Pad Thai and Spring Rolls

We have been enjoying Thai spring rolls ever since I was shown how to properly enjoy them some years ago. On my frist, and unguided, jaunt with the wrappers I tried to deep fry them like wonton skins. There were a horrible mess and I apologize to the person who got them on a plate. As one can see here, the wrappers are softened in warm water, wrapped around a filling and simply eaten as is. They are infinitely versatile holding both sweet or savory fillings, and they are a smash for parties - exotic and glamorous looking without being too troublesome. Plus they really allow for the enjoyment of the vegetables/fruit inside.

As a side this week we made a cabbage and red onion salad. It is an homage to a simple squid salad prepared at Siam Restaurant in Lambertville, N.J. The salad as they make it is just perfectly savory with its mix of squid rings, red onion, chili flakes, anf fish sauce with a cilantro garnish. Here we emulated the fresh flavors, the sharpness of the onion, a bit of heat, and the sultry brine of fish sauce all carried by the texture of the cabbage. I was happy with the result.
The main course was a Pad Thai. I fumbled upon the technique while eating the previous weeks leftover noodles and dumpling filling. As previous attempts had yielded only sticky, clumpy messes I was disinclined frommaking this dish. However, using a wheat udon style noodle and rinsing it well before cooking worked well to keep the noodles from sticking - although it makes frying them more adventurous !

The 'filling' in enriched with TVP to act as ground pork and is seasoned with, among other things, a condiment called Kecap Manis. ABC is the brand. It is a sweet, thick soy sauce that is very versatile in its applications. For example we like to marinate chicken wings in equal parts Kecap with honey, spiked with chili paste and sesame seeds. Broil or grill them for a treat.

Oh, and BTW, I have in on pretty good authority that the Thai people never use chop sticks.