Cucumber Relish

Our Herbies preparing a tasting.

Gai Satay: Chicken Satay with Curried Peanut Sauce.

Joe Hatch-Surisook, owner of Sen Yai Sen Lek.

Preparing the cilantro.

Three flavored seasoning paste with peppercorns, lot of garlic, and cilantro.

The Herbies had all the fun, tasting the balance of flavors while Joe did all the work. Thx Joe.

We always eat well, but at our March meeting we ate especially well.  Our guest speaker was Joe Hatch-Surisook, owner and chef of Sen Yai Sen Lek , a Thai restaurant located in NE Minneapolis.  Joe’s Thai culinary experience was initiated in his family’s kitchen in Bangkok and later in Chicago.  He learned traditional techniques and careful balancing of flavors by observing and participating in the preparation of family meals.  Joe cooked the Herbies a variety of Thai dishes with recipes that were relatively simple, but with complex tastes.  Joe stated that his restaurant only uses 4 herbs in their dishes; Thai Basil, Cilantro, Mint, and Holy Basil.   Since this year’s International Herb Society Herb of the Year is Cilantro, all of the dishes highlighted cilantro.  Try some cilantro in an omelet next time you whip one up. Thanks Joe for a delicious meeting. 

For further info, check out http://www.senyai-senlek.com/