Hi -

I was in Thailand recently, and was served Miang as a complimentary
appetizer at Baan Kanitha, the upscale, great restaurant in Bangkok. I
had it there before, but noted a little more clearly the ingredients
this time. Don't miss eating there if you visit Bangkok!

I never saw it in any US Thai restaurant, but some websites say it is
common - is that so?

For descriptions of the snack, which is utterly simple in conception and
just so delicious in taste, here's 2 sites, one describing Miang Kham,
the other just Miang in general:

http://www.realthairecipes.com/recip...wrapped-snack/

http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eating...hai_bites.html

I also sought out Chotchitr, a place recommended by the late R.W.Apple
in his great article in the NY Times about Bangkok restaurants ('Two
Guys Keeping it Real in Bangkok'), where they have a banana blossom
salad that is worth the effort of find the place. Its at 146 Phraeng
Phuton, off Tanao Road about a mile south of Khao San Road, for those
who are interested, and the cost is minimal. Can banana blossoms be
found in the US - or is there any substitute?

Apple's Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/di...rssnyt&emc=rss

I also ate some great fried chicken in several nondescript places, with
a spicy reddish dipping sauce. I don't think it was 'Crying Tiger', but
does anyone have a sense of what the sauce might have been? It was quite
similar in several places. Each time they took a fried piece of chicken,
chopped it up, and put it on top of some rice, with garnish of cucumber,
and sometimes with a small bowl of clear chicken broth (sometimes
extremely tasty broth, at that). The sauce was in a big bowl on the side
of the counter, and you used a dippper to help yourself to whatever you
needed.

Cheers,

Ian

ian wrote on Tue, 01 May 2007 21:46:42 -0500:

i> I also sought out Chotchitr, a place recommended by the
late
i> R.W.Apple in his great article in the NY Times about Bangkok
i> restaurants ('Two Guys Keeping it Real in Bangkok'), where
i> they have a banana blossom salad that is worth the effort of
i> find the place. Its at 146 Phraeng Phuton, off Tanao Road
i> about a mile south of Khao San Road, for those who are
i> interested, and the cost is minimal. Can banana blossoms be
i> found in the US - or is there any substitute?

I have only once found banana flowers on sale here. They do give
an interesting appearance and texture to salads. A number of
cookbooks suggest shredded cabbage as a substitute.While missing
out on appearance, being light green rather than pink, cabbage
is much less expensive. It may sound a bit like sour grapes but
I prefer cabbage!


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

James Silverton wrote:
> ian wrote on Tue, 01 May 2007 21:46:42 -0500:
>
> i> I also sought out Chotchitr, a place recommended by the late
> i> R.W.Apple in his great article in the NY Times about Bangkok
> i> restaurants ('Two Guys Keeping it Real in Bangkok'), where
> i> they have a banana blossom salad that is worth the effort of
> i> find the place. Its at 146 Phraeng Phuton, off Tanao Road
> i> about a mile south of Khao San Road, for those who are
> i> interested, and the cost is minimal. Can banana blossoms be
> i> found in the US - or is there any substitute?
>
> I have only once found banana flowers on sale here. They do give an
> interesting appearance and texture to salads. A number of cookbooks
> suggest shredded cabbage as a substitute.While missing out on
> appearance, being light green rather than pink, cabbage is much less
> expensive. It may sound a bit like sour grapes but I prefer cabbage!

I'm down the road in Fairfax, so I'll ask at the local Asian markets if
it ever shows up. I really dislike cabbage, so I doubt I'll use it as a
substitute (though of course, I only ever had cabbage cooked Irish-style!).

Ian

ian wrote on Wed, 02 May 2007 21:55:28 -0500:

i> James Silverton wrote:
??>> ian wrote on Tue, 01 May 2007 21:46:42 -0500:
??>>
i ??>> may sound a bit like sour grapes but I prefer cabbage!

i> I'm down the road in Fairfax, so I'll ask at the local Asian
i> markets if it ever shows up. I really dislike cabbage, so I
i> doubt I'll use it as a substitute (though of course, I only
i> ever had cabbage cooked Irish-style!).

Old fashioned Irish style cabbage is a punishment not a food!
IMHO, cabbage only requires a very short cooking time. Shredded
uncooked cabbage is rather a good salad ingredient in many
salads, Western as well as Eastern. An example is Bolognese
Insalata Appetitosa.


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not