Pad Thai

Ingredients

5 ounces pad thai rice noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)
2 tablespoons 1x1/2x1/8" slices pressed tofu (bean curd)
1 tablespoon sweet preserved shredded radish, rinsed, chopped into 1" pieces
1 cup bean sprouts
5 tablespoons tamarind water, or 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon tamarind paste mixed with 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons (or more) Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup, preferably made with palm sugar
4 garlic chives, 2 cut into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground dried Thai chiles, divided
2 tablespoons crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts, divided
2 lime wedges
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings

preparation

Place noodles in a large bowl; pour hot water over to cover. Let soak until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg; stir until barely set, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, if using

Long Bean, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

2 dried Thai chiles, soaked for 2 minutes in warm water, drained
3 small garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 lime, cut into 3 wedges
1 tablespoon palm sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried tiny shrimp
9 long beans (2 1/2 ounces) or green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2" lengths
2 kirby cucumbers or 1 English hothouse cucumber, coarsely chopped into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

Place first 4 ingredients in a clay mortar and pound with a wooden pestle until mashed into a fine paste, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp; mash until pulverized and well combined, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, process in a mini-processor until finely chopped.)
Add long beans to mortar; lightly crush with pestle to bruise. Add cucumber pieces, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix well. Add tomatoes, lightly crush, and mix in. (Alternatively, place beans and tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag. Roll a rolling pin over bag to bruise vegetables; transfer to a bowl with the cucumber, fish sauce, lime juice, and chile dressing.) Let marinate for 10 minutes. Stir in peanuts.

Curried Beef Stew

 

Ingredients 

Curry paste:

6 dried puya or 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 4" only, tough outer layer removed, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh galangal
2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh turmeric
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup halved garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste

Stew:

2 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2"–2" cubes
3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably Thai thin soy sauce (such as Healthy Boy)
2 tablespoons ground dried Thai chiles
9 cups beef broth, preferably low-salt
1 cup halved shallots
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
Chopped fresh cilantro
Thinly sliced Thai basil
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings

preparation

For curry paste:

In a mortar, pound chiles and salt with a pestle until pulverized, about 5 minutes. Add ingredients one by one in order listed, fully pulverizing each before adding the next, about 15 minutes total. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

For stew: 

Combine curry paste, beef, soy sauce, and ground dried chiles in a pot; stir to evenly coat beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender but not falling apart, 2–2 1/2 hours.
Stir in shallots, carrots, and lime leaves. Simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. If broth is too salty, add water a few tablespoonfuls at a time.
Garnish with cilantro and basil.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients

2 cups jasmine rice
1 cup coconut cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

Rinse rice in a large bowl with cool water until water runs clear. Drain rice.
Combine rice, coconut cream, sugar, salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cover and reduce heat to low. (Alternatively, cook rice in an electric rice steamer.) Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 40–45 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork; cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Borscht

Ingredients

For the beet stock:

6 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound beets (about 2 medium beets), peeled and grated
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
4 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 Beefsteak or Jersey tomatoes, chopped
3 whole allspice berries
2 teaspoons dill seeds
1 fresh bay leaf
2 or 3 sprigs of parsley
2 or 3 sprigs of dill
1 sprig of thyme

For the Soup:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 bunch Tuscan kale or chard, thick stems removed, cut into ribbons
1 carrot, grated
1/4 head of green cabbage, trimmed and thinly sliced
Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, for serving
Crème fraîche, for serving

Method

Make the beet stock: Combine all the stock ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the stock is cool enough to handle, strain it through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the mixture to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids and set the stock aside; it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Make the Soup: Pour the oil into a large pot; place it over medium heat and add the kale, carrot, and cabbage. Cook, stirring frequently, until the kale and cabbage are al dente. Pour the reserved stock into the pot and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the borscht hot; finish each bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little crème fraîche.