Books for Cooks
Barbara Burke
"From Bangkok to Bali
in 30 Minutes"
Theresa Volpe Laursen
and Byron Laursen
(The Harvard Common Press,
2003, paperback, $14.95)
Thai cooking,
made simpleTHIS cookbook was conceived in Philadelphia when a young and somewhat harried-looking woman approached the authors when they were on a promotional tour for their first cookbook, "True Thai."
"I'll buy your book," the woman said, "if you can show me three easy recipes I can make for a dinner party tomorrow, without any fancy ingredients that my kids will like, too." The authors instantly replied, "Coconut Rice, Bangkok-Style Barbecued Chicken, and Sweet-and-Spicy Dipping Sauce." Sold!
Authors Theresa and Byron Laursen started thinking. Who wouldn't like a great selection of simple-to-prepare recipes that deliver the fresh, seductive flavors of tropical Asia? "From Bangkok to Bali in 30 Minutes" was their response, with 175 recipes that can be prepared in a flash. Even when a dish requires extra time to marinate or roast, the active time for the cook is kept to a minimum.
You will find a wide range of dishes such as Burmese-Style Red Lentil Soup, Cambodian Steamed Mussels with Pineapple and Thai Basil, and Fiery Balinese Stir-Fried Pork with Sweet Soy and Ginger.
From star fruit to yard-long beans to Thai sweet basil, the pantry ingredients you need to make these Asian recipes are widely available in Hawaii.
There are no photographs in the cookbook to guide you, but the directions and presentation suggestions are well written and easy to follow.
A nontraditional but thoroughly delicious way to serve the following Thai-inspired salad is to chill the vegetables after grilling them. It will enhance their smoky-sweet flavors and sharpen their contrast with the chile-spiced dressing.
Grilled Eggplant Salad with Cilantro-Chile Vinaigrette
12 plump cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 medium eggplants, unpeeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 large red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup loosely packed torn fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed torn fresh Thai, sweet, or purple basil leaves>> Cilantro-Chile Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, including stems
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped serrano chilesCombine vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl and mix in tomatoes. Let stand while you complete the salad.
Preheat an outdoor grill, or preheat a grill pan for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Brush the rack or pan with oil. Then brush or mist the eggplant and onion slices on both sides with a little vegetable oil and season with salt. Grill until done, about 5 minutes on each side. The eggplant slices should be cooked through but still retain their shape. The onion slices should be tender but still retain their shape.
Arrange vegetables on a serving platter, alternating the eggplant and onion slices so that they overlap and the eggplant slices fan out. Cover with plastic wrap and chill, if desired.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to lift tomatoes out of the dressing and scatter them over the salad. Pour on dressing, shower herbs on top and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional information per serving (using 1 tablespoon canola oil): 100 calories, 3 g total fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 3 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 340 mg sodium.
Rating Scale: Best in its class /
Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com
