I remember my first, mind-altering bite of Thai cooking with pristine clarity. From a culinary standpoint, I'd been sound asleep: That mouthful woke me up like the sloppy kiss of Prince Charming. I was working for a publisher in London; my parents had blown in for a visit. My mother and I sneaked off alone -- somehow, we found ourselves in a quiet Thai restaurant set in a pretty, half-deserted pedestrian mall in central London. We'd had enough of... More >>>