I own over 250 cookbooks. There, I've said it. I'm obsessed, I know, but they seduce me...Often with their gorgeous atmospheric photographs like this one and this one, sometimes with their promise of teaching me about the food of a different culture, like this one and this one and sometimes, just sometimes, they are fundamental at helping me with my cooking skills. Perhaps the last type should be the most important, but they just don't call to me in quite the same way.
Some of the most useful books I own could be easily fitted into a pocket and cost less than $10, like this one. I once read (probably written by a book publisher), that even if one recipe in a book appeals to you and helps you learn something, like a new technique or information about a new ingredient, then the book was worth it's price. This post is an example of that theory, one recipe that really sung to me from this book.
This recent blog post explains so vividly why cookbooks can be so much more than recipes. When they are entwined with the author's own opinions, stories and emotions, they are richer. Eating something that has meant so much to someone else is lovely.
The recipe that really caught my attention was for fried rice paper rolls. The photograph was vivid enough to reveal how crispy and fragrant they were, but the idea really fired my imagination. I never considered that these thin, delicate wrappings could be fried, but what a revelation was waiting for me. Recipe at bottom of post
I consider any type of soup, along with Thai curry to be a good vehicle for the consumption of lots of vegetables. Throw them in, either puree them or leave them whole, it doesn't really matter and you can pretty much exceed your quota for the day. I once ate a vegetable soup in Portugal, expecting to get a bowl of greenish, uniform liquid. I was delighted when I was presented with a bowl of clear broth with large chunks of tomato, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. At that time, still a naive teenager, I was struck by the idea that soup didn't have to be liquidized and I liked it. Thai soups are similar.
This soup was made with a packet of Tom Ka seasoning, (which isn't cheating). I added tomatoes which stewed for a while and turned it a shade of baby pink that was really beautiful. Sometimes, the simplest little thing brightens your day. Recipes start below
Recipe : Thai Tom Ka soup
1 can of coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 - 2 cups of water, depending on how strongly flavoured you'd like the soup to be
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely shredded
2 small eggplants (aubergines), chopped into chunks
a handful of kale
a small handful of cashew nuts, lightly roasted in a dry frying pan
4 medium or 6 small tomatoes, quartered
juice of half a lime (optional)
1 - 2 tbsp of fish sauce (optional)
2 tbsp Thai basil, shredded (optional)
1 chili pepper, shredded (optional)
Heat half the coconut milk and the soup paste together in a pan over medium heat. Stir well until the oil separates and starts to float on the top. Add all the other ingredients, stir well and let the soup simmer over low - medium heat until the kale has wilted, the bell peppers and eggplants are soft and the tomatoes have softened and turned the soup pink. Taste the soup and add any or all of the optional ingredients to your liking.
Note: The cashew nuts will become quite soft if you add them with the other ingredients. If you'd prefer them a bit harder, add them right at the end or even just sprinkled on top.
Recipe : Crispy fried rice paper rolls
Even though I don't often deep or even shallow fry many things anymore, these were worth every splatter of hot oil on my arms and cook top. The rice paper becomes very crispy when fried, providing an amazing contrast to the filling which is soft, meaty and crunchy. Make sure you drain them very well as they do absorb a lot of the oil.
Adapted from Food and Travels - Asia by Alastair Hendy
6 medium sized rice paper rolls
vegetable oil
Filling:
a handful of dried vermicelli noodles
250g finely chopped raw prawns
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp fish sauce
pinch of sugar
4 scallions (spring onions), chopped
1/2 small carrot, grated
1/2 tin bamboo shoots, chopped finely
1 tsp each of finely chopped fresh basil and mint
1 egg white
For the filling, first soak the vermicelli in boiling water for a few minutes until softened. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel or a clean tea towel. Chop the noodles into small pieces and mix with the rest of the ingredients, stirring to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill a baking dish or tray, large enough to hold a rice paper roll laid flat with hot tap water. Lay a piece of rice paper into the water and let soak until it is soft and pliable, (don't leave it too long). Remove to a clean tea towel to dry the bottom and also pat dry the top. Turn over one edge and lay a line of the filling mixture on top.
Tuck the edges in and then roll together, it will naturally stick to itself. Don't roll too tightly for frying. Repeat with the other rolls, covering with cling wrap while you finish them.
Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan over high heat and check the temperature with a wooden chopstick. As soon as the oil immediately bubbles merrily around the chopstick, it is hot enough. Carefully slide a few of the wraps into the oil and fry for about 5 - 7 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain well on kitchen towels while you cook the second batch.
If you find that your rolls are not as golden brown as you'd like them to be (as in the middle two, above), you can re-fry them for a few moments at the end. Make sure the oil has re-heated sufficiently by testing with the chopstick again.
I made a very simple dipping sauce for the rolls, based on a successful idea I had whilst making the rolls previously.
Recipe : Dipping sauce
4 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp of Sriracha sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Mix everything together well in a bowl. It will seem to curdle at first, but will smooth out after a few minutes of stirring. Serve the crispy, herbal and fragrant rolls dunked into the sweet, spicy sauce. My mouth is watering as I'm typing this.
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