Caramelized onion & broccoli tart (my first tart dough from scratch!)

It's funny how moving to a different country changes up the way you cook. Back in France, I would have never dreamed of making my own Thai curry pastes from scratch. Not that it's necessary here in Thailand of course, given all the awesome and freshly made pastes that you can buy in the markets and just about any supermarket, but it's nice to make your own when you have ready (and cheap!) access to lemongrass, galangal, Thai garlic, shallots and chilies. On the other hand, back in France I never bothered to try my hand at making my own pie or quiche dough. Why bother when perfectly beautiful, pre-made pâte brisée (basic French tart dough) could be found just about anywhere, just ready to unroll and throw into a tart pan? That particular luxury doesn't exist here, so I decided over the weekend that it was high time to face my fears and attempt to make a pâte brisée from scratch to form the basis of a good savory tart, which I'd been craving for the longest time...

Egg curry

Once upon a time, two good friends of ours met at our wedding and got married themselves, in Minnesota, Paris and the south of France. Following the civil ceremony in Paris for which we were their witnesses, we went back to their place for a little party. The little party became a big one, and fuelled by lots of champagne and wine, we ended up at the apartment of another friend. By this point, it was around 2 in the morning and we were starving. Our host (who also loves to cook) didn't have much of anything to eat, and it's not like Paris has 24-hour diners or food delivery. So I started poking around in her fridge and cabinets...she had eggs, tomatoes, coconut milk and enough random spices to make an egg curry, I decided. Despite the disaster state that her kitchen happened to be in that night, I started chopping, stirring, adding a little bit of this and this...and out came the best egg curry that I've ever had, if I do say so myself! Said friend and Luis were in agreement, and we devoured it all at 3am!

Jalapeño pesto (no cheese!)

For those who know me, it should come as no surprise that I was extremely, EXTREMELY excited to discover that fresh jalapeño chiles are available in Thailand. Not just imported ones, mind you, but jalapeños grown right here on Thai soil (though they only seem to be available at the expat-oriented Villa Supermarket chain). A package of 6-8 sells for only 34.75 Thai baht, which is just a little over $1 US. Ever since making this discovery, fresh (as well as pickled) jalapeños have been a staple in our fridge.

Winged bean and tender coconut poriyal

I know what you might be thinking...what on earth is a winged bean??? I had no idea myself, before moving to Thailand. Also known as the asparagus pea or the Goa bean (hmmm!), this bean grows abundantly in hot, tropical climates. In my native language of Tamil, winged beans are apparently known as sirahu avarai, but I'd never encountered them back home from what I can recall. According to Wikipedia, all of the winged bean plant is edible - pods, beans, flowers, roots and even the dried seeds.

African-style spinach in peanut sauce

The other evening at a dinner party, a few of us who have worked in different parts of sub-Saharan Africa stated reminiscing about our memories of different parts of the continent. My mind began wandering back to the years I spent there (notably in Uganda, Senegal, Malawi and Guinea with lots of trips to other places as well). It all seems faraway from the very different life that we now lead in Southeast Asia, but I miss Africa. I miss the people, the music, the laughter, the resourcefulness, the creative spirit. And more than anyplace else, it's this continent that defines the trajectory of my life so far...it's the reason I got into development work, the reason I met so many of my good friends to this day and it's the soil on which much of my beliefs about humanity and life in general were formed.

Krung Thep ("City of Angels") sangria

Did you know that the full ceremonial Thai name of the city of Bangkok is actually Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit??? I dare you to try pronouncing all of that, which according to Wikipedia means "the city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishukarma". Luckily everyone calls it Bangkok these days or sometimes just Krung Thep, which means "City of Angels". Whew!!!

Sopa azteca

I have a semi-infatuous relationship with a restaurant called Mixtec in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC (my old 'hood!). Run by the Montesinos family, it's a no-frills, mom-and-pop kind of place that started as a simple taqueria (taco shop) and grew to become a neighborhood institution. Featuring all the classic Mexican dishes as well as harder to find items like a variety of tortas (sandwiches), tacos el pastor, traditional Oaxacan mole and not to mention killer sangria, you can't go wrong with Mixtec. I used to live just down the street, so would often take a taco platter to go and also religiously gather there every Sunday afternoon with friends to catch up on the week's gossip over a pitcher of margaritas. Even today all the way from Bangkok, a trip to Mixtec is high on the agenda during any DC visit...sometimes it's even the first stop on the way from the airport!

Join this month's joint Mango Ginger-Mistress of Spices Supper Club!

Last month, I raved about fellow Bangkok blogger Vanessa's Mango Ginger Supper Club. In very exciting news, Vanessa has invited me to join forces with her for the August edition of the supper club! We will be serving three courses of Asian fusion fare for 8 lucky guests next Thursday, August 16th...all for the bargain price of 400 baht! See Vanessa's blog for more details and email either one of us to reserve your spot. The menu:

To welcome:

Thai Sangria

To start: 
Green mango, mint and seafood salad
Chilli paneer spring rolls
Spiced roasted eggplant dip and pita chips

Main event:

Slow-cooked Massaman chicken curry
Mirchi Ka Salan (bell peppers in a peanut-sesame-tamarind sauce)

Pomegranate jewelled chucumber salad
Cardamom rice

Sweet ending:

Mango ginger and coriander cheese cake

Bring your own alcoholic or soft drinks to enjoy with dinner. No corkage charge.
All for a bargain 400 THB per person.