Cookbook Giveaway: Everyday Thai Cooking

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

I’ve got a confession to make: I adore the heat and complexity of Thai food, but I rarely cook it at home. I always seem to be missing some key specialty ingredient, so unless I’ve planned ahead, a home-cooked Thai meal isn’t on the menu. There must be a lot of cooks like me, because Chef Katie Chin has come to our rescue with her new book, Everyday Thai Cooking: Quick and Easy Family-Style Recipes (Tuttle Publishing). And to celebrate, we’re hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a copy (see below for details to enter).

{Chef Katie demonstrates techniques and ingredients featured in Everyday Thai Cooking.}

The book is especially welcome this time of year, when the indulgence that punctuates the season makes me crave light, bright flavors more than ever. Katie’s Steamed Mussels in Lemongrass and Basil made our Christmas Eve celebration. Her Tangy Pumpkin Soup yielded a nourishing, zippy meal to warm up a couple of chilly weeknights.

And while the recipes are mouthwatering, the section that’s perhaps most useful for the Thai cooking newbie is the rundown of signature ingredients. You’ll come away with a solid understanding of the role each plays in building the unique balance of the spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavors that characterize Thai cuisine, as well as helpful tips to make substitutions. Even better, you’ll be inspired to make a field trip to an Asian market to add some ingredients to your pantry and repertoire.

FOR THE GIVEAWAY: To celebrate Katie’s book — and make it easy for you to experience its delicious flavors — we’re giving away one copy of Everyday Thai Cooking to one lucky reader. And it’s easy to enter: Just leave a comment below. We’ll draw a winner at random and announce the lucky winner on the site on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. Good luck!

In the meantime, you can enjoy a taste of Everyday Thai Cooking with Katie’s recipe for Tangy Pumpkin Soup.

UPDATE (12/31/13): We have a winner: Liz Carl Ulloa! Thank you to all who entered. Please check back for future giveaways! And สวัสดีปีใหม่ (Happy New Year!)

Tangy Pumpkin Soup

This zippy, velvety and comforting pumpkin soup, adapted from Everyday Thai Cooking (Tuttle Publishing) exemplifies Katie Chin’s easy approach to Thai cuisine. It uses ingredients that you can find in many supermarkets, and if you can’t find ‘em, Katie has suggestions for simple substitutions. “Thais often use pumpkins to make desserts or delicious savory soups like this one,” Katie says. “The heat from the spices is a great contrast to the sweet pumpkin in this seasonal soup. You may substitute the pumpkin with any kind of winter squash.” I found it works just as beautifully with butternut squash. Check out Katie’s blog, The Sweet and Sour Chronicles.

2 tablespoons coconut oil, Canola or other high-heat cooking oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 fresh hot red or green chiles, preferably Thai chiles, thinly sliced (seeded, if you prefer less heat)
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 cups peeled and diced pumpkin
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup regular or light coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces and bruised (you can substitute grated zest of 1 lemon or lime)
1 teaspoon palm or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir-fry shallot, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chiles and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pumpkin, stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, sugar and salt, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil. Cook until the pumpkin softens, about 8-10 minutes. Quickly stir in fish sauce and lime juice.

Transfer a blender, or using an immersion blender, blend the soup to a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, as desired. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Lisa

I’ve never made Thai food at home. Would love to explore the possibilities with Katie’s new book. Sounds wonderful!
Gab

We love Thai food! Would be great to have a simpler, everyday cookbook than our ‘special’ one.
Susan McKinley Schultz

I love Thai food and would appreciate learning to make it at home. Have signed up for emails too!
- Alison Ashton
  
  Thank you!
All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

I love Thai food and would love to know more about making it at home.
Karen

Oooh! Thai is my all-time favorite ethnic cuisine. Here’s hoping this cookbook will enable me to cook a wider variety of fresh-tasting and healthy dishes at home!
Marianne

I could live on Thai food, and maybe with this book, I could actually order out less!
- Alison Ashton
  
  You would! In the meantime, try this pumpkin soup — it’s awesome!
Peg McKinley

Sign me up! Love Thai food, but have the same problem–not always sure what’s in the recipe–come close on a couple of occasions, but a good cookbook is worth its weight in gold!
- Alison Ashton
  
  It’s a great one — good luck, Peg!
Barbara Kopelman-Goldhamer

I would love this book. I love Thai food. It would be fun to try cooking it at home:-)
Michael

Thai food is always the best stuff to have during winter – that slight ‘burn’ mellows out to a lovely bodily warmth and flush of red on the face!
cezovski

I would love to win this cookbook! Thai food is my very favorite ethnic food!
Amber

I have never tried Thai food so the cook book would be a fantastic start!
Peggy

I’ve never had Thai food but have always wanted to discover it. This would be a great opportunity for me to experiment as I love to cook an am always trying new recipes and a healthier way of eating. I would love to get this cookbook! Have a great trip back to Guatemala and a Happy New Year!! Thank you, Peggy
- liahuber
  
  Thanks, Peggy! Happy New Year to you too …
EJ

I especially love the complex layers and nuances of flavors that make Thai cuisine

so delicious. I would really enjoy adding Chin’s cookbook to my collection and finding new ways to cook Thai food at home more often.
ixora

I simply love Thai food! My favorite is Tom Yam. It stimulates all the sensory areas on your tongue all at the same time be it for spiciness, saltiness, sweetness, sourness etc. You feel really satisfied.
liahuber

I love everyone’s descriptions of why you love Thai food … so fun to read!
Michelle Van Boven

Thai food (especially in the winter) is what I call ‘comfort food’ – my favourite place to do my spice shopping is the Asian Market (about a 3 hour drive away). When the shop keeper sees me coming, he ‘helps’ me by loading up my basket with new & unusual spices! Would love a cook book to help me pair my ingredients for those ultimate mouth-watering meals we all crave at this time of year!
madkate

The recipe looks great – and so does the cookbook!
Denise Evans

Soup looks fab. We love Thai, fresh and simple
Diane Cretin

I LOVE Thai food. I just need to learn to cook it:) Thanks for the opportunity to win and learn.
Debi

I love Thai food, so many wonderful flavors and Katie Chin’s recipes are excellent!
Marisha Zeffer

I love calamari salad, Thai-style.
carlyn

My favorite dish is Pumpkin Curry!
Christina Bauer

This recipe looks delicious! Never thought to make pumpkin tangy! I’d love the book too…exploring other cultures’ culinary traditions is so much fun!
Cindy Vattathil

Thai is my favorite cuisine of all time…but the best of the best has to be Pad See Ew.
Liz Carl Ulloa

My favorite is home made phad Thai. It’s tasty year round, I often add extra heat in winter.
- Alison Ashton
  
  Hi, Liz! You’re the lucky winner! Please email me your mailing address — alison[at]nourishnetwork.com — so we can have your copy of “Everyday Thai Cooking” sent to you. Congratulations!
  - Liz Carl Ulloa
    
    Thank you. I’m afraid my email won’t go through to your server. Is there another that I can try?
    - Alison Ashton
      
      Hi, Liz! Sorry about that. Try alison[at]contentkitchen.com. Many thanks!