Introduction

My goal in this book is to celebrate the extraordinary, delicious food of Thailand, and to help you cook Thai food at home with pleasure and success. To me, that means being able to put terrific, delicious Thai dishes on my table without devoting a weekend to the preparation and execution of a meal.

I first encountered Thai food as a Peace Corps volunteer, during the three years I spent teaching English as a second language in Thailand. In cafés and market stalls, bus stations, Buddhist temples, and in the homes of students and friends, I reveled in the chance to savor Thai food all day, every day. I devoured rice with countless delectable curries; I snacked on crisp golden fritters made with bananas, corn, or shrimp; I nibbled delectable chicken grilled on bamboo skewers; and I slurped away at steaming bowls of rice noodles in garlicky broth. Homesick for Thai food once I had returned to North Carolina, I began learning how to cook it in my Western kitchen.