Aside from some quick sauce and Perciatelli pasta, there were no “mercy” meals in my house over the weekend. Instead, I was able to devote a great deal of time to the next food article due at Savorys by Shenanchie in April – all about the food and culture of Thailand. I’ve been able to draw on some wonderful resources – numerous Internet sites and as well as books – and the piece is shaping up nicely. The only thing I find lacking is the scarcity of Thai clipart – food and images of daily life and tradition. As I still have two months to complete the article, hopefully I will come across more clipart sources.

 

Rice is an essential part of every day Thai life (breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts it seems), so I gleaned the following recipes from the Thai section of Seductions of Rice by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid:

 

Grilled Sticky Rice Balls

(khao neeo yang)

 

2 large eggs

1 TBS Thai fish sauce

½ tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. pepper

3 C freshly cooked sticky rice

 

Preheat the grill. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Add the fish sauce, sugar and pepper and whisk briefly to blend. Scoop up about ½ cup sticky rice and flatten it between your palms into a round or oval disk about 3” in diameter. Set aside and shape the remaining disks. Place the bowl of egg mixture near the grill. Dredge one disk through the egg mixture to coat, then place immediately on the grill. Repeat with the other shaped disks. Grill until lightly golden on one side, then use tongs to turn and cook the second side. Remove to a plate and serve at once. Tip: This recipe doubles easily to make more rice balls. Proportions are approximately one egg and 1½ teaspoons fish sauce per 1½ cups cooked rice.

 

There are various sauces that accompany the rice balls (including red curry, fish sauce with hot chilies and grilled chili salsa). The recipe below is another tasty dipping sauce:

 

Tangy Lime Sauce

2 TBS fresh lime juice

1 TBS Thai fish sauce

1 TBS soy sauce

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 TBS palm sugar (or substitute brown sugar)

2 TBS fresh coriander leaves, chopped

 

Place all of the ingredients except the coriander in a small bowl and mix well. If necessary, adjust the balance of lime juice, fish sauce, cayenne and sugar to taste. Mix in the coriander and serve. To store, remove the coriander leaves and pour into a sealed glass jar. The sauce will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.