THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK
THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK
From Pad Thai to Lemongrass Chicken Skewers — 300 tasty, tempting Thai dishes you can make at home
Jennifer Malott Kotylo
Copyright ©2003, F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything
®
Series Book.
Everything
®
and everything.com
®
are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company 57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A. www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 13: 978-1-58062-733-7 (paperback)
ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-564-0 (EPUB)
ISBN 10: 1-58062-733-1
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kotylo, Jennifer Malott.
The everything Thai cookbook / Jennifer Malott Kotylo.
p. cm. — (An Everything series book)
ISBN 1-58062-733-1
ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-564-0 (EPUB)
1. Cookery, Thai. I. Title. II. Everything series.
TX724.5.T5 K68 2002
641.59593 — dc21
2002009983
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
— From a
Declaration of Principles
jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Illustrations by Barry Littmann.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases. For information, call 1-800-289-0963.
Visit the entire Everything
®
series at everything.com
| EDITORIAL | PRODUCTION |
|---|---|
| Publishing Director: Gary M. Krebs | Production Director: Susan Beale |
| Managing Editor: Kate McBride | Production Manager: Michelle Roy Kelly |
| Copy Chief: Laura MacLaughlin | Series Designer: Daria Perreault, Colleen Cunningham |
| Acquisitions Editor: Bethany Brown | Cover Design: Paul Beatrice, Frank Rivera |
| Development Editor: Michael Paydos | Layout and Graphics: Colleen Cunningham, Rachael Eiben, Michelle Roy Kelly, Daria Perreault |
| Production Editor: Khrysti Nazzaro | |
THE
Series
Dear Reader,
For me, food is a reflection of the people who grow it, cook it, and eat it. It gives me a glimpse into those peoples' lives — who they are, where they come from, what they believe in. Working on
The Everything
®
Thai Cookbook
has given me the opportunity to become familiar with exotic tropical ingredients, Far East growing and cooking methods, and Asian cultures and religions — all of which blend together to form Thai cuisine.
It has also given me a renewed respect for an intriguing people who have been forever free, who have created an amazing style of cooking, and who share their love of food through family meals, store-front restaurants, and gourmet palaces.
Please join me as we explore the bounty of Thailand — the flavors, the dishes, the celebrations, and the people that make this one of the most loved cuisines of the world.
Explore and enjoy.
Jennifer Kotylo
C
HAPTER
1
Thai Curry Pastes, Marinades, and Other Concoctions
C
HAPTER
2
Dipping Sauces, Salsas, and Vinaigrettes
C
HAPTER
8
Fish and Seafood Dishes
C
HAPTER
14
Thai-Inspired Cooking
THAILAND'S ROOTS can be traced back to the T'ai tribesmen who lived under the shadow of the Chinese in what are now the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, which lie along important east-west trading routes. The first true Thai kingdom was established in fourteenth century when the T'ai tribesmen created the Kingdom of Sukhothai, or “The Dawn of Happiness.” During this era, the Thai adopted their first alphabet and the tenets of Buddhism.
According to depictions on the great Cambodian temple, Angor Wat, the Khmers, who have always been known as great warriors, used the Thai as mercenaries. They called the Thai Syams, meaning “golden skin color.” It is believed that the Kingdom of Siam, as Thailand was known until 1939, derived its name from this word.
The thriving seaport city of Ayutthaya became the capital of Siam in 1350 and a monarchy was established. Portugal set up the first embassy there in 1511. By 1662, Holland, Denmark, England, and France all had embassies in the city.
The French began amassing troops in Siam beginning in 1675, intent on colonizing the area. But in 1688, the Siamese forcibly removed the farang (slang for “French” at the time, the word now means “foreigner”) from the country and sealed its borders for 150 years. Strikingly, Thailand is the only Asian country never to have been colonized by a European power, although it has been occupied by the Khmer, the Burmese, and the Japanese.
During his reign from 1824 to 1851, King P'ra Nang Klao began developing trade with China and reopening the borders of the kingdom. The 1930s saw a wave of democracy surge over the country, and in 1932 a constitutional monarchy was formed. Soon after, the country was officially renamed Thailand, meaning “Land of the Free.” Today, 75 percent of the population are ethnic Thais, roughly 11 percent are Chinese, and 3.5 percent are Malays. The rest is a combination of Vietnamese, Khmer, and various others. There are only a very small number of non-Asian permanent immigrants.
The landmass of Thailand is approximately 197,400 square miles (a bit larger than the state of California) and is shaped like the head of an elephant. The “trunk” of the elephant extends southward down the Malay Peninsula to Singapore and is sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand. The “head” is bordered by Burma and Laos to the north, Cambodia and Laos to the east, Burma to the west, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.