Rating: 
Summary: Why No Dried Shrimp in Som Tam and Pad Thai?
Review: I'm afraid I have to respectfully disagree with some reviewers here about this book. To list a recipe for Som Tam (green papaya salad) and Pad Thai without dried shrimp is not "Real Thai". I would comfortably say that these are omissions made to avoid offending westerners. Also the layout is a bit thick and not very friendly...that's not to say some of the recipies are OK. The real tip off, though, was the missing dried shrimp in the Som Tam and Pad Thai as it makes me wonder about what else was omitted from the "Real Thai" recipes....
Rating: 
Summary: excellent source of authentic and easy to produce recipes
Review: Like the author, I was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand (though it appears from her introduction to the book that she preceded me there by about 15 years). Anyway, I was thrilled to learn of this book soon after I returned to the U.S. in the early 1990's. My sister had discovered it soon after she had visited me in Thailand, and had found the recipes to authentically replicate many of the dishes she remembered from her first-hand Thai experience. I was skeptical when my sister initially told me of the book, but was pleasantly surprised from the moment that I began to read through it -- so pleased, in fact, that my sister gave me her copy right there on the spot, and then went out the next day to replace her own copy. What so pleased me was the genuine authenticity of the recipes captured in the book (rather than the "westernized" or "fusion" versions that are contained in so many recipe books, and on far too many a restaurant menu these days). Many of these other books are really glorified "coffee table" books, whereas McDermott has compiled here a practical working guidebook that addresses the entire breadth of Thai cuisine. The recipes contained in her book masterfully and faithfully reproduce the exact dishes that you might find in a restaurant (large or small) or in a typical Thai home, and they are generally quite easy to replicate. As a byproduct of being more authentic, the versions that she has captured in this book also have the added benefit of tasting better than many of the dishes that you are likely to encounter at many Thai restaurants here in the U.S. If you want a book to cook from (and not just to display), this is the one.
Rating:
Summary: excellent source of authentic and easy to produce recipes
Review: Like the author, I was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand (though it appears from her introduction to the book that she preceded me there by about 15 years). Anyway, I was thrilled to learn of this book soon after I returned to the U.S. in the early 1990's. My sister had discovered it soon after she had visited me in Thailand, and had found the recipes to authentically replicate many of the dishes she remembered from her first-hand Thai experience. I was skeptical when my sister initially told me of the book, but was pleasantly surprised from the moment that I began to read through it -- so pleased, in fact, that my sister gave me her copy right there on the spot, and then went out the next day to replace her own copy. What so pleased me was the genuine authenticity of the recipes captured in the book (rather than the "westernized" or "fusion" versions that are contained in so many recipe books, and on far too many a restaurant menu these days). Many of these other books are really glorified "coffee table" books, whereas McDermott has compiled here a practical working guidebook that addresses the entire breadth of Thai cuisine. The recipes contained in her book masterfully and faithfully reproduce the exact dishes that you might find in a restaurant (large or small) or in a typical Thai home, and they are generally quite easy to replicate. As a byproduct of being more authentic, the versions that she has captured in this book also have the added benefit of tasting better than many of the dishes that you are likely to encounter at many Thai restaurants here in the U.S. If you want a book to cook from (and not just to display), this is the one.
Rating:
Summary: Everything I cook comes out great
Review: The recipes in this book are well designed. I can follow the steps easily and make substitutions for the hard-to-find ingredients. It's easy to reproduce delicious meals from Thai restaurants. This book is so dependable that I will cook new meals from it for company without any worries.
Rating:
Summary: You won't be disappointed!
Review: The second Thai cookbook I bought the first was The Original Thai Cookbook by Brennan. This book just didn't do anything for me. I attempted to make Pad Thai dish that turned out inedible. Anyways, I bought Real Thai in 1994 while on a daytrip to Mendocino, CA. Boy, was I rewarded many, many times over. This cookbook firmly established my reputation as being a great cook. I kept telling everyone it's because of this cookbook. My husband raves about my cooking and just about tell everyone about it. The recipes are very forgiving and flexible. Many times, I didn't have all of the ingredients and yet it still came out delicious. McDermott has such a finely honed and refined taste that her combination of seasoning is so vibrant and yet balanced. And very Thai authentic. You don't sense that it's lacking or overpowered by one seasoning over the other. Just about every recipe works. Yellow curry chicken, basil chicken, spinach soup, the noodles with broccoli to name a few is absolutely delicious. Her curry paste recipes are delicious which if you have the time is worth the labor. I try hard not to submit to my compulsion to collect cookbooks so after 13 years I finally honed it down to - Hazan's Essential of Italian cooking, Kennedy's Essentials of Mexican cuisine, Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, Bach's The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam, Jaffrey's indian cooking and of course McDermott's Real Thai. The rest of my cookbooks I chucked it out, donated to Goodwill and gave away to my family and friends. My book is splattered with stains and pages are falling apart. You will not regret buying this book if you are into Thai cooking. Another book I found good is Simply Thai Cooking. With these two on hand, you'll establish yourself as a bonafide Thai cuisine chef.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is excellent for those interested in Asian meals but do not have a lot of understanding of the grocery list that goes along with it. Meals are simple, delicious and easy to put together.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is excellent for those interested in Asian meals but do not have a lot of understanding of the grocery list that goes along with it. Meals are simple, delicious and easy to put together.
Rating:
Summary: Authentic and Easy
Review: This cookbook was recommended in a cooking class I attended on Thai cuisine. I surprisingly found most recipes to be simple and easy even for cooks who are not experts. I highly recommended this book to anyone interested in this type of cuisine. It seems foolproof!
Rating: 
Summary: Great recipes
Review: This is a great cookbook. The recipes are relatively easy and the author lists easily found substitutes for hard-to-find authentic thai ingredients. The only problem I have is with the layout of the book. It is organized by region which is nice in the sense that you can read about the region and see what they eat but for practicality, I would prefer appetizers, entrees, noodle dishes, desserts etc. grouped together.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to Thai cooking
Review: This was the first Thai cookbook I purchased when I first discovered how easy Thai was to make at home about 4 years ago. The recipes prove that you can get restaurant quality food in your home kitchen. My husband and I usually use this book two times or more a week and have never been disappointed. He doesn't like to cook that much so we are especially pleased with the simplicity of most recipes. Our favorites include our restaurant standards Pad Thai, Chicken Curry and Swimming Rama. We have also found some great new dishes through this book such as the Garlic Shrimp, and the Burmese-Style Pork Curry with Fresh Ginger. Cooking out of this book has let us explore wonderful new dishes. Also, by all means add more chilis. The hotter the better.
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