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"How different is that from raising cows, goats... for food?" Disclaimer: I don't eat dog, and I wouldn't eat dog. I have a dog and I'm the sort of squeamish type who wouldn't ever eat bacon again if I had a pet pig (a good reason not to get a pet pig ). Ditto cats and rabbit (I've got or have had them, so wouldn't eat them). But if one wishes to eat dog, that's their choice. I do, however, have problems with a couple of the arguments advanced by the pro-dog-food camp, so to speak, to defend the practice. The first is the cultural argument. You know, that dog meat consumption is a vital part of Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese etc. culture and so needs to be "protected" (usually from the incursion of foreign --- read, Western --- culture that labels the practice unacceptable). Culture in any setting is not immutable (slavery was part of U.S. southern culture, remember?) and it seems Koreans/Chinese/Vietnamese etc. are perfectly amenable to change in other aspects of their cultures, even to changes in their food cultures (and often these are Western-influenced changes). Spam, anyone? So what's with the burning need to protect and preserve this one facet of local culture? You'll also find Koreans, Vietnamese, and Chinese who don't and never would eat dog. Are they less Korean/Vietnamese/or Chinese for it? If one's answer is "no" then I would maintain that dog meat consumption is really not as integral a part of these countries' cultures as it is often portrayed. As for the "it's just like killing cows, pigs, etc. for their meat" argument: in China at least, it's a fairly common belief (among some, perhaps not all, dog and cat connoisseurs) that the more a dog or cat suffers before it dies the tastier the meat will be (which is strange, bec. I understood that the release of adreniline before an animal dies toughens or otherwise adversely affects the meat). I can in no way defend the means and methods of food animal slaughter in the U.S. (even though I'm a meat eater) but I'm pretty sure that they are not specifically designed to prolong suffering (it doesn't mean that the animals don't suffer). So let's be sure of slaughter methods (and animal farming methods, for that matter) before we declare dog meat consumption in X country to be "just like" killing cows, chickens, etc. for their meat. I don't know about Korea or China but dogs *are* kidnapped in Vietnam (not strays) and some are sold as food (others are ransomed back to their owners). For food at least, unusual (to Vietnam) breeds are favored, especially larger ones like golden retrievers, though small breeds have a market too. Obviously demand fuels the practice. Again, not quite like food animal production in the U.S. Just trying to raise a couple of not-often discussed aspects of what is usually a pretty emotional topic. If you like dog meat, and you want to be free to eat dog meat, OK. Justify it by saying it's what you like to do and that you don't appreciate anyone else telling you not to, not by maintaining that you are doing your part to ensure the survival of culture X. And if you want to claim that eating dog meat is just like eating beef, etc. then be sure that you know where the animal came from, and whether or not it was humanely raised and slaughtered (on the other hand, if you don't care, then you don't care).

I prefer my wontons Sichuan-style --- stuffed with just a dab of ground pork and bathed in a fiery sauce of chili oil, soy, sugar. They're called "dumplings" (hong you jiaozi --- red oil dumplings) but the thinner skin and smaller size remind me more of wonton. They certainly couldn't be confused with the rounded pork-and-garlic-chive-stuffed "shui jiao".

I used to think that Bangkok was *the* premier food city in Asia but a few days in KL changed my mind (but don't make me choose). I only regret we didn't have more time, or that we couldn't fit in more meals in a single day, bec I feel that we left a lot of territory unexplored. But thanks to the posts in this thread and the AWSJ article mentioned by Shiewie we had mostly hits and only one half-miss. I hope some of you can enlighten me as to the names of some of the dishes we had. Dim sum at Xin was a highlight (but next time I won't go for lunch on a national holiday *without* a reservation ) ... esp the fried carrot cake (rich, yes, but super greasy, no) and the pork cheong fun. The latter was new to me ... the skin is thicker and chewier than the rice noodle rolls at dim sum shops in Hong Kong, and I loved the small pile of (I'm guessing) minced dried shrimp, ground pork, and chilies on the side of the dish. I'm sorry they were out of fresh scallops by the time we were seated. Char siew bao was just as it should be (but so rarely is) .... all about the pork with sauce as an accent, not the star of the show. Prawn soup dumpling skillfully cooked to that point where the crustacean is cooked but still a little crunchy, and so fresh-tasting. After dropping our bags at the hotel at 9pm we ran out for our first meal of nasi kerabu and tuna curry at Songkhla Hawker, and a truly delicious dish of rice rolls cut with scissors, topped with bean sprouts and coriander, doused with a coconut-based sauce (I think). What is the name of this dish, and where else can it be found? And some of what in the low light looked like chicken curry but turned out to be chicken in an intensely (but not un-deliciously) sweet, sticky dark sauce .... black soy and ginger? Taiwanese place on Jalan Imbi (AWSJ article) was supposed to be small plates but even the "small" sizes were large. No matter ... started with a dish of room temp crisp-fried dofu cubes tossed in a sweet-chili sauces with bean sprouts (they just brought it to the table with the menus and asked if we wanted it). Sweet potato congee was just OK, I prefer Cantonese-style thick to Shanghai style thin jook. The only item hand-written in on the menu , pork shreds with dry pressed tofu and a mixed veg with lily bud were both delicious, esp the latter as mixed veg can be so pedestrian. Only problem is we had planned to backtrack up the street to a shop for rice rolls cut with scissors into a plate and topped with what looked like chili sauce and bean sprouts ... but were too full. Sat night we were headed to Old China Cafe in Chinatown for Nonya (AWSJ article) but were waylayed by the delectable smells rising from the smoking wok set up next to the WowWow Rock Club (where we rang in National Day later that night) on the same street. We could not resist the soy-laden stir-fried noodles ... a little Mandarin came in handy here and we had Fujian noodle (the thick ones) and another called ??? (thinner, and with a smokier flavor) and a heaping plate of qingcai (shredded cabbage and something else) loaded with garlic chunks as big as the tip of my little finger and cooked till soft but still slightly crispy. Another highlight --- sambal grilled fish at Portugese Grilled Fish (why "Portugese"?) stall at the end of the main hawker street off of J Petaling. I wasn't excited about the stingray (ikan bakar?) but I think it's bec we got mostly tail ... not much meat. The mixed seafood, OTOH, was fabulous --- tender squid rings, clams (or another kind of shellfish), a couple prawn, and that lovely fiery sambal, with extra chilies. My big regret of that evening is that we didn't also get the claypot chicken proffered at the stall next to Portugese fish. 3 university students at the next table shared a pot and the smell (we were waiting for our fish) nearly drove me mad ... oh those glistening chunks of Chinese sausage and the crackly soy-soaked rice that stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot. We were stuffed after seafood but we should have gone for it anyway..... Which leads me to ask (for the next trip) --- does this place offer the best claypot chicken in KL? Or should one seek this dish out somewhere else? Yet another highlight --- Yung Taufu at Hoong Hoong /Foong Foong in Ampang. Absolutely packed at Monday noon but so worth the wait. I've never had this dish before and it was memorable, esp (for me) the eggplant, chili, and steamed white tofu. The soup dumplings were special as well, the wrapper just thick enough and the filling studded with, I think, pieces of water chestnut? A half-miss --- our last dinner at the Sahara Tent in front of Fortuna Hotel bec we planned poorly and all the Nonya places we wanted to go to were closed on Mondays. Baba ganouj --- excellent, very smoky. But soggy fatoush with deep-fried (why not grilled, or baked, or toasted, or just day-old?) bread, limp lettuce, and nary a trace of sumac or lemon juice. OK foul, though a bit mushy bec made with a bean other than fava ... and again, no lemon juice zing (but the quality of the olive oil was quite good). Grilled fish perfectly done but some of the tomato paste spread didn't get a hit of fire (the fire-charred part was lovely with a squeeze of lemon over the tomato) and so stayed raw. OK bread. Perfectly delectable, slightly spicy pickles, and a generously sized bowl of them too --- chilies, cucumber, carrot, and cauliflower. If I lived in KL I would probably go back for the pickles and baba, and to explore the lamb dishes. I think this place may have possibility, but with a menu like a minefield. Last morning: nasi lemak at Wang Dangi Nasi Lemak --- perfect. Next trip we won't be so lazy sleeping in every morning and missing out on nasi. Followed by Indian sweets at Jai Hind (AWSJ article), yummy soft milk cake. Rolling back to the hotel to pack, couldn't pass up roti chanai at a completely packed-out no-name shop on J. Masjid India (can't miss it 'cause of the crowd). Would have liked to sample other roti at this place but my stomach said "No Way." I wonder if the donuts sitting on the long tables are very greasy or not ... they looked yummy. A great trip but --- we never got in a Nonya meal, never had any seafood other than the sambal grill, no Indian meal, and missed out on so much more. No matter .... a return is definately in order bec KL is a food lover's paradise (but the posters to this thread already know that)!

We lived in Thailand too and I think you'll be happy with Sawasdee Garden Restaurant (attached to a B&B) in Siem Reap, just north of National Hwy 6 one street east of the river (right in the main part of Siem Reap). At least their guaytiaow phad siiew, laad naa, and yam talay were well more than acceptable (though you may have to ask for the condiments -- phrik namplaa, phrik namsom, etc), and the deep-fried snakefish with green mango salad that passed by our table smelled heavenly. Very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and there were more than a few Thais eating there. Would also recommend Khmer Kitchen, a small place in a slightly grotty alley a block in from Psah Chas. We enjoyed a delicious samlaw m'juu (tamarind-based sour soup) with fish and a wonderful (as in, I still dream about it) oven-baked something with made with yam or sweet potato and fish sauce that was truly Cambodian comfort food. Prepare to wait awhile as the kitchen is small but it's worth it. Angkor Borey Restaurant, right on the river (west side) did not look promising --- it's a large place and I expect that when the season is high tour groups end up here (in June Siem Reap was nearly empty) --- but really delivered. A delicious amok (like Thai hawmawk but less custard-like), a fine fish soup, and a grilled fish. This meal was not a compromise. Restaurants tend to close by 9p -- though this may have changed with the return of the tourists. Most of the food out at the hawker stalls fronting the temples is not very good -- you may want to head back into Siem Reap for lunch. Just lackluster fried rice and fried noodles made with instant ramen (!) The food at the FCC is a waste of calories, IMO --- but it's a nice setting for a drink.

Darn it -- originally planned 3 days in KL, then changed it to 4, and now thanks to these recent posts it is apparent that I need at least 7! Shiewie, thanks for the heads up on E Malaysian at the Coronade, but might you give me an idea of what E Malaysian cuisine encompasses --- ie. what Sabah dish/dishes should I be looking to eat if we hit this food festival (I'm thinking we will)? Chef Choy --- how pricey? Relative to Malaysia or ....?

Thanks, Shiewie --- an incredibly detailed and useful reply, as always! Ugh, I am missing the Nikko promotion by one day. What about Sichuan food? And c'mon now ... let's here about more finds in Saigon (the fish noodles are great, thanks for that!)!

I wonder if this should be a new topic ... on an upcoming trip to KL, I'm hoping --- in addition to doing my best to sample as many recommendations in this thread as possible --- to satisfy a couple of longstanding non-Malaysian cravings as well. Any suggestions for spots serving delicious Middle Eastern (Lebanese or otherwise) and/or Sichuan cusine in KL?

Thank you all, I'm going to hunt for Recipes From the Spice Coast .... and perhaps come back as the trip gets closer for more info.

Crota is a small (maybe 8 or 9 tables in a cozy vaulted brick-ceilinged dining room ... but I guess also the veranda with its lovely view might be open when you're there) trattoria-vineria serving mostly traditional Piemontese dishes. We were there in Dec and I remember gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, tajarin with funghi sauce, acciughe en verde (my addiction), carne cruda, chicken with sage and rolled veal, perfect vegetables, and the best panna cotta of the trip, in orange sauce. The owner is enthusiastic, to say the least ... they have many many wines from local producers, many of which are exceptional but underpriced bec the vines are not located on DOC land. We had a fine barbera that was called something else for this reason. And then there's the wine "cave", right off of the dining room, which we had a peak at before we left ---- this is the sort of place that I would dispense with the wine list and put yourself in the proprietor's hands, accompanying him into the cellar. I think it's safe to say you could not go wrong. Crota 'D Calos, closed Wed Via Cairoli, 7 Calosso 0141/853232 I wasn't driving from Alba, but I imagine it might take you 45 minutes? It's a beautiful drive, Calosso is perched on a little hill. Go at lunch and spend 3 hours, as we did.

The restaurant at Cascina del Cornale, about 1/2way betw Asti and Alba, was hosting a young American chef (I think for room and board only) when we were there last Dec. The restaurant is in the agroturismo that is attached to a coop that carries artisinal, single-producer foods from the area and the woman (who's name I've forgotten but she's been written up by Corby Kummer and others --- a search on The Atlantic website would probably do it) who founded it is sort of known as the Italian Alice Waters. The food is wonderful and although the location is perhaps not idyllic ---- right on the highway ---- you could certainly do worse than a stint working at a place like this, with ingredients like that. At any rate, it might be a good place to start your search. Cascina del Cornale www.cornale.it cornale@cornale.it Corso Marconi, 64 - 12050 Magliano Alfieri (Cn) Italia tel 390173 266016

May I jump in here and recommend, if one is willing to do a bit of driving to the east, Crota 'd Calos in Calosso (what a wine cellar!) and Cirio Madonna della Neive in Cessole. Madonna's agnolotti in Barolo is intoxicating, in more ways than one. If one is willing to forgo stuffy formality in Torino, Spacca Napoli does a fine rendition of Naples-style pizza (and it's always packed).

Planning a first foray to India, 11 days in Kerala. We're flying into and out of Kochi, but itinerary will be guided by, of course, food. I know little about Keralan food other than that it is varied and delicious ... so any recommendations in terms of "must-eats", reference sources/cookbooks that would help me bone up on Keralan cuisine before the trip, even specific restaurants, shops or stalls in Kerala to check out, would all be much appreciated.

My favorite Hue restaurant in Saigon offers jackfruit salad. It's served warm, with a bit of coriander, some pork pieces, shallots, a smidgen of fish sauce (and more to pour over, if you like), and prawn crackers for scooping (or shoving onto the fork). The flavor of the salad is delicate, subtle, but somehow comforting (maybe it's the temp at which it's served), in a can't-stop-eating sort of way. And the texture and taste of the jackfruit is, strangely, a bit like that of overcooked artichoke hearts.

< Yes, I was wondering this as well, after having the dish at a fine local (in Saigon) Malaysian restaurant. Monday is Hainan chicken rice day, and the choice was steamed or roasted (I chose steamed). I was surprised when the chicken showed up with this light brown goo ladled over it (have not yet had the pleasure of eating the dish at the source in Sing or Malaysia, unfortunately). I didn't mind it, but I didn't feel it added anything overall. Can the dish be ordered in Sing and Malaysia goo-less and, if so, what are the magic words? This may be blasphemy to lovers of original style HCR but I love the version you get in Bangkok -- no sauce over it, a wee bit on the greasy side, and one of the dipping sauces is ginger/soy/chopped phrik kee nuu, incendiary. The soup usually has chunks of winter melon in it. Blood on the side is optional. Re: discussion of chickens in US and China ---- the very best roast chicken(s) I've ever made (with rosemary), hands down, are the ones I used to make in Shanghai. Chinese chickens have such a deeply bird-y flavor, and I never felt I was sacrificing quantity of meat. No chicken I've roasted in the US has come close, in flavor, to those Chinese birds.

Just want to second, third, and fourth mamster's (in linked article) rave about Hualomphong Station. The live music is pleasant too. But don't go too late.... things are starting to wind down by about 9:30.

The quality of southern Chinese lychees is matched by those from Thailand (around Chiang Mai) and Vietnam (northern) .... heavily perfumed, sweet, juicy, and with small seeds. The season (for those of you who want to plan travel to SE Asia around lychees!) for the former is May-June and for the latter, June-early July. Lychees are wonderful straight from the freezer (freeze unpeeled), and dried as well.

I lived in Bangkok last yr and still get back once a month or so. Though most travellers to the city know about night markets, few seem to frequent the day markets that serve office workers. One of the best, IMO, is off of Soi Tonson behind the Sindhorn building on Wireless Road (next to the American embassy, across from the embassy consular section). Just position yourself behind Sindhorn and follow the streams of Thais that head this direction at noon. The market is covered and there are a bunch of stalls ---- take your food to one of the central tables (grab silverware near the stalls), and leave your dishes when you are done. One highlight is the khanom jeen (fermented rice noodles - thin and white) with gaeng tai plaa (fish kidney curry), or other types of gaeng. After you get your plate add any of a variety of fresh and pickled veggie condiments. There is a fine rendition of guaytiaow laad naa (choose pork or chicken) at a stall nearby. At a stall almost directly opposite, on the other side of the "room", a woman whips som tam and also a truly tasty fruit somtam that I just can't get out of my mind. There is also a stall selling all types of coconut milk sweet treats, and on some days two women sell young coconut pie. Things are wrapping up by 1:30 so go just before noon to avoid the crowds, or just at 1pm. There is a similar lunchtime-only setup on Soi Saladaeng (off Silom), BTW. One of the finest examples of muu yang (BBQ pork) is sold by a guy with a cart at the foot of Soi Tonson at Sukhumvit. He is there later in the day, around 3pm, and he's got 2 types of namcim (sauce) --- pick the dark stinky one, it's deep, fishy, and spicy. Vendors appear on Soi Thonglo (Sukhumvit Soi 55) right near Sukhumvit around 3 and after. You can take the BTS and walk from the station. Try to sakoo (pork-peanut-dried shrimp "balls" wrapped in soft rice wrappers). Eat them wrapped in the provided lettuce leaves, with a sprig of coriander and a whole small green chili. Best gaiyang IMO is at an outdoor place on Narathiwat --- have a taxi take you to Soi 24 then walk back towards the river. The first place you get to (1/4 - 1/2 a block) is it. This place is best for dinner. Get gaiyang, somtam, phakbeung faidaeng, namtok beef (a little gristly but great flavor) and if you have room, cimcum (Isaan "hot pot"). You can get a half or a whole chicken. The dipping sauce (not the sweet stuff, the other stuff) is amazing. They also have BBQ fish in a salt crust -- delicious but I can never not order the chicken. Soi Suan Plu (off of Sathorn) is a great place for street food, esp. Saturdays. Sakoo, grilled bananas, one of the best phad thais (a shortish stout woman .... she offers already-squeezed lime juice, which is great bec I like mine limey). There is also an excellent khanom jeen shop there, across from the market (which has haw mok inside) and down towards Sathorn. Go around 11am-12 noon and their tootman plaa (fish cakes) will be fresh and hot. Also check out the market *across* from Chatuchak, open weekdays as well as weekends. Get the Nancy Chandler map, it's on there. In addition to the usual fruits and veg, a mindboggling and very tempting array of prepared foods. There are a couple little tables where you can take your goodies to sit down and eat. This only scratches the surface, unfortunately. On the whole, I think the best streetfood is away from the river area ----- follow Thai crowds at lunchtime and you can hardly go wrong.

It is not internationally acclaimed a la Cordon Bleu or CIA (anyway, let's be honest --- much of the culinary world does not accord Chinese food the same respect that is accorded French food, etc.) but the most recent edition of Saveur had an article about a fairly new and, it sounds, serious culinary school in Hong Kong. Perhaps someone can help out with info .... can't find my issue anywhere!

Agree with Trillium. Sounds like "right" to you means "the way it tastes in Taiwan" or, "the way it tastes if a graduate of the Wei Chuan culinary school prepared it." This whole thing about "authenticity" --- a yuxiang rousi (shredded pork in fish-taste sauce) in Sichuan is quite different from a yuxiang rousi in Shanghai (more vinegar-y in Shanghai). So which version is "authentic"? How does one even know when one has had the "authentic" version of a dish? Mapo dofu made in a home kitchen in Chengdu tastes different than the version at that city's famous (and old) mapo dofu restaurant --- which is "authentic"? Can I even eat "authentic" Cantonese-style dim sum in Beijing? I'm guilty of using the "A" word in my original post too, and I'm gonna take it back bec. *especially* when one is talking about a country with as many regional variations as China has, debating "authenticity" is, IMO, a huge waste of time. So --- to clarify my first post: when I cook Chinese I'm looking to reproduce fragrances, tastes and textures that I remember from my meals (primarily in small, casual eateries, in pple's homes, or on the street .... food that is quite different from true restaurant food) in China. The two books I recommended fulfill *that* particular agenda. And both are user-friendly.

Ken Hom's Taste of China. Dishes taste like they came out of a humble home kitchen in China (and the pictures aren't staged). Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook (Ellen Schrecker), very authentic.

FuManChu, the best Chinese food I've ever had in China has *rarely* been prepared by cooks who've had culinary training. Some of (in my opinion) China's best food is, in fact, "peasant" food ... and you'll eat some truly tasty dishes in all but the very poorest areas. The rural migrant (yes, peasant) who manned the wok at a Chengdu restaurant I frequented years ago would be hailed as a purveyor of true Chinese cuisine if he went to San Francisco and served up the same delicious fare that he was serving back then in his humble restaurant-that-looks-like-a-garage. I think the reasons for the sorry state of "Chinese" restaurant food in the US have more to do with dumbing it down for the American palate (or what the restaurant owners believe the American palate to be) than with the lack of proper culinary training in the kitchen. Case in point: I have had sweet and sour pork in Guangzhou. It was heavenly, and nothing at all like the version of this dish I had had before in the States (how did it get transformed into the overbreaded, heavy, sticky sweet concoction known to those of us unfortunate to have experienced it firsthand?). And quite often the same cooks who turn out the gloppy oversauced dishes served in the US are able to prepare a wonderful Chinese dish if you can get the point across to the waiter that you want the real deal. Of course, culinary training can take classic Chinese dishes to new levels (I'm thinking particularly of Cantonese food) .... and some very complex dishes will not be prepared well by someone without the knowledge to do it. But quite a lot of Chinese food is simple food (the ingredients must be fine) that doesn't require a year or two at a culinary school to master. I just think lack of sophistication in the kitchen has very little to do with the trouble I encounter finding decent Chinese food in the States. The problem is the *assumed* "lowest common denominator" that determines what the food coming out of those kitchens tastes like.

Ooops -- also, try to get Thai fish sauce for your Thai cooking. Vietnamese fish sauce is saltier and "fishier", it would be overpowering in alot of dishes (like fried rice!) and would definately not make the ideal phrik namplaa.

In Thailand fried rice, soup noodles, and fried noodles like guaytiaow laad naa (stir-fried rice noodles with meat and Chinese broccoli "gravy"), phad kee maow (with basil, chile, and meat or seafood), and phad siiew (with soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, and meat or seafood) are always served with a set of condiments so that diners can spice it up to their liking at the table. Chopped chili peppers floating in fish sauce (nam plaa), the same floating in white vinegar (phrik namsom), ground dried roasted red chiles (phrik daeng), and sugar (namtaan) comprise the condiment foursome that grace the tables of casual eateries in Thailand (some places will also have a shaker of white pepper at the table --- meant primarily for the laad naa --- but most wok jockeys will sprinkle the white pepper over before it's served to the diner). Fried rice is served with a section of lime on the side for squeezing over, as well as the above booster elements. I just *love* the way a whole lot of white vinegar plays off the sweet, dark soy-soaked wide rice noodles and smoky chicken pieces in a phad siiew gai (chicken), and the extra layer of heat that the dried chili lends to a khee maow that's already lip-numbingly spicy from the fried fresh chilis peaking out from amongst wilted Chinese broccoli leaves and stems and, if you're lucky, a few fresh baby corn cobs. And I like to pile *everything* (though not in equal proportions ... I'm partial to alot of vinegar in this one too) on a plate of laad naa for an addictive, comforting, soupy mess. Slurp slurp. I've always been hard-pressed to choose a fried rice over a fried rice noodle, but when I do I'm more likely to stick to the chili and fish sauce combo and pass over the vinegar -- I'll ask for an extra slice of lime instead. So my main advice to you is, before you cook up your next batch of Thai fried rice (which, by the way, should be dry in texture ... and do go very light on the fish sauce during the cooking) or venture on to noodles (and do venture ---- IMO there is just NOTHING like a plate of well-fried Thai noodles!), prepare the foursome and then experiment to find what combo of sweet/sour/salty/hot most speaks to you. I have made excellent versions of the above noodles (and many other dishes) from Khomalmal's Thai Kitchen (possibly out of print?). The fried rice comes out a little wet so cut back on liquids. As for peanut satay ... where in Thailand is this served? I never came across a peanut sauce in Bangkok ---- there muu yang (grilled pork) on a stick is served with a reddish chili-tomato-onion-and other sundries dipping sauce (namjim). It's a thin, non-uniform sauce ... smoky tasting, often sweet from caramelized onions or shallots, spicy. Just addictive, I'll just skip the BBQ pork and eat it straight with sticky rice for dipping. I've more often seen the peanut-sauced satay offered in Thai restaurants in the US, in Malaysia (although I think the stuff in the States is often much too sweet) .... you might try consulting a cookbook that focuses on this cuisine if you are not satisfied with the version you prepared. (And yeah, it separates .... no problem, just stir it back together. And it shouldn't be super thick and gloppy.) David Thompson's book is great for Thai food but if I was just starting out with the cuisine I would find it overwhelming. I'd go for a more homestyle cuisine-focused book instead. Hot Sour Salty Sweet turns out some real tasty Thai (and other) treats --- laad naa is in there --- and the recipes are easy to follow, not overwhelming at all. Good luck, and keep experimenting!

Crunchy Puffies are usually swimming in grease but I love them anyway. Cut the grease with plenty of vinegar. Are we talking dumplings only or buns too here? My favorite of the former are thin-skinned pork-filled small ones floating in a Sichuan chili oil mixture (la jiao, sugar, soy, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorns). Of the latter, best char sui bao I ever had was at a Bangkok market, surprisingly --- chewable chunks of mushroom, pork, and other stuff, just moistened with a zesty char sui sauce.

Carlovski -- re: dishes containing liberal amount of black pepper. Joyce Goldstein's The Mediterranean Kitchen has a recipe for a beef stew that is basically meat, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper (maybe some red wine too? my memory fails me)... perhaps as many as 4 or 5T. Served with grilled bread. Sounds strange but it really works, was a fairly regular part of our winter dining for a few years.