Quick & Easy Thai. By RPCV Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Thai. By Nancie McDermott. Chronicle Books. $18.95.
Most people go to a restaurant for authentic Thai.
But this cookbook, by a former Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, allows cooks to bring home the flavors of this tantalizing cuisine.
Nancie McDermott's book offers substitutions and timesaving techniques, along with suggested menus for more than a dozen Thai meals. Recipes focus on easy-to-find ingredients and simple steps.
The book is readable, informative and visual. Several photographs whet the appetite.
Here's a sample recipe for a soup, described as "bright and bracing."
Chicken-Coconut Soup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 green onions, very thinly sliced crosswise 6 wild lime leaves, torn or cut into quarters (divided) (optional; see note) 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water 10 to 12 slices galangal, fresh, frozen or dried (see note) 2 stalks fresh lemon grass (see note) 3/4 pound boneless chicken, cut into big, bite- sized chunks 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
In large serving bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, green onions and half the wild lime leaves, if using. Place this bowl by stove, along with small bowl containing chopped cilantro.
In medium saucepan, combine coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in galangal, lemon grass and remaining lime leaves, if using. Add chicken and mushrooms, return to gentle boil, and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, abut 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, pour hot soup over herbs and seasonings in serving bowl, and stir well. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Notes: Galangal and fresh lemon grass are available at Asian markets. Wild lime leaves may be available there, as well.
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