The vote was very close this month, but I think all will be pleased with the winner. But before we get to that, I would be remiss if I didn’t include a cookbook considered to be the “Gold Standard for Authentic Thai Cuisine” in the US written by a chef to Thai Chinese parents who immigrated to the US—which is particularly apropos this month.
“In this showstopping collection of must-try Thai dishes, culinary mastermind and bestselling author Jet Tila opens up the world of his Thai heritage for today’s home cooks with recipes that are authentic, accessible and ultra-craveable.
With dishes ranging from tantalizing classics and popular street foods to unsung heroes spanning the region, this cookbook is your one-stop guide to the rich culinary traditions of Thailand. Jet also presents an exciting collection of plant-based takes on popular dishes to welcome everyone to the table and show the range of possibilities in the modern Thai kitchen. Fire up your wok and get hungry for 101 of the best damn Thai dishes you’ll ever have.”
Jet Tila is a James Beard–nominated chef. He’s made appearances as a celebrity chef on Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Cutthroat Kitchen and more. Jet is culinary VP of the Pei-Wei Restaurant Group and co-owns Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. Jet grew up helping at his family’s famed Bangkok Market―the first Thai market in the United States. He is also the Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine.
“There’s nothing better than when a born teacher teaches the cuisine he was born to cook. Jet Tila is that teacher and Thai is that cuisine.” ―Alton Brown
“This book is amazing because it makes one of the most delicious cuisines in the world accessible, thanks to Jet.” ―Marcus Samuelsson
“Jet cooks with the same passion, heart and verve that he lives by. You’ll get a glimpse of the soul he puts into his cooking when you read this book, and you’ll get a mouthful of it when you try these recipes.” ―Duff Goldman
BUT WHAT BOOK ARE WE READING for the club?
When the original Thai version of Letters from Thailand appeared in Bangkok in 1969, it was promptly awarded the SEATO Prize for Thai Literature. Thirteen years later, it was translated into English to reach a much wider readership. Today, the book is still considered one of Thailand’s most entertaining and enduring modern novels, and one of the few portrayals of the immigrant Chinese experience in urban Thailand.
Letters from Thailand is the story of Tan Suang U, a young man who leaves China to make his fortune in Thailand at the close of World War II, and ends up marrying, raising a family, and operating a successful business. The novel unfolds through his letters to his beloved mother in China.
In Tan Suang U’s lively account of his daily life in Bangkok’s bustling Chinatown, larger and deeper themes emerge: his determination to succeed at business in this strange new culture; his hopes for his family; his resentment at how easily his children embrace urban Thai culture at the expense of the Chinese heritage which he holds dear; his inability to understand or adopt Thai ways; and his growing alienation from a society that is changing too fast for him.
"The deft and at times hilarious comedy of these letters lies in the slow but relentless erosion of Tan Suang U's principles, under the balmy influence of a sunnier, lazier land." ―The NY Review of Books
"This is a fascinating book, and I heartily recommend it to all Westerners who know and love Thailand." ―Bangkok Post Sunday Magazine
Happy reading! (If you want to read & discuss the winning book together, join our online book club on Facebook.)