[thechat] Recipe: Tom Yam Gai (Thai Hot n' Sour soup)

[Madhu Menon]

Hi Norm.

Thanks for detailed explanation. It was interesting reading. I found out
about ol' Jamie only after reading so much about him on the Net. He sounds
about my age too.

>Organic stock cubes so no MSG (and supposedly no GM materials either).  The
>recipe I use is very similar to yours, although it doesn't use the Galangal,
>Nam Prik Pao, Onions or Mushrooms, and the lemon juice is replaced with

No MSG. Goodie! in 14 years, I've not used MSG once, though restaurants add
it in large quantities.
The galangal is a secondary act in Tom Yum (but primary flavour in Tom
Kha), but it adds an excellent flavour. Onions are optional, as are
mushrooms (they're not there for the soup's flavour), but Nam Prik Pao...
well, don't wimp out. Throw in the chilli, man! Get a jar for yourself and
you can use it as a dip for chips/crisps too. It comes in various
strengths. Get either Hot or Medium, but mild is pointless.


>You got me wondering about how different our tastes are likely to be.  I

I don't like Haggis. Sorry, too "exotic" for me. :D
No offence intended to the Scots here.


>know that our 'Indian' food is supposed to be very different to authenticate
>Indian cooking,

If there is such a singular thing as "Indian cooking". The 27 states here
all have very distinctive cuisines, some totally different from what you're
used to. What usually passes for "Indian food" there is Punjabi and Mughlai
food.

Of course, then are the hopelessly un-Indian chicken vindaloo, Balti, etc.

What amazes me is that CTM (Chicken Tikka Masala) got created in the UK and
then got re-exported to India, where it now appears on many Indian
restaurant menus. Crazy, what?


>but I wonder if we have that different a palate to others
>cultures.  Infact thinking about it, somehow our isles are home to deep
>fried mars bars so something must have gone wrong somewhere :)

Deep-fried Mars Bars? I have been trying to imagine that but my mind
refuses to entertain the concept. Maybe my arteries are sending too strong
a blocking signal. :o


>old style cook, personified by Deliah Smith.  They tend to be very specific
>about amounts, stages etc.

Naah, doesn't sound like me. I'm an "improvise with what you've got" kind
of chef. If basil isn't there, I'll use mint. If I can't get sweet soy
sauce, I'll add a pinch of sugar to dark soy sauce. Of course, there are
some things whose taste can't be substituted - Lemon grass, shrimp paste, etc.


>The second is the new wave, unfortunately
>personified by Jamie Oliver.  They tend to be less concerned about weights
>and measurements etc, rather it's about understanding that cooking is a
>individual thing and that people should cook to their own tastes.

Totally agree. I cook to suit my own tastes. Heck, recipes are only a
guide. Blind adherence will not make you a good cook. You have to
understand what happens in the pot. That's why I find it hard to write down
recipes for thechat. I have to think long about exactly how much of [xyz] I
used.
Here's a good article on that:
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/taste.html


>I use the word "unfortunately" with Jamie Oliver because throughout his rise
>to fame (and fortune) he's come across as a horrible mockney (fake Cockney)
>tw at t.

Why the "tw at t"? Is he arrogant? Otherwise annoying? More importantly, how
is his food?

>Hmmm a bit rambly that, must be the snow affecting my brain

No, no, it makes a good change from anime. :p

Madhu

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Madhu Menon
Internet User Experience Consultant
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