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Stir Fry Chicken Teriyaki

2007-10-18T21:42:00.000+07:00

Stir Fry Chicken Teriyaki Submitted by Marina A. Turner
Category: Chinese, Dinner, Poultry, Stir-fry

Yield: servings Ingredients:5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves/sliced into cubes or small strips
1 large onion
1 cup of mushrooms
1 large green pepper/sliced lengthwise
3 cups of broccolli/fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 jar kikkoman teriyaki marinade
1 jar kikkoman teriyaki baste/glaze
2 cups of cooked white rice

Procedures:1 Heat a large skillet with oil and fry chicken until golden brown, then add onions and cook until almost transparent.
2 Then add peppers and mushrooms and grill well.
3 Then add just enough marinade, until all is covered and stir for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
4 Then add teriyaki glaze until all is covered, stirring continuously and follow by adding broccoli last for a more crisp taste/texture, let sit for about 5 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Quick Blueberry Muffins

2007-10-08T23:21:00.000+07:00

Try these muffins when you want to place home baked goodness on the table in a hurry. Brown sugar, orange peel and fresh blueberries make these muffins moist but delicate and chock full of flavor.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 10 mins.
Cooking Time 17 mins.

2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 large egg
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh blueberries*
2 teaspoons orange juice, (optional)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Grease or paper-line 12 muffin cups.

COMBINE baking mix, granulated sugar, brown sugar and orange peel in large bowl. Beat egg lightly in small bowl; stir in evaporated milk and vegetable oil. Add evaporated milk mixture to baking mix mixture; stir just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

SPOON batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Gently brush tops with orange juice and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 3 to 4 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

**Frozen blueberries which have been thawed and drained may also be used.

Yields 12 muffins

Toasted Almond Muffins

2007-10-08T23:19:00.001+07:00

Orange and almond flavors are a special combination in these moist muffins. They are a delicious treat for any breakfast table.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 12 mins.
Cooking Time 17 mins.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 cup sliced, toasted almonds, divided
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease or paper-line 18 muffin cups.

COMBINE baking mix, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil and egg in large mixer bowl. Beat on high speed for 30 seconds or until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup almonds. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

COMBINE powdered sugar and orange juice in small bowl. Spread over each muffin; sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Yields 18 muffins

Homemade Apricot Ice Cream

2007-10-08T23:13:00.000+07:00

Homemade apricot ice cream is a summertime treat. Serve with fresh berries for an added treat.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 10 mins.
Cooking Time 5 mins.
Freezing Time 165 mins.

1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
1 envelope (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups Tropical NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE HARVEST SURPRISE 100% Fruit & Veggie Juice
1 container (8 ounces) vanilla fat free yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6-ounce package) finely chopped dried apricots

COMBINE evaporated milk and gelatin in medium saucepan; let stand for 3 to 5 minutes or until gelatin is softened. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Add sugar; cook until sugar is dissolved.

WHISK together Juicy Juice, yogurt and vanilla extract in medium mixer bowl; stir in apricots and gelatin mixture. Pour into ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer's directions. (If not using an ice cream maker, pour mixture into a freezer-proof dish. Freeze for about 45 minutes or until partially set. Remove from freezer and stir to break up clumps. Freeze until firm.)

NOTE: If you use a traditional-style ice cream maker, you will need up to 6 cups of crushed ice and 4 cups of coarse salt.

VARIATION: Try substituting Orange Mango NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE HARVEST SURPRISE 100% Fruit & Veggie Juice and finely chopped dried mangoes.

Serving Size: 10

French Roast Ice Cream Float

2007-10-08T23:11:00.001+07:00

Great coffee drink.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 5 mins.

3/41 cup cold water
3/4 cup club soda, chilled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE 100% Pure Instant Coffee Granules
2 large vanilla ice cream

PLACE water and Nescafé in blender; cover. Blend until coffee is dissolved. Add ice and sugar; blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 2

Baked Apples

2007-10-08T23:04:00.000+07:00

Raisins and walnuts are stuffed inside crisp apples and baked until soft and sweet. A touch of cinnamon pulls it all together for a light and savory dessert.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 40 mins.

6 apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups Apple NESTLÉ® JUICY JUICE® All Natural 100% Juice

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

WASH and core apples; remove peel from around the top. Place apples in 9-inch-square baking dish.

COMBINE raisins, nuts and cinnamon in small bowl; fill center of each apple with raisin mixture. Pour Juicy Juice around apples; cover loosely with foil.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes; uncover. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tender.

Serving Size: 6

Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry

2007-10-08T23:00:00.000+07:00

For those who are busy and health conscious, stir-frying is the solution! You can cook with a minimal amount of fat in a minimal amount of time. Quench your thirst with a mango spritzer. Simply combine mango nectar and carbonated water and enjoy.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 15 mins.

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons MAGGI Instant Beef Flavor Bouillon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 ounces boneless beef sirloin, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small yellow, red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrot strips
2 cups (6 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice

COMBINE water, soy sauce, bouillon and cornstarch in small bowl.

HEAT oil in large skillet. Add asparagus, beef, bell pepper, onion and carrot; cook, stirring frequently, until beef is no longer pink.

ADD mushrooms and green onions; cook until tender. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Serve over rice. Season with ground black pepper.

Serving Size: 4

Oriental Ramen Salad

2007-10-08T22:58:00.000+07:00

Crunchy noodles and crisp greens combine for a quick and delicious salad. To make this salad a meal, simply add sliced roasted chicken breast, mandarin oranges and a cold glass of Nestea.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 5 mins.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (3 ounces) dry oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup, noodles crumbled and seasoning packet reserved
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packages (10 ounces each) romaine-radicchio salad greens
4 green onions, sliced diagonally

MELT butter in large skillet. Add crumbled ramen noodles and nuts; cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are golden. Remove from pan; cool.

PLACE evaporated milk, oil, ramen seasoning packet, vinegar and sugar in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

COMBINE salad greens, noodle mixture, green onions and dressing in large bowl; toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 8

Christmas Cheer

2007-10-08T22:53:00.000+07:00

A tasty, non-alcoholic warm punch for holiday entertaining.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 5 mins.
Cooking Time 10 mins.

4 cups Apple NESTLÉ® JUICY JUICE® All Natural 100% Juice
3 cups pineapple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
1 medium lemon, peeled*
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

COMBINE Juicy Juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, lemon peel, cinnamon stick and nutmeg in a large pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Strain and serve warm.

*Peel lemon with a vegetable peeler, making sure not to get any of the pith (white part). Save fruit for another use. Cut peel into 1/2-inch slices.

Serving Size: 12

Fuzzy Navel

2007-10-08T22:46:00.000+07:00

A refreshing no-alcohol alternative.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 5 mins.

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh or frozen sliced peaches
1/2 medium banana
1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
1 packet No Sugar Added Classic French Vanilla Flavor NESTLÉ CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST Complete Nutritional Drink

No Sugar Added Classic French Vanilla Flavor NESTLÉ CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST Complete Nutritional Drink

PLACE juice, peaches, banana, yogurt and Carnation Instant Breakfast in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Serving Size: 2

French Apple Cobbler

2007-10-08T20:15:00.000+07:00

This is sure to become one of your favorite dessert recipes. Serve with scoops of French vanilla ice cream and steaming hot mugs of Nescafé coffee.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 25 mins.

2 packages (12 ounces each) Classic Dishes Harvest Apples, defrosted*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

PLACE Harvest Apples in 9-inch-square baking pan. Mix flour, sugar, egg, butter, baking powder and salt in medium bowl until blended.

DROP dough by heaping tablespoons over Harvest Apples.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

*DEFROST Harvest Apples in microwave on MEDIUM (50%) power for 6 to 7 minutes.

Serving Size: 6

Creamy Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Shrimp

2007-10-08T20:12:00.000+07:00

Succulent shrimp are poached in garlic-scented broth, finished with lemon zest and a splash of cream and tossed with delicate angel hair pasta. Special enough for entertaining yet easy enough for a busy weeknight.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 10 mins.

8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute, or until just golden; do not brown. Add chicken broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, add Parmesan cheese, cream and lemon peel; cook about 3 minutes to thoroughly heat, but do not boil. Season with salt.

Combine shrimp mixture and chopped cilantro with the angel hair pasta; toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 4

Orange Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

2007-10-08T20:04:00.000+07:00

Tangy grated orange peel adds a bright note to shrimp and mushrooms in this delightful pasta meal. Serve it with crusty French rolls and a cold glass of Perrier sparkling water.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 5 mins.
Cooking Time 15 mins.

1 package (9 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Light Four Cheese Ravioli, prepared according to package directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces raw, medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 container (10 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Alfredo Sauce
3/4 teaspoon grated orange or tangerine peel

HEAT oil in large, nonstick skillet. Add shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until pink. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add sauce, orange peel and shrimp; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.

PLACE pasta on serving platter; top with sauce. Season with ground black pepper.

Serving Size: 4

Chicken Salsa Biscuit Wraps

2007-10-08T19:48:00.000+07:00

Serve these as a hearty appetizer or for lunch or dinner. Garnish with guacamole and sour cream.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 20 mins.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup ORTEGA Salsa - Homestyle Recipe (Mild)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
2 (12-oz.) refrigerated biscuit dough tubes

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

HEAT oil in medium skillet. Add onion; cook until tender. Add salsa and cheese; cook over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken.

ROLL each biscuit into 4-inch circle. Place chicken mixture down center of each biscuit; fold two opposite edges over filling. Secure biscuits shut using wooden picks.

BAKE for 15 minutes.

Serving Size: 3

Mexicali Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches

2007-10-08T19:46:00.000+07:00

Kaiser rolls brimming with chicken and cheese - fantastic!

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 10 mins.
Cooking Time 10 mins.

2 1/4 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons diced green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

PREHEAT broiler.

COMBINE chicken, ketchup, water, chiles and chili powder in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat just until bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

SPOON warm chicken mixture onto 5 roll bottoms. Sprinkle evenly with cheese; place on baking sheet.

BROIL for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Place roll tops on sandwiches; serve.

Serving Size: 5

Smoked Turkey and Sun Dried Tomato Wraps

2007-10-08T19:43:00.000+07:00

These flavorful, fresh-tasting wraps make a delicious quick lunch or light dinner.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Refrigerating Time 15 mins.

1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 (10-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas, warmed
4 thin slices smoked turkey breast
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or alfalfa sprouts

COMBINE cream cheese and pesto in small bowl; stir well. Spread evenly over each tortilla. Place turkey slices, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion or alfalfa sprouts over bottom third of tortillas, making sure ingredients don’t touch edges.

FOLD the bottom edge of tortilla toward the center and gently roll until tortilla is completely wrapped around the filling. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cut in half and serve.

NOTE: Try substituting BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil.

Serving Size: 2

Ravioli Lasagna

2007-10-08T19:34:00.000+07:00

This entrée is a classic Italian favorite.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 30 mins.
Cooking Time 40 mins.
Standing Time 10 mins.

1 package (20 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Family Size Four Cheese Ravioli, prepared according to package directions
1 container (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fat free milk
2 containers (15 ounces each) BUITONI Refrigerated Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup (.75 ounce) BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf dishes.

COMBINE ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs and milk in medium bowl. Place one-fourth pasta in each prepared dish. Add one-fourth sauce and half ricotta mixture to each dish. Top each with half remaining pasta and half remaining sauce. Sprinkle both dishes with Parmesan cheese. Cover one dish with plastic wrap, then overwrap with foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

COVER remaining dish with foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

TO BAKE FROZEN LASAGNA: Place dish in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375° F. Remove foil and plastic wrap; recover with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yields 4 servings (2 four-serving casseroles)

Tuna Tortellini Pasta Salad

2007-10-08T19:32:00.000+07:00

This is a delicious change of pace from a standard tuna salad. Line your serving bowl with salad greens and garnish with Parmesan cheese curls made by 'peeling' a piece of Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 10 mins.
Cooking Time 15 mins.
1 package (20 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Family Size Three Cheese Tortellini, cooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces, cooked
2 cans (6 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
3/4 cup sliced ripe black olives
4 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon celery salt

COMBINE tortellini, green beans, tuna, tomato, olives and green onions in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar and celery salt in a small bowl. Stir mayonnaise mixture into pasta mixture. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Serving Size: 6

Zesty Cheese Potatoes

2007-10-08T19:29:00.001+07:00

Nothing comes closer to home when these twice baked potatoes are teamed with meatloaf and a crisp tossed salad.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 15 mins.
Cooking Time 35 mins.

1 package (10-oz.) Classic Recipes Welsh Rarebit, defrosted according to package directions
4 baking potatoes, baked
1/4 cup hot milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

CUT each potato in half; scoop out pulp, being careful not to break the skins. Place potato pulp in medium mixer bowl. Add milk and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in cheese.

FILL potato shells with potato mixture. Make a depression in center of each filled shell; fill with welsh rarebit.

BAKE for 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Serving Size: 8

Potatoes con Queso

2007-10-08T19:27:00.000+07:00

Looking for a different side dish with a south of the border personality? Look no further than your freezer. Transform a family favorite into a new Mexican classic with universal appeal.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 18 mins.
Cooking Time 45 mins.

3 packages (11.5 oz. each) STOUFFER'S frozen Potatoes au Gratin, heated according to pkg. directions, kept warm
1 3/4 cups (7 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, defrosted
1 can ORTEGA Diced Green Chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

PREHEAT oven to 400º F.

COMBINE fully heated Potatoes au Gratin, cheese, tomato, corn, chilies and cumin together in large bowl; pour in 2-quart baking dish. Top with tortilla chips.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through.

Yields 6 servings

Arrabbiata White Bean Soup

2007-10-08T18:47:00.001+07:00

Savor the flavors of Italy with this spicy white bean soup made with fresh carrots, onions and garlic.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time 10 mins.
Cooking Time 30 mins.

INGREDIENT
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3 cups (24 fluid ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
1 container (15 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Arrabbiata Sauce
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini or small white beans, drained
1/4 cup (1 ounce) BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese(optional)BUITONI Refrigerated Arrabbiata Sauce

Direction

HEAT oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

ADD broth and sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until carrot is tender. Add beans; cook for an additional 5 minutes.

TOP with cheese.

Serving Size: 4

Chocolate Story

2007-10-07T23:36:00.001+07:00

Chocolate is made from tropical cacao beans, which are transformed by machines and an inveterate spelling error into a bitter, brown paste of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. When this unsweetened chocolate is combined with sugar, vanilla, and other ingredients, the result, of course, is heavenly.

Chocolate's notoriously hard to work with. If you don't store it properly (preferably at 65° or so), the cocoa butter can separate slightly from the solids, causing the chocolate to "bloom." This leaves a telltale gray residue on the surface and impairs the taste and texture slightly. Chocolate will scorch if you melt it at too high a temperature, or "seize" and become thick and grainy if you add even a drop of cold liquid to it as it's melting. You can prevent it from seizing by adding hot liquids (like cream) to chopped chocolate in order to melt it, or by making sure that anything you're dipping into the melted chocolate (like a strawberry or whisk) is perfectly dry. If your chocolate has seized, you can still use it in any recipe that calls for chocolate to be blended with a liquid. Just add the liquid to the chocolate and melt it again.

If you plan to melt chocolate, it's best to buy it in bars. Chips contain less cocoa butter so that they can better hold their shape in cookies, but this makes them harder to melt and less tasty. It's easiest to melt chocolate in a microwave oven. Just break the chocolate into small pieces, heat it for 30 seconds at 50% power, stir, then repeat a few times. Take it out of the microwave when the chocolate is almost completely melted, then continue stirring until the melting is complete. If you don't have a microwave, use a double boiler.

Varieties:

American cocoa See cocoa.

baking chocolate See unsweetened chocolate.

bitter chocolate See unsweetened chocolate.

bittersweet chocolate Notes: This is a sweetened chocolate that's heavy on the cocoa solids and light on the sugar, giving it a rich, intense chocolate flavor. Many pastry chefs prefer bittersweet to semi-sweet or sweet chocolate, but the three can be used interchangeably in most recipes. The best bittersweet chocolates contain at least 50% cocoa solids. Substitutes: semi-sweet chocolate (Very similar, but bittersweet chocolate usually has more chocolate liquor. To make semisweet chocolate more like bittersweet chocolate, add some unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder to it.) OR sweet chocolate

carob = St. John's bread = honey locust = locust bean Pronunciation: CARE-ub Notes: Carob is sometimes used as a substitute by those unfortunates who are allergic to chocolate, since its flavor is vaguely similar. Others use it as a healthy alternative to chocolate, since it contains less fat and no caffeine. It's available as raw pods, chips, and either as toasted or untoasted powder (toasting helps bring out the flavor). Look for it in health food stores. Substitutes: cocoa powder (Most cookbooks call for cocoa to be substituted for carob measure for measure, but since cocoa has a stronger flavor, you should use less. Cocoa powder has more fat than carob powder, and some caffeine. Since carob burns more easily than cocoa, the recipe may call for a lower oven temperature than is necessary with cocoa powder.)

carob chips Notes: You can use these in place of chocolate chips in cookies or trail mix. Substitutes: chocolate chips

chocolate chips = chocolate morsels Notes: These are designed to go into chocolate chip cookies, muffins, and trail mixes. Chocolate chips often have less cocoa butter than chocolate bars, which helps them retain their shape better when they're baked in the oven. Avoid chips that contain vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter--they have a waxy flavor. Substitutes: chocolate bars chopped into chunks OR M&M candies (in cookies) OR nuts (in cookies) OR carob chips OR raisins OR chocolate-covered raisins OR butterscotch chips (If you're using these in place of chocolate chips to make fudge, use less fat in the recipe.) OR peanut butter chips (If you're using these in place of chocolate chips to make fudge, use less fat in the recipe.) OR white chocolate chips (If you're using these in place of chocolate chips to make fudge, use less fat in the recipe.)

chocolate curls = chocolate shavings = shaved chocolate Notes: This is a pretty and easily-made garnish for desserts. The curls are fragile, so it's best to move them around with a toothpick. To make your own: Warm a square of sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet, white, or milk chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for about 30 seconds, then shave curls from it using a vegetable peeler. If the chocolate crumbles, it's too cold. Substitutes: Use a grater to grate chocolate onto the dessert you're garnishing. OR dust with cocoa

chocolate-hazelnut spread = chocolate-hazelnut paste = chocolate-hazelnut butter = gianduja paste = gianduia paste = pasta gianduja = gianduja pâté = gianduia pâté Notes: This is a mixture of chocolate and hazelnut paste that Europeans use like peanut butter. Nutella is a popular brand. Substitutes: peanut butter

cocoa = cocoa powder = unsweetened cocoa powder Equivalents: 1/4 cup cocoa powder = 1 ounce Pronunciation: KOH-koh Notes: Cocoa is similar to unsweetened chocolate, only it's in powdered form and has less cocoa butter. Cooks like it because it allows them to make low-fat goodies, or to use fats other than cocoa butter. Cocoa's also used to dust candies and cakes. Dutched cocoa = Dutch process cocoa = European process cocoa is treated with an alkali, making it milder yet richer-tasting. It's the preferred cocoa for beverages and frozen desserts, and for dusting baked goods. Recipes for baked goods usually intend for you to use natural cocoa = American cocoa = regular cocoa = nonalkalized cocoa, which is more acidic than Dutched cocoa. You can often substitute one type of cocoa for the other, but if the recipe includes baking soda, it may be counting on the acid in natural cocoa in order to react. Don't confuse cocoa powder, which is bitter, with instant cocoa mixes, which are sweetened. Substitutes: carob powder (Most cookbooks call for carob to be substituted for cocoa measure for measure, but since carob has a milder flavor, you might want to use more. Carob powder tends to lump, so mix it into a paste first with a bit of liquid. It also burns more easily than cocoa powder, so reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.) OR unsweetened baking chocolate (One ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or oil.)

cocoa butter Notes: Pastry chefs add this to chocolate to thin it, usually so that they can pour a thinner coating on a cake.

compound chocolate coating = compound chocolate = chocolate summer coating = decorator's chocolate = confectioners' chocolate = confectionery coating = chocolate flavored coating = confectioners’ coating chocolate Notes: This is an inexpensive chocolate that's melted and used for dipping and molding. Since it's made with vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter, it's much easier to work with than ordinary chocolate. It also melts at a higher temperature, so it doesn't get all over your hands when you eat it. The downside is that it doesn't have the rich taste and texture of regular chocolate. Though it's considered to be a beginner's chocolate, it's still a bit fussy. It can scorch if you cook it at too high a temperature, or seize if you add even a drop of cold liquid to it after it's melted. Substitutes: couverture chocolate (This has luscious cocoa butter, which makes it tastier but harder to work with.) OR compound coating (other than chocolate) OR chocolate hazelnut spread (This makes a good chocolate dip for strawberries. Thin it with a little cream and warm it in a double boiler before dipping.)

couverture chocolate = couverture-grade chocolate = coating chocolate = commercial coating chocolate Pronunciation: KOO-ver-chure Notes: Couverture means covering in French, and professionals use this type of chocolate to coat candies and glaze cakes. It has a higher percentage of cocoa butter than ordinary chocolate, which makes for glossier coatings and a richer flavor. Available in bittersweet, semi-sweet, white, and milk chocolate. It's expensive, and you may need to go to a specialty store to find it. Substitutes: compound chocolate coating (Not as rich and tasty, but easier to work with) OR ordinary chocolate

dark chocolate = plain chocolate = continental chocolate = luxury chocolate Notes: This refers to sweetened chocolate other than milk or white chocolate. It includes bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet chocolates, all of which can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

Dutched cocoa See cocoa.

Dutch process cocoa See cocoa.

European process cocoa See cocoa.

gianduja = gianduia = hazelnut-flavored chocolate Pronunciation: zhahn-DOO-yuh Notes: This Italian specialty is made with chocolate and hazelnut paste. It's unbelievably good. Substitutes: milk chocolate

honey locust Substitutes: carob.

hot chocolate mix See hot cocoa mix.

hot cocoa mix = hot chocolate mix = instant cocoa mix Notes: You need only add boiling water to this powdered mix and stir to make hot chocolate. To make your own: Combine 2 cups powdered milk, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer. To make hot chocolate, mix one part cocoa mix with three parts boiling water. Substitutes: Mexican chocolate

instant cocoa mix See hot cocoa mix.

locust bean Substitutes: carob.
Mexican chocolate = Mexican style sweet chocolate Equivalents: 1 tablet = 3.1 ounces Notes: This grainy chocolate is flavored with sugar, almonds, and cinnamon, and used to make hot chocolate and mole sauce. You can buy boxes containing large tablets of this in the Mexican foods aisle of larger supermarkets. Ibarra is a well-respected brand. Substitutes: 1 ounce = 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon OR (in mole sauces) cocoa powder (Substitute one tablespoon cocoa powder for every ounce of Mexican chocolate called for in the recipe.)

milk chocolate Notes: If you're looking for a plain chocolate candy bar, this is your best bet. It's like sweet chocolate, only it contains dried milk solids, which gives it a mellow flavor. It's not a good choice for baking, though, since it's sweeter and not as chocolatey as other chocolates. Despite this, many cooks prefer to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips in their cookies. Be very careful if melting milk chocolate, it scorches very easily. Substitutes: sweet chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate

natural cocoa See cocoa.

nonalkalized cocoa, See cocoa.

Nutella See gianduja.

regular cocoa See cocoa.
semi-sweet chocolate = semisweet chocolate Equivalents: One cup of chips = 6 ounces; if melting the chocolate, chips and squares are interchangeable. Squares can be chopped up to make chips for cookies. Notes: Americans like this best for their cookies and brownies. It's available in bars, chunks, and chips. Mint-flavored semi-sweet chips are also available. Substitutes: bittersweet chocolate (very similar, but bittersweet chocolate usually has more chocolate liquor.) OR unsweetened chocolate (1 ounce = 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 tablespoon sugar) OR 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil (may leave a powdery taste, but makes product moister and more flavorful.) OR 1 tablespoon peanut butter chips OR white chocolate (especially in chocolate chip cookies; more delicate flavor, burns more easily, contains more sugar.) OR milk chocolate

St. John's bread Substitutes: carob.

sweet chocolate = sweet dark chocolate = sweet baking chocolate Equivalents: One cup of chips = 6 ounces; if melting the chocolate, chips and squares are interchangeable. Notes: This is similar to semi-sweet chocolate, only it has a bit more sugar. It can be used interchangeably with bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate in most recipes. Baker's Chocolate calls its sweet chocolate German chocolate. Substitutes: semi-sweet chocolate OR bittersweet chocolate OR 1 ounce sweet chocolate = 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate + 4 teaspoons sugar OR 1 ounce sweet chocolate = 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa + 4 teaspoons sugar + 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (may leave a powdery taste, but makes product moister and more flavorful.)

unsweetened chocolate = bitter chocolate = baking chocolate = pure chocolate = chocolate liquor Equivalents: One cup of chips = 6 ounces Notes: What kid hasn't sneaked a bar of this out of the kitchen, only to discover that unadulterated chocolate is bitter and unpalatable. Some cooks prefer to use it over sweetened chocolate because it gives them better control of the sweetness and flavor of the product. Substitutes: cocoa (One ounce unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine or shortening or vegetable oil. Using cocoa may leave a powdery taste, but it usually makes the product moister and more flavorful.) OR 3 tablespoons carob powder + 2 tablespoons water + 1 tablespoon butter or margarine or vegetable oil (lower oven temperature by 25 degrees) OR semi-sweet chocolate (1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate = 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 tablespoon sugar, so decrease the sugar in the recipe accordingly.)

unsweetened cocoa powder See cocoa.
white chocolate = white baking bar Notes: Like milk chocolate, this is made of cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. The only difference is that white chocolate doesn't have any cocoa solids. Since the FDA won't let American producers label a product "chocolate" unless it has those cocoa solids, domestic white chocolate is known by a hodge-podge of different names. White chocolate scorches easily, so cook it gently. Bars and wafers usually taste better than chips. Avoid white chocolate that's made with vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter--it's cheaper but not nearly as good. Substitutes: milk chocolate

white chocolate chips = white chips Notes: These are used to make white chocolate chip cookies. They contain less cocoa butter than ordinary white chocolate, so it's harder to melt them. Substitutes: white chocolate (cut into chunks) OR chocolate chips OR carob chips

http://www.foodsubs.com/Chocvan.html

Blueberry Cheesecake

2007-10-07T21:47:00.001+07:00

Blueberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

500 grams / 1 pound non-dairy cream cheese
1 cup sugar
Juice of a lemon
Dash of vanilla
Graham cracker crust
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup apple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons corn starch

METHOD
Mix or blend together the fake cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 180C/350F for 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool.

Mix together the blueberries, apple juice concentrate and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently but gently in order to keep the berries whole. Spread the topping over the cheesecake.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CREAMS

2007-10-07T21:42:00.000+07:00

CENTERS
1/4 a cup of candied cherries, chopped fine,
1/2 a cup of fondant.
CHOCOLATE COATING
About one cup of fondant,
2 squares of Baker''s Chocolate,
1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract,
Bits of cherry.

Prepare the centers and coat in the same manner as the almond creams.
CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINTS

[Illustration: CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINTS.]
Melt a little fondant and flavor it to taste with essence of peppermint; leave
the mixture white or tint very delicately with green or pink color−paste.
With a teaspoon drop the mixture onto waxed paper to make rounds of the
same size−−about one inch and a quarter in diameter−−let these stand in a
cool place about one hour. Put about a cup of fondant in a double boiler,
add two ounces of chocolate and a teaspoonful of boiling water, then stir
(over hot water) until the fondant and chocolate are melted and evenly
mixed together; then drop the peppermints, one by one, into the chocolate
mixture, and remove them with the fork to a piece of oil

COCOA BUNS

2007-10-07T21:38:00.000+07:00

2 tablespoonfuls of butter,
1/3 a cup of sugar,
1 egg,
1/4 a teaspoonful of salt,
1 cup of scalded milk,
2 compressed yeast cakes softened in 1/2 a cup of warm water, 1/4 a
teaspoonful of extract cinnamon,
1/2 a cup of Baker''s Breakfast Cocoa,
3−1/2 to 4 cups of flour.

Mix in order given, having dough as soft as can be handled, turn onto
moulding board, roll into a square about an inch in thickness, sprinkle on
one−half cup of currants, fold the sides to meet the centre, then each end to
centre, and fold again. Roll as at first, using another one−half cup currants,
fold, roll and fold again. Place in a bowl which is set in pan of warm water,
let raise forty minutes. Shape, place in pan, let raise until doubled in size.
Bake fifteen to twenty minutes. As you take from oven, brush the top with
white of one egg beaten with one−half cup confectioners'' sugar. Let stand
five minutes. Then they are ready to serve.

COCOA SPONGE CAKE

2007-10-07T21:32:00.000+07:00

3 eggs,
1−1/2 cups of sugar,
1/2 a cup of cold water,
1 teaspoonful of vanilla,
1−3/4 cups of flour,
1/4 a cup of Baker''s Cocoa,
2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder,
1 teaspoonful of cinnamon.
Beat yolks of eggs light, add water, vanilla and sugar; beat again
thoroughly; then add the flour, with which the baking powder, cocoa and
cinnamon have been sifted. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs.
Bake in a rather quick oven for twenty−five or thirty minutes.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

2007-10-07T21:28:00.000+07:00

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in clean bowl until blended. Stir in flour mixture. Gather into ball. Wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat baking sheets with nonstick vegetable-oil cooking spray.

Roll out dough with lightly floured rolling pin on lightly floured surface to 3/8-inch thickness. Cut into cookies with 2-1/2-inch cookie cutters in holiday shapes. Place cookies on prepared sheets, spacing 1-1/2 inches apart. Decorate with colored sprinkles, sugars, jimmies and gum drops, if desired.

Bake in 350° F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Coconut Cake

2007-10-06T23:28:00.002+07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup fruit sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy, almond or rice milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil one 20 x 20 centimeter (8 x 8 inch) square cake pan. Stir together all dry ingredients. Then add all liquid ingredients (vinegar last). Mix together until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 180C/350F for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool

Lemon .... Jeed!

2007-10-06T23:25:00.000+07:00

Lemon juice is used to make sour taste in Tom Yam, Som Tum, Phla, spicy salads and many chilli pastes and as well lemon juice for drink.

Medical application
- expectorant
- carminative
- antiscorbutic

Food application of Lemon
Tom Yam Kung
Tom Kha Kai
Som Tam

Lemon grass-Takrai

2007-10-06T23:23:00.001+07:00

Lemon grass is spicy and bitter and used for seasoning the Thai food and as the main ingredient in every recipe of Kaeng Phed, spicy salads and Tom Yam.

Medical application
- carminative
- antibacterial, fungal, yeast
- diuretic

Food application of Lemon grass
Tom Yam Kung
Tom Kha Kai
Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
Beef Masaman
Kai Phad Phed
Phanaeng Kai
Nam Ya Pla

Chilli - prik-cheefah

2007-10-06T23:21:00.000+07:00

The popular species of chilli used for cooking are hot chilli, red, green and yellow chilli, sweet pepper, etc. which are different in the levels of its spicy tastes. Chilli can be used both fresh and dried or pickling in vinegar and to every dish that requires hot and spicy tastes. Some are used for smelling and reducing savory and as well to color the decoration.

Medical application
- digestive
- to protect cancer
- carminative
- expectorant
- relief pain
- relief sickness

Food application of Chilli
Tom Yam Kung
Tom Kha Kai
Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
Beef Masaman
Kaeng Liang
Kai Phad Phed
Phanaeng Kai
Phanaeng Kai
Som Tam
Phad Thai
Khao Phad Kra Prao
Khao Phad Kra Prao
Nam Ya Pla

Gaeng Keow Waan (Green Curry Paste)

2007-10-06T23:00:00.002+07:00

Recipe from: The Elegant Taste of Thailand, by Sisamon Kongpan and Pinyo Srisawat.

15 green hot chilies
3 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped galangal
1 tablespoon chopped lemon grass
½ teaspoon chopped kaffir lime rind
1 teaspoon chopped coriander root
5 peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon shrimp paste

In a wok over low heat, put the coriander seeds, and cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder. Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to mix well. Add the coriander-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste and blend to obtain ½ cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months.

Garlic - Gratium

2007-10-06T22:57:00.000+07:00

Garlic flavour is strongest when the cloves are squeezed and their juice extracted, slightly less strong when the cloves are grated or finely chopped, even less strong when the clove are merely sliced, and mildest when whole unbroken cloves are used. In addition, the longer garlic is cooked, the milder it becomes. Garlic contains significant amount of vitamin C, calcium and protein. It is also rich in potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Medicinally, it is believed that garlic can reduce blood pressure and cleanse the blood of excess glucose. It is also said to alleviate flu, sore throats and bronchial congestion.

This type of garlic is preferred for pickling with honey has bulbs with just one clove. These garlic rounds are not a separate variety of garlic but a natural phenomenon whereby a Garlic Bulb does not divide into many cloves. In the sorting of pickled garlic, 20 to 30 kilograms yields only 1 to 2 kilograms of garlic rounds, and therefore, they are expensive.

Thai Vegetable

2007-10-06T22:55:00.001+07:00

Vegetable serve as the main food in most of the Thai people. Thai love to eat vegetable because it provides many nutrients to the body . It give nourishment which makes every person to be healthy .Eating vegetable is a good habit because it makes strong and healthy keeping an body alive , free from sickness or any disease.

Angled Loofah: Thai name is Buap Liam
Also known as silk gourd, silk squash or Chinese okra, this dark green vegetable looks like a long, thin courgette (zucchini) or a very large okra pod, and has angular ridges down its length. A close relative, the smooth loofah is paler in colour, larger and more cylindrical, with a slightly thicker base. Both have a very mild taste, similar to cucumber, which can be used in its place in most cooked dishes. The gourds are eaten young, while they are still sweet. They become unpleasantly bitter as they mature. Loofah is used in stir-fries and soups, and is often boiled and eaten with nam phrik.

Apple Aubergines: Thai name is Makheua
These small round aubergines are pale green, yellow or white. They are eaten raw with the ubiquitous chilli sauce, nam phrik, or cooked in curries. They have little flavour, but when raw have an interesting texture. They discolour rapidly once cut, so drop‘ them into salted water if you are preparing them in advance.
Asparagus: Thai name is Nor Mai Faruang
Asparagus are long, slender vegetables that grow as shoots in spring and early summer. The straight, firm stalks, which range from pencil thin to as thick as your thumb, are prized for their delicate flavor; the tender tips have a particularly delicate flavor and texture. The most common variety is green and sometimes tinged with purple at the bud. White and all-purple stalks are also available in farmers‘ markets and well-stocked grocery stores. Look for asparagus with crisp, straight stalks and tight buds. Wrap in damp paper towels and refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 4 days. Trim the stalks before using. Cut or snap off the tough ends and discard. If desired, peel the bottom third or half of each stalk with a vegetable peeler for a more tender texture.

Baby Corn: Thai name is Khao Phod On
Baby corn refers to whole, entirely edible cobs of immature corn, no more than 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) long. Corn is a popular vegetable in Thailand. For stir-fries and soups, Thais prefer baby corn cobs, which have a musty sweet flavour, as well as a crunchy texture. They are available fresh and canned. Fresh baby corn cobs are best eaten soon after purchase but can be stored for up to 1 week in the salad drawer of the refrigerator.

Bamboo Shoot: Thai name is Nor Mai
Bamboo shoots are the crisp, mild-flavored, white to ivory shoots of the bamboo plant. The shoots of the bamboo are cut when they have grown about 15 cm. above the ground. Before using, peel the skin and boiled the inner white part for 30 minutes. The canned variety needs to be boiled for only 10 minutes. This is a popular ingredient in Thai cooking and can be purchased from general stores and markets.

Banana Blossom: Thai name is Hua Plee
Also called banana flowers and banana blossoms, these are in fact the tender hearts of unopened banana flowers, which have been stripped of their purple petals. They are available fresh in some Asian markets and also canned or dried. Fresh banana buds discolour rapidly once they are sliced or shredded, so should be brushed with lemon juice to prevent this. Banana buds are used in northern Thailand to make a tasty, squash soup. They are also a popular salad ingredient, tasting rather like artichokes.

Bean Sprout: Thai name is Thua Ngok
Most often used of bean sprouts in Thai cooking are the small "green" sprouts from mung beans and the larger "yellow" sprouts from soya beans. Soya beansprouts have a stronger flavour than mung beansprouts, but both are relatively delicate, with a pleasant and unique crunchy texture. Fresh beansprouts are widely available in supermarkets, health-food stores and Asian food stores, or you can easily sprout your own beans at home. Avoid canned beansprouts as they are flaccid and tasteless.

Bell Chilli: Thai name is Phrik Youkg
Bell Chilli, phrik youkg, is light green in color and mild in taste. They are used in spicy salads and chilli Pilstes for their fragrance, and in stir-fried meat dishes for both flavor and aroma

Bitter Melon: Thai name is Ma Ra
Tropical, annual vine has bitter taste Culinary use: Soup, curry, and salad. (If you don‘t like the bitter taste, parboil with salt and rinse 2-3 times before cooking.) The Thais belive that it is very good for the kidneys and blood. Look for small and firm specimens that are still green when buying. Medicinal use: Mild laxative, antipyretic gargle the fruit juice to relieve an aphthous ulcer.

Broccoli: Thai name is also Broccoli
Broccoli, a member of the cabbage family, is green to purple-green in color and has tightly clustered flowers, or florets, borne on sturdy stalks. The florets are the most tender part. The stems, if peeled, can also be used. Choose firm stalks and closed heads with deep color and no yellow areas. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.

Carrot: Thai name is also Carrot
Carrots are root vegetables that are bright orange in color, with a sweet flavor and a crisp texture. They range in size from small, baby carrots to short, almost round varieties to long, slender roots. Fresh carrots are sold year-round. Avoid droopy carrots with cracks or dry spots. Remove the feathery green tops and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Peel or scrub carrots before using

Cassava Root: Thai name is Man Sam Pa Lang
Usually used to make desserts

Cauliflower: Thai name is Dok Kha Lam
Cauliflower, a member of the cabbage family, is a solid head, white in color, with tightly clustered flowers, or florets. The florets are the most tender part, but the entire head is edible. Cauliflower is available year-round. Avoid heads with brown patches or speckles or yellowed leaves. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. In Thai cooking, Cauliflower florets often wind up in soups and stir fried, or as a side dish dipping with spicy shrimp paste sauce

Chinese Broccoli /Kale : Thai name is Phak Ka Na
A dark green vegetable with strong, thin, long round trunks, soft, deep green delicate leaves, and sometimes tiny white flowers. It does not look like or taste like the common broccoli. It has a slightly sweet and bitter taste. Delicious stir-fried, steamed, or boiled but never eaten raw. Most popular dish is Ka na nam mun hoy which is stir fired with oyster sauce.Unlike regular broccoli, the stems are usually tender and do not need to be peeled. However, more mature or larger stalks should be peeled before cooking. It is always smart to separate the leaves and trunks. The trunks require more cooking time, then add the leaves near the end, so that they cook evenly. When buying Chinese broccoli, choose brightly colored ones with slender thin trunks.

Chinese Cabbage: Thai name is Phak Kaet Khaao
Also known as celery cabbage, this vegetable has soft green and white leaves with a mild, sweet flavour and crisp texture. It is widely available in supermarkets and is easily recognized by its fat, cylindrical shape and tightly packed leaves. When buying, choose specimens that are heavy and firm. Before use, discard any damaged outer leaves and trim the root. Do not worry if the leaves have small black spots on them; they are harmless. This type of cabbage keeps well and can be stored in the salad compartment of the refrigerator for several weeks. It is used in stir-fries, salads and soups.

Chinese Chives: Thai name is Kui chai
These pungent herbs look more like long, flat spring onions than their Western equivalent. The leaves are peppery, crunchy and chewy. They are eaten raw and cooked and are prized for both their texture and flavour. Spring onions can be used as a substitute but they will not have the distinctive garlic taste of Chinese chives

Chinese Mustard Green: Thai name is Phak Kwang Tung Jeen
The Chinese name for this type of cabbage is choi sum. It is widely grown in the West and is often available from farmers‘ markets, as well as Asian food stores. The stalks, leaves and yellow flowers of this plant are all edible and have a delicate flavour. The cabbage is usually cut into short lengths and used in soups and noodle dishes, but it may also be stir-fried.

Chinese Radish: Thai name is Hua Chai Tau or Hua Phak Kat
Thais value this vegetable, believing that it aids digestion, cools the body and improves blood circulation. Also called giant white radish or winter radish, it is a long white root that resembles a slender, smooth-skinned parsnip in appearance. It can be up to 40cm/l6in long, although the Thai variety is often considerably smaller. Large specimens tend to be fibrous and should be avoided. When raw, the flavour of mooli is cool, sharp and peppery, and the texture is crisp. Thais don‘t often eat it this way, but the grated flesh is sometimes used to tenderize seafood. When the vegetable is cooked, the characteristic texture is retained, but the flavour becomes quite sweet.

Coconut: Thai name is Ma Phrao
Coconut, ma phrao, is found nearly everywhere people have settled in all parts of the country and its production is important to the economy. The use to coconut milk in curries is a hallmark of Thai cooking. The meat of ripe nuts is scraped either by hand or by machine. The grated coconut is placed in a basin and mixed with a certain amount of warm water. The coconut is then picked up in the hand, held over a second container, and squeezed to press out the coconut milk, ka-thi. A fine meshed strainer should be positioned below the hand during squeezing to catch any meat that falls. Many cooks add a little salt to the water or the milk.

Cucumber: Thai name is Taeng Kwa
Cucumber, taeng kwa, Cucumis sativus, has short fruits about 8 em long which are crispiest while still green and white, before yellowing. A larger type, taeng ran, are also eaten.

Eggplants: Thai name is Makheua Moung
Eggplants are tender, mildly earthy, sweet vegetable-fruits covered with tough, shiny skin, which may be peeled or left unpeeled in grilled or long-cooked dishes. They vary in color from the familiar purple to red and from yellow to white. The most common variety is the large, purple globe eggplant, but many markets also carry the slender, purple Asian eggplant, which is more tender and has fewer, smaller seeds. When cooked, all eggplants have a mild flavor and tender, creamy flesh. Look for plump, glossy, heavy eggplants with taut skin and no bruises or scratches. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 2 days. Eggplants are also known as aubergine and in Italy as melanzana.

Long Eggplant: Thai name is Makhua Yaew
This elongated variety is similar in appearance and flavour to Japanese long baby aubergines. However, the Thai ones are usually pale green, but can also be purple or white. These aubergines are usually served grilled (broiled) or in green curries.

Lotus root: Thai name is Raug Bua
Lotus root is an underwater root that grows to be as long as four feet. The root is dark reddish brown and needs to be peeled prior to using. The flesh is a creamy white and tastes similar to coconut. Lotus root is available canned, dried or candied and can be used as a vegetable or in dessert dishes.

Pak Choi: Thai name is Phak Kwang Tung Taiwan
This is the most popular variety of cabbage eaten in Thailand. Despite its other name - Chinese white cabbage pak choi is not uniformly white. The ribbed stems are a beautiful greenish white, which stands out starkly against the lush dark green leaves. In Thailand, cabbage is often eaten raw with a chilli dipping sauce and is also cooked in stir-fries and soups. Pak choi is usually either thinly sliced or cut into squares and is best cooked briefly.

Papaya: Thai name is Ma La Kor
Papaya is a tropical fruit with a smooth, yellow skin and soft, sweet orange flesh that is milder tasting than a mango. Other shapes and colors of papaya are also grown. Halve a papaya lengthwise and scoop out shiny black seeds before peeling.
In Thai cooking, young green papaya is used to make salad or Som Tam, a popular salad dish among foreigners in Thailand. You may be in difficulty in finding fresh green papaya outside Thailand. The fresh carrots or cabbages or green apples can be used as a substitute.

Pea Aubergines: Thai name is Makreu Puang
These pea-size berries, which grow in small clusters, have a bitter flavour that is a good foil to the rich ness of the spicy curries in which they are most often found. They are also used as a flavouring for nam phrik

Pumpkins: Thai name is Fug Tong
Pumpkins are large, round winter squashes with orange skins and flesh. The variety known as the sugar pumpkin has sweet flesh. In Thai cooking, it is commonly used in dessert but is also used in savory dishes. Canned pumkin pur?e is widely available and can easily be made from fresh pumpkin.

Shiitake Dried Mushroom: Thai name is Het Hom Hang
It is also known as Shiitake mushroom. It has no flavor but is used for its texture. It is available in dried form, and looks like dried, black, wrinkled paper. When soaked in water for about 10-20 minutes, it swells and resembles wavy seaweed or jelly. Stored in its dried form, it will keep indefinitely.

Shiitake Mushroom: Thai name is Het Hom
Fresh shiitake mushrooms are available, but Thai cooks prefer to use them dried as they have a stronger flavour and more texture. Both types are available in supermarkets and Asian stores. Dried shiitake mushrooms must be reconstituted in water before beingused. The stems are usually discarded and the caps sliced or chopped for adding to soups or stews. The soaking water can be strained and used in a soup or stock as it takes on the flavour of the shiitake. The dried mushrooms will keep well if stored in a sealed plastic tub or bag in a cool, dry place

Spring Onions: Thai name is Ton-Hom
Soring onions are a variety of onion harvested immature before the bulb has formed. Both the green leaves and white bulbs are used raw or cooked for their mild but still pronounced onion flavor. Spring onions are also known as scallions or spring onions. Spring onions are used in Thai cooking for stir-fries and in soups. They are also popular for garnishes, either sliced or cut into tassels, then curled in iced water

Straw Mushroom: Thai name is Hed Fang
These delicate, sweet flavoured mushrooms have acquired their English name because of the method of cultivation on beds of straw. They look like miniature helmets and are the most popular variety of mushroom in Thai cooking. Straw mushrooms are used extensively in soups, salads and curries, and taste particularly good with prawns (shrimp) and crab meat. Canned straw mushrooms are widely available from Asian stores and many supermarkets. They have neither the exquisite flavour nor the texture of the fresh mushrooms, but can be an acceptable substitute. Fresh straw mushrooms are highly perishable and so are not often available in the West. If you do locate them, use them as soon as possible after purchase.

Suger Pea: Thai name is Tua Lan Tao
You eat these whole, pod and all. They‘re often stir-fried very briefly (no more than a minute), but they‘re also good raw. They‘re easy to prepare, just wash and trim the ends. Some people string them as well, but that‘s not necessary. Select crisp, flat snow peas that snap when you break them.

Swamp Cabbage: Thai name is Phak Boong
This popular leafy plant, also known as water convolvulus or water spinach, is actually a herb. It grows in marshy areas, near rivers and canals, and is related to the morning glory that riots over walls and fences in many European gardens. It has slender, hollow green stems and thin ovate green leaves which are pointed at the ends. In some parts of Asia, the stems are pickled, but in Thailand, only the leaves and tender shoots are eaten. The flavour is similar to that of spinach. In Thailand, the tender tips are often eaten raw, on their own or with other raw vegetables, and served with a selection of hot sauces. When cooked, the stem tips stay firm, but the leaves rapidly become limp.Swamp Cabbage is highly perishable and must be used promptly.

Sweet Chilli: Thai name is Pkrik Waan
Sweet chillis are sweet-fleshed, bell-shaped members of the chilli family, enjoyed raw or cooked. Unripe green and ripened red or yellow varieties are the most common. Pale yellow, orange, and purple-black types are also available. Italian chillis are slightly sweeter and more slender than regular chillis. Before use, bell peppers must have their indigestible seeds removed. Often the chillis are roasted, which loosens their skins for peeling and enhances their natural sweetness.

Taro: Thai name is Puak
This root grows wild on the banks of streams in Thailand and is particularly popular in the north of the country.The swollen tuber is full of starch and is eaten in the same manner as potatoes. The young leaves can also be eaten. Wear gloves when peeling taros.

Tomato: Thai name is Ma kheua Thet
Tomatoes, Ma-Kheua thet of three types are used in Thai cooking. The first is small, round fruits, not much bigger than a pea, which grow in clusters and have a sweet and sour taste. These are used in Northern and Northeastern dishes. Large-sized tomatoes are sweet and are used in sour and spicy soups and in spicy salads. The third type is cherry tomatoes. These have a sweet and sour taste and are used in Northeasternstyle papaya salad as well as in curries and sour and spicy soups.

Twisted Cluster Bean: Thai name is Sa Taw
The seeds of a huge tree that grows in southern Thailand, these beans are about the size of broad (fava) beans. The bright green pods that house them are flat and wavy. The beans themselves have a peculiar smell and nutty taste that give a distinctive flavour to regional dishes. The beans are usually eaten as a vegetable, and they taste good in a sweet-and-sour stir-fry. They are also sometimes roasted and eaten with nam phrik, and are made into pickles.

Wax gourd: Thai name is Fak Khiao
Wax gourd, fak khiao, Benincasa hispida, also called white gourd or Chinese preserving melon, is oblong and light green to white. The ends are rounded and the flesh is solid and white.

Winged Bean: Thai name is Thua Phu
It bears a pod which in cross section looks like a rectangle that has a fringe-like extension at each corner, the "wings" of the bean.

Yard Long Beans: Thai name is Tua Fugk Yaew
These are long, deep green ,stringless beans which grow up to 30-60 cm. Cut in short lenghts, they are used in stir-fries, curries and sometimes soups, They have less flavour than other types of green beans but are easier to prepare.

Tomatoes - Ma-Kheua Tet

2007-10-06T22:52:00.001+07:00

Tomatoes, Ma-Kheua Tet of three types are used in Thai cooking. The first is small, round fruits, not much bigger than a pea, which grow in clusters and have a sweet and sour taste. These are used in Northern and North-eastern dishes. Large-sized tomatoes are sweet and are used in sour and spicy soups and in spicy salads. The third type is cherry tomatoes. These have a sweet and sour taste and are used in Northeaster style papaya salad (Som tam) as well as in curries and sour and spicy soups.

Nam Prik Pao (Roasted Chile Paste)

2007-10-06T22:50:00.000+07:00

Prik Pao is legendary in Thailand and has been a staple in Thai households for generations. This is a cooked chile paste that is eaten in Thailand in a wide variety of ways. For example, mix one tablespoon with a small bowl of steamed jasmine rice and serve. Use this as a spicy vegetable dip. Add it to soups and noodles, and even use it as a spicy sandwich spread.

4 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoon chopped shallots
3 tablespoon coarsely chopped dried red chiles
1 tablespoon fermented shrimp paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar

Heat the oil, and add the garlic and shallots. Fry briefly, then remove from the oil and set aside. Add the chilies and fry until they start to change colour, then remove them and set them aside.

In a mortar and pestle pound the shrimp paste, add the chiles, garlic and shallots, blending each in before adding the next. Then over low heat return all the ingredients to the oil, and fold into a uniform paste.

The resulting thick, slightly oily red/black sauce will keep almost indefinitely. If you wish you can add more fish sauce and/or sugar to get the flavour you want.

Nam Prik Pla

2007-10-06T22:46:00.001+07:00

Recipe from: Samart Srijumnong

catfish
chiles
garlic
onion
fish sauce
lime juice
water

Boil some cat fish and grilled some chillies, garlic and onion. Use the motar and pistle to crush all the ingredients well together before add the the fish, continue to crush. When done, add fish sauce, lemon/lime and hot water. It should taste between hot, salty, and sour. Use fresh or boil vegetable, e.g. cabage, cucumber, carrot, Chinese green, to dip in this nam prik and eat with white steamed rice

Apple Cranberry Pie

2007-10-06T22:43:00.001+07:00

Crust Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
3 to 6 Tbsp ice water

Filling Ingredients
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/4 pounds of 1/4-inch thick slices of an assortment of good cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious (see cooking apple varieties)
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp whipping cream

1 In a food processor, combine flour, almonds, salt and brown sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it''s ready, if not, add a little more ice water and pulse again.

Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2 Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

3 Combine cranberries, sugar, flour and allspice in large bowl. Mix in apples, then add brandy and vanilla extract.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

5 Spoon in apple filling, mounding slightly in center.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

7 Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until apples are tender and crust is golden, anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour 5 minutes, depending on the type of apples you are using. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

MEE KROB

2007-10-06T22:31:00.000+07:00

Ingredients:

1 2-in piece of tamarind pulp
Peanut or corn oil (for deep-frying)
1/4 lb Dried rice stick noodles
6 ozMed shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Whole boned chicken breast, cut into slices
4 Shallots; minced
1 tblsp Minced garlic
2 small Serrano chiles, finely minced
1 Lime (zest only)
3 1/2 tblsp Tomato paste
4 tblsp Sugar
1/4 c Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tblsp Fresh lime juice
4 Green onions; trimmed, cut into 1-in lengths, blanched
3 tblsp Fresh coriander leaves
1/2 lb Bean sprouts; tails removed (for garnish)

Crispy Egg Lace

Oi l for deep-frying
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Eggs; lightly beaten

Instructions:

COVER TAMARIND WITH 3/4 CUP hot water. Crush and break up pulp with a fork and let it stand for 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer and press it through. Collect 1/2 cup tamarind liquid. Pour oil into a wok or deep saucepan to a depth of about 2-inches. Heat oil to 375F. In a large paper bag pull rice stick noodles apart into small batches. Add 1 batch to the oil. If the temperature is correct, noodles should puff up within seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer and drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining noodles. If you are making the Crispy Egg Lace, prepare it at this time (See below). When the rice stick noodles and egg lace are done, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil from wok. Reheat wok and oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add shrimp and chicken; stir-fry for 1 minute or until shrimp are bright orange and chicken is white. Remove and set aside. Add shallots, garlic, minced chiles and half the lime zest to the hot wok; stir-fry until soft, but not browned (about 1 minute). Add tomato paste and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes a dark crimson red with a sticky consistency. It should pull away from the wok into a thick mass. This is just short of the caramelized state (about 3 to 4 minutes). Be careful not to burn the mixture. Immediately add the reserved tamarind liquid and fish sauce, reduce to low heat and simmer together for 1 minute. Add lime juice, reserved chicken-shrimp mixture, green onion and remaining lime zest; toss just enough to heat through. Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of fried rice stick noodles to the sauce. Gently crush noodles and toss with sauce to coat. Repeat with another third of noodles. Add last third of noodles only if there is enough sauce to coat. Toss in the coriander leaves. Mound noodles on a platter, Crispy Egg Lace (broken into smaller pieces) and bean sprouts. CRISPY EGG LACE: After frying noodles, skim leftover bits from wok. Keep oil hot. Beat eggs with salt in bowl. When oil is 375F, hold a medium-fine-mesh skimmer over oil; gently pour half the eggs through. Let eggs drip into oil in circular fashion. Deep-fry for 30 seconds or until lightly brown and crisp. Turn over to brown. It should have an irregular lacy shape. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep in a warm oven. Break into smaller pieces. Makes 2 crispy egg laces.

Almond Sugar Cookies

2007-10-06T22:22:00.003+07:00

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

3 C. flour

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 C. sugar

6 T. butter, softened

6 T. vegetable shortening

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 t. almond extract

1/4 C. orange juice

1 C. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter and vegetable shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until dough resembles coarse meal. Mix in egg yolks.

Beat egg whites: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and almond extract with mixer until soft peaks form — about 3 minutes. Fold whites into dough. Mix in orange juice.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough comes together and is smooth — about 2 minutes. Roll out dough into a 9- by 12-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a fluted pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut down the 12-inch length of the rectangle to divide the dough into four 3-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip into four 3-inch squares. Cut along the diagonal of each square to form 24 triangles.

Place cookies on baking sheet and sprinkle almonds over each cookie. Press almonds lightly into dough. Bake until edges are lightly browned — 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Nam Prik Pla Tu (Shrimp Paste Nam Prik)

2007-10-06T22:20:00.000+07:00

Nam Prik Pla Tu (Shrimp Paste Nam Prik) ¹éÓ¾ÃÔ¡»ÅÒ·Ù
3 garlic cloves
10 to 15 fresh prik ki nu
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 tablespoon finely minced dried shrimp
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon nam pla
about ¼ cup slivered green mango, optional

If you opt for frying the herring, heat the oil and add the herring. Deep- fry until golden brown. Remove and drain well.

Pulverize garlic and herring in a food processor or mortar with pestle, add chiles and blend into a paste. Add shrimp paste, sugar, dried shrimp, lime juice, fish sauce and green mango and stir well. Add additional lime juice or fish sauce to taste and for a light, watery, dipping consistency. Works well with fresh vegetables and deep fried pickled fish like sardines or herring.

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée) Recipe

2007-10-06T22:16:00.000+07:00

This recipe makes 1 pâte brisée crust, enough for one tart. If you are making a pie with a bottom and top crust, double this recipe and form two discs of dough instead of one.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 to 4 Tbsp ice water, very cold

1 Start by cutting the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and placing in the freezer for 15 minutes so that they become thoroughly chilled.

Dough is ready to shape into discs.

2 In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it''''''''s ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into a discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4 Remove the crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining u

Thai Celery - Bai Khuen Chai

2007-10-06T22:14:00.002+07:00

Thai celery is smaller, greener, thinner stemmed and with more leaves than that found in Europe. It also has a much stronger flavour and is used in Thai soups, sauces and salads. Young celery leaves make an attractive garnish which enhances the flavour of the food at the same time.

Banana Cream Pie

2007-10-06T22:12:00.000+07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 pre-baked pastry case (pie shell)
170 g / 6 oz / 1 cup stoned dates
115 g / 4 oz / 3/4 cup cashews
4 t arrowroot
Pinch sea salt
1 t vanilla essence
285 ml / 1 1/3 cups water
2 ripe bananas

METHOD
Chop the dates and place them in a liquidiser with the cashews, arrowroot, salt, vanilla and water. Blend thoroughly.
Pour into the saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly until thickened. Allow the mixture to cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Cover them with the cashew date mixture; chill to firm and serve.

Oh.. Palm Sugar Characteristics

2007-10-06T22:07:00.000+07:00

Palm sugar, also known as jaggery or gur in India1, nam som paep or nam tann peep in Thai, gula melaka in Malaysia gula bail in Bali, or gula jawa in Indonesia, is made from the sap from the palmyra, or sugar palm. The trunk of the tree is tapped and drained of its sap for several months before the sap is boiled down to a syrup. The syrup is poured into molds, directly into containers, or further processed into hard crystiline chunks. Because it is not highly processed like brown sugar, the color, consistency, flavor and level of sweetness can vary from batch to batch, even within the same brand. The sugar ranges from almost white to pale honey-gold to deep, dark brown in colour with variable consistency.

There is no identical Western counterpart, but there are substitutes which give a reasonable flavour likeness. If the recipe calls for a quantity of palm sugar, use a mixture of equal parts maple syrup and either soft brown sugar or black sugar (depending whether you desire a lighter or darker-coloured result)

Sugar palm trees ar

e very tall and beautiful. They grow in most parts of Thailand. If the palm sap is not used by the end of the day, it will start to ferment and turn into palm sugar wine. In Thailand evening, some farmers may sit under the palm trees and drink their homemade palm sugar wine and get drunk. Later they ride their buffaloes home so they don''''''''t have to worry about a ''''''''drink and drive''''''''.

In Thai, the word nam tann for sugar literally means palm juice. The word ''''''''peep'''''''' is the pail that palm sugar

Looking For .. Fried Rice with chicken (Kao paht kai)

2007-10-06T22:03:00.002+07:00

Serves 1

1/4 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch by 1/4-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, like canola
1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce(nam pla)
1 clove garlic, smashed with the side of a cleaver or knife
2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups cooked jasmine rice, at room temperature or from the refrigerator

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1/2 tsp. water
1 tsp. light soy sauce(Kikkoman or "Dragonfly brand" thin soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black or white pepper
Pinch of white sugar
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
Lime, fresh red chiles, scallion(optional)

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a wok until hot, but not smoking, over medium high heat. Cook chicken until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce, as you are cooking, to the meat. Remove from wok and set aside.

Heat the additional 2 1/2 Tbsp. oil in wok. Add the smashed garlic, cook briefly (just 30 seconds). Add the rice, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or metal turner. Add the cooked chicken. Toss together in the wok. Add the soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. fish sauce. Add the beaten egg, pepper, and sugar. Continue to stir-fry until heated through and grains of rice are seperated. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly(add more fish sauce if it needs more salt).

Remove to serving dish and garnish with cucumber, scallion, lime wedge, and fresh red chile peppers.

Green Papaya - Malagor Dip

2007-10-06T22:01:00.001+07:00

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a smooth, yellow skin and soft, sweet orange flesh that is milder tasting than a mango. Other shapes and colours of papaya are also grown. Halve a papaya lengthwise and scoop out shiny black seeds before peeling. In Thai cooking, young green papaya is used to make salad or Som Tam, a popular salad dish among foreigners in Thailand. You may be in difficulty in finding fresh green papaya outside Thailand. The fresh carrots or cabbages or green apples can be used as a substitute.

Call me .. Coconut milk/cream (gkati)

2007-10-06T21:57:00.000+07:00

Coconut milk is not the juice found inside a coconut, but the diluted cream pressed out from the thick, white flesh of a well-matured coconut.

To make coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is steeped in hot water until it is cool enough to handle. It is then squeezed until dry; the white fluid is strained to remove all the pulp. When allowed to sit for a while, the coconut cream (hua gkati) rises to the top. Commercially, coconut cream is obtained by pressing grated coconut flesh by itself without water, using a specialized, heavy piece of machinery.

More hot water is added to the pulp and the process is repeated to yield a lighter fluid, or coconut milk (nahm gkati). Frequently, a third pressing is done to obtain a light coconut milk (hahng gkati), which is used for stewing meats or for thinning coconut milk to make a coconut soup or a light curry. An average mature coconut yields about one cup of coconut cream and one to two cups of coconut milk depending on how light a milk is desired.

For most working American families with limited time to cook, making fresh coconut milk from scratch from a whole coconut is too laborious a process, especially when it can be easily substituted with canned or bottled unsweetened coconut milk.

Not all brands of canned coconut milk are good. Some actually can be downright foul-tasting. So try a number of different brands to find the one most to your liking. Good coconut milk has a clean, white color and tastes rich, creamy and mildly sweet with the essence of coconut. It should also have a complexity and depth of flavor that keeps you intrigued and not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. As is true with other kinds of natural cream that has not been artificially homogenized, natural coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the heavier water component.

Good brands of coconut milk, therefore, will have thick cream floating on top of the can while the milk on the bottom will be much more watery. The cream usually coagulates in cool weather, or when refrigerated. Brands with milk that looks homogenized tend to have an artificial taste because of additives introduced to make the cream homogenize, or excess processing which changes the nature of the cream. My two preferred brands are Chao Koh in 14 oz. cans and Mae Ploy in 19 oz. cans. The latter is the richest and creamiest of brands I have tried; Chao Koh, while lighter, has a delicate, sweet natural flavor. Beware of look-alike cans of inferior brands. Both are carried by most Southeast Asian markets.

For recipes requiring coconut cream, do not shake the can before opening; spoon out the thick cream on top. On hot days, refrigerate the can so that the cream will harden and can be easily separated from the lighter milk.

I do not recommend canned "light coconut milk" – it has little flavor, if any at all. Usually, some kind of flour has been added to make it look thicker and whiter than it really is, although this is not made known in the listing of ingredients. Better results can be obtained by thinning a good-quality, creamy coconut milk with water or cooking liquids to the lightness desired. If you are concerned about the saturated fat content in coconut milk, know that this saturated fat has been shown in many independent studies to be a good saturated fat, easily metabolized to give your body quick energy. Contrary to popular myth, it does not transform into bad cholesterol to clog up arteries. In fact, cultures around the world that depend on coconut as their main source of fat have been found to be free of heart disease. The principle fatty acid in coconut milk is lauric acid, which is the same fat found in abundance in mother''''s milk and is known to promote normal brain development and contribute to healthy bones. It also has important anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties and is less likely to cause weight gain than polyunsaturated oils.

The potent anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial effects of coconut oil have implicated it in the treatment of both AIDS and candida. Whatever bad things you may have heard or read about coconut milk have not stood up to scrutiny by unbiased food scientists; however, the goodness of coconut milk has not been given equal press because of intensive lobbying against it by the powerful vegetable oil industry. Southeast Asians, meanwhile, have been staying healthy for generations with coconut an integral part of their diet.

Coconut milk should be refrigerated once the can is opened. It keeps for a couple of days to a week I do not recommend freezing coconut milk as this increases the likelihood of curdling when it is next used in cooking – unless you are just warming it through without boiling. Be careful not to buy sweetened coconut milk for Thai cooking. As for powdered coconut milk or the waxy, condensed blocks requiring dilution with water, I do not recommend them, unless you are going backpacking and just can''''t do without your Thai curry!

Coconut milk is the base of most Thai curries. Contrary to western ideas of working with cream, to make the curry sauce, coconut cream is first reduced over fairly high heat to break down the cream and allow the oil to separate. The curry paste is then added and fried in the coconut oil until all the herb and spice flavors are released and blended before the rest of the coconut milk is added to make the sauce. Finished Thai curries will have a thin layer of oil floating on top of the sauce. This oil picks up the color of the curries – bright red for red curry, glistening green for green curry, and so on – giving them a lovely appearance rather than a dull, whitish sameness. The color serves as a reminder of their true nature – spicy hot from red and green chillies and not creamy and bland.

Text Copyright © 2000 Kasma Loha-unchit in Dancing Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood. See pages 55 & 56.

Nothing compares with the flavor of fresh-pressed coconut milk. Though there are several brands of rather good canned coconut milk now available on the market, freshly pressed milk will have a fragrant, naturally sweet and delightfully nutty flavor lacking in the canned products. But finding a fully developed and reasonably fresh coconut in American markets is sometimes not as easy as it may seem. Many of those you see in supermarkets or Asian stores near your home are not quite old enough; they have been grown for the meat itself and harvested at a slightly earlier stage of maturity. Frequently, these coconuts are not very fresh, unless the store receives regular shipments each week.

Unlike nuts such as almonds and walnuts, coconuts are more delicate than most people realize and do not have a long shelf life, especially after the outer husks have been removed. The fibrous husks are nature''''s protective cushion and are integral parts of coconuts, but because of their bulkiness, they usually have been pulled off and discarded. If stores do carry coconuts with husks still on, they may have trouble selling them. The dried, brown husks of matured coconuts aren''''t particularly attractive, and how would consumers here figure out how to get inside of one? It seems difficult enough to deal with the hard shell.

Without the outer husks, the shells bang against each other in transport and often crack or develop leaks. The eyes on one end are also exposed and subject to puncture and air seepage or mold growing inward. Air and mold entering the coconut will make the rich meat spoil quickly. That''''s why when purchasing a coconut at the store, be careful to choose one that is still heavy with juice. Shake it and if it seems dry, chances are there is a crack or leak in the shell; or it may have sat on the shelf too long, the juice having all but evaporated through the eyes. Check the eyes, they shouldn''''t look dark or moldy. Though often sealed with wax to prevent leakage, this does not guarantee that leakage has not occurred.

When looking for a coconut to buy, search first for a batch whose overall appearance suggests freshness. If there are several that are moldy and cracked, try another store. From a fresh-looking batch, choose the best-looking one, and if you wish to be doubly sure, take home an extra as back-up. If the market carries more than one kind of coconuts, select from those with rich brown shells if you wish to press fresh milk. Inside, the thick flesh should be a pure white color; if it has started to yellow, it most probably is rancid. Besides the thickness of the flesh, you can usually tell whether a coconut is old enough to yield creamy milk by looking at a cross-section of the shell. A well-matured one would have developed a very hard, chocolate-brown inner shell; this is the shell that can be carved to make implements and decorative items.

Coconuts with lighter brown shells generally are not as fully matured; the meat is delicious as a snack in itself, or shredded to make fillings and toppings for snack foods, appetizers and desserts. Milk pressed from these coconuts may be less creamy than good brands of canned coconut milk but its flavor can be fresher and tastier if you happened to have chosen coconuts from a shipment just off the boat from Asia. And although this milk is not quite creamy enough for curries and certain kinds of desserts, it adds a fragrant nuttiness to coconut soups that makes them heavenly!
Text Copyright © 1995 Kasma Loha-unchit in It Rains Fishes: Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking. See pages 109 & 110.

Let's to do .. Fruit Cake

2007-10-06T21:51:00.000+07:00

INGREDIENTS

12 oz (320 g) sultanas
9 oz (280 g) currants
14 oz (400 g) glace cherries, halved
5 oz (150 g) raisins, chopped
2 T chopped glace ginger (optional)
4 T golden syrup
3 1/2 oz (9 oz) margarine
16 fl oz (500 ml) unsweetened orange juice
8 fl oz (250 ml) soya milk
8 oz (250 g) wholemeal plain flour
8 oz (250 g) wholemeal self-raising flour
2 t ground mixed spice (all spice)

METHOD
Combine the fruits, ginger, golden syrup, margarine and fruit juice in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the margarine has melted, then cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.
Add the soya milk and stir to mix. Pour the flours and spice into the bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour the cake mixture into a greased 9 1/2 x 6 inch (24 x 15 cm) rectangular cake tin lined with 3 layers of greaseproof paper and bake at 170C/325F for about 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool, in the tin, on a wire rack.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CREAMS

2007-10-06T21:47:00.000+07:00

CENTERS
1/4 a cup of blanched almonds, chopped fine,
1/2 a cup of fondant,
1/4 a teaspoonful of vanilla,
Confectioner''s sugar for kneading and shaping.
CHOCOLATE COATING
About 1 cup of fondant,
2 squares of Baker''s Chocolate,
1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract,
Few drops of water, as needed,
Halves of blanched almonds.

Mix the chopped almonds with the fondant and vanilla; add confectioner''s
sugar, a little at a time, and knead the mass thoroughly, on a marble or large
platter; shape into a long roll, then cut into small pieces of the same size.
Shape these into balls a generous half inch in diameter and leave them
about an hour to harden on the outside. Put the fondant for the coating and
the chocolate (shaved or broken in pieces) in a double boiler (with hot
water in the lower receptacle); add the vanilla and the water and heat until
melted; take out the spoon and put in a dipping fork (a wire fork costing
about ten cents) beat the fondant, to keep it from crusting and drop in a
"center;" with the fork cover it with fondant; put the fork under it and lift it
out, scrape the fork lightly on the edge of the dish, to remove superfluous
candy, turn the fork over and drop the bon−bon onto waxed paper. Make a
design with the fork in taking it from the candy. At once press half of a
blanched almond on the top of the candy, or the design made with the fork
will suffice. If at any time the coating be too thick, add a few drops of
water. If any be left over, use it to coat whole nuts or cherries.

CREDIT : www.foodandbakery.com

Crazzy .... Barbecue ..!

2007-10-06T21:31:00.000+07:00