I got bored about 20 pages in and didn't want to read further

This book was so much fun to read. A great exploration of true, unsung, Thai cuisine and the drinking that accompanies it. The stories are outrageous and entertaining and the recipes are fascinating and adventurous, some are must try delicious and others are simply shocking! As an Honorary Thai-Through-Marriage, it was wonderful to share this story with my in-laws. My Thai mother-in-law was thrilled to discuss culinary traditions of her culture and upbringing, while my Canadian father-in-law, previous member of the Canadian Peace Corps and stationed in Thailand, laughed heartily at stories of "whiskey" drunken falung(white foreigners).

Food and drink, always a winner!

I must say this book brought back the exciting sights and smells of Northern Thailand, siting at roadside stalls eating combinations of foods that were added by me pointing and hoping for the best. Downing a beer or two with a small side snack and watching the world go by. (I steered clear of the whiskey.)
Just for that tug on the memory strings, I enjoyed this book.
That was in the early 70's and my love for Thai food has never diminished.
Drinking Food is not as Ricker says, 'full-on meals.'
It is 'a subset of [Thai] cuisine ... called aahaan kap klaem, or “drinking food.” In Thailand, you almost never see people drinking without something to eat. Rocker continues, 'I have yet to enter a Thai establishment where there’s booze but no food on offer. That impromptu alley bar, for example, might have set out drinking fare at its most basic.'
I love the way the recipes are accompanied by stories about the how, when and why of them.
Some recipes I won't use, some aspects of recipes I won't use. For instance, Dancing shrimp calls for preferably live shrimp. Those I will find hard to come by. However fresh raw shrimp can be used.
Although there's only a handful of recipes I would use, this is a helpful and insightful look into Thai food and culture, accompanied by photos that made me feel that I was right there.

A NetGalley ARC
(November 2017)

Wonderful recipes from Thailand by the owner of famous taurant Pokpok

I am very pleased with this collection of recipes. It took me a while to work through the book due to the fact that I wanted to make everything I saw. The rice and noodle recipes were by far my favorite, they were quite authentic and easy to replicate at home which was a bonus.

Recipes are all clearly written and remind me of my years living in Thailand. I can't wait to cook some of my old favorites from this book!

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book isn't bad by any means, but it did not grab my attention the way I thought it would. The writer received quite a bit of praise for his previous book, so I had high hopes for this one. I'm not sure if it was the way he writes or something else that left me a bit disinterested.

Don't get me wrong, the recipes he writes about sound good and look great from the pictures included. There are even some fun anecdotes to go along with the various recipes and sections that he covers. I wasn't really inspired to try to recreate any of the dishes though. Maybe experiencing them elsewhere like he has would prompt more enthusiasm to cook them. He certainly knows his stuff about the recipes presented in the book and the regions of Thailand that they come from.

It felt like he was trying to capture some of the edginess that you might find in an Anthony Bourdain book. He even mentions an encounter with Bourdain that reinforced that feeling. The problem is it feels more forced coming from Ricker and it got in the way of me really enjoying the book. Coupled with the style of recipes, think more appetizer or small plates, the book missed the mark for me. For the right audience it could be superb, but I would recommend seeking out other Thai cookbooks first.

Andy Ricker was a troubled young man in the 1980s, backpacking around Thailand to escape lots of things it seemed. He was also an obsessive. Having travelled many countries, played in bands and lots of other stuff I expect he landed in Thailand (particularly the north of the country) and then became obsessed with its food.
Alongside JJ Goode a foodie friend, and with the help of his Thai friend Sunny we hear about a time when foreigners (farang) were a novelty in Thailand!
Now of course, they stream into this part of Asia looking for fun, sex, drink and food. Well really is it the authentic food they see or something to cure their hangover?
There is drink aplenty in this book too. But it is described in its local context with village breweries and why when the Thai drink (and they do excessively too) most locations Andy loved were because of the aahan kap klaem (drinking food). And this isn't American friend chicken or am English fry up this is quick but spicy varieties that would many a time knock your socks off but be flavoursome and often full of goodness.
Ricker is now a chef and owner of Pok Pok restaurants, which began in Portland, Oregon but are now turning up in other US cities. But there is no Thai version of chicken tikka masala here (our English curry which Indian cooks now churn out in gallons) Andy is obsessive about the proper ingredients and the real Thai methods of cooking.
He begins with discussion of a large mortar and pestle - an essential piece of equipment to grind those spices and pastes..I'd recommend a visit to your local Asian supermarket to get the real deal ingredients. Although I read the e-book I anticipate the printed version of this different cookbook will be feast for the eyes too. There are photographs of the locals in many Thai food haunts Andy knows well and then the finished dishes.
As with many Asian dishes you can't approach this as a vegetarian or squeamish about offal. There's frog soup and pig's ears -" Chewiness is a feature, not a flaw" he writes! Alongside the mouth watering soups, snacks, dips and marinated beef, chicken and pork. with descriptions of the tastiest drinks like Mekhong (hectic rum like Red Bull) and Lao Khao (Rice Whiskey) - young people today it seems only know of Chang Beer!
Well done to this determined author and chef to be doing something different and gaining admirers from Thai foodies themselves. Let's face it the only worries an American might have (and Andy himself derides the quality of non Thai chicken) is the chlorine soaked birds that pop up in other food outlets.
Moth watering stuff - tuck in!

Super fun tour of drinking food of Thailand. It's like a food tour.

Culinary voyeurism. If that is what Andy Ricker is selling, I’m buying it.

But let’s back up a bit. My first experience with Thai food was in my twenties. I was in a gift shop specializing in salsa and, on impulse, bought a green chile salsa called Thai Jungle Salsa. It was unique in that most of the other green salsas were all tomatillo-based. It was delicious. Green chiles, garlic, lime. In terms of heat, it was just a step outside of my comfort zone. That didn’t stop me. I started to order it online and went into mourning when it was discontinued.

I’m a red-faced to admit that my Thai food experience doesn’t go much beyond that. I’ve had Pad Thai dishes of what I assume is varying levels of authenticity. I’ve made a few of what I would call Thai-inspired dishes. Really, I’m a neophyte.

I, with my yen for food and travel porn, had a wonderful day reading through Andy Ricker’s POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand: A Cookbook. For me, it was evocative and something I savored. He does an amazing job of describing the sites, sounds, smells, and tastes you’d find travelling throughout Thailand. That, combined with having watched tons food and travel documentaries, has given me a vivid picture in my mind’s eye. How authentic that picture is remains to be seen… but there is one thing for certain. I want to eat my way across the country.

Barring no immediate plans to travel overseas, I’ll happily settle for making my own home versions of some of the dishes that Andy Ricker presents.