Food for thought

A commute that consists of shuffling from one room to another, a uniform of jeans and a sweatshirt–these are but a few perks of being a freelance copywriter.  Writing for myriad companies and organizations allows me to meet great people, learn interesting tidbits, try new things–and eat.

That’s right.  Last week I wrangled another copywriting friend, and we headed to Baan Thai …

As snow fell like feathers outside, we sat with steaming cups of Jasmin tea, and sampled plate after plate of Thai food …

Oh, the flavors!  Coconut milk and lemongrass, chili paste and house lime dressing.  If you live nearby, and you haven’t paid visit, you simply must. It’s like nothing I’ve tasted before–a fact we mentioned, when sitting down with the chef and her interpretors.  And that’s when the fun really began.  The two of us sat listening to the three of them talk of their homeland. They talked of a seasoned minced pork dish with fried egg and Thai basil, how it’s a staple–“much like Americans and their hamburgers.”   They talked of the richness of the Tamarind fruit–and how the taste differs as the fruit matures. They talked of the importance of Kaffir lime leaves and how many Thai restaurants in America are tempted to leave them out because of their high cost.  But Thai food is dependent on the melding of all the flavors.

At one point, one  ladled the thin rice noodles from a rustic clay pot …

“So many noodles,” she said, shaking her head, “there would never be this many noodles in Thailand.” In Thailand,  you see, it’s the broth.  People will spend days on a good broth … restaurants are known for their broth.  Many of us tend not to understand.  “Here,” she said, “it’s always the broth that is left … I want to tell them, ‘you left the best part’!”

There are a lot of reasons, I’m sure:  we like hearty meals, we’re afraid we’ll fill up before the entrée arrives, broth is associated with illness, we’re too busy to bother.  But I dare say, it would behoove us to get past our aversion.

At the very least, the next time we’re at an authentic Thai restaurant, let’s make a point to take the time … to appreciate the flavors … to sip the broth down to the very last drop.  Then we will experience the cuisine as it was meant–the work that went into the preparation will not be in vain–and we’ll be all the richer for the experience.