Scribbles & Munch

     I'm a sucker for Thai food. Whether it's authentic recipes, no-apologies heat, or absurdly Americanized adaptations, a trip to my local Thai restaurant inevitably makes my tummy happy. But I can't afford to eat out very often. Which leaves me with few options other than learning to make these dishes myself.
      Asian cuisine is very different from European cuisine, and since I'm of European descent, guess which one was made the most often in my home growing up? The ingredients, flavor profiles, and techniques of French, German, Italian, British, and even Spanish food are much easier for me to grasp. I'm more likely to have the necessary spices and tools in my cupboard. If there's a last-minute hiccough, I'll probably be able to improvise with success. This is soooo not true for me and Asian food (and don't even get me started on authentic South American food)! Yet, I love to eat this stuff. So a few years ago I began slowly pushing myself to become more familiar with Japanese and Indian cooking.
      The first thing I learned? Saying "Indian" or "Japanese" food is a gross generalization. These countries have regions with unique ingredients and long-standing traditions. Local produce will be very different between Hokkaido and Kyushu (which, when you think about it, duh), so the recipes will be different, too. The same is even more true for India! So my self-education has been necessarily slowed by attention to detail. I have only just within the last few months become confident enough to make dal without looking a cookbook for every tiny measurement. That's what true love of food will get you.
      So authentic Thai food is on the to-do list, but don't hold your breath. In the meantime, however, I have been dearly missing some of my favorite foods. Last night I was struck with a longing for Swimming Rama*, a dish I've enjoyed in many an American Thai restaurant but whose authenticity strikes me as somewhat dubious. But who cares! Yum is yum, and that's all that matters at the end of the day. If you've never tried Swimming Rama, it is usually some form of protein (take your pick) served with spinach (or other vegetables, but usually spinach) in a Thai peanut sauce (which can vary so much between restaurants the only consistently identifiable ingredient is the peanut). I usually order this with beef whenever I'm anemic, and chow down without reservation. So last night I whipped up my first ever attempt, and was actually very, very pleased with the result!
      Two disclaimers: Firstly, since I had no idea how this was going to turn out, I did not take photos of the process, and didn't think to take photos of the finished product until after I'd eaten everything. It looked like slices of medium-rare grilled flank steak over brightly colored veggies and steamed rice with a generous amount of peanut sauce on top. Bet you would never have expected that. Secondly: the marinade which is at the core of this recipe is not mine, it is Alton Brown's skirt steak marinade. It is delicious, I use it often, and I could never dream of taking something from the Good Eats Guru and trying to pass it off as my own. This particular use of the recipe and the applied twists, however, was my own culinary flying by the seat of my pants.

Z.D.'s Swimming Rama with Beef (with considerable help from Alton Brown)

for the meat:
1/3 Cup soy sauce (I like low-sodium)
4 green onions, washed and cut into chunks
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice (from about two small limes)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons golden brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1/4 Cup olive oil
1.5 lbs flank steak, cut into two equal sized pieces

 - Place the soy sauce, green onions, garlic, lime juice, pepper flakes, cumin, sugar and molasses into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup--you should have about one Cup of thick liquid. Pour HALF back into the processor for the meat marinade, reserve the rest for the peanut sauce.

 - Add the olive oil to the thick, oniony-soy mixture in the processor, then blend until smooth. Pour into a zip-top bag, add the flank steak, and seal, pushing as much of the air out as possible. Squish around the ensure the meat is coated, then marinade in the fridge for 2-3 hours. In the meantime, prep the sauce and veggies below.

 - When ready to cook the meat, line a broiler pan with foil, place your oven rack on the top-most level, and preheat your broiler. Remove the meat from the marinade (it's Ok if some remains on the meat, it's nummy!) and lay on the prepared pan. Place under the broiler until just beginning the char in some spots, about five minutes, then flip and cook the other side the same. Remove from oven, wrap in foil, and let sit 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

for the peanut sauce:
the remaining liquid from first part of recipe (about 1/2 Cup)
1 serrano pepper, coarsely chopped (use only half if you don't want a lot of heat)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (err on the side of generous)
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 Cup coconut milk
1 Tablespoon Thai fish sauce
8 to16 oz natural, creamy peanut butter
1/4 Cup chicken broth or water

 - Return the oniony-soy liquid to the now empty food processor. Add the serrano, ginger, garlic, and cilantro, pulse until smooth. Next add in the coconut milk and fish sauce, and pulse until thoroughly mixed.