Thaiku

Kao Soy is my favorite dish from northern Thailand, and I can't imagine a better rendition than the one served at Thaiku in Ballard (5410 Ballard Ave. NW; 206-706-7807). Egg noodles and cubes of tofu mix with a brothy coconut-curry sauce that is just hot enough. What makes this dish a standout are the pickled mustard greens that are the perfect foil for other flavors in the dish. It's topped with a mound of crunchy fried egg noodles and served with a little side dish of chili sauce, fresh basil leaves and lime. This is the kind of dish I crave when my soul needs a booster shot.

At the back of Thaiku is the bar that still has much of the old wooden cabinetry from its former life as an Asian pharmacy. Funky statues and kitschy posters of Asian women by Tretchikoff add to the restaurant's great vibe.

 

A career in food

For twenty--three years, I tested recipes, styled food for photos and wrote about food for The Seattle Times. Just five newspapers in the country had in-house test kitchens, and we were lucky enough to be one. It was a tough job because there were very few down times where I could just sit down and think about creating something new and wonderful to eat. But was a great job too because I had so much input into the Wednesday food section, and the decisions about what recipes to test and run were entirely mine. Really, how many jobs have that kind of freedom?

Twenty-three years seems like an a long time in a single job, doesn't it? But I was able to stay fresh by always exploring new products, cuisines and ideas. Every day brought the opportunity to try something different. Over the years, I worked with some amazingly creative people: editors, other food writers, page designers, copy editors, and photographers. I learned so much from each of them. It's these people that I miss so very much.

Before I was laid off at the Times last spring, I must admit I was becoming I bit bored with the job. (How many new variations of turkey can a person come up with for Holiday Cuisine each year?) I needed a break. But little did I know that it would come about in the way it did.

Now, about 9 months later, I find myself experimenting again with recipes, and enjoying food like I once did. In this journal, you'll find some of the recipes I love to cook, along with my own discoveries about food and restaurants that I love to eat at. Stay tuned.