Ok, I could wait a couple days to officially start this project in 2012, but I was inspired after cataloging all my cookbooks this morning, plus Thai food sounded good tonight, so here we are.
I am pretty sure that this cookbook, Thai Cooking step-by-step, came as part of a care package from our realtor after we closed on our house. I’m also pretty sure that I’ve never used it before.
I decided to try out two recipes from this cookbook for dinner tonight: Chicken and Galangal Soup as an appetizer, and Stir-Fried Chicken with Peanuts and Basil for entree.
Adaptations: I added about 4 oz sauteed mushrooms to the soup for body, used only 2 breasts of chicken instead of three, and used 1/3 cup less coconut milk, substituting broth (basically to avoid opening a second can). For the stir fry, I added in some leftover string beans, and added a splash of chicken broth to the veggie steaming step.
What I learned: Galangal is annoying to cook with. Even sliced thin and chopped, I still found the pieces of it in the soup annoying, and it’s harder to work with than ginger.
Recipe Results: The soup was okay. It has a nice flavor, but has a bit too much meat in it for an appetizer, and the recipe seems to be lacking something (maybe a bit of lime juice next time?). Still satisfying, just arguably not worth the calories. The stir fry is great! Nice, complex, savory flavor.
Cookbook Verdict: Not bad. Colorful and easy to use, and there are a few recipes that look appealing, particularly salads and appetizers. A good basic go-to for when you’re craving something Thai-flavored.
Recipes: See beyond the jump.
