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Sticky Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups long-grain sticky rice

Water for soaking and steaming

1. Put the raw sticky rice into a medium bowl and add enough water to cover it by 2 inches. Leave it to soak for at least 3 hours and as long as overnight.

2. Too cook, set up your steaming vessel. Bring about 4 inches of water to a vigorous boil over medium heat in the base of your steamer. Drain the rice well and transfer it to the steaming basket. Secure the basket of rice above, but not touching the steaming water, and let it cook in a steady flow of steam for 30 to 40 minutes, checking the water level now and then and replenishing if needed.

When the rice plumps up, glistens and changes color from bright white to translucent ivory, test it by pinching up a small mouthful, rolling it into a ball, and eating it. If it's tender and chewy, it's ready.

3. Turn the cooked sticky rice out onto a cutting board or tray at once and spread it out into a fairly even layer to release steam and cool a bit, 3 - 4 minutes. Then gather the arm rice into a large mound and transfer to a serving plate. To hold it for longer than 20 minutes, cover it with a kitchen towel to help keep it moist. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Makes 4 1/4 cups.

Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

2 cups water

1. Measure the rice into a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover the grains. Swirl the grains with your hand, drain well, and do the same thing two more times. Drain well.

2. Add the measured 2 cups water to the rice in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Let rice boil gently until the water level drops below the level of the rice, so that it looks dry. Stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes, and then let the stand. covered, 10 minutes more. Fluff gently, and then serve hot or warm. Makes 5 cups of rice.

Shrimp Fried Rice with Pineapple

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained, or 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the rice by crumbling with your fingers, breaking up the bigger lumps, set aside in a bowl.

2. Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil, and when a bit of garlic sizzles at once, add the garlic and onion, tossing well until shiny and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook, tossing now and then, until the onion begins to wilt and the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice, fish sauce, sugar, and toss well. Add the pineapple, green onions and cook about 2 minutes more, tossing often, until the rice is tender and heated through. Mound the rice on a serving platter and serve hot or warm. Serves 4.

Thai Fried Rice

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice, chilled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 lb. boneless pork or chicken, thinly sliced into 2 inch strips

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise

Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Accompaniments (optional)

Cucumber slices

1 lime, quartered lengthwise

Fish sauce seasoned with chopped fresh hot chilies or ground red chilies

1. Prepare the rice by crumbling with your fingers, breaking up the bigger lumps, set aside in a bowl.

2. Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil, and when a bit of garlic sizzles at once, add the garlic and onion, tossing well until shiny and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pork and cook, tossing often, until the onion begins to wilt and the meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the beaten egg, and toss well to scramble it once it begins to set.

3. Add the rice, fish sauce, sugar, green onions and cook, tossing often, until the rice is tender and heated through. Mound the rice on a serving platter and garnish with the cilantro, and if desired, the cucumber slices and wedges of lime to squeeze over each serving. Accompany with small bowls of fish sauce with chopped chilies, and serve hot or warm. Serves 4.

Paht Thai Noodles

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. dried rice noodles, linguine or fettuccine width

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic, coarsely chopped

8 to 10 medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

1/4 lb. boneless chicken or pork, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2teaspoon dried red chili flakes or chili powder

1/4 cup water or chicken broth, to prevent noodles from sticking

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 green onions, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 lime wedges

1. To prepare the dried rice noodles, bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and remove from heat. Let the noodles steep 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well in cold water. Transfer the drained rice noodles to a medium bowl and place it by the stove, along with a serving platter, a pair of long-handled tongs or a spatula, and a slotted spoon for tossing the noodles. Have all the remaining ingredients ready and handy.

2. In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until a bit of garlic sizzles at once. Add the garlic, toss well, and then add the shrimp and chicken. Cook about 2 minutes, tossing now and then, until shrimp and meat are cooked through.

3. Add the noodles and toss as they begin to soften, whiten, and curl in the hot pan. Add the fish sauce soy sauce, sugar, chili flakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then. Add a splash or two of the water to prevent sticking.

4. When the noodles are tender, push them to one side and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the egg, and once it is almost set, scramble it and push it aside. Add the green onions and 1 cup of the bean sprouts and cook about 1 minute, tossing once or twice, until shiny and beginning to wilt.

5. Sprinkle the peanuts and lime juice over the noodles and then toss to mix everything well. Mound the noodles on a serving platter, arrange the remaining cup of bean sprouts and the lime wedges on the side, and serve hot. Serves 2 to 4.

Rice Noodle with Lettuce and Ground Beef Gravy

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. dried rice noodles, linguine or fettuccine width

5 large leaves of lettuce, or 3 to 4 cups mixed salad greens

5 roma (plum) tomatoes, or 12 cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or soy sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed to prevent noodles from sticking

1 tablespoon garlic, coarsely chopped

3/4 lb. ground beef

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water (a slurry)

1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

2. Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. Stem and quarter plum tomatoes or half cherry tomatoes, mound on platter to one side, and place platter by stove.

3. In a large, deep skillet or a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium heat and add the rice noodles. Toss and stir the noodles, and add the soy sauce when they begin to curl, shine, and turn from ivory to bright white. Cook 2 to3 minutes more, tossing and stirring often, until the noodles are tender. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed to keep them cooking without sticking. Pile the hot noodles on the lettuce-lined serving platter and set aside.

4. Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan along with the garlic and cook 1 minute over medium-high heat. rumble in the ground beef and stir well as it begins to brown. Stir in the fish sauce, curry powder, sugar, chicken broth and let the sauce come to boil.

5. Stir in the cornstarch mixture well and then scrape it into the skillet. Cook, tossing often, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes more. Pour the meat sauce over the warm noodles, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve hot. Serves 4.