My failed dinner

[thistlechaser]

So sad! Last week I went to Thai food for the first time, and while I didn't hate it, I didn't like most of it... except one thing. The peanut sauce was amazingly yummy. Like crunchy peanut butter, just a little sweeter and a tiny tiny bit spicy. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so when in the supermarket, I grabbed a bottle. (I hadn't gone into this blind, I checked Amazon reviews first to find the best rated one.)

Today I bought some chicken so I could use it. Two things jump out at me:
1) It doesn't taste like peanuts at all. The heck? The sauce in the restaurant tasted just like peanut butter, only better.
2) It's way too spicy. It's not just spicy, it's tricky. When I first take a bite it seems fine, then a moment later my mouth is on fire.

As much as I hate wasting food, I find I have to throw mine out yet again. It's a wonder I even try cooking anymore!

That Thai restaurant wasn't too close to me, but I might have to go back just for the yummy sauce. :/

Comments

[loup_noir]

You can probably add more peanut butter and a little soy to calm the fire down. I love it spicy, but then I love all things hot and spicy. Well, just about.

Did you try Pad Thai? The combination of the warm peanut sauce and the cool, crunchy bean sprouts are FTW.

[isyris.livejournal.com]

I thiiiink I know what kind you tried, and yes, it's spicy! If you have some red chili sauce (the sweet sticky kind) you can sort of combine the two and it's still spicy but really really good over veggies and white rice. The delayed burn seems to be really common with Thai food from what I've had? I actually like it, but I'm not a huge fan of other spicy stuff, so.

This is probably closer to what you're looking for, though I haven't tried this particular one: http://www.thaikitchen.com/Products/Sauces-and-Pastes/Peanut-Satay-Sauce.aspx

They also have a really nice Peanut Pad Thai in a box that comes with sauce and crunchy peanut bits, tho you have to be careful to make sure it's the peanut kind you get, the box for the regular stuff is almost identical.

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

Good on you for trying stuff. Some of my favorite thai dishes: green curry chicken (usually mild, ask for mild the first time, then ask for medium next time if it was too mild before).
chicken coconut milk soup (same, start with mild)
beef with thai basil, or beef with bamboo shoots (usually this will not be spicy at all)
"fresh rolls" - kind of like egg rolls but not fried, containing lettuce, rice noodles, and some meat (I ask for peanut sauce instead of the whatever sauce it comes with)
chicken satay (basically chicken on skewers with loads of peanut sauce
sticky rice with mango for dessert

[pure-trance.livejournal.com]

Goodness that peanut sauce sounds like my personal hell.

...I'm allergic to peanuts though so yeah..

[joisbishmyoga.livejournal.com]

We also had a bottle of "way too hot oh my god ow" Thai peanut sauce, and I'd make it work by mixing a little bit with a couple large spoonfuls of peanut butter, a dash of soy sauce, and just a little warm water to thin it out. It looked pretty dubious until the mess came together into a sauce. Don't know how it would work being cooked in a pan, I always just mixed it in a bowl and added cooked noodles.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

As someone who also adores Thai peanut sauce--the stuff you can buy at the store seems to vary wildly, and many of them don't taste anything like what I prefer. I can't remember the brand I like anymore. :/

This thread seems to suggest they all suck and you should make homemade.

This recipe looks pretty easy.

[teslanomaly]

I'm a fan of Thai food, but I don't like spicy food so I stick to just a few dishes. (My standard and favorite: Pad See Yew, sometimes spelled Pad See Eew, which is basically pan-fried noodles with egg and vegetables and tofu or a meat of your choice. It's in a sweet sauce and you can order it with no spicy-hot-stuff added.)

However, my experience has been that Thai food varies drastically from restaurant to restaurant. Some places I don't even like their Pad See Yew. I've had the same experience with Pad Thai; some places make their peanut sauce ridiculously spicy, and other places it's not peanutty at all, and then sometimes it is delicious and sweet and creamy and peanutty! The same with storebought brands of Thai sauces; they differ tremendously!

So yeah, maybe switching brands will help you find a peanut sauce more like the one you had at the restaurant. And if you ever go back and want to try something else, Pad See Yew is safe for the non-spicy-eater. :)

[evilgrayson.livejournal.com]

Thai food does vary hugely from place to place - it's both annoying and awesome that way.

You might like the starter-type things, if you try them. Thai fishcakes are gorgeous, and you add your own heat by how much sweet chilli sauce you put on 'em.

Gconnor is wise, though - Thai Green Curry is food of the gods (but not hot, never ever ask for hot Thai food).