Peanut Sauce

Hot Thai peanut sauce and shiitake mushrooms give a new twist to tostadas. Traditional tostadas have a deep-fried base, but it's easier and more healthful to crisp the tortillas under the broiler. Don't let Asian ingredients gather dust in your pantry. Sesame oil gives a nutty flavor to sauteed meats and salads, while peanut sauce is great on kebabs or as a dip for cooked meats. Mexican-Asian Tostadas 1. Heat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil. Spray both sides of the tortillas and place on the sheet.

Here are some Indonesian dishes to try. CHICKEN SATAY 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce Marinate the chicken in the soy sauce and garlic for about an hour. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes. Thread chicken onto skewers. Cook the chicken over hot charcoal or gas grill until just tender, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately with peanut dipping sauce. Makes 10 skewers. PEANUT SAUCE 1/2 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon hot chili paste 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 cloves garlic 2 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 teaspoons lime zest cup roasted peanuts Salt to taste Add all ingredients to a food processor and process to make a paste.

Foodie blogs have been hot on Hardena, an authentic Indonesian restaurant on Hicks Street near Morris, in South Philly. It's described as a veritable hole-in-the-wall with an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are in someone's Indonesian home. I decided to give it a try. But first, I wanted to make a related stop a little farther south, on Snyder near 17th, for the Indonesia Restaurant. After several years of operation in Chinatown, Indonesia relocated to its present location.

It doesn't matter to Julie DeMatteo that she didn't win the chicken cooking contest last weekend. What matters is the great fun she had, the wonderful people she met and the curious woman who stuck her finger in the peanut sauce and pronounced, "Ooh. That's good. " "I had to smile at that," said DeMatteo, a Clementon resident and one of two New Jerseyans among the 26 finalists at the 1990 Delmarva Chicken Cooking Contest in Easton, Md. The other New Jersey finalist was Guido Tango of North Arlington.

Because Thai restaurants have a reputation for decor that is artistic and serene, the enchantment radiated by Baan Thai, near 20th and Walnut Streets, came as no surprise. This handsome new Thai restaurant has all the makings of a popular dining spot: It's large enough to handle a fair crowd comfortably, has great location and gets good marks for its food. Walls, brightly washed in a soft rosy-peach, sport a flowered crimson border. Plain banquet chairs are cloaked in a matching color, and crisp, white tablecloths are draped on an angle over peach-colored linen.

Two years ago this month, I raved in this space about a little Manayunk spot called Butterworth's Main Street Cafe. At that time, it was the only place on Main Street's Restaurant Row that offered an arty setting and affordable dining. Modern art dominated the funky purple dining room; a catholic range of dishes and prices accommodated the hungry, the not-so-hungry and the kids, too. Fast forward to the present. Butterworth's is now the Main Street Cafe. There's been a management change; the menu's been revamped and the prices have notched upward.

About two years ago, the popular New South Cafe, at 22d and South Streets, took on new owners, a new name and a cuisine decidedly different from Southern cooking. It was called My Thai, but it opened with a rather tentative menu featuring Thai and American dishes. These days, My Thai is practically all-Thai. About the only menu items you'll find that aren't Thai - or Thai-inspired - are the Caesar salad and a vegetarian entree called Fettuccine da Vinci. Although the menu has changed, prices for the original Thai items have remained virtually the same.

Here are a few recipes from World Cafe Live Chef Matthew Babbage. The spicy chicken dish was served for a Todd Rundgren show, while the bisque went down easy when the Subdudes were in town. When Canadian Dancehall Queen Simone performed here, smoked turkey wings and collard greens were on the menu. ROCKIN' CHILI PEPPER CHICKEN WITH PEANUT SAUCE One 2 1/2-3 pound chicken, backbone removed and wing tips cut off 1 cup chili oil with ground red pepper (recipe below)

GIRL SCOUT cookies are not just for snacks. For one thing, they can be used to create some rather surprising dishes, such as Peanut Thai Chicken. For another, this annual ritual is the largest girl-led business in the country, providing many youngsters with their first taste of entrepreneurship. Locally, the sale, which began last month and continues through March 7, has a goal of selling 4 million boxes in 2010. Sounds like a lot of shortbread Trefoils, but consider that the nine-county Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania region moved 3.8 million last year.

You can't ask for more color or crunch, with relatively little effort. A quick combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, and hot water creates just enough sauce to coat the vegetables and chicken. Chicken Stir-Fry With Mango and Peanut Sauce 4 or 5 servings Water 3 medium carrots 6 or 7 scallions 2 cups sugar snap peas 1 Champagne mango 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds) 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper 1 tablespoon canola oil 3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1. Boil a kettle of water.

GIRL SCOUT cookies are not just for snacks. For one thing, they can be used to create some rather surprising dishes, such as Peanut Thai Chicken. For another, this annual ritual is the largest girl-led business in the country, providing many youngsters with their first taste of entrepreneurship. Locally, the sale, which began last month and continues through March 7, has a goal of selling 4 million boxes in 2010. Sounds like a lot of shortbread Trefoils, but consider that the nine-county Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania region moved 3.8 million last year.

Foodie blogs have been hot on Hardena, an authentic Indonesian restaurant on Hicks Street near Morris, in South Philly. It's described as a veritable hole-in-the-wall with an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are in someone's Indonesian home. I decided to give it a try. But first, I wanted to make a related stop a little farther south, on Snyder near 17th, for the new Indonesia Restaurant. After several years of operation in Chinatown, Indonesia relocated to its present location.

Foodie blogs have been hot on Hardena, an authentic Indonesian restaurant on Hicks Street near Morris, in South Philly. It's described as a veritable hole-in-the-wall with an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are in someone's Indonesian home. I decided to give it a try. But first, I wanted to make a related stop a little farther south, on Snyder near 17th, for the Indonesia Restaurant. After several years of operation in Chinatown, Indonesia relocated to its present location.

Here are a few recipes from World Cafe Live Chef Matthew Babbage. The spicy chicken dish was served for a Todd Rundgren show, while the bisque went down easy when the Subdudes were in town. When Canadian Dancehall Queen Simone performed here, smoked turkey wings and collard greens were on the menu. ROCKIN' CHILI PEPPER CHICKEN WITH PEANUT SAUCE One 2 1/2-3 pound chicken, backbone removed and wing tips cut off 1 cup chili oil with ground red pepper (recipe below)

Here are some Indonesian dishes to try. CHICKEN SATAY 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce Marinate the chicken in the soy sauce and garlic for about an hour. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes. Thread chicken onto skewers. Cook the chicken over hot charcoal or gas grill until just tender, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately with peanut dipping sauce. Makes 10 skewers. PEANUT SAUCE 1/2 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon hot chili paste 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 cloves garlic 2 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 teaspoons lime zest cup roasted peanuts Salt to taste Add all ingredients to a food processor and process to make a paste.

In 1984, when I first reviewed Alisa Cafe, Ivan DeJesus was the Phillies' shortstop, Leonard Tose owned the Eagles and Wilson Goode was mayor of Philadelphia. Tony Kanjanakorn was churning out wonderful French-Thai cuisine in a compact, unlikely Upper Darby storefront location. It is comforting to report that neither Kanjanakorn's sunshine smile nor his cooking skills have diminished a dozen years later. The restaurant still is jammed on Fridays and Saturdays with Kanjanakorn's loyalists, swirling and sipping the expensive wines they have brought with them, matching them with Alisa's tried-and-true menu.

The Amara Cafe, a snug Thai restaurant on the fringe of Center City, is one of those magical little places, full of pleasant surprises. The ceiling is low, and the hardwood floors are bare except for a narrow runner of carpet, yet it's not noisy. The lunch menu is a simple cardboard rectangle, yet there are 55 - count 'em, 55 - choices. It might be the best $6.95 lunch east of Las Vegas. Prices go up at dinner, when the formica tabletops are covered with beige and turquoise linen to match the tiny restaurant's soothing color scheme.

Americans love peanuts. According to the National Peanut Council, we consumed 260 million pounds in 1991 - and the amount for 1992 is expected to be larger. Plain or fancy, like a basic black dress, the peanut is as comfortable at the ballpark as it is at a cocktail party. A native American legume, peanuts are an excellent source of vegetable protein, and although they are high in fat, they contain no cholesterol. American children adore peanut butter sandwiches, but there's no reason to limit your peanut cookery to sandwiches.