Fresh Thai ~ Oi Cheepchaiissara

Fresh Thai is as much about feeding your eyes as it is about feeding your stomach, but oh my, what a feed! I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for Thai food, and if you throw some lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves or coriander leaves (omg yum!) at me I'm a very happy woman. The book is gloriously glossy, with double page photographs littered throughout, displaying all the colour and freshness that is a key feature of the cuisine.


The recipes themselves, whilst delicious in every way, are perhaps not the most conducive to cooking from. The ingredients are listed consecutively across the line, rather than listing them down the page, making preparation slower and more methodical, and likewise the method is written in the same way, with a bolded number written between each step. Although reasonably simple recipes in many ways, the style of production of the book itself does not really lend itself to the cook. The book itself is reasonably small in size, however quite thick, so doesn't comfortably sit open on the workbench or a book stand. It is a great size for leafing through to look at the recipes, but not for cooking from.

That said, if you are leafing through the book for some inspiration, you will not be disappointed in the slightest. From Steamed crabs to Barbecued pork spare ribs and Spring flowering chives with squid to Panaeng chicken curry, the food is to die for. There are vegetarian dishes such as Stir-fried mushrooms with ginger or divine desserts like Sago pudding with white lotus seeds or Black sticky rice with egg custard, but the recipe my eyes just can't go past is the deliciously beautiful and delightfully colourful Quail egg salad with prawns ~ Mmmmmm.

I recommend this for the cook who enjoys Thai food, and only occasionally needs a recipe to cook it. Definitely recommended for those who love to eat Thai food, and especially if you can convince someone else to use the book and cook it for you.

- Kath