Have You Tried?: Lemon Grass Kitchen Sauces

What: Mai Pham, chef of Lemon Grass restaurant and local cookbook author, has just released three Lemon Grass Kitchen sauces in a jar. There are two Thai versions: Green Curry and Yellow Curry, and a Vietnamese version: Lemongrass Ginger. They’re all 8-ounce jars that make 6 servings using the recipe on each label.
Why: I tried the Lemongrass Ginger version and made the stir-fry recipe provided. It was very easy and resulted in a colorful dish with great flavor. One of the things I liked the most was the distinct flavor of fish sauce, making it taste authentically Vietnamese. Even when I make Vietnamese and Thai recipes at home, I never seem to be brave enough to add enough fish sauce to make them taste really authentic. (I should just double the amounts of spices listed, like I do with Indian recipes in most cookbooks. That often works out well.) It seems like there aren’t many (if any) Vietnamese sauces in mainstream groceries, and few Thai varieties, so this should be a good local contribution to expanding people’s culinary horizons.
Where: I got mine at Whole Foods Market (thanks Lynn!), but you can find them in other specialty stores and grocery sections. You can also catch Chef Pham on some upcoming radio/TV/live demos:
Monday, May 4 — Live cooking segment on Sacramento & Co, KXTV, 8 am hour
Tuesday, May 5 — Live radio interview with Kitty O’Neal on KFBK 1530, 3 pm hour
Tuesday, May 5 — Lecture/book signing/sauce tasting, Borders on Fair Oaks, 7 pm
Friday, May 8 — Cooking demo/book signing Whole Foods Culinary Center, Napa
Saturday, May 9 — Presentation/book signing at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa