Spicy

No-cook Thai-style mango chili sauce

Puree ripe mangoes with chilies, ginger, shallot and cilantro, then stir in fish sauce and coconut milk to make a sweet-spicy dipping sauce for fried or grilled chicken, meat or seafood.

Cook time: 0

Servings: 2 cups

Son-in-law eggs (kai loog keuy)

Hard-boiled eggs are deep fried until the surface is blistered, cut into halves, drizzled with sweet-sour tamarind sauce and garnished with crispy fried shallots and garlic. Thai son-in-law eggs make a lovely snack.

Cook time: 12

Servings: 4 people

Thai chicken curry

You need shallots, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, cilantro, garlic and lime zest in addition to chilies and turmeric to make authentic Thai chicken curry. This is how we did it at a cooking class in Chiang Mai.

Cook time: 50

Servings: 4 people

Cajun shrimp and mushroom spaghetti

Creamy and spicy, cooking is made easier and faster by using frozen shelled and deveined shrimps.

Cook time: 10

Servings: 4 people

Korean popcorn chicken (dakgangjeong)

Spicy, sticky and crispy, there are two secrets to good Korean popcorn chicken. A thick sauce that's sweet, spicy and tangy all at the same time, and a light but ultra crisp crust made possible by twice frying the chicken.

Cook time: 20

Servings: 4 people