Kenji’s drool-worthy slideshow makes me really want to go back.[via Serious Eats] 

The food in Thailand is awesome, obvees. Spicy and satisfying with fresh Southeast Asian brightness, and not much like the Thai food I’ve had ‘round here, save for SriPraPhai. My favorite dish was Tom Yam, which loosely translates to ‘mixed boiled’—and that’s really all the skill it takes to recreate this hot and sour soup at home. The hard part is tracking down the ingredients. Luckily, Kalustyan’s has it all: frozen galangal (a/k/a ginza or blue ginger), fresh kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste, Thai chili and fish sauce. The Coop carries fresh lemongrass, along with the other basics needed to make this at home (lime, cilantro, tomato, mushroom, garlic, shallot and shrimp). I gathered the goods and got to mixing/boiling. 

This is a quick-cooking soup, so make sure to have everything prepped before you begin. Then it’s all downhill: Boil chicken stock or water, add garlic, shallots, lemongrass, tamarind and galangal. Bring it back to a boil, add tomatoes and mushrooms, then add in your chili, limes leaves and fish sauce, then shrimp. Finish with lime and cilantro and you’re done—and it’s just as good at home as it is in Thailand, seriously.

A big difference with real Thai soup versus what’s served here is the amount of inedible stuff left in the bowl after you eat—the lemongrass, lime leaves, chilies—they infuse a powerful aroma to the food that you just can’t get unless they’re left in. It took some awkward chewing and spitting out for me to figure this out. I toil so you won’t have to learn the hard way. You can thank me later, like after you have some of this fab soup.

As I recoup, regroup and figure out what to share with you all about my Thai adventure, here is a video and recipe from my sister, who spent an extra day in Bangkok as I was en route back home. See, before your very eyes, how the orange, sweet, refreshing Thai iced tea is made in the streets of Bangkok. Why not try it at home?

3 Tbs evaporated milk
4 Tbs sweetened condensed milk
Thai tea, steeped extra long (10 mins or more) for full flavor and bright color
Sugar to taste
Mix up and pour over plenty of ice

Need a more exact recipe? Here you go. Can’t be bothered to brew-it-yourself? Well, here you go. Also, try subbing in coconut milk, soy/rice milk and let me know how it goes.

By the time you read this, I’ll be onboard the longest flight of my life thus far (about 20h—eek!), headed to Ko Samui and Bangkok for a delicious trip. I’ll be back and ready to blog about it before you know it. Don’t forget about me while I’m away, newyorkavores! xx

photo courtesy of hotthailandvacations.com