"ThaiFood" news and stories

Watermelon can take you from sweltering to chilled in the time it takes to eat a slice and spit the seeds (if you're so inclined). So logic (and the nonstop heat) would dictate that you include it in as many dishes as possible this summer. Photographer pellis pureed his melon and combined it with Serrano chiles, lemongrass and ginger (among other ingredients), then added lump crabmeat tossed with cilantro and olive oil, and gave it a squeeze of lime. The result is a spicy cold Thai soup that is just as delicious served hot. (Try the Gourmet magazine recipe.)

Watermelon also makes a gorgeous gazpacho, as in this KitchenDaily recipe. Sure, it's tomato season, but when you've got a 10-pound watermelon to play with, live a little.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

• Can you can-can? Sure you can -- can food, that is.
• But what if you just want a little bit of jam? That's cool, too.
• Red O brings Mexican food to L.A. by way of Chicago. (And it's great -- if you can get a reservation.)
• Meanwhile, Lum-Ka-Naad brings Thai food to L.A. by way of Thailand, and it's great, too.
• Anyone up for Korean barbecue? Meet you tomorrow on Wilshire Boulevard.

London's Thai Cottage put the pow in nam prik pao on Wednesday when fumes from a huge pot of dry cooking bird's eye chilies sparked a terror alert that led police to break down the restaurant's door. Firefighters emerged from the eatery with a pot containing nine pounds of smoking peppers.

Soho residents had complained of a chemical burning their throats and the London Fire Brigade quickly dispatched a chemical response team. When I was a kid my chilihead father had the brilliant idea of making his own hot oil in the house by frying peppers in oil. So I can attest to the fact that vapors from smoking chilies do indeed take one's breath away. Thank god dear old Dad didn't use anywhere near nine pounds.

I will say however that smoking peppers do not smell at all like a chemical. Chef Chalemchai Tangjariyapoon agrees, "I was making a spicy dip with extra-hot chillies that are deliberately burnt. To us, it smells like burnt chili and it is slightly unusual."

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Several years ago I encountered a Thai snack food that utterly captivated me. I was perusing the shelves of goodies that lined the counter at Queens' Sripraphai. This was back in the day when this wonderful Thai eatery had yet to undergo a slick renovation and was still a hole in the wall, but in a good way.

I spied a round container filled with fried garlic chips, huge dried (maybe fried) shrimp, kaffir lime leaves, dried hot peppers, peanuts and cashews. The cashier saw me eyeing it and told me it was a Thai snack that goes well with beer. I'd downed more than a few cold ones while munching on the Chinese beer snack of salty fried fish, chiles, black beans and peanuts, but I'd never seen anything quite like this. Immediately I pegged it as a great snack to munch on over a few cold brews. But what really drew me to it was the combination of classic Thai flavors it embodied. Hot, sweet, salty and fishy ... mmm. I couldn't wait to try it.

Richard Vines, the London-based food critic for Bloomberg just posted a guide to dining in Bangkok that runs the gamut from cheap authentic Thai eats to more upscale Thai fare.

Vines is quick to point out that Thai street food has caused many a Brit food poisoning and cautions against it. For cheap eats he reccomends Suda, which lists a whopping 170 Thai and Chinese disheson its illustrated menu. And with an order of stir-fried tuna with basil leaves and chili costing only 80 baht ($2.10), one can see why it's a viable alternative to roadside stands.

For more elegant fare, his pick is Celadon at the upscale Sukothai hotel. It serves dishes from all over Thailand. Standouts include grilled beef sirloin served with dried chili and shallot sauce. Hotel buffets don't fare well in his roundup, with both the Marriott and Hilton getting called out for boring food.

And if for some strange reason you crave French or Italian food in Bangkok he recommends Lyon and Zanotti.

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