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06/18/2020 12:01 AMIt had been a sad week for Minneapolis and the rest of the world. On Sunday, as much of American knows, the week ended with a peaceful marches. Mine ended at our local high school.
And, of course, there is the pandemic. My world began to change on March 13, the day our school (and most others) decided that our students would not be coming back to their teachers and their classrooms. Except for two doctors’ appointments, I’ve had no one in my home, and for too long, hadn’t shared a meal with friends or family, hadn’t hugged anyone or shook anyone’s hand. My heart is sad for those who have lost friends and family.
Today I am making gallons of pasta sauce for my neighbors and to take to East Bloomfield, New York, south of Rochester. My niece and her daughter will fly to pick up my sister-in-law and drive them all to their home in New Mexico. It may be the last time I see my husband’s sister, whose dementia has progressed to the point where she can no longer live in her mid-1800s house, a place where I met my soon-to-be husband and, a year later, she began as the sister I had never had before.
Last evening I thought about making pad Thai,
My friend Chris Prosperi, whose parents are Austrian and French, learned to make pad Thai from a Thai friend years before he opened his incredible restaurant, Metro Bis, in Simsbury. He has as much Asian blood as I do, but this is the just a piece of the circle that becomes our family, too.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Pad Thai Noodles
1 bottle (32 Ounces) Mae Ploy sweet
chili sauce
2 ½ cups sugar
3 cups water
½ cup fish sauce
3 cups rice vinegar
In a sauce pot on medium high heat, combine all ingredients. Simmer for 2 minutes until all sugar is dissolved. Cool and set aside. Recipe makes 1 gallon, which may be used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, marinade for chicken, or dressing for salad greens when mixed with oil. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for two months.
Pad Thai Sauce
Yield: 2 servings
1 package medium rice noodles
1 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound chicken, thinly sliced
4 eggs
¾ cup pad Thai sauce or more if you like
(recipe above)
1 12-ounce package mung bean sprouts
(but any sprouts will do)
½ cup scallions (green onions), chopped
½ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1 lime, quartered
In a large mixing bowl, soak the noodles in warm water until pliable, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. On high heat in a hot wok or large sauté pan heat oil and add chicken. Stir fry for 2to 3 minutes. Crack the eggs into the pan and stir fry until the eggs are cooked and scrambled. Add pad Thai sauce and reduce the mixture. Place a good handful of noodles in the pan approximately (2 cups or so) and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid starts to dry. Fold in 1 cup of sprouts and the scallions. Remove from the heat and serve with sliced lime, chopped peanuts, and the remaining bean sprouts. Top with optional chili garlic sauce for more spice. Extra noodles may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.