Thai

These powerfully seasoned chicken breasts grill up smoky and moist. Serve with minted iced tea and Asian beers. For dessert, offer mango sorbet with pineapple.

If canned unsweetened coconut milk is not readily available in your area, you may substitute 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sweetened flaked coconut. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Thai cooking frequently makes use of cilantro roots; their flavor is more pronounced than that of the leaves.

The mangoes must be completely unripe in order to achieve the firm, chunky texture desired for this chutney. This recipe was created to accompany Lamb Stew with Black Mustard Seeds. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this salad with grilled meats; it's especially great with spare ribs.

Chef-owner Neath Pal is known for his fusion of French-Asian and New England cooking. So serve this dish with slender noodles tossed in a purchased peanut sauce. Finish with coconut ice cream.

Here, lime juice replaces the traditional lemongrass, which can be hard to find. The result is a quick, authentic-tasting Thai-style soup. If coconut milk is unavailable, substitute 1 3/4 cups half and half mixed with 3/4 teaspoon imitation coconut extract.

Fermented soybean paste-called miso-is the key ingredient here.

Serve this Thai-style dressing over chilled pasta or mixed raw vegetables.

The following recipe is our version of gai yang, the grilled or roasted marinated chicken for which there are many variations in Thailand. Although gai yang is traditionally served with only a sweet chili garlic sauce for dipping, we were so taken with the complex flavor of the marinade that we decided to make extra and turn it into a second dipping sauce. Both sauces offered here are simple and delicious, but the Cornish hens can easily stand on their own.

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.

This hot and tangy Thai version of coleslaw is one of those dishes that I don't know if they really serve in Thailand but it certainly seems they should. I like it more than traditional coleslaw, and it seems to better suit our modern-day taste for lighter dishes and for the forthright flavors of Asian ingredients. I serve this salad with grilled meats — it's especially great with spare ribs.

(Charred Chili Salsa) In Thailand, vegetables are grilled in a grilling rack over an open flame. The method for charring described in this salsa recipe uses a dry-frying technique; you can, of course, char the vegetables over a grill instead. This northern Thai salsa is quite hot: The main ingredient is traditionally num, a long, medium-hot, pale yellow chili very similar to the banana chilies available in North American. If you want a milder taste, substitute Hungarian wax chilies for some or all of the banana chilies called for in the recipe. Remember that this sauce is meant to accompany sticky rice, not to be eaten on its own, so its flavors are punchy, with a distinct smokiness. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A thin but flavorful low-fat sauce that serves as a dipping sauce and marinade.

Yam Jin Gai Mom's chicken noodle is great, but this soup is all about heat and bold flavor. Thais typically incorporate soup into a menu rather than making it a separate course. Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 5 1/2 hr (includes making stock)

(Grilled Beef Salad) The following grilled beef salad has as many versions as there are cooks in Thailand. The success of the dish depends upon starting with good-quality tenderloin and achieving a balance of hot, sour, and salty. Before serving, be sure to sample the salad and adjust the amount of chili, lime, fish sauce — and, if desired, sugar — to your taste.