That is because love in her family has always been expressed through the dishes they cook.
Growing up they did not talk about their feelings and children were not part of normal conversation so the only times adults and children connected and had a proper conversation was when talking about menus for family meals.
"It still is our main topic of discussion."
Souksisavanh, a writer and food stylist, was born in Thailand and learnt to cook Thai food from her mother, who was born and raised in Yaowarat in Bangkok’s Chinatown. She learned Thai cooking from her great-grandmother who worked in the kitchens of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and who prepared the family meals.
While Souksisavanah moved to Paris as a child with her parents, she never left her Thai heritage behind. After studying at Langues O’ and the Sorbonne she realised she was most happy in the kitchen so went on to graduate from the Ferrandi cookery school.
Along the way you will find little nuggets of interesting information imparted. Did you know pad Thai, Thailand’s national dish, came about during an economic recession after World War 2 when the prime minister of the time decided to export more rice to reduce the economic deficit?
"He then began to promote a rice noodle dish that required less precious raw materials to make. This is how pad Thai was born."
Similarly, lod chong ruam mit (three-colour dessert) is a combination of Thailand’s favourite desserts. Lod chong means "through the hole" — the vermicelli dough goes through the holes of the press — and ruam mit means "meeting" or "gathering of friends".
"In Thailand, stands offer a variety of fruits, jellies and seeds that you can choose from. This is a festive dessert that is usually prepared in large quantities for family gatherings."
The Book
Images and text from Thai Home Cooking by Orathay Souksisavanh, photography by Akiko Ida. Murdoch Books. RRP $55
Curry pastes
Red curry paste
10 dried red chillies, deseeded
2 lemongrass stalks
5 lime leaves
1 long red chilli, deseeded
1 red Asian shallot
4-5 garlic cloves
10 coriander (cilantro) stems (without leaves)
6g toasted coriander seeds
4g toasted cumin seeds
2g whole white peppercorns
10g fresh galangal
Zest of 1 makrut lime
½ tsp salt
1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
Method
Soak the dried chillies in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Remove the base and hard outer layers of the lemongrass and finely slice the centre section. Remove the stem and rib from the lime leaves and slice the leaves. Roughly chop the deseeded long chilli, shallot, garlic and coriander stems. In a mortar, pound the drained dried chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns. Place all the ingredients in a tall container and use a stick blender to make a paste, or pound everything using a mortar and pestle.
Massaman curry paste
Massaman (pronounced "matsaman") means "Muslim". The origin of this recipe is said to come from Persian merchants or from the Malay influence in southern Thailand.
5 dried red chillies, deseeded
1 lemongrass stalk
1 red Asian shallot
4-5 garlic cloves
10 coriander (cilantro) stems (without leaves)
6g toasted coriander seeds
4g toasted cumin seeds
2g whole white peppercorns
5 cloves
6 cardamom pods
5g ground cinnamon
2g ground nutmeg
10g fresh galangal
½ tsp salt
1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
Oil (optional)
Method
Soak the dried chillies in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Remove the base and hard outer layers of the lemongrass and finely slice the centre section. Roughly cut the shallot, garlic and coriander stems. In a mortar, pound the drained chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves and cardamom. Place all the ingredients in a tall container and use a stick blender to make a paste, or pound everything using a mortar and pestle. Add a little oil if the mixture is too dry.
Tod man pla or fish cakes with beans & pickle sauce
Serves 4 (14-16 pieces)
Ingredients
Fish cakes
400g cod fillet
20-25g red curry paste (recipe above or store-bought)
1 egg
1 level tsp sugar
2 scant Tbsp fish sauce
10-12 lime leaves
3 snake beans or 80g green beans
60ml vegetable oil
Pickle sauce
50g sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp fish sauce
½ cucumber
2 red Asian shallots
1-2 red chillies (to taste)
Method
Prepare the fish cakes. Remove the bones from the cod and cut the fillet into pieces. Process the fish with the curry paste, egg, sugar and fish sauce until a sticky dough forms. Take breaks as needed so as not to overheat the food processor. Remove the central rib from the lime leaves. Layer them in a pile, roll up and chop very finely. Thinly slice the beans.
Mix everything with the fish paste and form 14 to 16 small patties using slightly damp hands. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Cook the fish cakes for about 3 minutes on each side until they are nicely golden.
Combine the sugar, vinegar, salt and fish sauce in a bowl. Cut the cucumber into small cubes and thinly slice the shallots and chillies. Add the cucumber, shallots and chilli to the sauce. Serve with the fish cakes.
Note: Fish cakes can also be served with sweet chilli sauce.
Panang Nua or dry beef curry
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1kg beef (chuck steak or brisket)
3 lemongrass stalks
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
30g red curry paste (recipe above or store-bought)
15 lime leaves
1 level tsp salt
30g raw sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1.5 litres water
1 small red capsicum (pepper)
400ml tin of coconut milk
Method
Cut the meat into slices about 1cm thick.
Cut the lemongrass stalks into three sections and bruise with a rolling pin to release the flavour.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the curry paste for 3 to 5 minutes
Add the meat, lemongrass, 10 lime leaves, salt, sugar and fish sauce. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2½ hours. (This curry can also be baked in the oven at 200°C covered.)
Remove the stalk, white parts and seeds from the capsicum and cut into strips. Remove the central rib from the remaining lime leaves. Form a pile, roll them together and slice them as finely as possible. Check the cooking of the meat: it should be quite easy to cut using a spoon. Add the coconut milk and cook for a further 30 minutes over a low heat. Then add the capsicum and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Sprinkle with finely chopped lime leaves before serving the curry with white rice.
Gaeng Na Nao or Winter Vegetable Curry
Serves 6
Ingredients
300g squash (kabocha, red kuri, butternut etc.)
300g sweet potato
300g choko (chayote) or kohlrabi
300g flat green beans (Romano beans)
150g shimeji mushrooms or button mushrooms
150g firm tofu or tempeh
3 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
300ml (1½ cups) water
80g unsweetened smooth peanut butter
1 slightly heaped Tbsp raw sugar
2 level tsp salt
500ml (2 cups) coconut milk
Zest and juice of 1 lime (optional)
Method
Cut the squash, sweet potato and choko into even-sized pieces. Cut the flat beans into thirds, then into strips. Separate the shimeji mushrooms or cut the button mushrooms into 4 to 6 pieces, depending on their size. Cut the tofu into even-sized pieces. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium heat. Fry the curry paste for 3 minutes. Pour in the water and dissolve the peanut butter. Add the sugar, salt, coconut milk and pieces of squash, sweet potato and choko. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and flat beans and cook for 4 minutes, uncovered. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, occasionally stirring gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve with your choice of rice. Add some lime zest and a drizzle of lime juice when serving, if desired.
