You do need access to a few key ingredients, but lucky for us Chicagoans, we have (at least) 2 great neighborhoods to track these things down: Argyle for north-siders, Chinatown for south-siders.

My first taste of this surprising taste combo was in Paris of all places. Generally on any trip you grow a bit tired of the local food (did I really just say that?). Actually for me it’s more like I can only go so long without Thai food. So in the shadow of the Eiffel tower, with a little dog under the table next to me, I ordered “Roast Duck Red Curry” and tried this famous dish that hails from the days of Imperial Courts in Bangkok. The pineapple perfectly complements the sweetness in the duck (from a Chinese five- spice and molasses preparation). Small grape tomatoes add a surprising pop of acidity, and eggplant adds a touch of silkiness. You get heat from the red curry paste, and of course a touch of sweet from the rich coconut milk and palm sugar.

This dish involves minimal cooking as you buy the duck already roasted. My favorite place to get roast duck is from family- run Sun Wah BBQ (a regular stop on my Argyle tour, famous for their Beijing style roast duck). They have a take-out kitchen in their restaurant where you can order roast duck, have the guys chop it up for you, and you’re on your way in under five minutes. At home you may wish to pull the pieces off the bone, but for the love of God, keep the skin on! This is where the delicious flavors from the multi-step brining/marinating/drying/roasting process are at their best. You should still have your diners watch out for little bone pieces, even if you de-bone, as a few pieces may still hang on. And for those of us too lazy to de-bone, take heart; in Thailand they would leave the pieces on the bone and serve as-is.

Roast ducks at Sun Wah BBQ

The one ingredient you may have trouble finding is kaffir lime leaves. You can omit them if you can’t find them. But they do add that haunting citrus flavor so unique to curries like this one and Panang. I usually have luck getting them at Tai Nam Market on Broadway. Sometimes you have to ask the friendly guys in back for a pack, and sometimes they are out. For the hard-core, get yourself a dwarf tree from Four Winds Growers and grow your own at home. They like our summers and you can keep them over winter in a sunny spot indoors. This way you have your own steady supply for Tom Kha Kai (chicken and coconut milk soup) and curries. A few years ago, Kaffir lime leaves were banned from import into this country for years and were impossible to find. During this time I went through withdrawal symptoms and bought two trees that are now thriving.

Kaffir lime leaves and ingredients for curry

From a technique standpoint there are two things to think about in making this dish. I think the best curries start off with gently frying the curry paste. The traditional method is to “crack” some coconut cream and fry the paste in the oil that naturally separates when you heat coconut cream for a while. But many canned coconut milks will not separate and leave you with the oil to do this. So I usually start my curries with a little coconut oil or vegetable oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, say 1-2 tablespoons) and gently fry the paste. This “wakens up” all the flavors in the paste and also gives a beautiful sheen and color to the finished curry.

The other technique point to keep in mind is seasoning. Cooking to taste is very important with Thai cooking and you want to achieve a harmony with the flavors by balancing sweet, spicy, sour and salty. In this dish, spicy and sweet are the prominent flavors, and of course it’s important to have the right depth of flavor and saltiness from the fish sauce. Students often ask me how they’ll know when there’s enough salt/fish sauce and I generally say if you taste it and feel that “humph, something’s missing” feeling, it usually means you need a dash of fish sauce or pinch of salt. The fish sauce gives the dish backbone and depth of flavor. It should not taste fishy. The level of sweetness is often personal preference, but this dish does lean on the sweet side because of the duck and pineapple. You can always add a touch more palm sugar if you like it a bit more sweet.

This dish is great with steamed jasmine rice and a simple cucumber salad.

Roast Duck Red Curry

Roast Duck Red Curry
Recipe from Rebecca Wheeler
Serves 4

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or light flavored vegetable cooking oil, such as Grapeseed (not olive oil)
3 tablespoons red curry paste, more if you want the dish spicier (I like Mae Ploy)
2 ½ cups coconut milk (I like Chaokoh)
1 tablespoon palm sugar (you can substitute light brown sugar, but use a bit less)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (add to taste) (I like Tiparos)
½ Chinese roasted duck, de-boned and cut into bite size chunks
15 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half if large
1 cup Japanese, Chinese or Thai eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces or fresh sweet peas
1/2 cup large dice fresh pineapple
1 cup bamboo shoots
10 fresh kaffir lime leaves, half torn into pieces, half thinly sliced for garnish
Handful Thai basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Pre-heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and, when hot, add the red curry paste. Stir-fry gently in the oil to release all the aromas, 2-3 minutes. Take care not to burn the paste!

Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Season the curry sauce with the fish sauce, salt and palm sugar. Taste and adjust as necessary. The sauce should be slightly sweet and have enough saltiness to push all the flavors forward.

Add the torn kaffir lime leaves and eggplant a simmer a few minutes until the eggplant is tender (if using sweet peas instead, don’t add until the last minute). Add the duck and stir well. Add the tomatoes, pineapple, and bring to a simmer for a few minutes to heat through and bring the tomatoes close to bursting. Serve garnished with kaffir lime slices, and Thai basil leaves if using.

When I visited Kerala, India last fall, everywhere we went there were casual restaurants simply called “Hotels” (which rather confused me).  Hotels are typically vegetarian places where you can eat an abundance of rice, sambar, chutney and vegetable dishes; all scooped out at your whim by a passing server. You eat with your hands from a Thali, a stainless serving tray with small dishes to accommodate the many vegetable offerings. Sambar is often poured over rice and eaten as a kind of stew, but at home I like to eat is as a soup. Either way, you can’t go wrong, and leftovers freeze quite well so I always make extra.

Attempting to eat the traditional way, with fingertips

The vegetables in Sambar can vary to your liking. Onions, radish, peppers, potatoes, okra, tomatoes, and eggplant are but a few options. This recipe is adapted from Julie Sahni, who taught me much of what I know about Indian Cooking. I highly recommend her books as a place to learn more.

Typical restaurant for "meals"

Sambar
Curried lentil and vegetable stew
Recipe adapted from Julie Sahni 
Serves 4
 
For lentils:
3/4 cup raw lentils (yellow or toor dal or pink lentils)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder (I like the “Sweet Curry” powder from The Spice House)
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups sliced mixed vegetables (Japanese eggplant, radish, green pepper, and zucchini are my favorites)
1-3 tablespoons lime juice, to taste
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

For spice infused “tarka”:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as Grapeseed oil
2 red dry chile pods, broken into bits, seeds discarded
¾ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
¼ teaspoon asafetida
6 kari leaves, fresh or dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon ghee or butter

Pick the lentils clean, rinse until the water runs clear, and drain. Add the lentils to a deep saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 3 cups of water and turmeric and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the lentils are soft, tasting to ensure they have softened entirely (about 20 minutes for pink lentils and 45 for yellow or toor dal). Check and add more water while cooking if necessary. Use a whisk or spoon to break apart and puree the lentils. The cooked lentil puree should have the consistency of bean soup.

Add the curry powder, coriander, onion, tomato and sliced vegetables. Mix well and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add a little water if the evaporation is too fast. Stir in the salt. Keep the sambar gently simmering while you make the spice infused tarka.

Heat the oil in a heavy, small saute pan over medium-high heat. Keep a lid handy. When the oil is very hot add the chile bits and mustard seeds and immediately cover the pan (the chile bits will turn dark, this is OK). When the sputtering subsides, turn off the heat and uncover the pan. Carefully stir in the fenugreek, asafetida, and kari leaves and pour over the lentils and vegetables. Add the cilantro, lime juice and ghee or butter, mix well and taste for salt and sour, adjusting with more lime juice and salt as necessary. Serve hot, with rice if desired.

But I do firmly believe there is a middle-ground. As parents we are all in different places on a spectrum of the amount of sugar we feel is acceptable for our kids. I know many of us would like to reduce it: for our kids, ourselves or the whole family. But let’s face it-the cards are stacked against us. Sugar is the most insidious, ubiquitous food-like substance to sneak in our diets at every turn. Depending on where you are on that imaginary parenting spectrum, you may find that lots of sugar is being eaten outside of the home: birthday parties, donuts at soccer matches, trading food at school. Unless you are willing to closely police events and your child’s every move outside of the home, the best strategy is to control what happens inside the home.

In light of that, here are a few practical tips for reducing the sugar load at home.

• Have set dessert nights. If your kids love sugar, you may find nagging to be a problem. Having set dessert nights allows you to plead the 5th, “Oh, sorry honey, dessert night is Wednesday, not tonight. Help yourself to an apple”. You can choose how many nights a week you are comfortable with. We go for three, Mon-Wed-Fri. If you’re a baker, make one of your dessert nights a night when you (maybe including the kids) can bake. My Dad tells me that my grandmother baked every Sunday. Rituals like that are especially comforting for young children, I think, and of course the memories last for years.

• Have easy, go-to desserts, either for dessert nights or treats at home you feel OK about. Here are our standbys:

o Chocolate “fondue”. Couldn’t be simpler. Melt chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips) with a little cream (microwave is fine) to make a dipping sauce your kids will love. My quickest go-to dessert is some of this simple chocolate sauce with strawberries for dipping;  each child get their own little ramekin. For a special occasion, we bump it up a notch and have a variety of dippers like apples, berries, pretzels, waffle pieces, biscotti…you get the idea. Add in a roaring fire and you have a great winter night’s treat. If you like to have some guidelines for measurements, here’s a nice recipe from Eating Well.

o Whipped cream with berries. I don’t sweeten my whipped cream, as it’s naturally already quite sweet (see “train their taste buds” below). To me, nothing quite beats this “dessert”. If fat scares you, please keep in mind that kids need plenty of fat: our brains are 40% cholesterol and fatty acids coat and protect our neurons. It’s important to eat the right kinds of fats (more on this in a future post), and cream from pastured cows is a good one. Organic Valley cream is a good choice, and many farmer’s markets now have some great dairy options, like Kilgus. If you love a fancy gadget like I do, you may want to check out this super-fun whip creamer. I use mine to play barista at home, for the super-quick berries with whipped cream dessert, or any time I need whipped cream.

o Fruit based desserts. This could be a quick apple or pear crisp, a baked apple, a tropical fruit salad, or something as simple as apple slices simmered with cinnamon in a little water (astonishingly good and simple).

o Popsicles. You can make your own, in under 10 minutes, with this cool little gadget. The fun factor is high for this one-the kids love it, and there are tons of options for flavors, types etc. There are many other, simpler popsicle trays on the market as well. Or just keep some store-bought popsicles (all fruit-look at sugar content and label carefully) in the freezer.

• Train their taste buds. Depending on the age of your kids, you can either start with less as they grow, or you may need to wean them down. A few examples:

Start 'em young

o Start and stay with dark chocolate: for eating, for sauces, frostings etc. I never buy milk chocolate (exception: s’mores), so our kids are accustomed to dark chocolate and will happily eat 70% cacao dark chocolate sauce. For kids used to sweeter chocolate, slowly start introducing less sweet chocolate. You can move from milk to semisweet to bittersweet gradually. Dark chocolate not only has less sugar, but more beneficial nutrients. It’s the only “sweets” I keep around-a big glass jar filled with bars of the stuff.

o Skip flavored yogurt and sweeten your own at home. Flavored yogurts are a big hit in lunches but a huge source of hidden sugar. You can save on sugar, money, and those little throw-away tubs by buying big tubs of plain yogurt and sweetening at home with raw honey or maple syrup; as little as you can get away with. Other sweetening options are: some good jam, preserves, applesauce, or fruit puree. Whole milk yogurt is best for growing kiddos.

o Skip commercially made chocolate milk and mix it up at home, using the least amount of syrup to get a nice chocolatey taste. Ditto for hot chocolate.

o Try reducing amounts of sugar in your favorite recipes, or using more natural sugars like honey and maple syrup. This takes experimenting, but many desserts are overly sweet and still taste great, or even better, with less sugar. Pastry chefs know this well and great restaurant desserts are not overly sweet and always have a hint of salt for balance.

Finally, watch out for those crazy portions. If a Starbucks muffin is too big for us, it’s way too big for kids. We get so conditioned to the norm that it’s hard to always remember we are helping them develop habits for life. Don’t be afraid to cut muffins, cookies or brownies into appropriate sizes. It drives me crazy when you go to an ice cream store and there’s no kiddie size cone, or worse, the “single scoop” is actually two. Sabotage! Luckily, if you are a baker, there are lots of great muffin pans and baking supplies that have appropriate sizes for baking cupcakes, muffins, etc. Make sure you mini size it for your mini kids. If you start this early and practice it often, they won’t even notice any difference. Bottom line: cookies should not be the size of our heads.

After spending a couple winters miserably sick from December to April, I decided I needed to have a winter plan. Aside from eating well, exercise, a happy light, and some immune boosting herbs, I have found that it’s crucial to plan fun time and special winter treats. Each week I plan an outing to a favorite restaurant for soup, usually for lunch by myself, or I take the kids with me to join in on the slurping action. I also make soup at home once a week during the cold months. My favorite soups? Asian, of course. We live in one of the best ethnic melting pots in America. Take advantage and embrace these amazing soups that will clear your sinuses and warm your soul.

• Pho: Great anytime, but especially if you feel under the weather. The beef broth in this Vietnamese noodle soup is fragrant with cinnamon and star anise. You customize your (huge) bowl with fresh herbs, Sriracha hot sauce and sweet hoisin sauce. Make it spicy if you have a cold; the steam from the soup and heat from the chilies will have you breathing clear in no time. My favorite Pho spots are on Argyle Street at Tank Noodle and Pho 888.

• Khao Soi: This is a chicken and egg noodle soup with a base of curry and coconut milk. It’s a northern Thai specialty that’s everything a great Thai dish should be: spicy, sour and a little sweet. Because it’s a regional specialty it can be hard to find, but Opart Thai House has a nice version. I also like the Khao Soi at Sticky Rice; they specialize in Northern Thai cuisine. But my favorite way to enjoy khao soi is at home. It’s surprisingly easy to make, but frying the noodles for the crispy topping does take a little extra time and effort.

• Kimchee Stew: This staple Korean soup/stew will clear you out when you have a cold, and is highly nutritious as well (thanks to the fermented kimchee). Plus, it’s often made with pork belly, so naturally it tastes great. It may be an acquired taste for some, but once you get into it, it’s a highly addictive dish. I get my fix at the food court at Super H Mart in Niles (dedicated post on this mega-mart to come), or at San Soo Gab San.

• Urban Belly soups. Not much to say here as everything at this noodle/dumpling shop is amazing and will warm you; body and soul. I’m completely addicted to #14, the Asian Egg Noodle with sour/sweet marinated eggplant, tofu and the most delicious broth ever. Trust me.

• Tom Kha Kai: This favorite Thai soup gives you the healing benefits of chicken soup (it’s made with chicken broth and coconut milk) plus the sinus clearing bonus of some serious spice from Thai chilies. Add with galangal, lemongrass, cilantro and lime, you have a soup that’s 100 times more interesting than “Chicken and Stars”. Siam Noodle and Rice makes a great Tom Kha.

Curry noodle soup at home

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Serves 8

This is a lighter curry soup that I love to make at home. The crisp vegetables on top add a nice crunch and boost the nutritional value of the dish.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut crosswise in half
1 red pepper, thinly sliced into bit size pieces
1 (5 3/4-ounce) package pad Thai noodles or wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon grapeseed or coconut oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons palm sugar, or to taste
Juice of ½-1 lime, or to taste
2 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste
3 cups baby bok choy, stem chopped to ½ inch pieces, leaves thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus 8 sprigs, for garnish
1/2 cup julienne green onions, white and light green
4 Thai red chiles, seeded and chopped
8 lime wedges

Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the chicken breast, reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pot to a cutting board or bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken with a fork and set aside. *Alternatively you can use a Rotisserie chicken, or chicken meat leftover from making stock

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas and red pepper and boil for 30 seconds. Scoop out with a large spider or slotted spoon into a waiting bowl of ice water. Add the rice noodles and cook until tender-firm, about 5-6 minutes (or check package directions, cooking time will vary by size of noodle).

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, curry paste, madras curry powder, turmeric, coriander and garlic to the pot and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth to the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce and bok choy stems, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and bok choy leaves and cook for 2 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through. Add the lime juice and taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place a heap of noodles in each bowl and top with some of the snow peas and peppers. Ladle the chicken mixture over each bowl of noodles and garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions, chiles and a wedge of lime.

Khao Soi (Chiang Mai curried egg noodles)
Serves 6

Notes:
• If you’d like to lighten the curry sauce add 1-2 cups chicken stock or water in lieu of some of the coconut milk
• Don’t overcook the chicken, especially if you are using boneless skinless chicken breast. It only takes a few minutes to cook through depending on the size of your chicken cubes. Start testing for doneness (by cutting open a thicker chunk of chicken) early
• A deep fry/candy thermometer makes frying the noodles for garnish much easier

3/4 cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thigh meat, cut into bite size cubes
4 cups coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce or light soy sauce or to taste
1 tablespoon palm sugar (optional) or to taste
1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice or to taste
1 1/2 pounds fresh Chinese style egg noodles (bamee)

For the garnish:
Vegetable oil for deep frying
2 tablespoons coarsely ground dried red chili
1/2 cup pickled Chinese cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
Fried shallots or garlic chips
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
Handful cilantro leaves

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, warm the coconut cream over medium heat until it boils gently. Add the curry paste and turmeric and stir to combine. Continue to cook a few minutes at a gentle simmer until the curry paste is fragrant.

Add the chicken and stir fry to coat with the paste. Cook for about 2 minutes. Increase the heat and add the coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, and salt; stir well. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, stir in the limejuice. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

In a small deep saucepan heat 3 inches deep worth of vegetable oil to 360 degrees (if you do not have a thermometer test a small noodle strand-it should sizzle and bubble and become puffy immediately). Separate 1/2 pounds worth of noodles into 8 individual bundles. Deep fry each bundle, one at a time, and turning once during the cooking time, until golden brown, crispy, and puffed, about 8-10 seconds total. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Save 3 tablespoons of the cooking oil and fry the ground chili in this oil in a separate small frying pan. Set aside in a small dish as a garnish.

Cook the remaining noodles in boiling water, 2-4 minutes, or until tender. Begin tasting for doneness after a minute. Drain and rinse in cold water and drain again. The noodles should not be overly wet, or they will dilute the curry sauce.

To serve, place a handful of cooked noodles in each serving bowl. Ladle a generous amount of the curry sauce over the noodles. Garnish with the crispy noodle bundles and cilantro leaves. Serve with the hot chili oil, lime wedges, sliced shallots and/ or fried shallots, and pickled Chinese cabbage.

I know, it doesn’t sound like a hot bed for great ethnic eats. But trust me, this is authentic Thai cooking with heart. The cooks in the back squat over mortar and pestles, pounding spice pastes, and a huge kaffir lime tree grows by the kitchen window.

Still, I am not expecting you to drive 4 hours for the best Thai in the Midwest. So here I’d like to share the only written recipe I’ve ever had access to from Siam House. It was printed in Bon Appetit in 2001, and is a popular dessert at the restaurant. It’s quite easy to prepare and the batter can be made in advance. You do need to fry the bananas at the last minute, for maximum crispiness.

Be sure to use a deep fry thermometer, like this one, frying temperatures fluctuate even with a heavy pan and steady flame-you could drive yourself mad trying to fry without one.

I serve this with Haagen Dasz vanilla and some good farmer’s market honey that I warm first in the microwave. If you’re making a Thai meal for friends and family, or any Asian inspired meal, this is a crowning glory.

Banana Fritters with Honey and Ice Cream
The batter and bananas can be prepared ahead of time, leaving only the frying to do at the last minute.

1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 large bananas

Vegetable oil (for frying)
Honey
Vanilla ice cream

Whisk 1 cup warm water, egg, and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl to blend. Add yeast, then flour, whisking until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature until batter has almost doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Stir in coconut, sesame seeds, and nutmeg. Cut bananas on deep diagonal into eighteen 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Reserve any remaining bananas for another use.) Add banana slices to batter; stir gently to coat. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Pour vegetable oil into heavy medium saucepan to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 350°F. Insert fork into 1 banana slice and transfer to oil. Repeat with 5 banana slices. Fry until crisp and golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer fritters to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining bananas in 2 more batches. Divide fritters among 6 plates. Drizzle with honey and serve warm with ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appétit
R.S.V.P.
September 2001
Wemonrat Pok
Siam House, Bloomington, IN