The Hollywood Years

“I put this in, you won’t like it,” warns Noy Padoogpatt, gesturing toward an immense jar of salted crabs in dark sauce. But I insist. Padoogpatt flips a little black crab into her mortar and continues pounding. Already crushed are strands of raw green papaya, garlic, dried shrimp, chiles, roasted peanuts and tomatoes. (Padoogpatt works with a huge, treacherous knife, all the while chatting, never glancing at her fingers.) In too go dashes of fish sauce, lemon juice, tamarind and sugar, along with lengths of raw, dark-green long beans and a few more peanuts.

Padoogpatt is making the northeastern Thai salad called som tam . She does this on weekends in the busy basement food court at Wat Thai, the Thai Buddhist temple in North Hollywood.

“Taste it,” she says, handing out a forkful to see if the seasonings are right. I don’t know if they’re right, but Padoogpatt’s som tam is a glorious tangle of flavors and textures--sweet, spicy, sour, salty, crisp, chewy, fresh, raw and briny. “American movie stars buy it,” she confides saucily, packing up raw cabbage and more peanuts to be eaten along with the salad.

Drawn by its imaginative flavors and exotic allure, Americans of all sorts have gone crazy for Thai food. It’s the one Southeast Asian cuisine that has captured mainstream recognition. Once just another example of the culinary stew pot that is Hollywood, Thai restaurants have gained on Chinese as inexpensive places to eat out. Thai take-out flyers blanket neighborhoods citywide like a paper storm. Thai curry pastes, fish sauce and other essentials have worked their way into Chinese markets. And supermarkets display mixes for popular Thai dishes.

With more than 100,000 Thais living here, Los Angeles has become the largest Thai city outside of Bangkok. It’s loaded with restaurants that offer foods from every region.

Today there are so many Thai people in Southern California that markets are starting to stock fresh durian --best known for its overbearing aroma--during the height of the season in May. And at the new L.A. Food Court in Hollywood, the adventuresome can eat hot-and-sour soup with beef intestines; pan-fried 1,000-year-old egg with chile, garlic and basil; raw crab in brine; sea snail curry; and cookies that contain dried shrimp.

But when Thai food first came to Southern California, things were different. Most Americans started out by eating dishes such as sate with peanut sauce, barbecued chicken and charbroiled steak salad. We fell in love with the flavor of Thai iced tea and ordered fried bananas for dessert. Even today, restaurants in Hollywood jolly us along with cute names like naked shrimp, drunk man noodles and angel wings (chicken wings stuffed with pork). Sompun’s menu reassures those considering yen-ta-foe that “this funny-name noodle is very tasty.”

Pasta-loving Americans continue to be daffy about pad Thai-- stir-fried rice noodles with a hint of sweet-sour and lots of crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts. Another advantage: The pronunciation is easy. Thai is a tonal language, and the wrong emphasis can change the meaning of a word. Say khao incorrectly, and you’ll be ordering knees instead of rice.

But you won’t need to speak Thai to buy the ingredients for these recipes. It’s getting easier to find fresh Kaffir lime leaves, fresh rice noodles, galangal and so on. Big Asian chain markets and Thai stores stock these. And most supermarkets can supply lemon grass, fresh chiles, basil, mint, cilantro, roasted peanuts and peanut butter. Many now carry canned coconut milk and fish sauce.

For stir-frying, you’ll need a wok or deep skillet. Large saucepans or Dutch ovens will do for curries. And food processors or blenders can grind curry pastes. Thais prefer to pound ingredients in earthen mortars that are narrow and deep to keep the contents from flying out. Thai markets carry these, along with big, shiny, cook-pots from Thailand, and cone-like baskets for steaming sticky rice, coconut shredders and other intriguing equipment. Bangkluck market in Hollywood even has hand-tooled grills for sate. They’re rectangular, long and slim to support sticks of meat without burning the skewers.

Pioneering Thai restaurants that clustered in central Los Angeles and Hollywood figured out what Americans would eat. Restaurants that came later latched on to those older menus so that today you find the same dishes everywhere in Southern California and beyond: pad Thai , beef panang , rad-na (steamed flat rice noodles with broccoli), chicken-coconut soup, mixed salad with peanut sauce and Thai ice tea. Another universal dish is prik king-- stir-fried green beans with curry paste and meat. (As is typical of many Thai dishes, you can choose chicken, beef, pork or shrimp as the “meat.”)

The following recipes can easily be adjusted to available ingredients. Beginners could make pad Thai without the salted radish, dry shrimp and baked tofu, for example. But do try the homemade curry pastes. They taste fresher and are not as hot as canned pastes. The recipes are from local restaurants, many of them veterans that have been around since the early ‘70s, when these dishes, which have become part of the American repertoire, still seemed enormously exotic.

*

I remember eating Pad Thai more than a dozen years ago at the Sunshine on Western Avenue near Hollywood. It was an enchanting dish, combining many tastes in a pile of silky rice noodles. Here is the recipe, jotted down while I was watching Sunshine’s Tanisa Thonglai stir-fry the noodles in a huge wok. Her brother, Eddie, explained such unfamiliar ingredients as chopped salted radish and savory baked tofu, which tastes as smoky and rich as bacon.

PAD THAI (Thai Fried Noodles From Sunshine Restaurant) 3 tablespoons oil 1 egg 4 to 5 whole medium shrimp, peeled, tails left on 1/3 to 1/2 cup sliced lean pork 1 tablespoon dried shrimp 1 tablespoon chopped salted radish (chai po) 1 tablespoon dried savory baked tofu 7 ounces fresh (1/8-inch wide) rice noodles 1/4 cup light chicken broth 1/3 cup Pad Thai Sauce Bean sprouts Green tops of 2 green onions, slivered, or Chinese chives 2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted peanuts 1 lime wedge Crushed dried chiles

Heat wok. Add oil and heat. Break egg into oil and stir to scramble. Add shrimp, pork, dried shrimp, salted radish and tofu and stir to cook shrimp and pork. Add noodles. Add broth and stir until noodles are tender. Add more broth or water if needed. Add Pad Thai Sauce and cook and stir until blended.

Add 1/2 cup bean sprouts and green onion tops, stir and turn out onto platter. Pack 1/3 cup bean sprouts against noodles on 1 side, roasted peanuts on another side. Add lime wedge to plate. Serve crushed dried chiles to add as desired. Makes 1 large serving or 2 side-dish servings.

Note: Savory baked tofu, compact dry tofu that is dark-brown on outside, is available in Thai markets.

Each side-dish serving contains about: 696 calories; 327 mg sodium; 142 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 0.35 gram fiber.

Pad Thai Sauce 1/2 cup Tamarind Liquid 2 teaspoons lime juice or lemon juice 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon Garlic Oil

Combine Tamarind Liquid, lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, paprika and Garlic Oil. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Tamarind Liquid 1/2 cup hot water 1 to 2 tablespoons peeled tamarind pulp

Pour hot water over tamarind pulp in small bowl. Squeeze to extract flavor and color. Strain. Makes 1/2 cup.

Garlic Oil 3 or 4 large cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup oil

Fry garlic in oil until lightly browned. Cool and bottle. Makes 1/2 cup.

*

Located on Alameda Street in the old wholesale produce district, Setha’s is well known for this soup, which comes to the table in a smoking chimney pot.

TOM YUM GOONG (Hot-and-Sour Shrimp Soup From Setha’s Restaurant) 20 medium shrimp 4 1/2 cups water 1 large or 2 small lemon grass stalks, thick part only, pounded 5 Kaffir lime leaves, halved 4 large slices ginger root 2 1/2 teaspoons Roasted Red Curry Paste 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole canned straw mushrooms Cilantro sprigs

Peel shrimp, leaving on tails. Remove sand veins. Place shells in large saucepan. Add water, cover and bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Strain.

Return stock to saucepan. Add lemon grass, lime leaves and ginger slices. Reheat to simmer. Stir in Roasted Red Curry Paste, lime juice, fish sauce and salt. Add mushrooms. Bring to boil. Drop in shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until pink. Ladle into large soup bowls. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 149 calories; 1,302 mg sodium; 129 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 1 gram fiber.

Roasted Red Curry Paste 3 New Mexico chiles 3 small dried chiles 4 shallots, sliced 3 medium cloves garlic, sliced 1 tablespoon dried shrimp 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai shrimp paste (kapi) 2 tablespoons Tamarind Liquid 1 tablespoon oil

Heat griddle over medium heat. Roast chiles on griddle 3 minutes, or until aromatic, turning to roast each side. Remove from heat. Remove and discard stems and seeds.

In small food processor, combine chiles, shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, shrimp paste and Tamarind Liquid. Blend as fine as possible.

Heat oil in small skillet, add paste and fry 4 minutes, stirring often. Do not allow to burn. Store in airtight container. Makes slightly more than 1/3 cup.

*

Sukothai in northern Thailand was the country’s first capital. Sukothai near downtown Los Angeles is a restaurant that has turned out wonderful food for years, including a terrific carrot salad and some of the best fried bananas in town. Here is the Sukothai version of barbecued chicken, an easy dish for summer entertaining.

SUKOTHAI BARBECUED CHICKEN 1/3 cup canned coconut milk 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons garlic powder Salt, optional 1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces Honey Dipping Sauce

Mix coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic powder and salt to taste. Pour mixture over chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Grill over coals or on stove-top grill until well browned. Accompany with Honey Dipping Sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 558 calories; 1,132 mg sodium; 130 mg cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 0.46 gram fiber.

Honey Dipping Sauce 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup white vinegar Dash finely crushed dried chiles 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground or crushed roasted peanuts

Combine honey, vinegar and dried chiles in small saucepan. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes, or until syrupy. Cool to room temperature. Turn into sauce bowl. Add peanuts. Makes about 1/2 cup.

*

Julie Moulder, owner of the Chieng Mai Cafe on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, insists on sate sauce made in the traditional way, with ground roasted peanuts. Some cooks shortcut this procedure by using peanut butter. Moulder is from Utaradit in northern Thailand.

PORK SATE (From Chieng Mai Cafe) 1 pound pork leg meat 1 cup canned coconut milk 1 tablespoon Indian curry powder 1 teaspoon salt Peanut Sauce Cucumber Relish Toast triangles

Cut meat into thin slices 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Combine coconut milk, curry powder and salt. Add meat and marinate several hours. Thread pieces on bamboo skewers to lie flat.

Cook meat over coals or on grill until browned. Accompany with bowl of Peanut Sauce, Cucumber Relish and toast triangles for sopping up sauce. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 772 calories; 1,410 mg sodium; 52 mg cholesterol; 56 grams fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 31 grams protein; 6.20 grams fiber.

Peanut Sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons canned or homemade red curry paste 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk 1 cup peanuts, roasted and finely ground 1/2 cup Tamarind Liquid 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt

Place curry paste in saucepan and gradually stir in coconut milk until blended. Bring to boil. Add ground peanuts, Tamarind Liquid, sugar and salt.

Cook and stir to make medium-thick sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes about 2 cups.

Cucumber Relish 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into small thin slices 1/4 small red onion, diced 1 serrano chile, sliced Cilantro

Combine vinegar and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add cucumber, onion and chile. Let stand 1 hour to blend flavors.

Turn into serving bowl and top with few leaves cilantro. Makes about 1 cup.

*

Thai Beverly on West 3rd Street near the Beverly Center is about as big as a handkerchief. In that small space, owner-chef Supagit (Sam) Gitjarunglert and his wife, Wanida, turn out everything from delicate cucumber soup to this popular version of Beef Panang. It’s another of the many Thai dishes that contain peanuts.

BEEF PANANG (From Thai Beverly) 2 teaspoons oil 1 teaspoon packaged panang curry paste 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1/4 teaspoon sugar Salt 3 to 4 ounces lean beef, cut in thin slices Water 1 cup canned coconut milk 1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter Finely sliced Kaffir lime leaf, optional Steamed rice, optional

Heat oil in wok or skillet. Stir in curry paste until smoothly blended. Add fish sauce, sugar and salt to taste and blend. Add beef and cook, stirring, until 2/3 done.

If mixture dries, add little water. Add coconut milk and cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and heat. Turn out onto serving dish and top with Kaffir lime leaf. Accompany with steamed rice. Makes 1 serving.

Each serving contains about: 822 calories; 868 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 80 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 5.93 grams fiber.

*

Sitting in the patio at Sompun in Los Angeles is like relaxing in a tropical garden in Bangkok, only the weather is cooler. Sam Pongguan of this family-owned business (there’s another Sompun in Studio City) told us the ingredients to use for this wonderful salad. We then worked out the proportions. You can omit the pork skin if you like.

THAI SAUSAGE SALAD 1 pound ground pork 1 to 2 small hot dried chiles, crushed 1 tablespoon oil 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/3 cup cut-up red onion 1/4 cup whole roasted peanuts 1 tablespoon long fine shreds ginger root 2 green onions, including some of green tops, sliced or chopped 1/4 cup Steamed Pork Skin Tender romaine leaves Cilantro sprigs

Saute pork and chiles in oil until meat is thoroughly cooked and crumbly. Turn into bowl. Season with fish sauce and lime juice. Add red onion, peanuts, ginger shreds, green onions and Steamed Pork Skin. Toss to combine.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Place on bed of romaine leaves and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 268 calories; 400 mg sodium; 61 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 0.79 gram fiber.

Steamed Pork Skin 1 small piece pork skin

Steam pork skin until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into fine long shreds and measure 1/4 cup.

*

Far from Hollywood--in a shopping mall in Cerritos--a relatively new Thai restaurant turns out an exceptional version of this dish. The Bangkok Garden’s chicken prik king is as easy to make as it is sublime to taste. It’s best if you use owner Pat Samathanawin’s recipe for curry paste. But in a hurry you can substitute packaged prik king curry paste from a Thai market.

PAD PRIK KING (Stir Fried Chicken With Long Beans, From Bangkok Garden) 3 tablespoons oil 1 1/2 tablespoons Prik King Curry Paste 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into thin strips 1/2 pound long beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths 5 Kaffir lime leaves, quartered or shredded 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Add Prik King Curry Paste and stir until fragrant. Add chicken and stir-fry until almost cooked through. Add long beans, lime leaves, fish sauce and sugar.

Cook and stir until beans are crisp-tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes 4 servings.

Prik King Curry Paste 3 dried California chiles, soaked until softened 7 shallots 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon chopped lemon grass 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or frozen galangal 1 teaspoon chopped coriander root (or portion of root and stems) 1 teaspoon grated fresh or chopped rehydrated Kaffir lime peel 2 tablespoons ground dried shrimp 1 teaspoon Thai shrimp paste 1 teaspoon salt

Discard stems and seeds of chiles. Combine chiles, shallots, garlic, lemon grass, galangal, coriander root, lime peel, dried shrimp, shrimp paste and salt in mortar and pound until thoroughly ground and mixed.

Or place chiles, shallots, garlic, lemon grass, galangal, coriander root, lime peel, dried shrimp, shrimp paste and salt in blender and blend at highest speed, adding just enough water to make blending possible. Mixture should be paste, not fluid. Makes generous 1/2 cup.