To me, Thai cooking is like a form of meditation. By remaining focused and calm while I prepare the ingredients and then perform the cooking, I not only relax and enjoy myself, but I also accomplish my goal of serving a perfect meal.

Growing up in the Northeast of Thailand, it was customary for a young girl to help her mother around the home. My mother, being an excellent cook, served wonderful meals to her family. I became fascinated watching her in the kitchen and I soon started learning to cook like my mother. As I grew older and had my own family, I began to experiment and developed my own style of preparing meals.

After immigrating to the USA from Thailand, more than five years ago, l immediately went to Thai restaurants to find the style of food that I used to love. While the food served in the Thai restaurants was good, it simply was not like the original home style of cooking that I so desperately wanted. It became readily apparent that the only way for me to enjoy Thai food was for me to cook it myself.

Many of the vegetables and other ingredients I used in Thailand are unavailable in the USA, even in Asian grocery stores. Therefore, I had to adapt my recipes so that I could use the products that are available locally. I also realized from eating in various Thai restaurants that the menus were designed to cater to Western tastes. Just as food served in China is far different than Chinese food served here, the food in Thailand is quite different than that served in Thai restaurants.

In order to satisfy my American husband and guests at my home, I had to come up with new recipes that please them, as well as please me. After much experimentation, I have come up with recipes that are both delicious and relatively easy to make. The important thing is to use enough spice to enhance the food, but not enough to upset the stomach, and use a variety of vegetables, including garlic and onions. Rice is served with most dishes, and there are two types of rice to consider. Most people use steamed rice, called “khao-jao” in Thai, but I prefer to use sticky rice, called “khao-niao”. Sticky rice is eaten with your hands and can be pressed in the palm of your hand to form a ball or other shape. It is dipped into the food and then eaten.

Instead of rice, some Thai recipes use noodles. A favorite among Americans is Pad Thai. Different types of noodles are used among the various recipes and you can use the type of noodles that you like best.

The ingredients in my recipes can be found in many large Asian grocery stores, as well as in grocery stores that specialize in Thai food. In addition, seeds for Thai vegetables grow well here during the summer months. I hope you enjoy my recipes. Please come back often as I will be adding new recipes on a regular basis.