Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen

Starred review from October 1, 2024
Chef and restaurant owner Suntaranon gives readers a taste of the cuisine of southern Thailand, with fabulous recipes, beautifully photographed dishes, and stories of her life inspired by the courage, determination, and creativity of her mother, Kalaya. Growing up, the author helped her mother make curry paste that she would sell at her market stall in Trang. Now, she shares the foundations of southern Thai cooking by teaching readers about her mother's curry pastes along with sauces and spice blends that they will need to make dishes like hot and sour Thai soup with shrimp, turmeric chicken soup, and stir-fry beef. Suntaranon breaks recipes down into easy-to-follow steps and offers shortcuts as well as suggestions for pairing dishes. Readers will be pleased to find a useful section of menus, with themes ranging from kid-friendly fare to weekend feasts. Suntaranon has honored her mother by naming her restaurant and this book after her and by sharing her mother's recipes with the world. Readers' hearts will melt at Suntaranon's recollections of the bond that they share. If food is an expression of love, Kalaya's Southern Thai Kitchen is a love letter to mothers everywhere.

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November 4, 2024
James Beard Award–winning chef Suntaranon demonstrates how to cook authentic Southern Thai food inspired by the dishes of her native Trang, a Southern port city, in this vibrant debut. Busy home cooks will be surprised at how quickly these dishes come together, provided that they prepare what Suntaranon terms “building block recipes” in advance: a batch of red curry paste, for instance, can be used to make chicken panang curry, tofu and pineapple coconut curry, and red curry with prawns, cherry tomatoes, and lychees. Meanwhile, the garlic and black pepper chicken, braised pork belly, and rice soup with fish and shrimp, are among the recipes made in just one pot or one wok, making cleanup a breeze. Suntaranon’s heartfelt anecdotes (“My mom’s massaman curry was so beloved that my uncle would come over to eat... and then go to his dialysis appointment”) and notes about Thai culture (“We don’t have ovens in most homes in Thailand”) prove just as enticing as the recipes. Her easy-to-follow instructions and sense of humor will boost confidence among those unfamiliar with the cuisine (“Don’t trim the fat off the beef, or I will be very upset,” she instructs for the coriander beef), as will a helpful overview of Thai ingredients. Home cooks will be eager to give these recipes a spin.