The recipes in this book have been written especially for people cooking in a Western kitchen but using the Thai ingredients widely available in supermarkets and Oriental shops. If you haven't cooked Thai before, start with easy nibbles to serve with drinks, such as Prawns wrapped in Crisp Noodles, Chicken Satay or Fish Cakes. Try one-dish meals such as favourite Pad Thai (stir-fried noodles), Spicy Duck with Sticky Rice, and Mee Krop (crisp deep-fried noodles). Thailand is known for wonderful soups and salads, such as Hot and Sour Soup with Prawns, and Chicken Salad with Mint and Roasted Sesame Seeds. Delicious curries and pickles to tickle your tastebuds are Green Curry with Prawns, Clams with Chilli Oil and Holy Basil, and Beef Curry Noodle. Main dishes with dips include Stir-fried Chicken with Ginger, and Pork with Garlic and Fresh Chilli. There are even sweet things and drinks such as Sticky Rice with Mango, Thai Fruit Salad, and Tropical Fruit Drinks (the original smoothies). Vatcharin Bhumichitr's London restaurants have always been listed in the Top Ten Thai restaurants in Britain, and his new restaurant in Miami, Tamarind Thai Restaurant, has just opened.
