Spicy Thai Cuisine

chilies and sugar in a large mortar or food processor and pound or process to a coarse paste. If using a processor, transfer the paste to a bowl.
3. Stir in lime juice and fish sauce. Taste the dressing for a balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet. If too hot or sour, add a bit more sugar. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce. Experiment a bit and see how the flavors evolve as you adjust each ingredient.
4. Add the tomatoes and half the beans. Pound gently with the mortar or a wooden spoon. The idea is not to crush the beans but to bruise them lightly so they absorb a bit of the dressing. Add the rest of the beans, stir, and pound a bit more.
5. Turn the salad out onto a serving plate or shallow bowl. Serve with sticky rice, jasmine rice or alone as an appetizer.

Gaeng Pa Neua Yang
Grilled Beef Curry Country-Style
by Matthew Amster-Burton
Serves 4

Paste:

• 9 dried red chiles, soaked
• 7 cloves garlic
• 5 shallots
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander root
• 5 tbsp slices lemongrass
• 7 slices galangal
• 1 tsp kaffir lime zest
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 2 cups sliced grilled or pan-fried beef
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 cup chopped eggplant
• 1 cup holy basil
• 1/2 cup sliced, seeded serrano pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded kaffir lime leaves
• 5 cups water

In a mortar and pestle, pound the paste ingredients except for the shrimp paste into, yes, a paste. Add the shrimp paste and continue pounding until smooth.
Heat 4 cups water in a saucepan and the other cup in a frying pan. Add the paste to the frying pan and stir until boiling and well mixed. Add beef, fish sauce, and sugar. Pour this mixture into the saucepan of hot water.
Add eggplant, serrano pepper, and lime leaves, turn into a bowl, and serve.

Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

• 1 lb. medium shrimp
• 2 sticks fresh or 2 tablespoon. dried lemongrass
• 4 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves
• or 1 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 qt chicken stock
• 1 tblsp fish sauce or salt to taste
• 3 tblsp fresh lime juice or to taste
• 1 tsp Thai chili paste(nam prik pow) or substitute 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp oil
• 15 oz. can straw mushrooms or 12 med. fresh mushrooms
• 3 fresh hot green chilies
• 3 tblsp cilantro

Wash, peel, de-vein shrimp. Save shells. Wash shrimp again, drain, pat dry, cover and refrigerate. If using fresh lemongrass, cut each stick into three 2 inch

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