Thai

Pad Pak Khana This vegetable is more about leaves and stalks than its namesake cousin. It also has a sweeter flavor and juicier stems. All those green buds eventually blossom into white flowers, so when you're at the market, be sure to look for those with only a few open flowers — and the thinner the stalk, the better. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Hor Neung Pla Duk Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 21/4 hr

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Thai cooking frequently makes use of the roots of cilantro; their flavor is more pronounced than that of the leaves.

Yam Taeng Kwa Dried shrimp are an acquired taste; they have a very strong fish flavor. But this salad is wonderfully refreshing even without the shrimp. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

These powerfully seasoned chicken breasts grill up smoky and moist. Serve with minted iced tea and Asian beers. For dessert, offer mango sorbet with pineapple.

Serve this Thai-style dressing over chilled pasta or mixed raw vegetables.

(Chicken Stir-Fry with Holy Basil) Two of the common types of basil used in Thailand are now available in North America. Bai horapha tastes like a good strong Italian sweet basil and can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets, usually sold as Asian basil or Thai basil. The basil traditionally used in this recipes is bai gaprow, or holy basil which can be harder to find because of its shorter shelf life. Holy basil hasn't much taste when raw, but when cooked it becomes strong and distinctive. Asian basil makes a very good substitute, though it can't be cooked as long or it will lose flavor.

Green onions make all the difference in this new take on a popular Thai soup.

Matt McMillan, Big Bowl's executive chef, threw together these items for his lunch one day. We ran it as a special the next week. It's simple and delicious.

(Grilled Beef Salad) The following grilled beef salad has as many versions as there are cooks in Thailand. The success of the dish depends upon starting with good-quality tenderloin and achieving a balance of hot, sour, and salty. Before serving, be sure to sample the salad and adjust the amount of chili, lime, fish sauce — and, if desired, sugar — to your taste.

Grilled rib eyes are sliced and tossed with mint, lemongrass, chili, and lime juice, then served atop a marinated cabbage mixture in this main-course salad.

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101031"Thai Curry Penne with Ginger-Tomato Chutney</epi:recipeLink>.

Curry dishes are usually served over rice, but pasta is a delicious change.

(Thai Jasmine Rice) In Thailand, jasmine rice is nearly always cooked with just enough water to first boil and then steam the rice, and without salt or oil. Jasmine rice from Thailand is preferable, but you can substitute long-grain aromatic rice grown in the U.S.. As the rice cooks, it fills the house with its scent and the promise of good food to come. Those who have a rice cooker should measure the rice, wash it well, and cook it according to the manufacturer's instructions. If there are no water-to-rice proportions marked on your rice cooker, use the measurements set out in the recipe. This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Beef Salad , Thai Eggplant Salad and Chicken Stir-Fry with Holy Basil .

Spoon this over rice noodles or linguine, and have a crisp coleslaw of bean sprouts, shredded cabbage and slivered red bell pepper alongside. To finish, drizzle white rum over fresh pineapple and banana chunks. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Accompany the curry with rice, broccoli and a variety of condiments like peanuts, chopped green onions, chutney, raisins and chopped bell pepper.

Based on the classic Thai dish called larb, this pretty appetizer is easy to put together.