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Spring is in the air and with it I find myself with an insatiable craving for Thai food. Maybe it’s because my palate longs for lighter spicier foods after consuming the long winter’s cuisine of heavier comfort foods. Whatever the reason, anything Thai sounds perfect!
Admittedly, I don’t eat out much. Like many Celiacs, I distrust most restaurant’s ability to prepare gluten-free food free of cross-contaminants. If you do eat out and crave Asian cuisine, Thai and Vietnamese foods are an safer choice because they typically use less soy sauce in favor of fish sauce which does not contain gluten. For those who are not fish sauce fanatics, the idea of fermented fish juice might sound less than appealing. There’s a funny thing about fish sauce…..the smell. Take one whiff of the liquid and your head will snap back out of shear reflex. The smell is…well…bad. It smells like fish gone bad, rotten fish, or exactly what it is, fermented fish juice. The trick is to get it past your nose. Once this amazing liquid gets past your nose and into your mouth, it transforms into an incredibly delicious flavoring that cannot be replicated by anything else; it is unique and truly a ‘secret sauce’.
Other ingredients that make Thai food, ‘Thai’, are hot peppers, ginger, garlic, cilantro, curries, sesame oil and coconut. Most Thai food includes these ingredients combined with meat, poultry, fish, rice or noodles.
This month we bring you a few new Thai inspired recipes and a list of old favorites. As an added bonus, cooking a Thai meal will fill your kitchen with the most delectable aromas. We guarantee your family and friends will rave about these recipes; the fish sauce can be our little secret.
Crispy Mushroom & Onion Spring Rolls
Thai Beef & Noodle Soup
Coconut Banana Crepes
Grilled Thai Salad with Mango & Ginger
Pad Thai
Salmon with Thai Curry & Bok Choy
Thai Chicken
Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup
Thai Coconut Shrimp
Thai Dipping Sauce
-Chef Yvonne |
