{"product_id":"pok-pok-isbn-9781607742883","title":"Pok Pok","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eA  guide to bold, authentic Thai cooking from Andy Ricker, the chef and  owner of the wildly popular and widely lauded Pok Pok restaurants.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter  decades spent traveling throughout Thailand, Andy Ricker wanted to  bring the country's famed street food stateside. In 2005 he opened Pok  Pok, so named for the sound a pestle makes when it strikes a clay  mortar, in an old shack in a residential neighborhood of Portland,  Oregon. Ricker's traditional take on Thai food soon drew the notice of  the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGourmet \u003c\/i\u003emagazine, establishing him  as a culinary star. Now, with his first cookbook, Ricker tackles head-on  the myths that keep people from making Thai food at home: that it's too  spicy for the American palate or too difficult to source ingredients.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRicker shares more than fifty of the most popular recipes from Thailand and his Pok Pok restaurants—ranging from Khao Soi Kai (Northern Thai curry noodle soup with chicken) to Som Tam Thai (Central Thai–style papaya salad) to Pok Pok’s now-classic (and obsessed-over) Fish-Sauce Wings. But \u003ci\u003ePok Pok \u003c\/i\u003eis more than just a collection of favorite recipes: it is also a master course in Thai cooking from one of the most passionate and knowledgeable authorities on the subject. Clearly written, impeccably tested recipes teach you how to source ingredients; master fundamental Thai cooking techniques and skills; understand flavor profiles that are unique to Southeast Asian cuisine; and combine various dishes to create show-stopping, well-balanced meals for family and friends.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Filled with thoughtful, colorful essays about Ricker’s travels and experiences, \u003ci\u003ePok Pok \u003c\/i\u003eis not only a definitive resource for home cooks, but also a celebration of the rich history, vibrant culture, and unparalleled deliciousness of Thai food.\u003c\/p\u003eForeword by David Thompson  \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e How to Use This Book  \u003cbr\u003e Ingredients  \u003cbr\u003e Mail-Order Sources  \u003cbr\u003e Thai Regional Rundown  \u003cbr\u003e the MortaR and Pestle  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 1 Khao (Rice)  \u003cbr\u003eThe Absurdity of Authenticity  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Hom Mali (Jasmine rice)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Niaw (Sticky rice)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 2 Som Tam   (Papaya salad and family)  \u003cbr\u003e Som Tam Thai  (Central Thai–style papaya salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Som Tam Lao (Lao\/Isaan-style papaya salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Som Tam Phonlamai (Thai fruit  salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Tam Taeng Kwaa  (Thai cucumber salad) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 3 Yam (Thai “salads”)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Khai Dao (Fried egg salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Tuna (Thai tuna salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Wun Sen “Chao Wang”  (Sunny’s fancy glass noodle salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Makheua Yao  (Grilled eggplant salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Sunny  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Samun Phrai (Northern Thai–style herbal salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Neua Naam Tok  (Isaan steak salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Het Paa Naam Tok (Isaan-style forest mushroom salad)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 4 Plaa (Fish)   \u003cbr\u003e Plaa Neung Manao (Steamed whole fish with lime and chiles)  \u003cbr\u003e Plaa Neung Si Ew  (Steamed whole fish with soy sauce, ginger, and vegetables)  \u003cbr\u003e Plaa Phao Kleua (Grilled salt-crusted fish with chile dipping sauce)  \u003cbr\u003e Plaa Thawt Lat Phrik (Deep-fried whole fish with chile sauce) \u003cbr\u003e Aep Plaa (Curried fish grilled in  banana leaves)  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 5 Phat (Stir-fries)  \u003cbr\u003e Phat Khanaeng  (Stir-fried Brussels sprouts)  \u003cbr\u003e Phat Fak Thawng (Northern Thai–style stir-fried squash)  \u003cbr\u003e Phak Buung Fai Daeng (Stir-fried water spinach)  \u003cbr\u003e Phat Phak Ruam Mit  (Stir-fried mixed vegetables)  \u003cbr\u003e Puu Phat Phong Karii (Crab stir-fried with curry powder)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 6 Laap   (Thai minced-meat salads)  \u003cbr\u003e Laap Meuang (Northern Thai minced pork salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Da Chom  \u003cbr\u003e Laap Pet Isaan  (Isaan minced duck salad)  \u003cbr\u003e Laap Plaa Duuk Isaan  (Isaan minced catfish salad)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 7 Khong Yaang   (Grilled foods)   \u003cbr\u003e Muu Kham Waan  (Grilled pork neck with spicy dipping sauce and iced greens) \u003cbr\u003e Sii Khrong Muu Yaang  (Thai-style pork ribs)  \u003cbr\u003e Sai Ua Samun Phrai (Northern  Thai–style herbal sausage)  \u003cbr\u003e Kai Yaang  (Whole roasted young chicken)  \u003cbr\u003e Mr. Lit  \u003cbr\u003e Muu Sateh (Pork satay)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Phot Ping (Grilled corn with  salty coconut cream)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 8 Kaeng, Tom, \u0026amp; Co.   (Curries and soups)   \u003cbr\u003e Kaeng Jeut Wun Sen  (“Bland” soup with glass noodles)  \u003cbr\u003e Jaw Phak Kat  (Northern Thai mustard green soup with tamarind and pork ribs)  \u003cbr\u003e Jin Hoom Neua  (Northern Thai stewed beef soup)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Jin Kai  (Northern Thai chicken soup)  \u003cbr\u003e Kaeng Khiaw Waan Luuk Chin Plaa (Green curry with fish balls and  eggplant)  \u003cbr\u003e Kaeng Som Kung  (Sour curry with shrimp)  \u003cbr\u003e Kaeng Khanun (Northern Thai  young jackfruit curry)  \u003cbr\u003e Kaeng Hung Leh  (Burmese-style pork belly curry)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 9 Naam Phrik (Chile dips)   \u003cbr\u003e Naam Phrik Num (Green chile dip)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Phrik Plaa Thuu  (Grilled-fish dip)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Phrik Ong (Northern Thai pork and tomato dip)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Phrik Kha  (Dry-fried galangal-chile dip)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 10 Aahaan Jaan Diaw   (The one-plate meal)   \u003cbr\u003e Khao Kha Muu (Pork shank stewed with five spice)  \u003cbr\u003e Kai Kaphrao Khai Dao  (Stir-fried chicken with hot basil)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Phat Muu  (Thai-style fried rice with pork)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Man Som Tam (Papaya salad with coconut rice and sweet pork)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Tom (Thai rice soup)  \u003cbr\u003e Kuaytiaw Pet Tuun  (Stewed duck noodle soup)  \u003cbr\u003e Kuaytiaw Reua (Boat noodles)  \u003cbr\u003e Ba Mii Tom Yam Muu Haeng  (Spicy, sweet, tart noodles with pork, peanuts, and herbs) \u003cbr\u003e Kung Op Wun Sen  (Shrimp and glass noodles baked in a clay pot)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Soi Kai (Northern Thai curry noodle soup with chicken)  \u003cbr\u003e Phat Si Ew  (Stir-fried rice noodles with pork, Chinese broccoli, and soy sauce) \u003cbr\u003e Phat Thai (Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, and peanuts)  \u003cbr\u003e Hoi Thawt  (Broken crepe with mussels)  \u003cbr\u003e Kuaytiaw Khua Kai (Stir-fried noodles with chicken, egg, and cuttlefish on lettuce)  \u003cbr\u003e Khanom Jiin Naam Yaa (Thai rice noodles  with fish-and-krachai curry)  \u003cbr\u003e Khanom Jiin Naam Ngiew  (Thai rice noodles with Northern Thai curry) \u003cbr\u003e Ajaan Sunee  \u003cbr\u003e Phat Khanom Jiin  (Stir-fried Thai rice noodles)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 11 Aahaan Farang   (Foreign food)   \u003cbr\u003e Stir-Fried Yunnan Ham with  Chiles  \u003cbr\u003e Cha cá Lã Vºng  (Vietnamese turmeric-marinated  catfish with noodles and herbs)  \u003cbr\u003e Ike’s Vietnamese Fish-Sauce  Wings  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 12 Khong Waan (Sweets)  \u003cbr\u003eKhanom Bataeng Laai  (Northern Thai melon custard)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Niaw Mamuang  (Sticky rice with mango and salty-sweet coconut cream)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Niaw Sankhaya Turian  (Sticky rice with durian custard)  \u003cbr\u003e Khanom Pang Ai Tiim (Thai-style ice cream sandwich)  \u003cbr\u003e Pok Pok Affogato  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHAPTER 13 Sundry Items   (Stock, Condiments, and   Pantry Staples)   \u003cbr\u003e Sup Kraduuk Muu (Pork stock)  \u003cbr\u003e Muu Deng (Bouncy pork balls) \u003cbr\u003e Khai Tom (Eight-minute eggs)  \u003cbr\u003e Phrik Phon Khua  (Toasted-chile powder)  \u003cbr\u003e Khao Khua  (Toasted–sticky rice powder)  \u003cbr\u003e Krathiem Jiaw and  Naam Man Krathiem  (Fried garlic and garlic oil)  \u003cbr\u003e Hom Daeng Jiaw and  Naam Man Hom Daeng  (Fried shallots and shallot oil)  \u003cbr\u003e Kapi Kung  (Homemade shrimp paste)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Makham (Tamarind water)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Cheuam Naam Taan Piip  (Palm sugar simple syrup)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Jim Kai (Sweet chile dipping sauce)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Jim Kai Yaang  (Tamarind dipping sauce)  \u003cbr\u003e Jaew (Spicy, tart dipping sauce  for meat)  \u003cbr\u003e Phrik Naam Som  (Sour chile dipping sauce)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Jim Seafood (Spicy, tart dipping sauce for seafood)  \u003cbr\u003e Naam Jim Sateh (Peanut sauce)  \u003cbr\u003e Yam Makheua Thet  (Fish sauce–soaked tomatoes)  \u003cbr\u003e Ajaat (Cucumber relish)  \u003cbr\u003e Cu Cai  (Pickled carrot and daikon radish)  \u003cbr\u003e Phrik Tam Naam Som  (Grilled-chile vinegar)  \u003cbr\u003e Phrik Naam Plaa (Fish sauce–soaked chiles)  \u003cbr\u003e Phrik Naam Som  (Vinegar-soaked chiles) \u003cbr\u003e Naam Phrik Phao  (Roasted chile paste)  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments  \u003cbr\u003e Index \u003cbr\u003e“In this groundbreaking masterwork, Andy Ricker weaves together superb recipes, enlightening cultural narratives, meaningful personal essays, and an incomparable insight into the essence of Thai foodways. But perhaps this book’s greatest achievement is the honest, uncompromising way it brings real Thai cookery right into American readers’ homes. The bar has been set for ethnic cookbooks going forward.” \u003cbr\u003e —Andrew Zimmern\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Everything I know about Thai food I learned from Andy Ricker—how to order it, how to eat it, and now, how to cook it. \u003ci\u003ePok Pok\u003c\/i\u003e is destined to be the Thai bible for every adventurous home cook. Part memoir, part cooking manifesto, it beautifully and passionately shows Ricker’s no-nonsense approach to one of the world’s most exciting cuisines. When my daughters ask why they grew up eating so much khao soi kai, papaya salad, and laap pet isaan at home, I’ll tell them they have Andy Ricker—and this book—to thank.\u003cbr\u003e —Andrew Knowlton, restaurant and drink editor, \u003ci\u003eBon Appétit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “More than a Thai cookbook or even a regional Thai cookbook, this is a book about people: the street and market vendors, home cooks, and restaurant owners who Andy Ricker has met and studied with for over two decades in Thailand. In \u003ci\u003ePok  Pok\u003c\/i\u003e, Andy shares their stories, skills, and ideas—and his own passion for discovering a cuisine by going door to door. Oh yeah, and he makes some insanely delicious food along the way.” \u003cbr\u003e —Francis Lam, writer and judge on Top Chef Masters\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “You’d be hard-pressed to find better Thai food than what Andy Ricker is serving at Pok Pok. And now, with his cookbook, we finally get to see the people, places, and experiences that were the inspiration for it all.” \u003cbr\u003e —David Chang, chef\/owner of Momofuku \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This book, as far as I’m concerned, is an argument ender. When Andy says ‘make som tam lao like this,’ it’s like Jacques Pépin telling you how to make an omelette.  The matter is settled. Previously, I would never have even attempted to prepare most of these dishes in my home. I had always felt that Thai food was best left to the experts. But this book has given me hope and confidence.” \u003cbr\u003e —Anthony Bourdain\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In his introduction, Ricker makes the modest proclamation that his cooking knowledge is limited when measured against Thailand’s vast cuisine. However, this limitation has had no visible effect on his success, given that his eatery, Pok Pok, was recently rated by Bon Appétit as the eighth most important American restaurant. All one really needs to know about Ricker, and this finely detailed cookbook and travelogue, comes at the start of his recipe for fish-sauce wings. Sounding like a gourmand Allen Ginsberg, he writes, “I’ve spent the better part of the last twenty years roaming around Thailand, cooking and recooking strange soups, beseeching street vendors for stir-fry tips, and trying to figure out how to reproduce obscure Thai products with American ingredients.” He spills out his acquired knowledge here across 13 chapters and nearly 100 recipes. Lessons learned along the way include the beauty of blandness as exhibited in his flavor-balanced “bland soup” with glass noodles, and waste not, want not, as showcased in recipes for stewed pork knuckles and grilled pork neck. Ricker’s prose, as aided by food writer Goode, is captivating, whether he is discussing America’s obsession with sateh, or when profiling characters he’s encountered in his travels, such as Mr. Lit, his “chicken mentor” and Sunny, his “go-to guy in Chiang Mai.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublisher's Weekly \u003c\/i\u003eStarred Review\u003cp\u003eANDY  RICKER worked in restaurants all over the world before opening his  first restaurant, Pok Pok, in Portland. He has since gone on to open  Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok Noi, and Sen Yai in Portland, and Pok Pok  NY in New York City. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJJ GOODE has co-written several books including \u003ci\u003ePok Pok \u003c\/i\u003ewith Andy Ricker, April Bloomfield's \u003ci\u003eA Girl and Her Pig\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMorimoto \u003c\/i\u003ewith Masaharu Morimoto.\u003c\/p\u003eForeword\u003cbr\u003e by David Thompson\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “One more plate of laap—please, Andy,” was my plea. I needed more. I had just finished a plate of this Northern Thai dish of chopped meat (pork, in this instance) mixed with spices and herbs. I have eaten laap many times before—it is a regional classic. However, this rendition was irresistible. The minced pork was rich and smoky, the spices bitter and tangy, the herbs enticingly aromatic. The combination of all these flavors left a wonderful taste that lingered long after I’d finished my last bite. I simply just had to order a second plate.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I confess I was surprised by how good it was; really, it had no right to be so delicious. After all, I was sitting in Portland, Oregon—a far, far cry from Chiang Mai, the Northern Thai city that is this dish’s home. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I guess I shouldn’t have been astonished. Andy may have opened his first Pok Pok restaurant in Portland, but the food he cooks has deep roots in Thailand. It might seem strange that this six-foot-tall Vermonter is cooking Northern Thai food so well, until you understand Andy’s love for the Thais, their cuisine, and in particular the hazy mountainous province of Chiang Mai. Andy makes regular visits to Thailand, where he trawls the markets—watching, asking questions, and collecting recipes. He chats engagingly with local cooks, who share with him tips and techniques—but he is also a keen observer, and gets ideas and knowledge from furtively watching other, unsuspecting cooks. Either way, by whatever means, Andy gets the goods.\u003cbr\u003e Whenever Andy comes to Thailand, I see him in Bangkok, where I live, and occasionally we travel together up-country. Accompanying Andy as he pursues his culinary quarry can be exhausting. He moves quickly from shop to shop, market to market, or village to village with nary a regard for his fellow travelers. He walks past the stalls that don’t pass muster, refusing to stop, while those of us in his wake bleat plaintively, wanting to eat, looking longingly at dishes he dismisses and leaves untouched. Mr. Ricker demands the best and thus he commands my respect, even if I do often end up hungry, tired, and sulky. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Andy has turned his not being Thai into an advantage. He is not limited by an inherent belief, as many Thais are, that his mother’s is the best and the only way to cook. His approach is much broader and more encompassing; he casts his culinary net wider, across all of Northern Thailand and its verdant and fertile fields. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Andy first backpacked through Asia and landed in Thailand in 1987, around the time I was making those same laps. I am surprised I didn’t run into him. Although, given the similarity of our quests, our mutual love for Thailand, and our crazy partying ways, it’s quite possible we did. . . .\u003cbr\u003e Andy’s moment of culinary epiphany came over a mushroom. Mine was over a serpent head fish, clearly demonstrating that we can’t choose our moments. The objects of our inspiration—some fungi and a fish, respectively—might seem silly, but in the end, they prompted both of us to change the course of our lives, including how we eat and cook. \u003cbr\u003e I still recall that sour orange curry of serpent head fish, tart with tamarind leaves, plump with flavor. The seasoning, tastes, and textures of that curry transformed my understanding of Thai food. From then on I was hooked. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I moved to Bangkok to learn about the city’s remarkable cuisine, regal past, and sophisticated tastes, opening a few swank restaurants in the process. Meanwhile, Andy was researching up-country, eating his way through the north of Thailand. Later he opened the first Pok Pok restaurant in Portland on a maxed-out credit card, a mortgage, and with little capital. In the decade since then, he has established himself as an important voice in Thai cooking and an emissary of Northern Thai food internationally. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I remember working with Andy in both New York City and Portland and being amazed at his rather informal approach to cooking, kitchens, and restaurants. His very first restaurant was built out of his kitchen and partially demolished house, the food served through a window onto his porch and into the backyard—much like some small countryside restaurant in Thailand. You see, I come from the dainty world of fine dining, where certain things—such as grilling over charcoal in smoky forty-four-gallon drums, backyard coconut pressing, drinking beer on the job out of glass jars, fermenting mustard greens on the roof, and more beer drinking—were simply not done (unfortunately). But the casual appearance of Andy’s restaurants belies the rigorous, ambitious cooking that happens in his kitchens. He is obsessed with making the very best food he can. I admire the canny way he doctors his lime juice to approximate the taste of lime juice in Thailand, the resourceful way he finds and secures Thai produce, and his faithful adherence to Thai recipes, techniques, and tastes. The restaurants may not look terribly fancy, but inside, Andy and his Pok Pok crew are complete perfectionists, constantly adjusting and tinkering with their recipes to ensure everything is right. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Andy has almost singlehandedly created a market for regional Thai cuisine in the United States. Such food was practically unknown in the US before Pok Pok, but now, many of the dishes he cooks are the objects of cultlike devotion. For proof of his swashbuckling success, simply observe the lines that wind down the street outside of the Pok Pok restaurants. People clamor for his food—a style of cooking that they didn’t know existed before 2005. One excellent example is that delectable pork \u003ci\u003elaap\u003c\/i\u003e, which was as lip-smackingly good as any version I have found in Thailand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e While eagerly waiting for my second plate, I looked across our table—with its now-empty plates of grilled sausages, noodle salads, soups, curries, and chili dips—to the other tables of equally replete and happy diners. I couldn’t help but wonder, what would this damned skillful cook do next?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Well, you’re now holding Andy’s latest project: the \u003ci\u003ePok Pok\u003c\/i\u003e cookbook. In it, Andy chronicles Chiang Mai’s wide-ranging culinary repertoire—including my longed-for pork \u003ci\u003elaap\u003c\/i\u003e, a sour orange curry quite similar to the one that first enthralled me so many years ago, and many other Northern dishes. This book is the product of years and years of research, practice, and experience, and clearly demonstrates why Andy and Pok Pok are so successful: great food; honest, practical advice and guidance; and a sincere desire to please without compromising the integrity of the cuisine. It’s a winning recipe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e----------------------------------------------------------","brand":"Ten Speed Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303236161765,"sku":"NP9781607742883","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781607742883.jpg?v=1767734929","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/pok-pok-isbn-9781607742883","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}