Pok Pok Noodles: Recipes from Thailand and Beyond

In his entertaining latest 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. (May)