Coconut Milk

The texture of this rice is moist and sticky, so do not expect fluffy individual grains.

(Parfaits Glacés D'annanas En Piña Colada)

If you thought you couldn't cook Thai food at home, this colorful and slightly spicy curry-a bit of a cross between a soup and a stew-will change your mind. It's a cinch to whip up after work and intriguing enough to impress your friends. Begin dinner with frozen egg rolls or take-out ones from a Chinese restaurant, and finish things off with ice cream or sorbet topped with chopped tropical fruit. GewÜrztraminer or Thai beer complements the menu nicely.

Sheenga Chat Here is a wonderful recipe of the chettinad (the business community) of Madras whose food often reflects a fusion of northern and southern flavors. In this shrimp preparation, for example, both Curry Powder and Garam Masala are used to achieve intriguingly complex results.

(Tony Tan's Laksa Lemak)

From the Rainforest Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Serve this lush, smooth soup as part of an Asian or Western meal. Large wedges of pumpkin with a pale gray-green skin are sold in Southeast Asian groceries and in Caribbean produce markets. Pick out the pumpkin with the reddest flesh. You can also use an orange "pie pumpkin."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This would also be delicious paired with chicken or shrimp. This recipe originally accompanied Sake-Marinated Sea Bass with Coconut-Curry Sauce.

Pla Phad Phrik Khing The pummelo salad makes a nice first course with this dish.

A puree of spinach and basil lends color and flavor to this Thai-style main dish.

In Thailand, mangoes often appear on the table for dessert — served both on their own and incorporated into a sweetened sticky rice. If you can't get your hands on really good mangoes, you'll find that canned mango purée delivers the best flavor for this ice cream. However, many canned brands taste like peaches, so we recommend Ratna brand, which uses Alphonso mangoes, an Indian cultivar renowned for its bright orange flesh and very intense flavor. Ka-Me brand is a runner-up — the recipe will work fine, but the color and flavor will not be as intense. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 17 3/4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

This dish bursts with flavor yet is so simple to prepare. Adjust the heat by adding the curry paste to taste.

Flanes de Coco This classic Iberian dessert was introduced by the Spaniards. In the version below, coconut, which thrives in the Pacific coast state of Colima, flavors the flans. Begin making them one day ahead; they must chill overnight before serving.

Coconut milk, which gives a velvety texture to this pound cake, can be found in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.