes. Mince the garlic. Bring the oil to a medium high heat. Add the garlic, then immediately add the chiles, frying all of these for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the salt and palm sugar, stirring rapidly until the palm sugar dissolves. Putting It All Together Make a bed of the rehydrated noodles in a large bowl and pour the curry over them. Top with the fried noodles and serve with the garnishes all in separate bowls.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Grill or Oven Blender or Mortar and Pestle 2 Pots Wok Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoons Measuring Cup Presentation This is supposed to be served in a big bowl surrounded by all the delicious condiments. It is often served with the cilantro already sprinkled over the top of the crispy noodles. Time Management You can make the noodles and fried chiles while the curry simmers, cutting down on the time by quite a bit. Make sure you do not overfry the chiles or garlic. Complementary Food and Drinks This is meant to be eaten on its own. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are relatively common, though you will probably get the best price on dried and fresh Thai chiles at your Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works The curry paste is a bit different than most Thai red curry pastes since it uses ginger and turmeric. In a way, it is a cross between a standard Thai red curry paste and an Indian yellow curry. At its heart, the dish is noodles presented two ways with a twist on red curry paste, the twist being roasted veggies in the paste along with ginger and turmeric. In other ways, making the curry paste and sauce is just like making any other Thai curry you see in this issue. Chef’s Notes The Thai version of this recipe uses egg noodles while the Laotian version uses rice noodles. I made this one a cross between since rice noodles are much easier to find than making your own “egg” noodles. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 780 Calories from Fat 360 Fat 40 g Total Carbohydrates 74 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 1 g Protein 6 g Salt 670 mg Interesting Facts Khao soi is popular throughout much of Southeast Asia, not just Thailand. It means “cut rice” and refers to sheets of rice dough cut into noodles.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Pad Thai (Quick Fried Noodles) ผัดไทยกุง้ สด Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes + time for the tofu to marinate Ingredients The Sauce 1 oz. of tamarind paste ¾ cup of boiling water 2 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar 1 tsp. of soy sauce or vegetarian “fish” sauce The Stir Fry 4 oz. of wide rice noodles 6 oz. of tofu, marinated 1 ½ cups of soy sauce (for marinade) 1 tbsp. of Chinese five spice (for marinade) Option: Baked, hard tofu instead of marinated tofu 1 tbsp. of peanut oil 1 cup of green onions, sliced (Chinese chives work best) 2 shallots, minced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 pickled turnip, minced or ¼ cup of pickled cabbage 1 cup of bean sprouts ½ cup of peanuts 2 dried Thai chiles, crushed The Garnish 1 lime, cut into wedges ½ tsp. of white pepper Reserved peanuts Reserved green onion Reserved bean sprouts 1‐2 crushed, dried Thai chiles or a small dish of roasted Thai chile flakes Option: Sliced banana flower Instructions Marinating the Tofu Mix together the soy sauce and Chinese five spice for the tofu marinade. Slice the tofu into wide strips. Add the tofu to the sauce you just made and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, though if you let it sit overnight it will be even better. Making the Sauce In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce. Soak the rice noodles in hot water until they are soft, then drain them, rinse them, and set them aside. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Boil the ¾ cup of water and add the tamarind paste (boil for about five minutes.) Press the tamarind paste through a think strainer and add this to the sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Finishing the Prep Mince the garlic and slice the green onion, setting each aside separately. Soak the noodles in warm water until they are pliable, but not super soft, then drain them and set to the side. Cooking the Pad Thai Get all of your ingredients together near the wok, keeping each one separate. Turn your wok up to a high heat with the peanut oil. Add the tofu and stir fry it about 1 minute. Add in most of the green onions and stir fry for about 10 seconds. In rapid succession, add in the noodles, garlic, sauce, turnip or cabbage, most of the bean sprouts, and most of the peanuts. Cook this mix for no longer than 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and plate everything. Finishing Up Garnish with the leftover green onion, bean sprouts, peanuts, crushed red pepper, white pepper, and lime wedges. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Wok Wooden Spoon Large Bowl to soak the noodles Medium sized bowl for the tofu and marinade Small Pot for the tamarind Small Bowl for the sauce 5 Small Bowls, one each for the green onions, sprouts, peanuts, garlic, and pickled cabbage Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Cutting Board Small Knife Presentation Get this onto the plate and serve immediately for the best flavor and presentation! I like to surround the Pad Thai with little dishes with different condiments. Time Management If you want to save some time, use a tamarind sauce instead of going through the time and effort to boil the paste. Just do a mix of half sauce and half water to get the right flavor and consistency. Also, the tofu gets better the longer it marinades, so if you know you are going to make this, start the tofu early in the day or the night before. IMPORTANT: Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped and within reaching distance of the wok before you start cooking as these ingredients cook very, very quickly. Complementary Food and Drinks I like serving this with a plain glass of Thai iced tea. Most Thai tea is mixed with milk and when I drink it with something very spicy, I like to mix it with soy creamer. However, I find it goes better with the Pad Thai when it is unadulterated. Where to Shop Many of the ingredients are available in the average grocery market, including the Pad Thai noodles, which are wide rice noodles. In fact, you may find everything you need there except for the pickled turnip and Thai chiles, which should be readily available at your local Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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The key to this dish is speed. For that to work, the heat must be high and the oil must be hot before the food hits the wok. The ingredients are being seared on the high heat, but not to the point where they burn or their flavors disappear in the dish. To create that sear while maintaining their individual flavors requires a cook time measured in the seconds. It is because of that fast cook time that you must have all of the ingredients together. Chef’s Notes This dish has a lot of setup to it, but only about a minute of cook time, which can happen a lot with Asian stir fries. I’ve taught this recipe several times in class and it is a very fun recipe to make with a group of people. We had one person call out the ingredients while the other person quickly grabbed them as they were called out and threw them in the hot wok. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 258 Calories from Fat 90 Fat 10 g Total Carbohydrates 28 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 7 g Protein 14 g Salt 596 mg Interesting Facts In Thailand, Pad Thai is served with a banana blossom. The above recipe follows a more traditional Pad Thai, which is fairly light, though it omits the egg and fish sauce.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Tua Nao (fermented soybean cakes) ถัว่ เน่ า Type: Base Ingredient Serves: 6 cakes Time to Prepare: Days, but only a few minutes of actual work Ingredients 1 cup of dried soybeans, soaked for at least 6 hours 2 small cloves of garlic ½ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of white pepper Option: ½ tsp. of ground dried Thai chiles Instructions Soak the soybeans for at least 6 hours, then strain and rinse them. Simmer them for another 3 hours, then strain them. Wrap the beans in a banana leaf, cheesecloth, or some other wrapping that will allow them to slightly breathe and let them sit for 2‐4 days to ferment. Once they are fermented, pound them to a paste along with the garlic, salt, pepper, and optional chiles. Form them into thin palm‐sized cakes and let them sit until dried (or place them in a dehydrator for about 6 hours). The cakes are usually toasted or wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled before using them. To use them, once they are toasted or grilled, pound them into powder. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Pot Colander Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Cloth or Banana Leaves Mortar and Pestle Presentation Not applicable. Time Management The longer you let these ferment, the strong they become. i added the pounded garlic, salt, and pepper before the soybeans were done fermenting so Generally, if I make these, I make a triple or quadruple batch. the flavors could better meld Once dried, they last for months. Complementary Food and Drinks This is usually found in nam prik or strongly flavored sauces. Where to Shop All the ingredients are relatively common. Approximate cost per batch is about $1.00. How It Works The beans need to be very soft, enough that you can pound them into a smooth paste once they ferment, which is why they soak and simmer for so long. The salt not only adds taste, but also helps cure the cakes. Chef’s Notes This is not a recipe I expect most people to make, but I love seeing a few obscure items like these. I think they give great insight into a region’s culinary culture. And basically, this is Thai tempeh. Nutritional Facts (per cake) Calories 196 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 16 g Dietary Fiber 8 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Sugars 0 g Protein 24 g Salt 196 mg
Interesting Facts Tua nao is a norther Thai, Burmese, and Laotian ingredient.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Fishless Sauce (nam pla, or rather not nam pla) Type: Base Ingredient Serves: Makes 1 cup Time to Prepare: about 25 minutes Ingredients 2 cups of mushroom‐flavored soy sauce 4 cubes of fermented tofu ¼ cup of shredded wakame seaweed 2 cloves of garlic Instructions Puree the ingredients. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced to half its original volume. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Blender Pot Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management Once you are done with this, you can bottle it and keep it in the refrigerator for several months. Complementary Food and Drinks Use this as a one‐for‐one replacement in any recipe that calls for fish sauce. Where to Shop I can sometimes find mushroom‐flavored soy sauce at a conventional market, but sometimes I need to head to an Asian market for it. Since I already need to go there to get the fermented tofu, I usually just pick the soy sauce up with it. Approximate cost is about $3.00. How It Works Traditional fish sauce adds a salty, pungent, slightly fermented earthy flavor to Thai dishes and has a certain stinkiness to it. To create a sauce reminiscent of it, mushroom soy sauce is used, which carries some of the earthiness that fish sauce has and definitely the saltiness. The cooked garlic gives a bit more of that pungency while the fermented tofu gives both the fermented flavor and that stinkiness that fish sauce has. The seaweed does the obvious work of imparting an oceanic flavor to the finished sauce. When you are making this, it should end up being very salty and strong in flavor. Chef’s Notes I started seeing recipes for a vegan version of fish sauce a couple of years ago, but none of them quite had the stinky flavor that fish sauce has. I think the fermented tofu goes a long way to adding that into the sauce. Nutritional Facts (per batch) Calories 253 Calories from Fat 45 Fat 5 g Total Carbohydrates 34 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 1 g Protein 20 g Salt 22,172 mg
Interesting Facts Mushroom soy sauce is made by adding liquid from straw mushrooms at the end of the aging process and then letting the sauce sit in a warm spot (traditionally under the sun) for about a day.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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February 2013|182
Bryanna’s Low-fat Coconut Milk for Cooking Type: Base Ingredient Serves: makes 2 ½ cups Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients ½ cup firm or extra‐firm silken tofu (you can use the reduced‐fat kind if you like) 2 cups Almond Breeze beverage, Original, or So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, Original ¼ cup coconut flour (see brand information below) Instructions Mix in a blender until very smooth. Refrigerate in a sealed jar. Variations: For "Coconut Cream" or Thick Coconut "Milk", use more silken tofu, and less milk. For a thinner "coconut milk", omit the tofu and use 2 ½ cups milk. Coconut Flour: Organic brands available in North America are: Swanson Organic; Let's Do Organic; Aloha Nu; Tropical Traditions; Island Harvest; Bob's Red Mill; Wilderness Family Naturals. These are available through amazon.com A Canadian Brand is Alpha Organic. Kitchen Equipment Blender Measuring Cup Chef’s Notes Spice Island Vegan ( http://spiceislandvegan.blogspot.com/) and I had an online conversation about low‐fat coconut milk. She had been craving South Asian dishes, but she was cooking low‐fat to lose weight. I seldom use coconut milk because of the fat and the fact that there is so much saturated fat in it. Regular Taste of Thai coconut milk contains 420 calories and 45 g fat per cup! Taste of Thai Lite coconut milk contains 135 calories per cup and 12 g fat, better, but still too much fat for me and Spice Island Vegan. Unfortunately, we found no really good coconut flavoring, whether extract or oil, natural or not. Some are downright nasty! I came up with a replacement that Spice Island Vegan heartily approved of (and she was born in Java). Both of us have been using it in East Indian, West Indian, Southeast Asian, and other dishes which call for coconut milk. It is quickly made from easily available vegan ingredients, and is much cheaper AND creamier than canned lite coconut milk. NOTE: If you pressure cook a dish with the mock coconut milk, add the blended silken tofu just before serving. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
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And a cup of this recipe contains about 120 calories and only 1.5 g fat Nutritional Facts (per cup) Calories 120 Calories from Fat 14 Fat 1.5 g Total Carbohydrates 24 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 6 g Protein 2 g Salt 13 mg
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
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Pickled Limes Type: Base Ingredient Serves: makes 1 large jar Time to Prepare: A few minutes of work, but an hour to steam, up to a day to dry, and at least a month to cure Ingredients 12‐15 limes, preferably with thin supple skins 3‐4 cups of water (enough to cover the limes) 3 tbsp. of salt 1 cup of turbinado sugar ½ cup of white or apple cider vinegar Instructions Pierce each lime a few times with a fork. Steam the limes for about 1 hour. Allow the limes to thoroughly dry (you can place them in a dehydrator for an hour or so or simply let them sit outside for a day). Bring the water, salt, sugar, and vinegar to a boil. Place the limes in your pickling jar and pour the solution over the limes, making sure they are covered. Wait until the solution cools before sealing the jar (so it doesn’t crack or explode!). The limes need at least a month to properly cure and will continue to improve in flavor out to six months. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Fork Steamer Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Pot Jar Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management None to speak of.
Complementary Food and Drinks These are sometimes simmered in soup broths to impart a strong sour flavor, but they shouldn’t be simmered in the broth for more than about 5 minutes. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are commonly available. How It Works Piercing and then steaming the limes gets rid of quite a bit of the bitterness in the pith, but leaving the sweetness and sourness of the limes intact. They then need to dry so that they fully absorb the pickling solution, which has both salty and sweet flavors to accentuate and play with the sourness of the limes. The water needs to be boiling so that it can rapidly saturate the limes. Chef’s Notes You can buy pickled limes, lemons, etc. at most Asian markets, but I think the process is beautiful and having these on the counter at home gets me excited about using them. Nutritional Facts (per lime) Calories 32 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0g Total Carbohydrates 7 g Dietary Fiber 2 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Sugars 5 g Protein 1 g Salt ~ 100 mg
Interesting Facts Preserved citrus, especially limes and lemons, are found throughout most cuisines in warm areas, from Thailand to Morocco to Mexico.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|187
Toasted Rice Powder Type: Base Ingredient Serves: makes 3 tbsp. Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of brown jasmine rice Instructions Heat a dry wok or pan up to a medium heat. Add the rice once it is warm and slowly stir. Once the rice is mostly browned and emitting a strong nutty aroma, place the rice in a mortar and pestle. Twist the pestle to grind the rice until you have a coarse powder (or cheat and do this in a small food processor!) The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment
Wok Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Mortar and Pestle Presentation Not applicable.
Time Management You can make a large batch and store this in a sealed jar in your pantry for a couple weeks, but I wouldn’t store it much longer than that. Complementary Food and Drinks This often gets mixed into various laab. Where to Shop Even if you don’t have jasmine rice, you can still make toasted rice using whatever you have at hand. I just prefer the jasmine rice because of the extra fragrance. How It Works Pretty simple. Toasting the rice browns it, partially caramelizing it, and gives it a nutty fragrance. Chef’s Notes When you find a Thai recipe that calls for toasted rice, don’t leave it out! It only takes a few minutes to make and it heavily impacts the flavor of the dish. Nutritional Facts (per batch) Calories 169 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 36 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 0 g Protein 4 g Salt 3 mg The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Interesting Facts Toasted rice is used all throughout Asia and is even used to make a certain kind of Japanese tea.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Basil Tea (nam manglak) Type: Drink Serves: 3 (1 cup per serving) Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients 3 tbsp. of basil seeds 3 cups of water 6 rose petals 3 tbsp. of palm or turbinado sugar Crushed ice 3 small cuts of mint for garnish Instructions Soak the seeds in ½ cup of water for 30 minutes. While they are soaking, get the rest of the water just warm enough to melt the sugar and no more. Add the rose petals and sugar to that water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and keep the water warm while the basil seeds finish soaking. Add the seeds and liquid to the sweet rose water. Serve over crushed ice and garnish each glass with small cuts of mint.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Small Mixing Bowl Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Scissors or Knife for the mint Presentation I usually garnish each cup with fresh rose petals after I pour the tea, but culinary safe ones are not always easy to find. Time Management You can let the roses and sugar perfume the water for as long as you want, but don’t soak the seeds longer than about an hour or they won’t taste quite as good. Complementary Food and Drinks This isn’t necessarily paired with other foods, but rather is paired with hot weather. It’s refreshing, cold, and light. Where to Shop Most roses are heavily sprayed with pesticides, so don’t buy roses that are meant as gifts. Look for culinary flowers (most likely found at gourmet stores), or simply mix rose water with filtered water (one part rose water to four parts filtered water) to get the same flavor. You can find Thai basil seeds at most Asian markets, or even your local nursery. Approximate cost per serving is $0.25. How It Works You are basically making rose water and heating it just enough to melt sugar in it. Bringing it to that level of heat is enough to create a rose infusion, but not excessive enough to destroy the floral scent of the roses. The basil seeds need to soak so that they soften. Chef’s Notes This drink looks odd on the surface, but it is incredibly delicious. Don’t let the basil seeds scare you off. They provide lots of flavor! Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 73 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 15 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 12 g Protein 1 g Salt 3 mg Interesting Facts This is also a popular Vietnamese and Indian drink, though they are sometimes made with milk, cream, or coconut milk in different regions.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Thai Iced Coffee (oliang) Type: Drink Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 3 tbsp. of dark roast ground coffee 4 cardamom pods 4‐6 coriander seeds 2 cups of water 3‐4 tbsp. of sugar ½ cup of coconut milk Ice Instructions Combine the coffee with the cardamom pods and coriander seeds. Brew the coffee strong. Melt the sugar into the brewed coffee. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Fill your glasses with ice, pour the coffee into the glass, followed by the coconut milk. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Coffee Brewer Presentation Serve this in a tall glass and make sure to fill it all the way up with ice. This will chill the coffee quickly and float the coconut milk over the coffee. The thicker the coconut milk, the better the float. Time Management Not applicable. Complementary Food and Drinks I usually drink this on its own between meals. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are easy to find. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The coffee needs to be dark and strong, creating a bitter component for the drink which is balanced by the creaminess of the coconut milk. The cardamom gives the coffee a strong aromatic flavor and the coriander gives it a touch of extra body. Make sure to melt the sugar into the hot coffee before pouring it over ice! Chef’s Notes I love Thai iced coffee, but the traditional one is made with dairy. I think the coconut milk is far superior. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 216 Calories from Fat 108 Fat 12 g Total Carbohydrates 26 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Sugars 24 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Protein 1 g Salt 0 g
Interesting Facts Thai iced coffee is often served in bags with straws by street vendors.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Bananas in Sweet Coconut Milk (kluay buat chi) กล้ วยบวชชี Type: Dessert Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of thick coconut milk or ½ cup of coconut milk and ½ cup of coconut cream 1/3 cup of sugar Large pinch of salt 2 burro bananas, cut into quarters Option: a pandanus leaf Instructions Bring the coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a low simmer (add the optional pandanus leaf and remove it once you are done simmering the dessert). While it is simmering, peel the bananas. Split each banana in half. Cut each of these halves in half, in effect quartering the bananas. Add them to the simmering coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Pot Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Presentation Serve this in a bowl and garnish each with a fresh pandanus leaf, if you have them. Time Management Don’t oversimmer the bananas. They should be soft, but not mushy and falling apart. Complementary Food and Drinks Coffee! Where to Shop All of these ingredients are available at most stores, though Mexican and Asian markets typically have the best quality burro bananas. Pandanus leaves are usually only available dry and must be purchased at an Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works This dessert is simple. Bananas in a sweet and salty coconut milk. Burros are the bananas typically used because they are both sweet and hearty. The pandanus leaf will give the coconut milk a slight, low‐tone herbaceous note. Chef’s Notes This is one of the most well‐loved Thai desserts in the world. It doesn’t have any odd ingredients, it is easy to make, and sweet and salty is usually an instant win for desserts. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 521 Calories from Fat 225 Fat 25 g Total Carbohydrates 70 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 51 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Protein 4 g Salt 262 mg
Interesting Facts The name basically means bananas that have become nuns. The story is that the bananas are enrobed entirely in white, just like a certain sect of Buddhist nuns. Hence the name.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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Grilled Pressed Bananas (klauy tap – กล้วยทับ) Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15‐20 minutes + time to heat the grill Ingredients 4 very ripe burro bananas (you can use other bananas, but the burro is the most popular) Spicy Shredded Coconut Topping ½ cup of shredded coconut ½ tsp. of coarse, flaky sea salt (you can substitute ¼ tsp. of fine grain salt) 2 dried Thai chiles, crushed into flakes Coconut Caramel Topping 1 small cone of piloncillo or ¼ cup of turbinado sugar ½ cup of coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk or it will not work) Large pinch of salt (just under ¼ tsp.) Instructions Grilling and Serving the Bananas Place the bananas over the flame and grill them until their skins start to split. Once that happens, slice the skins along the split, taking care not to cut the banana in half! (doing this keeps the banana from steaming and becoming super mushy) Return the bananas to the grill, grilling them on both sides until the skin has fully blackened. Remove them from the grill. Press the bananas until they are about ¼” to ½” thick. Remove the topmost skin of the banana. Choose one of the toppings, or both! * If you choose the Spicy Shredded Coconut Topping, fold open the bananas along the splits and sprinkle the topping on them (you scoop the banana out of the skin while you eat it). * If you choose the Coconut Caramel Topping, splay open the bananas and drizzle the sauce over them. Spicy Shredded Coconut Topping Crush the chiles, sifting out the seeds, and toss all the ingredients together. Coconut Caramel Topping Bring the coconut milk to a boil, then add the piloncillo and salt. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer this until it is reduced to about 1/3 the original volume. Allow it to cool and drizzle over the bananas. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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Kitchen Equipment Grill Tongs Knife Cutting Board Small Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Small Pot Presentation Serve these directly in the skins. It’s got an incredible street food appeal that way. Time Management I suggest making the coconut caramel sauce or the spicy shredded coconut topping while the grill heats. That way, everything is ready to go and you can serve the bananas hot. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this after a spicy peanut based curry. Where to Shop Burro bananas are small, thick bananas that have some weight to them. You can usually find these at conventional markets, but they are most common at Mexican and Asian markets. The burro bananas should have black splotches on the skin. If you use standard bananas, they should be yellow, but without the black marks. Piloncillo is a cone of dark brown sugar. It has an unrefined, caramel taste. Mexican markets typically carry these and they are often tucked away in Asian markets near all the other sugars. It’s perfectly fine to substitute the more common turbinado sugar for it. If you can’t find dried Thai chiles, use any spicy dried chile flakes. Approximate cost per serving is $0.75. How It Works Grilling the bananas not only softens them, but it partly caramelizes them and gives them a light smoky flavor. Splitting the skins ensures that the bananas stay relatively tight and dense as it lets the steam escape from them. This intensifies their flavor. The sauce is basically a caramel sauce made by simmering sugar in fat and reducing the water content by simmering it so it thickens up. Bringing the coconut milk to a boil first quickly changes the sugar, but you need to reduce the heat after it goes into the coconut milk so that it doesn’t burn. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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Chef’s Notes Grilled plantains and bananas are popular all across the world, but particularly with cultures that love spicy food. Not only are bananas common in areas well‐suited to growing super spicy chiles, but the sugar and starch from the bananas balances the heat of other dishes. Nutritional Facts (uses shredded coconut topping) Calories 199 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 41 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 23 g Protein 2 g Salt 363 mg Interesting Facts The banana “tree” is actually a huge stem. Klauy tap specifically refers to grilled pressed bananas. Grilled unpressed bananas are called klauy ping.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|202
Thai Black Sticky Coconut Rice with Mango (Kow Neuw Moon)
Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes of prep and cook time + time to soak and set (time varies according to method used) Ingredients 1 cup of black sticky rice (white sticky rice can be substituted) 2 tbsp. of sugar ¼ tsp. of salt 1 cup of coconut milk 1 mango, sliced Instructions Soak the rice for at least one hour, preferably overnight. Drain away the excess water. Steam the rice for 20 minutes. Simmer the coconut milk, salt, and sugar. Place the steamed rice in a bowl. Pour over ¾ of the coconut milk mix over the rice and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes, but preferably overnight. * Spoon the rest over the rice at serving time. Slice the mango into long strips and serve alongside the rice. * The rice will be soupy, but tasty if it only sits for a few minutes. If it sits overnight, it will form to the container in which you place it. See presentation notes for details on different ways to serve it.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|203
Kitchen Equipment Bowl to soak the rice Steamer with a fine mesh or a rice cooker Measuring Cup Measuring Spoons Knife or Mango Slicer Cutting Board Presentation Traditionally, this rice would set in a small square container for at least several hours. Those squares would then be served with a couple slices of mango and a drizzle of sweetened coconut milk. The easier way to serve it individually is to allow them to set in small ramekins. Line the ramekins with plastic wrap. Smash the rice into the lined ramekins, evenly distribute the coconut milk, and pour it into each ramekin. Allow the rice to sit in the ramekins for at least twelve hours. Place a plate over the ramekin, flip it over, and remove the ramekin. You should have a formed mound of the rice with the plastic wrap on top. Remove the plastic wrap, add sliced mango to the side, and drizzle the rice dishes with the excess coconut milk. If you want to serve a large bowl of this and allow everyone to serve themselves, place the rice in your serving bowl and add in the coconut milk. Allow it to set for twelve hours. After it has set, ring the bowl with mango slices. If you do not want to wait the whole time, you can serve this like a rice pudding. While it won’t be formed nicely, it will still be incredibly good. Time Management Simmer the coconut milk and sugar while the rice is steaming. The rice will absorb the coconut milk better if it is hot. Complementary Food and Drinks Lime complements the sweet coconut milk exceptionally well. Try an unsweetened lime tea, a coconut lime spritzer, or simply add a wedge of lime to the side of the dessert. Where to Shop Black sticky rice is becoming more easy to find, though you may need to travel to an Asian market to get it. It may also be called purple sticky rice or glutinous rice. If mangoes aren’t in season, Trader Joe’s has decent frozen mango that you can use for this dessert. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works Soaking the rice softens the outer bran part of the rice, allowing it to more readily absorb the coconut The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
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milk. Steaming finishes off the cooking process as it treats the rice more delicately than boiling it does, which retains its structure. The coconut milk then sets into the rice, which slowly absorbs it. A touch of salt is added to the recipe as small amounts of salt enhance sweetness. Chef’s Notes While white rice will work, the black rice has a fragrance to it that adds a nice delicate touch to this recipe, in addition to making it quite exotic looking. When working with the wet rice, be careful! It will stain your hands and clothes purple. I suggest wearing a dark apron. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 345 Calories from Fat 117 Fat 13 g Total Carbohydrates 52 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 15 g Protein 5 g Salt 157 mg Interesting Facts Rice is an integral part of any Thai meal. Enough so that rice is sometimes treated like wine, with its age and region determining its quality.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|205
Bryanna’s Thai-style Silken Tofu in Ginger Syrup Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients One 12.3 oz. box of soft silken tofu OR soft tub tofu Syrup 1 1/3 cups water 2/3 cup light‐colored organic granulated sugar (or palm sugar, if you can find it) 2 Tbs grated fresh ginger Garnishes Fresh mint Organic candied ginger, slivered Orange slices or Clementine segments Instructions Place the box of tofu in the refrigerator to chill several hours before serving. Mix together the water, sugar and grated ginger in a small stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. If you make this ahead of time, cover and set aside. To serve, heat the syrup and then cut the box in half with a sharp knife and carefully slide out the two blocks of tofu‐‐ try not to break it. ALTERNATIVE: open the top of the box and slide the block of tofu into a bowl, or, if using soft tub tofu, open the top; scoop the tofu out with a soup spoon and lay the scoops together in the bowls. Slice each block into 6 slices. In 4 small bowls, lay the slices overlapping in the bowls. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the chilled tofu. Garnish with the candied ginger and/or some fresh mint.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|206
Kitchen Equipment Four Small Bowls Small Stainless Steel Pot Knife Cutting Board Presentation Line the ginger along the top for a nice, clean presentation. Chef’s Notes This is my version of a very traditional (and medicinal) Thai dessert. It’s a very light dessert suitable for ending a rich meal, or a comforting dish for anyone suffering from a cold or stomach ache. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 131 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 20 g Dietary Fiber Sugars 16 g Protein 6 g Salt 36 mg
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan * www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|207
Thai Peanut Coconut Cake Type: Dessert Serves: 9 Time to Prepare: 2 hours, including time for the cake to cool Ingredients The Cake 1/3 cup dry unsalted roasted peanuts ½ cup turbinado, raw or brown sugar 1/3 cup vegan butter, softened 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup full fat coconut milk 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar ½ tsp vanilla 1 cup unbleached flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda The Icing 2 Tablespoons vegan butter, slightly softened 2 Tablespoons full fat coconut milk 2 Tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut 4 teaspoons turbinado, raw or brown sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla Half a lime Ground peanuts for garnish Instructions Making the Cake Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil and flour a 9x9 pan. Grind the peanuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the peanuts to a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, vegan butter, and applesauce and mix with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in the coconut milk, vinegar and vanilla and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold until just‐combined. Spread the mixture into the pan. Bake for 27‐30 min or until the center of the cake bounces back when pressed lightly. Making the Icing To make the icing, beat together the vegan butter, coconut milk, coconut, sugar and vanilla. Squeeze the lime into the icing to taste and stir in. Finishing the Cake Dollop the icing on cooled slices of cake. You can double the recipe if you want to make a spreadable icing. Garnish with ground peanuts. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, www.sweetutopia.com
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|208
Kitchen Equipment Large Mixing Bowls Wooden Spoon Food Processor 9” x 9” Pan Presentation Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the slices of cake. Time Management Keep refrigerated until using. Keep leftover iced cake refrigerated. Cake can be stored covered at room temperature if not iced. Chef’s Notes This rich, moist cake has a great peanut flavor mingled with a subtle taste of coconut. Nutritional Facts (per serving) Calories 392 Calories from Fat 252 Fat 28 g Total Carbohydrates 29 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 8 g Protein 6 g Salt 13 mg
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, www.sweetutopia.com
A Taste of Thai
February 2013|209