Thai

These addictive and deeply flavored ribs make a great starter as part of a larger Thai meal, or they can be served as a main course accompanied by jasmine rice and a sautéed or braised leafy or bitter green vegetable. On the other hand, they make a terrific snack to go along with a cold beer.

This Thai-style seafood curry gets its creaminess from coconut milk and warming, punchy notes from green curry paste.

Jasmin is a piece of work. Her single-word name only enhances her celebrity status. She's the chef/proprietor of her eponymous quintessential beach hut restaurant on the northern tip of Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. A tall, sexy native with long jet black hair and flowing silk dresses, she's as sharp as a razor blade and intimidating as hell. If you ask her a question, she stops, squints her eyes dubiously, and raises an eyebrow. She's the Queen Bee here. Her worker bees are the little barefoot gypsy kids who live on the beach, the happiest kids I've ever seen. They take her orders, serve her food, and assist her in effortlessly knocking out the freshest and most delicious Thai dishes around—her clientele buzzes in from every surrounding island. "Just bring us whatever you'd like" (I try to skip the questions). I'll kick back with a Singha and watch those iconic longtail boats pull up with ice crates of screamingly fresh local fish, and I'm eating perfectly executed delicacies fifteen minutes later. Here's a woman who is truly about abundance, joie de vivre, and a spirit so vibrant that it inspires everyone. A true domestic goddess. She graciously taught me this classic in her (outdoor) kitchen on the beach.

Replacing full-fat coconut milk with a light version reduces fat, not flavor.

This soup has many layers in its complexity, but the overall effect is of cleanness and freshness. An optional addition of jasmine rice makes a heartier meal.

The curries that are sold in the markets of southern Thailand inspired this heavily spiced dish. Chef Boetz says this delicious main course is a hybrid of an Indian and a Thai curry. The use of dried spices (coriander, cardamom, cumin) is common in Indian curries; coconut milk and fresh, aromatic ingredients (cilantro, lemongrass, galangal) are often used in Thai curries.

Surf-and-turf like you've never had before—whole fried trout topped with crisp pieces of sweet and spicy pork. For a traditional Thai dinner, serve the mains and sides family-style with a large bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

Don't be intimidated. This is actually just a Southeast Asian twist on beef-noodle soup: steak, fragrant broth, and eminently slurpable noodles.

Canned coconut soups are full of distinct Thai flavors such as Kaffir lime leaves and galangal (a gingerlike root). They lend great depth to this surprisingly easy meal.

Rice paper is available in the Asian-foods section of many supermarkets.

Serve with steamed rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.

To give this salad more crunch, add blanched soybeans (edamame) or fried wonton strips.

The Standard Hollywood, which serves celebrities such as Heather Graham and Megan Mullally, has a trendy diner feel, but you'll find more than the burger special on the menu. Executive chef David Linville offers international treats like this salad with protein-rich lean flank steak.

Khao Neeo See Dam — Thailand Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. Since black rice is a big favorite of Tashi's, over time we've developed a quick version of black rice pudding, aromatic, sweet, and satisfying. You can prepare it and have it in bowls for impatient rice pudding fans in under an hour, with no presoaking of the rice. Serve it for dessert or as a snack, or even for breakfast. The rice is moist, almost soupy, when first made, but if it's left to stand in a cool place, it firms up into a pudding-cake texture and can be eaten in slices (see Note below). Eat it on its own or topped with sesame seeds, coriander leaves, or fried shallots, or a combination.

Khao Neeo Mamuang — Thailand Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. You need sticky rice (also called sweet rice or glutinous rice) for this classic Thai-Lao sweet. The recipe for making it at home is very simple. As with most of the sweets in Southeast Asia, you can eat Coconut Milk Sticky Rice as a snack or serve it as dessert.

Bottled red-curry paste heats up this flavorful, vegetable-rich Thai-style curry.

This quick dish has all the deep, exciting flavors of Southeast Asia. The curry paste already has lemongrass in it, so don't worry if you can't find fresh: It will still be delicious without it.