I've recently purchased the most incredible steamer basket and pot from a fabulous Thai grocery store in Chinatown, shown in the photo above. I have used it to make sticky rice, and the texture, form and moisture is unbelievable. Steaming in bamboo also creates a gorgeous taste that is so authentic and mixes nicely with whatever you do to liven in up. I won't share my favorite recipe with you now because it's not my own. I am a tester for the James Beard 2006 award winner for Internet Website for Food, Leite's Culinaria, and I tested it for them. I won't share it until well after they've published it. But, when they have I will point you to it because it is divine!
As you know by now, I am truly thrilled by the process and results of cooking with professional appliances at home for the first time. One of the joys in my life is the additional storage of my new kitchen, including a fantastic pantry installed by my dear husband in one of our "spare" closets. For all you New Yorkers, yes, that's how unique our new apartment is. <HUGE GRIN ON MY FACE>There is so much closet space we have turned one into a pantry.</HUGE GRIN ON MY FACE>.
Check it out right after he built it, when we moved in.
And, here's what it looks like now, after getting settled and cooking all the time. Yes, it's partially a garage too, we didn't buy a HOUSE, afterall.
I was thinking about this today after learning about a great blog called The Perfect Pantry (check it out if you haven't yet) and how my first-ever wonderful pantry has already begun obliterating previous boundaries I had. As a New Yorker with no space whatsoever in a closet-sized kitchen, my previous pantry was a just a cupboard shelf. With this gargantuan closet-sized PANTRY, I finally have the luxury of space. To me, that means I also finally have the luxury for certain tools, equipment, small appliances that I've never had before. (Watch out, I'm getting a mixer next...)
The fantastic steamer helps me create beautiful sticky rice and I have the steamer because of my gorgeously spacious pantry! It's all so completely exciting, I feel like a little kid who finally got a pony at Christmas after years of getting only sweaters. I used to have the three-tiered bamboo steamer for vegetables and dim sum but I find this Thai variation is perfect for the rice, specifically. So-- how many of you already know and love bamboo steamers and have you used this particular Thai variation?
The closet pantry is a FABULOUS idea. The idea of having all of your basics in ONE place is a rather exciting one in NYC.
Thanks for the tip!
Posted by: Brigitte | October 05, 2006 at 07:48 AM
What a wonderful pantry! Happy filling it up!!! And thanks for the mention of my site -- I'm so glad you are enjoying it.
Posted by: Lydia | October 13, 2006 at 01:41 PM
OH -- I have the very same steamer! Purchased it at a Laotian market in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a few months ago. It's beautiful, isn't it?
Posted by: Lydia | October 13, 2006 at 01:45 PM
This looked so awesome that I went out and got one. I'm going to try to use it as a couscousier, too, if I can!
Posted by: Danielle | October 18, 2006 at 07:23 AM
Danielle, so glad you got one. They are incredible. Did you also get it at Bangkok Thai Grocery? Let me know if it works with couscous. I suspect the couscous may fall through the slats in the steamer but a piece of cheesecloth lining the bottom may help.
Posted by: Stephanie Beack | October 18, 2006 at 08:47 AM
Yep, that's where I got it. It's just half a block away from where we were getting dim sum that morning, after all.
I'm told it's best to use cheesecloth when using it for sticky rice, too, if only to help with clean-up. So that was part of my plan.
I'll definitely update you once I give it a try. (If I'm feeling really brave, maybe that's what I'll try to make for the potluck... with a back-up plan, just in case.)
Posted by: Danielle | October 18, 2006 at 09:45 AM