Pok Pok Noodles

February 18, 2019
In his latest entertaining cookbook (after Pok Pok: The Drinking Food of Thailand), Ricker, chef and proprietor of the Pok Pok restaurants in Portland, Ore., turns his attention to noodles and features fun, if ingredient-heavy, home kitchen interpretations of recipes from his favorite overseas noodle shops. The introduction includes a summary of the various noodles, including ultra-thin and sour khanom jiin, wheat-based ba mi, and thick sen yai. Entrees include a spicy northern Thai curry with puya chiles and pork ribs as well as a vegetarian option with mushroom, krachai and coconut curry. Then it is on to a variety of soups with pork, beef or chicken. Many of these recipes include lessons on how to prep or assemble the various ingredients of each bowl from bottom to top. Stir-fried dishes include a recipe for a cross-cultural mash-up of macaroni with shrimp, vegetables, and ketchup. Instant ramen is not overlooked, showing up in mama phat, a stir-fried dish with pork and cabbage, as well as yam mama, a garlicky noodle salad with shrimp. The concluding 65 pages are turned over to non-noodle accompaniments such as meatballs and fish balls, as well as several iced beverages to counteract the heat. Ricker’s expertise with and affinity for Thai fare make for dishes well worth slurping up.

Starred review from August 1, 2019

After their best-selling Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand and Pok Pok: The Drinking Food of Thailand, Ricker and Goode return with this worthy collection of noodle dishes. While some may find it intimidating to have a whole book focused on the various ingredients and cooking techniques involved in making Thai noodles, Ricker and Goode's thoughtful approach gives home cooks a chance to bring restaurant cooking home, while also providing history and stories behind the recipes, and noodle making. Recipes are organized by noodles and sundries with pairing suggestions for meal creation. There's beautiful photography of completed dishes and step-by-step preparation, rounded out by an extensive index that allows readers to find recipes by ingredient and Thai name. VERDICT A stunning work of culinary art that will catch the interest of readers interested in Thai cuisine, food history, or even simply noodles. Advanced cooks eager to learn new techniques and cuisines will also appreciate.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2019
Thailand's elegant cuisine features a grand variety of noodle types, which Ricker deftly inventories for cooks eager to explore authentic Thai cooking at home. He offers carefully crafted recipes that strive to reproduce genuine Thai noodle dishes. Even those far from Southeast Asian grocery stores can find online access to seemingly obscure ingredients. With each recipe for a noodle dish, he suggests several accompanying dishes to provide a well-rounded meal. Ricker devotes a whole essay in defense of MSG, an oft-vilified seasoning that contemporary chefs are restoring to its rightful place for its contribution to that critical flavor component, umami. Readers accustomed to transliterations on menus in their neighborhood Thai restaurant may initially encounter some difficulties in recognizing the names Ricker assigns: phat thai for pad thai for example. He goes so far as to recommend proper utensils for consuming each dish, whether chopsticks or fork and spoon. Color photographs display both foods and restaurants.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)