This Pad Thai recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from a playgroup friend from Austin.  Jam has created a fabulous restaurant and Thai Market in Austin called Thai Fresh, if you’re in the area, I highly recommend you check it out.  Cory and I both love Pad Thai, so I decided to give this a whirl.  Cory would like me to note, if you don’t like to cook fish in your house due to the smell, the scents from the individual ingredients in this recipe are quite pungent.  Especially the fish sauce.  In other words, Mom – Don’t try this at home.  That said, once everything is all mixed together, it smells wonderful.

I think there are two keys in Thai food.  One, never read the list of ingredients.  Look at a finished dish and see if you like the presentation and aroma, or get a recommendation from a friend you trust.  Now clearly if you grew up in Southeast Asia, you may be comfortable with all of the ingredients central to Thai cooking, but if you grew up in the heart of the midwest, chances are you’ll need to broaden your horizons.  The second key to Thai food is to use real ingredients.  Minimize substitutions and seek out the ingredients you need.  The other day I was talking with some fellow food bloggers about how baking is still not intuitive to me.  Meaning, I can’t just whip together some dry ingredients with some wet and come up with a fabulous dessert without planning and prep work.  Thai food, along with all kinds of other food I’m sure, doesn’t use the traditional Italian or French cooking staple ingredients you’re used to, so minimize experimentation and seek out a great source for recipes and ingredients.

I love to shop for and use new ingredients.  Everything for this recipe can be found in Central Market in Dallas, but if that’s not an option seek out an Asian grocery in your locale.  Here’s an ingredient tour for this Pad Thai Recipe.

Starting in the front and working our way counter clockwise, the ginormous anemic carrot looking thing is a Daikon Radish.  Clearly, since barely any is gone you don’t need that much for the recipe.  I treated it like a carrot so I washed it and peeled it, then took to it with a microplane to grate about 2 teaspoons for my recipe.  It seems sort of like an onion, both in the way it grates, it’s high water content, and the fact that when eaten raw it is spicy, but becomes milder and sweeter with cooking.  Next is the palm sugar, which is super thick and sticky, kind of like the texture of a drier praline.  It is a sugar made from the sap of the coconut palm.  Normally I’m not big on anything coconut flavor and you couldn’t get me to touch a pina colada with a 10 foot pole, but like I said, Thai food is not the place for experimentation so I’m using what was recommended.  Palm sugar has a lower glycemic quality than regular sugar, hence, better for diabetics or pre-diabetics.  The next is tamarind concentrate.  Tamarinds pods are sometimes sold in the grocery store, I bought some once, but then threw them out as I had no idea what to do with them.  Central Market also sold a sticky black block of tamarind paste that looked like a block of homemade fruit rollup as well.  I took the easy route and went with the concentrate, which was paste mixed with water then strained.  This adds the sour component to your dish.  The flavor is also central to Pickapepper sauce from Jamaica.  And finally is the fish sauce – the salty component to the dish.  Something that comes from fermented fish, that has a very strong odor but is central to Southeast Asian cuisine.  It’s also said to contribute the umami element to dishes – *umami or savoriness – has been proposed to be added to the basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty*.

If pad thai at home sounds like too much of an adventure to you, try it out at a restaurant!  The flavor is very unique and now something my family craves.  Be prepared to order a custom level of spiciness.  Thai chilies can be extremely hot!   But the dish can easily be prepared mildly.

Pad Thai Recipe – serves 6

adapted from thaicookingwithjam’s recipe

14 oz. dried rice noodles

10 oz. extra firm tofu

grapeseed oil

5 tbsp palm sugar

2 tbsp white sugar

2 and 1/2 tbsp tamarind concentrate

2 and 1/2 tbsp water

4 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, rinsed and trimmed

2 shallots, minced

4 eggs

1 tsp diakon radish, grated

red pepper flakes

2 bunches chives, rinsed and chopped into 2 inch segments

1.5 c. bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

crushed roasted peanuts

In a 9 x 13 glass casserole, cover the dried rice noodles with water, then soak for one hour. Fill a small saucepan with about an inch and a half of grapeseed oil, then heat to 375 degrees.  Meanwhile, cube tofu into 1/2 inch dice, and dry with a paper towel.  Fry tofu in 375 degree oil in small batches, removing with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.  Repeat until all tofu is fried, then set aside to reserve.

In a medium sauce pan, combine palm sugar, white sugar, tamarind concentrate, water, and fish sauce.  Heat at medium heat on stove until bubbling, then stir to combine.  Remove from heat and reserve.  Split chicken breasts in half like just as if you were butterflying the breasts.  Then slice again into 1 inch strips.  Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Place wok on stove over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, add 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and continue to heat for 1 minute.  Swirl wok to coat sides.  Place chicken strips in wok in a single layer, stirring occasionally with tongs until gently browned on all sides.  Remove chicken to a plate to rest.  Add one more tablespoon of grapeseed oil and the shallots.  Stir with a wooden spatula, heating for 1 more minute.  Add eggs, and scramble in wok.  Add radish, reserved chicken, reserved tofu, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes to stir fry.  Use wooden spatula to turn occasionally and cook until tofu is warm.  Drain noodles and add to wok.  Continue to stir occasionally.  Noodles will soften, shrink a little and begin to warm in color.  Pour sauce over top, stir, then cook for 1 minute.  Add chives and beansprouts, cook an additional minute.  Plate and top Pad Thai with a small bit of the crushed roasted peanuts.

I have a new nephew!  Congratulations to my sister Allison and family!  This weeks menu will include:

Monday:  Chicken Pad Thai $26 and cucumber salad $6

Tuesday:  Chicken Marsala (light available) served over angel hair pasta $24, spinach salad $8

Wednesday:  Brisket with my personal barbecue sauce and pinto beans $17, Mustard Potato Salad $6, Vinaigrette Coleslaw $6

Thursday:  Enchilada Day $16 – Chicken and Goat Cheese with Ancho Chili Sauce, Beef with Chili Sauce, or Monterrey Jack Cheese with Creamy Roasted Hatch Chili Sauce, Black Beans $6 and Spanish Rice $6

Pricing is for servings for 2 adults.  Happy Eating!

I meant to add a new post last week with my Greek Salad Recipe, but then two things happened.  First, I didn’t have the pictures I thought I did on my computer.  Second, I seem to have lost my camera.  It’s not lost, really, at least I don’t remember losing it ; )  But it’s been so long since I’ve seen it, I can’t remember the last time I used it to retrace my steps.  I’m a bit absentminded or distracted you could say, so I spend about 15% of my life retracing my steps to recover something I’ve misplaced.  Then I keep getting distracted while I’m hunting for the camera.  Anyhow, sadly, this is the state of affairs at casa Clark.

Lot’s of times when I’ve been posting infrequently, people inquire if I’m cooking less.  I assure you, I’m cooking like crazy.  Just much of it I’ve blogged before and I’m finding myself challenged to provide beautiful photography, fresh, enticing recipes, and cook for clients on demand.  But I’m working on the right balance and  am hopeful that along with the new school year, a little bit more structure in our life may prove to shove me towards efficiency.  Likely, it will merely add another set of complications and coordination, but a girl can dream, right?

Here’s the menu for Meal Delivery Service this week of August 8:

Monday:  Chicken Avgolemono, a delightful creamy sauce thickened with egg instead of cream for a wonderful texture and flavor with a lower caloric impact, served over orzo with carrots and asparagus (Light available at only 524 calories, 11pts)

Tuesday:  Beef Tenderloin served with a version of my herb sauce, a chimichurri inspired fresh herb drizzling sauce, Fresh Basil Pesto and Chicken Pasta, and Butterscotch Pudding, a refreshing flavor delivered using Brazilian raw sugar and a hint of burbon

Wednesday:  Salmon Croquettes, a cylindrical roll of fresh wild sockeye salmon mixed with onions, peppers and spices, then lightly panfried – often a magical way to coax children or picky spouses into consuming seafood, spinach salad, grilled vegetables

Thursday: Bob’s Chicken recently renamed to Sylvia’s Chicken since no one has any idea who Bob is and we all know and love Slyvia, chicken baked in a creamy white wine sauce topped with crostini toasts and heavenly goodness.  No light available but satiety guaranteed.  Romaine Salad and Braised Artichokes

Thursday Bonus Schedule: Sausage, Biscuits and Gravy, 4 made from scratch flaky Southern style biscuits served with breakfast sausage and rich gravy, Husbands tend to universally love this one.

Ideas for items you’d like to see on the menu?  Drop me a note!  Dinnerandconversation.com is also offering catering for book clubs, christenings, wedding showers, sip and see’s, bridge clubs, and just about any other type of home entertaining available.  Send all orders to lane@dinnerandconversation.com

I’m back from vacation and headed out to the grocery.  I promise to update tonight with a real recipe post and pics!  Look out for my new Greek Salad Recipe then.  The menu for this week August 1st is growing and expanding.  I’m working on a manageable schedule as my catering and meal delivery business is growing.  I’m going to adjust this process, but for the time being I’ll post here and on my facebook page the menu as it stands each Sunday.  Let me know if you want to hop in on any of these great choices. Send any orders to lane@dinnerandconversation.com

Monday:  Lobster Rolls with Lemon Vinagrette and Garlic Butter and Pancetta Wrapped Pork Loin

Tuesday:  Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange Chili Broth over Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Light available, only 518 calories), Lobster Bisque

Wednesday:  Mediterranean Pasta and Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Thursday:  Grilled Jerk Pork Chops with Grilled Citrus Fruits, Broccoli, and Black Beans (Light available, only 449 calories)

This Seared Pork Recipe came as part of the recipe suggestions from Williams-Sonoma in the Easy and Elegant Dinner Party I hosted for LE’s Fifth Birthday.  I was floored by how much I liked it.  The flavors were really bight and summery, but not overpowering at all.  We served it with my Herb Sauce for a topping, but the pork could definitely stand all on it’s own.  It would be perfect as part of a summer picnic or on sandwiches by the pool.   Another bonus Amelia pointed out, is that pork is often a very hard meat to display on a buffet as it tends to look so bland and boring.  By slicing into medallions and then searing on both sides this pork had a much deeper depth of color.

As a part of the Easy and Elegant Party Package, Calphalon sent me a Unison Slide Nonstick Griddle and Sear Nonstick Grill Pan.  The pork was made using the Sear Grill Pan.  If you don’t have a grill pan in your repertoire, you need one.  I have a variety of shapes and sizes.  The bonus of the Calphalon Unison line is that unlike most nonsticks – these *are* dishwasher safe.  I love grill pans for meat, vegetables, breads, grilled sandwiches, anything really.  I think the Unison Grill Pan is perfect for a family.  I most often cook en masse as with the 9 pounds of pork tenderloin in the recipe below.  When cooking large quantities like this, I love my All-Clad Gourmet Double Burner Grill.  As for the 9lbs, if I’m serving 2 meats, I go with about a 3 oz serving of each meat per guest.  For this recipe, that yielded about 50 servings of pork tenderloin.

I have to admit, this is my first use of coriander seeds.  I’ve been avoiding recipes with them for years as the seeds are the dried fruit of the plant from which cilantro leaves are harvested.  Cilantro is another love it or hate it ingredient.  Some believe a person is genetically predisposed to love or hate the herb.  I think I was merely shattered by an article in the Austin Chronicle proclaiming that cilantro tastes like body odor smells.  After that description, I had a hard time ever wanting to ingest the stuff again.  Whatever the situation, the coriander seeds have a totally different flavor than cilantro.  Both are a fresh “herby” taste, but I’d call the leaves musky and the seeds light and citrus tinged.  In any case, I’m so glad to discover I love the seeds!   A whole new world of recipes to explore has just opened up to me.

Seared Pork with Lime, Coriander, and Cumin Marinade Recipe

adapted from Chef Michael Symon’s recipe – about 50 buffet servings

2 whole, trimmed pork tenderloins (approx 9 lbs)

4 tsps coriander seed

1 tsp cumin seed

zest of 9 limes

juice from 6 limes

2/3 c. olive oil

4 tsp kosher salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a white onion, minced

With a very sharp knife, cut tenderloins into 1 and 1/2 inch medallions.  In a small dry fry pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds about 5 minutes on medium heat, swirling occasionally.  In a bowl, combine toasted seeds with zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and onion.  Whisk until blended then pour over the pork medallions.  Use tongs to toss pork in marinade every 30 minutes, up to a total of two hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat, use tongs to sear pork on each side for 3 minutes each, then place grill pan in the oven for 5 minutes to cook through.  Move to a platter and serve with herb sauce.

Never miss a fresh post!

I know the postings have been super light this month so I’m working on getting back into a habit of regular posts.  It’s not that I haven’t been cooking, just a tremendous amount of it is from my Meal Delivery Service Menu and most of those things I’ve already blogged!

In, other news I have a brand new goddaughter this week who is absolutely perfect!  I’m racing back and forth between the hospital and the stove, which for me is total bliss.

This week’s orders have a wide variety and a lot of great ideas!  So far this week our menu entails:

Thursday:  Lasagna and Molten Chocolate Cakes

Friday:  French Onion Soup, Cream of Asparagus Soup, Chicken Marsala with Gluten Free Pasta, Chicken with Monterey Mushroom Blend, Roasted Whole Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Zucchini, and Twice Baked Potatoes

Monday:  French Dip Sandwiches, thinly sliced prime rib with horseradish cream and au jus served with baked potatoes

Tuesday:  Turkey Scallopini served over Angel Hair Pasta – gluten free available

It certainly grows by the day and we’re happy to add, so just let us know what you’d like to see head your way.  If you’re not in Dallas, or you’re not in the market for meal delivery service at the moment, DinnerandConversation.com is always your home for recipe ideas and inspiration!  Follow any of the links above to make these meals for right in your own kitchen.

Happy cooking!

The title may be a tad bit misleading, as I’d guess most people wouldn’t call this party an “easy” menu for a child’s 5th birthday party, but I’d say it was certainly elegant.  Since I’m just rolling from one party straight into the next, LE’s Fifth birthday party was a combination of two events in one.  Earlier in the year, I entered a Williams-Sonoma-Calphalon-HouseParty.com Easy and Elegant Dinner Party contest.  When I entered, I had no idea we’d be moving that week or that any of our other life chaos would be occurring.  I simply had to commit to finding 15-25 guests to come over for a dinner party and try out some cookware and a few encouraged recipes.  I’d say we had over 50 people, at least 25 children and 35+ adults.  My sister, Amelia, was an enormous help, being my photographer, Vice-President of Food Presentation, Director of Floral Arrangements, sous-chef, all around super helper and last man standing.  LE’s Dallas Godparents handled the entertainment, going above and beyond providing the world’s most amazing waterslide bounce house contraption, as well as helping me with all the heavy lifting since Cory was in Europe the 10 days prior to the event, coasting in just as the party started as one parent aptly described looking straight out of Miami Vice.  Williams-Sonoma, Calphalon, and HouseParty.com underwrote part of the event by supplying cookware, some funding, and recipe ideas.

The children certainly had a fabulous time as did the adults.  I just love a family backyard party.  Part of my entry response to the contest was detailing how much I love home entertaining and preparing food for guests to enjoy and celebrate together.  I love watching children have a fantastic time, while the grownups get to imbibe an adult beverage and spend time mingling and simply enjoying the moment.

Menu

Appetizers

Crostini with Goat Cheese and ‘wichcraft Tomato Relish

Caprese Salad Crostini with Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Frozen Green Grapes

Mains

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Lime-Cumin-Corriander Marindade

Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herb Sauce

Ripe Watermelon Balls

Strawberries and Raspberries with Fresh Mint Garnish

Sugar Snap Peas with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Sauce

Sliced and Seasoned Kirby Cucumbers

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese, and Almond Slivers

Dessert

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

The items with links have already been featured on dinnerandconversation.com and helped make this party great.  Those with out, barring the raw foods, will be featured over the next week or so.  Part of home entertaining, especially in the summer in Texas, requires cold raw foods, so that’s part of why those were included.  The other reason is in my personal food philosophy.  Blessedly, I have children who will eat darn near anything.  I don’t prepare separate children’s meals, partly of course because we don’t have toddler food wars, so I wanted to include a variety of fruits that I thought even picky preschoolers could enjoy before indulging in a dessert sugar high.

All in all, I’d call it a grand success.  As I individually break down the recipes, I’ll give some tips on how I go about planning quantities and portion sizes for large gatherings.  Salud to the home party!

In the last three weeks, I’ve moved.  My husband started a new job.  I lived without cable, internet, or home phone service for 16 days.  I’ve registered my baby for kindergarten, watched and participated in two kids learning to swim, fretted and nested over the impending birth of our best friends’ new baby, celebrated my mother’s birthday, my parents’ move to Texas, breathed a huge sigh of relief for all the miracles that have occurred, took two baths my *brand new* bathtub, grown my food business, served as a single parent for 9 days due to European business travel, and planned a birthday party for my super amazing 5 year old.  Plus I’m sure I’m missing a few things.  Whew.  So what did I do in response?  I learned to drink Chardonnay.  Yep, an odd reaction.  I get it.  Did I really need to learn to take on another form of alcohol?  Probably not.  But I’ve ranked Chardonnay right up there with mayonnaise.  At a luncheon someone might serve me a chicken salad sandwich.  And being a polite and well meaning guest, I’ve had to learn to refrain from acting like a 5 year old, umm… can you cut the crusts off, too?  On the upside, Chardonnay turns out to be less painful than mayonnaise.  So, Go Me.  Maybe next year bananas and I will finally come to terms.

Frankly, I haven’t felt this elated, happy, and on the right path since I had L.E. five years ago.  I’m crazy superstitious and always petrified to jinx my good fortune, but I don’t want for a moment anyone to think I’m not glowing super happy at the moment.  To my Austin friends and readers, I’m Sorry.  I Tried.  We tried.  Again and Again.  In the end, the powers that be stuck a glowing, 24-7, huge neon billboard in our life and said – YOU Belong here.  In Dallas.  Right now.  In this moment.  So we’re here, happy, and pursuing options with a vigor that has been totally inaccessible since having two teeny tinys so close together.

As for food, if you’re in Dallas this weekend, you’re in luck.  Williams-Sonoma, Calphalon, and Houseparty.com picked me and sent me a marvelous party kit to further the message of home parties.  If you’re here and you’re wondering, what the heck is she talking about?  Send me a note, and I’ll send you an invite.  I love parties.  Attending them, Hosting them, Working them.  Yep that’s right, I’ve altered my former life motto, you never want to work the party.  As always, I’ll have great food and drinks.  When your mama’s in the food business, you get some crazy birthdays.  It’s just how we roll.  If you’re not available this weekend or you’re not in Dallas, send me a note.  Entertaining at home is an awesome and sometimes lost art.  I’ll give a full spread with photos and recipes next week, but if you’re craving, check out the food at L.E.’s last birthday here, here, here and here.

Some potatoes au gratin recipes are cheeseless – simply potatoes made in a cream sauce.  When I hear potatoes au gratin, I really hear melted cheese disguised as a vegetable.  I always feel robbed if I order them, and the cheese is mysteriously absent.  This recipe is adapted from my mac and cheese recipe, which my kids have been requesting for weeks, but we’re moving, and I’m out of pasta.  I had potatoes, though, so here’s my substitution.

Life is a little crazy right now in our casa between the impending move and growing my chef business and catering services.  So if recipe postings are slim in the next few days, please know it’s because I’m either moving boxes, chasing children away from unpacking boxes, or I’ve discovered something crazy, like say, Cory packed my hard drive in an unmarked box and I have no. idea. where it is.  On the upside, I’ve safely packed away a stack of 20 old Gourmet magazines, which I plan to work through and feature this summer.

Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe serves 6

3 c. milk (I use 1%)

1/2 yellow or white onion

8-10 red new potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch discs

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

8 turns fresh ground pepper

3 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 c. fresh grated parmesan reggiano

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and the half an onion to a simmer.  Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 325.  Grease casserole dish and arrange potato slices in rows in a single layer on the bottom.  In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and stir with a wooden spatula for two minutes to form a paste.  Remove onion from milk and discard.  Pour milk into paste and stir continuously, when integrated, increase heat to medium high and cook for around five minutes until sauce has thickened substantially, stirring to prevent scorching.  Add 1 and a 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar and stir to integrate.  Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes, then top with the remaining cheddar and parmesan.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes, then increase heat to 400 and cook for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

You strawberry souffle, are my nemesis.  Damn it.  I’ve been attempting to make strawberry souffles as a custom dessert order for Kari.  I can count on one hand the things I’ve cooked in the last five years that have been inedible and strawberry souffles count for two of them.  Technically, John and Kari ate these souffles, but I think it was purely out of pity.  I have never seen such a hideous dessert in my entire life!  I can’t figure out what in the heck went wrong, so I’m blaming the recipe.  It simply must be faulty.  They appeared to be perfectly on target, beautiful, puffed, lightly golden, but then pouf.  Classic. Souffle. Failure.  Within 30 seconds out of the oven they turned into the disaster shown here.  Flat, mushy, ugly.

My egg whites were perfectly stiff.  My strawberry puree was gently folded.  The resulting mixture was airy and light and then.  FAIL.  Sometimes these things happen.  I’m not sure whether to quit and never attempt a dang strawberry souffle again, or just keep trying until I master it.  Either way, enjoy my train wreck and have a chuckle at my failed dessert.  Whatever you do, DON”T cook this recipe.