Red, Yellow and Green Thai Curry Pastes

For many years, I made very large quantities of  green, yellow and red Thai curry paste at Christmas time to give as gifts (and also to stock my freezer).  A few years ago my friend Kerthy helped me roast and grind all of the ingredients and half way through the process we could barely speak or…

Tofu Salad with Mint and Toasted Rice Powder

Many of the Thai dishes that I have learned to cook are part of my attempt to recreate restaurant dishes that I like.  This recipe is different. It is from a very creative and inspiring cookbook called True Thai, The Modern Art of Thai Cooking by Victor Sodsook. I do not think that I have ever…

Green Vegetables in Yellow Bean Garlic Sauce

You may not realize that you have eaten yellow-bean garlic sauce, but if you have ordered long beans or water spinach at a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant in an attempt to counteract the quantity of coconut milk curry and fried spring roles that will be consuming…chances are you have had this sauce.  It’s a very…

Cabbage Slaw with Mango, Peanuts, Mint and Pungent Lime Dressing

A couple of summers back, we spent a glamourous weekend celebrating a friend’s birthday at a farm-house in the Catskills.  Everyone in this particular circle of friends happens to cook amazing food.  There was fresh-baked bread, Tomato Pie, chickpea and butternut squash salad with tahini dressing, fava bean salad, smoked salmon hash with fresh herbs…

Miso Soup With Everything

It seems like I’ve been narrowly skirting around illness for weeks now. The thought of miso soup sounded like an excellent idea and I pulled my usual trick of investigating what was hanging out in the fridge and pantry…

Cheap and elegant thrills- three ways to steam mussels

I love mussels.  To me, they are just as delicious as oysters but they are WAY cheaper.  Also, as shellfish goes, they are stupid simple to prepare.  Also,  from what I have read, it is actually possible to farm mussels without destroying the environment.  Also, mussels are full of vitamins and iron. Woo hoo! Below…

Salad Rolls

When I was a pre-teen visiting my family in Vancouver, I liked to visit the food at Granville Island.  This goes to show that my idea of a good time has not changed all that much in 25 years.  I still go to look at food markets in whatever city I visit.  ANYWAY at twelve…

Improvise Stir Fry!

You know, everyone who I consider my tribe here in Vancouver–and I’m talkin’ my extended circle of friends and acquaintances–make stir fries. It’s my regional cuisine, and it’s a way of life. Why is this? The deep-rooted Chinese influence on the city? The chronically lingering hippy culture? Maybe it’s the fact that stir fries are…