In the late nineties, my son
befriended a Thai kid who lived in our compound in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. His
mother and German stepfather lived next door. I spent many nights in the
kitchen of my Thai friend who was one not-to-be-messed-with woman. She was
fierce. She was also the source of all the contraband bacon in town. So, a very
good person to know in the land that pork forgot.
The gatherings tended to
self-segregate into women cooking in the kitchen and men drinking in the living
room. Most of the men were German, all of the women except me were Thai. But
the Thai women shared English with their German husbands and me so I could
understand at least some of what was going on. It is ten times easier to learn
English than Thai!
The women made up this special 'only
for the kitchen' platter that included some chicken and pork (sorta Thai pulled
meats), cabbage and lettuce leaves, peanuts, chopped killer chilis, itty-bitty
pieces of lime (eaten with the peel!) and dried shrimp. The smell of those shrimp
stays on your fingers for days. The Thai larb on this week's menu is one
of those dishes I love to order out when I see it on a menu as it reminds me
very much of the flavors of the 'ladies' kitchen'.
****
I have gotten two votes for searing,
Ethiopian food. A couple more and I will consider the gauntlet thrown. This is not
something for everybody. But I am keeping a list as we would love to make some.
I'm still ambivalent about the injera. Even the Ethiopians I knew bought theirs
from some expert. So it just might have to be plain old pita bread.
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