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We're starting off with the oddest menu item on the list, so allow me to explain. See there's a whole set of Thai dishes called nam phrik, which are kind of sauces, kind of relishes, and kind of dips... all depending on which specific one we're talking about. It's a category, not a dish. This week's PORK & TOMATO NAM PHRIK DIP is actually called nam phrik ong, and it's a classic in Northern Thai cooking, especially at home. While I won't bore you with EVERY detail about how this all comes together (though I kind of want to), you can think about it as a warm, Thai-style ragu bolognese. That's not a perfect comparison, but it's not entirely wrong either. Ground pork and lots of spices along with cherry tomatoes, cooked stew-style low and slow, and served warm with rice crackers for dipping. If there's a Thai restaurant around here that has this exact dish, I want to know about it. But as far as I know, this isn't something you can find easily in this area. And it's fantastic.

For a little bright-and-light freshness, there's no better choice for this menu than THAI VEGETABLE & NOODLE SALAD. This one isn't hard to figure out, but here's the rundown: fresh vegetables (cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, and red pepper in our case) along with boiled rice noodles and a classic Thai dressing called nam yam, which is basically a Thai version of the Vietnamese nuoc cham. We'll finish this with an array of fresh herbs of course. Don't let the simplicity fool you, this dish has a lot going on.

HOMESTYLE PANANG BEEF CURRY isn't exactly like those curries you get at a Thai restaurant. It's easy to think of Thai curries as basically-soup, but this version is much more towards the "stew" category. Sliced beef, classic panang curry aromatics and spices, all cooked in quality coconut milk till things are rich and flavorful, served with steamed jasmine rice and sliced scallions. This dish has it all... a lot savory, a little sweet, a touch tart, a scoop rich, and all wonderful. If you like Thai curries, you'll love this.

With all these complex flavors this week, we need something simple and focused. GARLICKY GREEN BEANS are just the thing, but they aren't "lesser" just because they don't have 26 ingredients. Blanched green beans tossed with sauteed garlic, soy sauce, white pepper, and a couple other secret ingredients. Excellent, properly-done green beans with simple garlic and soy? Sign me up.

Our dessert this week isn't properly authentic, but my Asian desserts rarely are. What I do is try to keep the soul of the Asian dessert intact, but present it in a way that makes more sense. ** MANGO-COCONUT PANNA COTTA** definitely falls into that category, presenting Thai flavors in a way that keeps things interesting and feeling like a real dessert. Coconut panna cotta topped with mango compote and chopped cashews along with toasted coconut. Simple, cooling, delicious, and mostly-Thai.