What to Cook When The A/C Breaks

Our Supper Club themes are usually thoughtfully chosen, for reasons like, "Well, soon Mab is getting married, so let's surprise her with a bridal shower, and while we're at it, why don't we make it a gourmet brunch? I'll make the scrambled eggs, you bring the caviar," or "It's cold outside--let's melt a whole bunch of cheese!" This time our theme was "Jocelyn just bought a new table, and it looks vaguely Asian--hey, have we done Thai yet?"

Here are some (but by no means all) of the highlights from Supper Club Thai:

Heather's Green Papaya Salad

1 green papaya (tip: buy your papaya at a Chinese grocer, and make sure it is labed "green papaya" )
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts (or plain roasted)
approx. 1 cup bean sprouts
1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into long thin strips
1 red chilli, diced (seeds removed if you prefer a milder salad)
3 spring onions, sliced into long matchstick-like pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large

DRESSING:
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (if vegetarian, substitute with 1 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. honey

PREPARATION:
Prepare the dressing by mixing together all ingredients in a cup. Make sure shrimp paste dissolves fully. Set aside.
Peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and remove all the white seeds.
Using the "fattest" grater you have, grate the papaya (or you can use a potato peeler to create ribbon-like strips). Place in a large bowl. Add the sliced tomato, spring onion, chilli, bean sprouts, and most of the basil. Add the dressing, tossing to combine.
Add the peanuts. Toss again, and do a taste test. If you've used honey-coated peanuts, the salad should be sweet enough (if not, add a little more honey or brown sugar, as desired). If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. Turn onto a platter, and sprinkle with remaining basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Kristen's Coconut Sticky Rice with Mangoes

3 cups sticky rice
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup palm sugar
pinch salt
4 ripe mangoes

Soak the rice overnight (or as long as you've got time for) in half a cup coconut milk and enough water to cover the rice. When you're ready to start cooking, steam the rice in a rice-cooker. Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk over medium heat, and stir in the sugar and salt. When the sugar is all dissolved, and the rice is cooked, stir one cup of the liquid into the rice. Let it sit for a while so all the flavors meld. Peel the mangoes and cut into big slices. Place the mango slices on top of the rice, add the rest of the coconut milk, and serve. The leftovers are fabulous - hot or cold - for breakfast the next morning.

Jocelyn's "Tom Kha Gai" - Coconut Lemongrass soup w/ Chicken

1 lemongrass stem
4 lemon leaves (I couldn't find these, so I didn't use
them)
1 piece galanga (available frozen in most Asian
supermarkets)
8 oz mushrooms
2 tomatoes
1-2 ts chilli paste
1 lb chicken fillets
13 fl oz coconut milk
4 tb lemon juice
4 tb fish sauce

Cut lemongrass into 3 cm long pieces, fold lemon leaves, wash galanga and slice.
Cut mushrooms into half. Dice tomatoes.
Slice chicken fillets. Heat coconut milk and add lemongrass. Simmer coconut milk for two minutes.
Pour in 3/4 l (1 1/4 pts) water and heat. Add chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes and simmer for five minutes.
Season with chilli paste, fish sauce and lemon juice.
Remove lemongrass and lemon leaves before serving.

Oh, and one other thing--if you're throwing a Thai dinner party at your house, and your a/c breaks, just remember, Thai food is supposed to be served in a tropical locale! Just turn up the music and pretend you planned it that way all along.