Fish Sauce

Thailand is a country of amazing diversity. No single phrase quite conjures up the melange of big-city bustle, the beauty of the countryside, the warmth and gentleness of the people, the magnificence of the palaces and temples - and the intense excitement of the food. Like most countries, Thailand has two levels of cookery - elegant and everyday. The different regions also have their own distinctive cuisines, though all have a common thread. Bangkok is one of the great eating cities of the world.

An excerpt from the blog "My Daughter's Kitchen. " I know the last recipe for Thai lettuce cups sent my daughter in search of unfamiliar ingredients, namely lemongrass and fish sauce. So in the interest of thrift, not to mention continuing to expand her horizons, I offer a second recipe to use up those ingredients while they are still fresh: Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. It seems a perfect restorative for these March days, when the weather can't make up its mind.

Makes one gallon 1.    In a large bowl, dissolve salt in ½ gallon water. Soak cabbage in salt water for 3 to 4 hours. 2.    In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine garlic, ginger and fish sauce and process until finely minced. 3.    In a large bowl, combine daikon, scallions, garlic-ginger mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and sugar, if using. Toss to combine thoroughly. 4.    Remove soaked cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly.

Here's an exotic recipe - courtesy of World Cafe Live chef Matthew Babbage - to go with those new ingredients in your pantry. BANANA FLOWER SALAD 1 banana flower 1 pound chicken breast 3 large shrimp 1 cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon fried, slivered shallot 1 tablespoon fried, sliced garlic 1 teaspoon torn cilantro, stems and leaves, washed well to remove grit 1/4 cup roasted cashews 1 heaping tablespoon Thai...

Right now, Thai food is - no pun intended - hot. And no wonder. It showcases healthful ingredients through vivid colors and assertive flavors while tackling our basic senses of hot, sweet, sour, salt and bitter at a single meal. Thailand the Beautiful Cookbook (Collins Publishers, $45) does an excellent job of capturing the essence of this multifaceted cuisine. This is the latest volume in the award-winning Beautiful Cookbook series. Though a bit pricey, it's one of those oversize books whose color photographs are almost worth the price of admission.

Even Simplified Pad Thai has more ingredients than a typical quick dish. But this adaptation by Cook's Illustrated editors in The Best 30-Minute Recipe (America's Test Kitchen, 2006) pares the list to essentials - like fish sauce - now widely available in supermarket Asian food aisles. Lime juice and brown sugar sub for the tamarind flavor. As the noodles soak, you can prep other ingredients. Simplified Pad Thai (Makes 4 servings) 8 ounces thick rice stick noodles (fettuccine-width)

When Saito and Takao Ai moved from Tokyo to Delaware County in the early 1980s, they opened a 30-seat Japanese restaurant in Upper Darby called Asakura Plaza. The initial response was underwhelming. Japanese food was strange and scary to many Philadelphians, who associated it primarily with sushi. The restaurateurs, who spoke almost no English, persevered. They had to: They had moved here with the goal of sending their three young sons - Tony, John and Kenji - to American schools.

A n excerpt from the blog "My Daughter's Kitchen. " Giada DeLaurentiis has a new cookbook, Weeknights With Giada , to be released this month, with recipes designed for throwing together a good dinner after a long day at work. Even TV chefs want family dinners. Giada wants to give her daughter the home-cooked dinners she remembers growing up. But even she doesn't have hours to spend. "Because my daughter is 4, I want to spend my free time hanging out with her," she told me in a phone interview.

Iam standing in the kitchen of Jow's Garden, on 47th Street in West Philly, watching chef Taveechai Vickyanont practice the performance art that results in pad thai. After washing the wok, he squirts in soy oil, then tosses in a handful of shrimp. Then come eggs (swish around), tofu (swish), scallions, a big cup of rice noodles size M (swish), a quarter-scoop of chicken broth, a handful of chopped peanuts. Vickyanont fences at this farrago with his long spoons, then adds the sauce, a mixture of Thai fruit paste, lemon juice, tamarind and fish sauce (swish swish swish swish)

An excerpt from the blog "My Daughter's Kitchen. " I know the last recipe for Thai lettuce cups sent my daughter in search of unfamiliar ingredients, namely lemongrass and fish sauce. So in the interest of thrift, not to mention continuing to expand her horizons, I offer a second recipe to use up those ingredients while they are still fresh: Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. It seems a perfect restorative for these March days, when the weather can't make up its mind.

A n excerpt from the blog "My Daughter's Kitchen. " Giada DeLaurentiis has a new cookbook, Weeknights With Giada , to be released this month, with recipes designed for throwing together a good dinner after a long day at work. Even TV chefs want family dinners. Giada wants to give her daughter the home-cooked dinners she remembers growing up. But even she doesn't have hours to spend. "Because my daughter is 4, I want to spend my free time hanging out with her," she told me in a phone interview.

Here's a Vietnamese-inspired salad that's tart and crunchy. We used rock shrimp, peeled, deveined, and frozen available at Whole Foods Markets and Trader Joe's.   Chilled Shrimp With Cabbage and Peanuts Makes 4 servings For the salad: 1 pound peeled and deveined rock shrimp 2 medium heads Napa cabbage 1 bunch cilantro (4 ounces) 2 heads Boston lettuce 2 medium carrots 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts For the dressing: 1-inch piece ginger root 1/3 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1/4 cup peanut oil 2 tablespoons Asian chili paste, such as sambal oelek 1 tablespoon sugar 1. Place the shrimp in a medium skillet and cover with 1/2-inch water.

CHIPOTLE PICADILLO 3 tablespoons extra virgin or pure olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pound extra-lean ground beef 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce 3 cups hot cooked rice Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Here's an exotic recipe - courtesy of World Cafe Live chef Matthew Babbage - to go with those new ingredients in your pantry. BANANA FLOWER SALAD 1 banana flower 1 pound chicken breast 3 large shrimp 1 cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon fried, slivered shallot 1 tablespoon fried, sliced garlic 1 teaspoon torn cilantro, stems and leaves, washed well to remove grit 1/4 cup roasted cashews 1 heaping tablespoon Thai...

Makes one gallon 1.    In a large bowl, dissolve salt in ½ gallon water. Soak cabbage in salt water for 3 to 4 hours. 2.    In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine garlic, ginger and fish sauce and process until finely minced. 3.    In a large bowl, combine daikon, scallions, garlic-ginger mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and sugar, if using. Toss to combine thoroughly. 4.    Remove soaked cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly.

Shop carefully for seafood that's been harvested in a responsible manner, then make the most of it by giving it star billing in boldly flavored dishes such as these from Paul Johnson's "Fish Forever" (Wiley, 2007, $34.95). GRILLED LEMONGRASS SHRIMP AND RICE NOODLE SALAD For the marinade: 3 to 4 stalks lemongrass, white part only, peeled 2 garlic cloves, chopped 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, minced 2 tablespoons mild-flavored oil 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons sugar For the nuoc cham dipping sauce: 2 garlic cloves 1 or 2 Thai bird, Fresno or other red chilies, seeded and minced Juice of 2 limes (shells reserved)

Beneath its seafood bounty, the bouillabaisse broth reveals the gentle smoke of miso and a nest of shimmering glass noodles. The rich pot-au-feu beef stew could be French, filled with nuggets of tender meat and perfectly turned vegetables. But like much of the fusion fare at Le Me Toujours, the deep gravy swirls with a Vietnamese compass, wafting up the exotic aromas of star anise, cinnamon stick and clove. It might seem odd to find such a promising steward of fusion cooking in a Marlton strip mall, right next to a red neon leather store, down the street from Zagara's.

Iam standing in the kitchen of Jow's Garden, on 47th Street in West Philly, watching chef Taveechai Vickyanont practice the performance art that results in pad thai. After washing the wok, he squirts in soy oil, then tosses in a handful of shrimp. Then come eggs (swish around), tofu (swish), scallions, a big cup of rice noodles size M (swish), a quarter-scoop of chicken broth, a handful of chopped peanuts. Vickyanont fences at this farrago with his long spoons, then adds the sauce, a mixture of Thai fruit paste, lemon juice, tamarind and fish sauce (swish swish swish swish)