Chinese food on steroids

IN THE KITCHEN:  When the weather turns hot, I crave food to match. In tropical climates all over the world, chilies and other intensely flavored seasonings help the body relieve excess heat in the form of, well, sweat.

Don’t be offended —
think of it as the natural remedy for a hot day.
   On a recent chilly afternoon, I bought a two-pound bag of exceptionally
clean-looking mussels at the market. But by the time I went to use them the following
evening, the temperature had soared into the 80s and my original idea of mussels
in marinara sauce, garlic bread on the side, had lost its appeal.
   My thoughts turned instead to the partially used can of red
curry sauce in my refrigerator (it has a half-life that rivals plutonium). My
freezer held some lemongrass I’d grown myself last summer, and I always have coconut
milk in the cupboard. The clincher was that I also had fresh limes and cilantro,
my favorite garnishes for Thai and Mexican food. In no time I had a delicious
meal that made the hot evening seem more comfortably balmy.
   My initiation into the delights of Thai cuisine took place in
Hawaii almost 20 years ago. I was visiting a friend in Honolulu who took me to
Keo’s Restaurant, promising me a new taste experience. And what an experience
it was — bright fresh flavors that jumped from the plate, exploding in my
mouth. It was like Chinese food on steroids, the flavors more distinct and full
of contrast, each ingredient playing a unique role in a carefully orchestrated
work of culinary art.
   When I got home and told my friends about my "discovery," a
friend who had lived in California and Hawaii was able to show me how to make
some of the dishes, and I was initiated into the mysteries of satay with peanut
sauce, curry pastes and fish sauce. Harder to find items (back then) included
lemongrass, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves and galangal (a type of ginger).
   She also showed me how to soak sticky rice, ideally for 12 hours
(although I’ve cheated down to just a few), then steam it in a basked or metal
steamer lined with cheesecloth for 45 minutes. It is the perfect soothing accompaniment
for such high-flying flavors, and leftovers make up into wonderful desserts like
sticky rice with mango.
   Fortunately, restaurateur Keo Sananikone had just self-published
his own cookbook, Keo’s Thai Cuisine (now available in a revised edition from
Ten Speed Press), so I had plenty of inspiration as I learned. It’s a good basic
introduction to cooking Thai food, less involved than more weighty tomes on the
market, although there are still some "challenging" ingredients.
   Over the years, it has become easier to find Thai ingredients
in local markets, although the lime leaves and galangal are still more likely
to be dried. I basically ignore those, using lime zest and regular Chinese ginger
instead. And I buy little cans of the various curry pastes, rather than make my
own, figuring that having been made in Thailand, they will at least have those
authentic ingredients I can’t find here.
   Thai curries are made with fresh leaves, roots and herbs, rather
than the dried ingredients in Indian curries, so expect a big difference in flavor.
Yellow curry is the mildest, red is getting pretty spicy, and green curry is downright
incendiary. Musamun (Moslem) curry is also popular, spicy but with a touch of
sweetness from brown or palm sugar.
   Not all Thai dishes involve curry sauce. Many are stir-fries,
similar to the Chinese, but with an emphasis on fresh herbs that makes a difference.
A touch of sweetness is often provided by sweet-sour tamarind paste, now easy
to find in jars, with the large seeds and pulp already strained out — my
version of convenience food.
   Once you are familiar with the keynote Thai ingredients discussed
above, you will have a new vocabulary with which to construct your own dishes,
such as my Mussels in Red Curry, below.


MUSSELS IN RED CURRY

Serves two as a main course





   1 two-pound bag of mussels, rinsed and de-bearded if necessary

   2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   1 to 2 tablespoons of red curry paste, to taste (it is quite
spicy)

   1 small bunch cilantro, roots on if possible

   1 can of coconut milk, regular or thin/low fat

   2 stalks lemongrass hearts, sliced thin

   1 small lime, cut in half
   In a stockpot large enough to hold the mussels once they’ve
opened, heat the oil and stir in the curry paste, cooking over medium heat for
two minutes. If you have the cilantro roots, chop and add those, along with the
lemon grass, juice of half the lime and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Turn
heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium; add mussels, stir
and cover. Cook, stirring from the bottom once or twice, until mussels have opened.
Discard any mussels that don’t open. Serve garnished with lime wedges and cilantro
leaves, over hot sticky rice.


BEEF WITH STRINGS BEANS AND FRESH GINGER

adapted from Keo’s Thai Cuisine

Two main course servings, more if served with other dishes





   ½ pound lean beef, such as top round

   ½ pound fresh thin string beans

   2 tablespoons vegetable oil

   1 stalk fresh lemongrass, outer leaves discarded, inner core
finely chopped

   1 tablespoon shredded ginger

   1 to 5 red chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped (these are
hot)

   ½ cup coconut milk

   ¼ teaspoon salt

   3 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
   Thinly slice beef into 2-inch strips. Cut string beans into
2-inch pieces. Heat oil in a wok with lemongrass, ginger and red chili peppers
on high heat, until oil bubbles. Add beef, coconut milk, string beans and salt;
stir-fry for 3 minutes or until beef is cooked. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage.