David thompson chef pdf reader
Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions
Thai Street Food transports readers straight into the bustling heart of Thailand’s colorful street stalls and markets--from the predawn rounds of monks fanning out along the aisles to the made-to-order stalls ablaze in neon and jammed with hungry locals after dark. Featuring nearly 100 authentic dishes plus lavish photography accompanying every recipe, this stunning cookbook is the definitive guide to Thailand’s culinary street culture. The recipes, such as Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime Sauce, Pork Satay, Roast Duck and Egg Noodle Soup, and Sweet Banana Roti illuminate the beguiling world of food so integral to the Thais.
Scholar and chef David Thompson lives with a singular passion for Thailand’s customs, culture, and people. Although he claims “It’s all about the food,” this ambitious work shares his insights into the rhythms and nuances of Thai daily life along with a fascinating history of its richly diverse street cuisine. This cookbook is a tempting, inspiring, and authoritative account of Thai street food, the vibrant culinary mosaic rich with community.
Thai Food
Working alongside cooks who had perfected their craft in the Thai royal palaces, he began to document the traditional recipes and culinary techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation - before they were eroded, altered and modernised beyond all recognition. The result is Thai Food, the most comprehensive account of this ancient and exotic cuisine ever published in English.
David Thompson writes with passion and conviction about a unique style of cooking that he believes to be one of the world's greatest cuisines. Complemented by Earl Carter's superb photography, Thai Foodcaptures all aspects of this diverse culinary culture.
The Open Kitchen
There is a not-too-distant parallel universe where I’m in Thailand right now.
Several of my family members are currently travelling around south-east Asia, and though I was invited to join the adventures, in the end logistics and costs conspired against my own trip. Which means I’m not currently eating som tam and kao phad on a beach, toes being kissed by the Andaman Sea: I’m nesting in the warm embrace of home in the east of England. This is no bad thing, of course, but – January, you know. And it was with this slightly bitter sweet (and sour and salty) information in the back of my mind that I picked David Thompson’s detailed masterwork Thai Food to kick off my year of eating from a different cookbook each week of 2023.
Thompson’s epic tome is not for those who merely dabble. It requires commitment. It offers a richly detailed gastronomic and socio-cultural history of Thailand, and that’s before the exhaustive section on ingredients, methods and techniques. Recipes don’t feature until well into the second third of the book. Ingredients lists are exhaustive, methodologies precise and complex. Someone suggested to me on Instagram that we’d need at least two days for any recipe we chose: one for cooking, but one in advance just to track down the ingredients. This was only partly in jest. Shop-bought curry pastes were not an option.
In my Hole in the Wall days I used to crave Thai food more than anything else, particularly on a Sunday evening when my working week ended with cooking around a hundred portions of roast lunch - and while I still adore the slap and bang assault of acidity, sweetness and heat, the coldest, darkest days of the year called for something slightly more warming.
Mussaman isn’t merely a curry, it’s a project: ‘the most complex and time-consuming Thai curry to make,’ explains Thompson (Thai Food, p. 329). Apparently that’s not quite enough warning, so he goes on to explain that the included version of the rec Staples of Thai Cuisine - Rice, Noodles, and Curries In Thai cuisine, rice holds an unparalleled place of importance, serving as the cornerstone of virtually every meal. The ubiquitous presence of rice cannot be overstated, as it is integral not just as a main dish but also as an accompanying element that binds other components of the meal together. There are several varieties of rice that are commonly used in Thai cooking, each bringing its unique texture and flavor to the table. Jasmine rice, known for its aromatic fragrance and soft, moist texture, is a staple in central Thai cuisine. Sticky rice, on the other hand, is preferred in the North and Northeast regions. This glutinous rice is typically steamed and often paired with grilled meats or spicy salads, creating a delightful contrast of flavors and textures. Parallel to rice in importance are Thai noodles, which come in a variety of forms, each with its own regional specialties. Noodle dishes in Thailand are diverse, ranging from the famous pad thai to the comforting bowls of pad see ew. Pad thai itself is a harmony of tastes and textures, featuring stir-fried rice noodles combined with a luscious mixture of tamarind paste, fish sauce, eggs, tofu, and shrimp, all garnished with crushed peanuts and fresh lime. Another favorite is boat noodle soup (kuay tiew rua), hailing from the canals of Bangkok, which is a richly flavored broth-based dish, often made with either beef or pork, and flavored with a blend of spices and herbs that makes it uniquely savory. Thai curries, known for their vibrant colors and robust flavors, represent another pillar of the cuisine. Each type of curry is a reflection of the intricate balance of ingredients and techniques used to prepare them. Green curry (kaeng khiao wan), perhaps the most well-known outside of Thailand, is made with green chilies and coconut milk, creating a rich and aromatic dish that perfectly complements its balance of sweetness and heat. Red curry (kaeng phet),