About Thai Ingredients

  ~ -- Thai fish sauce, called nam pla. This amber-colored, odoriferous
  liquid - -- used in everything from stir-frys to sauces -- cooks down to a
  mellow undertone. Better brands are lighter colored and less pungent; Squid
  is a recommended brand.

  ~ -- Dried shrimp. Salty and intensely flavored, these are used primarily
  as a seasoning ingredient. Usually sold in 4-ounce packages, dried shrimp
  should be plump and resilient, retaining enough moisture to evidence a
  little "give" when squeezed.

  ~ -- Thai chili sauce, called sriracha. This is a sort of chili-garlic
  "catsup," fiery, flavorful and slightly sweet. Huy Fong Foods Inc., of
  Rosemead, Calif., makes an excellent sriracha, packaged in a clear plastic
  squeeze bottle with a drawing of a rooster on the front.

  ~ -- Holy basil. Thai cooking uses many different types of basil, and this
  type is intensely mint-flavored. Unless you grow it yourself, holy basil
  can be difficult to find; fresh mint makes a good substitute.

  ~ -- Thai "bird" peppers. These little hot peppers, usually green but
  sometimes red, pack a notoriously powerful punch and are not for sissies.
  Serrano peppers make a good substitute if Thai chilies are unavailable.

  ~ -- CHILIES-IN-VINEGAR SAUCE (Makes about 1/2 cup); hot and sour
  ingredient in soups and pad thai etc.

      1/2    cup distilled white vinegar

      1/2    tablespoon Thai fish sauce

  12 small Thai chilies, or 3 serrano chilies, finely sliced

  Combine all of the ingredients in a small serving bowl. Let stand for 30
  minutes to allow the flavors to develop.