Month: June 2020

Andy’s Dead

Published on by spoon99

A compilation I sort of did in tribute to Andy Warhol, shortly after his death in 1987 . . .



A Side:

Listen: (right-click or use the menu to save)





B Side:

Enjoy!

-R

Pad Thai

Published on by spoon99

If you’ve only had one Thai dish, it may well be pad thai. And for good reason — it’s delicious!

There are probably as many different versions of pad thai as there cooks. This is a simple (but still delicious) version, adapted from Nancy McDermott’s Real Thai, which is is very good.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb. rice noodles (any kind — I like the flat, wide ones)
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
  • 8 (or more) shrimp, peeled and deveined (and cut in half if they’re large)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 C. bean sprouts (reserve a few for garnish)
  • 4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 1-inch lengths
  • 1 lime, quartered lengthwise
  • (Optional) You can add any number of extras, such as fried tofu, pickled radish, garlic chives, etc., etc. I added some dried chilis, 10-month-old pickled garlic, and “dongcai,” a Sichuanese pickled vegetable:

Method:

1) Soak the rice noodles for 15-? minutes (it depends on the size of the noodle) in warm water. You don’t want them to get too soft, or they’ll fall apart. It took about 40 minutes for the noodles I used. When they’re done, drain them.

2) Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir for another minute, or until they are opaque.

3) Remove from pan and reserve.

4) Add the egg to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. As soon as it turns opaque, like this:

. . . scramble it, breaking it up into small lumps, then add to the shrimp.

5) Add 1 Tbsp. oil. Over medium heat, fry the noodles, spreading them over the bottom of the pan, then turning them (as best you can) with a spatula. Do this three or four times, and yes, they will stick 🙂

6) Add the fish sauce and stir to combine.

7) Add the sugar and peanuts and stir to combine.

8) Add the bean sprouts, scallions, shrimp and eggs, and any optional ingredients. Stir for 1 minute.

9) Remove from heat, sprinkle over the juice from two of the lime quarters and toss to combine.

10) Garnish with the reserved bean sprouts and optionally some chopped scallions. Serve with additional lime slices on the side.

Yum!

-R

Thai Beef Salad

Published on by spoon99

This is one of my favorite Thai recipes. It doesn’t need many “specialist” ingredients, and is dead easy to make. It combines the salty/sweet/sour/hot tastes characteristic of Thai food, and the combination of the richness of the beef and the crunchy salad makes it delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. flank steak, sliced thin (can substitute cheaper cut, just be sure to cut it extra thin)

Marinade:

  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1/4 C. soy sauce

Dressing:

  • 1/4 C. shallots, minced
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • 1/4 C. lime juice
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (substitute: chili powder)
  • 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 C. fish sauce

Salad:

  • 1/2-1 head romaine lettuce (I actually prefer iceberg for its crunch, and even though it has no flavor, this recipe doesn’t need any more flavor!)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 small cucumbers, slinly sliced
  • (Optional) a few cilantro leaves or sliced scallions for garnish

(Optional ingredient for added deliciousness:)

  • 1 Tbsp. toasted rice powder, which you can make by toasting rice in a dry pan over medium heat for several minutes, shaking occasionally:

. . . then grind it in a spice/coffee grinder:

Method:

1) Mix the marinade ingredients. Add the beef and toss to mix. Marinade at room temperature for 1 hour.

2) Pan-fry or cook under a broiler until it just turns color.

3) Mix the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to get the balance of sweet/sour/salty/hot you prefer — I add more sugar and fish sauce.

4) Toss with the beef.

Arrange the salad on the plate, then top with the beef.

Yum!

-R