Community Cookbook: Bring Southeast Asian to your dinner table with these delicious recipes

There was a time when canned chow mein, three canned Asian vegetables, chow mein noodles, a box of fortune cookies, and basic soy sauce were the only Asian foods available in grocery stores. There were also a couple of frozen chow mein TV dinners, long since discontinued. Our Asian culinary experiences were mostly limited to these and an occasional outing to a Chinese American restaurant. We’ve since become more informed and sophisticated in our consumption of Asian foods.

The first time I enjoyed pad thai was at the acclaimed Bahn Thai restaurant in Seattle, which is still thriving today. Thai food was rapidly gaining popularity, and pad Thai was on its way to becoming the world’s most popular pasta dish. With our friend Janne’s encouragement, the three of us decided to have dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the city center.

It was Friday night, and the waiting line stretched nearly a quarter block. We waited patiently, gradually inching closer to the entrance as smiling couples and small groups emerged. I swear I saw a mirage several times, or perhaps it was the lights reflecting off my eyeglasses. It resembled a McDonald’s drive-thru, and it looked better and better each time. I struggled to snap out of my hunger-induced stupor as we stepped through the door.

The interior was a beehive of activity and sound. Gilded statuettes and other artworks were everywhere. Thai music and intriguing aromas filled the room. Charming Thai waitresses, dressed in white shirts and jeans, scurried about serving customers. The tables were packed with enthusiastic diners. After being seated and relaxing a little in our new surroundings, we ordered pad Thai on Janne’s advice. It was wise counsel. Kathy and I loved the pad thai goong (pad thai with shrimp). It wasn’t the typical pad thai seen in most Thai restaurants. It was unique. The dish was eventually replaced with a more common but still delicious version, apparently, when the then-head chef left the restaurant. Fortunately, Kathy and I developed a credible recipe for Bahn Thai’s original dish before it vanished.

Here are recipes for three of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes. They’re a long stretch from two-can chow mein, which is still on the store shelves today. Go figure.

Pahd Thai Goong

In the 1980s, my then-girlfriend, Kathy, and I ate dinner at a popular Seattle restaurant called the Bahn Thai. The decor, service, and food were excellent. The dish that impressed us most was Pahd Thai Goong (their spelling), or Thai fried noodles with shrimp. It wasn’t the pad Thai typically found in restaurants. We searched for a published recipe for pad Thai, but Thai food’s popularity was just taking off, and the internet hadn’t ballooned yet. It was a couple of years before we succeeded. While shopping one day in Seattle, Kathy noticed a cookbook featuring recipes from Seattle-area restaurants. There was a recipe for Bahn Thai’s fried noodles in it. I prepared the dish, according to the recipe, only to discover that it had little similarity to the restaurant’s version. It was barely palatable and way too oily. I concluded that the Bahn Thai chefs were better cooks than writers and that the recipe, as published, couldn’t have been tested before publication. It did give me some ideas on where to start, and I went to work developing my own recipe; Kathy served as my taste tester. We eventually developed a recipe that replicated the Bahn Thai dish. It may even be a little better simply because it has more shrimp. pad thai goong may well be my all-time favorite noodle dish. It cooks very quickly, so be sure to have everything measured and in front of you when the cooking starts. And remember that ancient proverb: “Stirring cooks, staring burns.”

8 ounces dried rice noodles

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

3 green onions, white portion sliced into ¼-inch pieces, green portion into ½-inch pieces, white and green portions separated

1½ teaspoon minced garlic

3 large whole eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup bean sprouts

¼ cup, cut into ⅜-inch cubes, dry firm tofu (optional)

2 tablespoons finely ground peanuts

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped salted dried daikon radish

6-8 ounces large salad shrimp, drained

House of Tsang Szechuan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce (about 1 tablespoon)

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil over high heat in a medium stockpot. Add the noodles and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until a firm al denté, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (be careful not to overcook the noodles). Drain and rinse until cooled throughout. Transfer to a bowl of cool water to hold for a short time. Drain well just before using. An electric wok should be set to 370 degrees. If using a stovetop wok or stir-fry pan, use high-medium heat. Heat for 4-5 minutes (don’t do this with nonstick cookware). Add the peanut or vegetable oil. Add the white portion of the green onions and garlic. Cook until the garlic just starts to darken. Add the eggs and cook, breaking them into 1-inch pieces with a spatula or chan as they set. When the eggs set, add the drained noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes. Quickly add the remaining ingredients in the order given, except the sauce. Cook until heated through, another 3-5 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and remaining green onion and mix well.

Notes: Don’t use vermicelli rice noodles. The stir-fry sauce is hot. Serve additional sauce, so people can season their servings, to taste.

Yield: About four main-dish servings

Pacific Rim Spring Rolls

I first conceptualized these spring rolls several years ago, intending to enter the recipe in a Sunset magazine recipe contest. In the spirit of Sunset’s Pacific Rim theme, I developed the dish with ingredients from throughout the Pacific Rim. The salmon and mushrooms represent the Pacific Northwest. The Thousand Island dressing originates in British Columbia. The vegetables come from California’s and Mexico’s vast agricultural lands. The rice paper and dipping sauce originate in the Pacific regions of Asia. These spring rolls are truly a Pacific Rim collaboration. I never did finish the recipe in time for the contest.

½ cup finely chopped mushrooms

⅓ cup minced green onion

⅓ cup minced jicama

⅓ cup Thousand Island dressing

8 8-inch rice paper wrappers

32 large cilantro leaves

8 1½ ounces smoked or glazed salmon, sliced into 8 1½-by-5-by-¼-inch pieces

Lettuce, sliced into 8 1½-by-5-inch pieces

Dipping sauce(s) of choice

Combine the first 4 ingredients (through dressing) in a small bowl. Fill a 9½ to 10-inch pie plate with 1½ inch of hot water. Fully immerse a wrapper in the water for 4-5 seconds. Drain well, then set the wrapper on a dry towel (the wrapper will quickly become flexible). To assemble the roll, space four cilantro leaves flatly along the centerline of the wrapper. Place a piece of salmon on top of the leaves. Spread 3 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture on the salmon and top with a piece of lettuce. Fold the closest flap over the filling. Fold the uncovered portion of both ends of the wrapper over the closest flap, then roll the folded portion and filling over the remaining flap. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 8 spring rolls. Serve the rolls, cilantro side up, with dipping sauce(s).

Notes: Other firm-fleshed fish, crab or shrimp may substitute for salmon. Shorten the spring rolls by an inch for more convenient handling. Just reduce the quantities and dimensions accordingly.

Yield: Eight spring rolls

Vietnamese Chili Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

This Vietnamese-inspired dipping sauce offers four basic taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty and spicy. It’s excellent with spring rolls, meats, rice, stir-fry, noodles, and soups. Nuoc cham is the most popular sauce in Vietnam and is used to flavor almost everything.

¼ cup hot water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1½ tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam)

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼-½ teaspoon pressed blanched garlic

Combine the water and sugar in a small bowl. When the sugar dissolves, stir in the remaining ingredients. Let rest for an hour or so to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust the ingredients, if needed.

Notes: Blanch garlic by placing two large unpeeled cloves in a small microwavable bowl, such as a 6-ounce custard cup. Loosely cover with a microwavable lid or slightly larger microwavable bowl, such as a 10-ounce custard cup. Microwave on high power for 4-6 seconds. Check for doneness.

Yield: About ½ cup

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com