Neither a borrower nor a lender be,Shakespeare might not condone borrowing, but I borrowed this recipe from Charlie Louie at Hotly Spiced, and I am very glad I did. Although "borrowed" might be the wrong word because I plan to keep this recipe and make it again.
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulleth edge of husbandry.
-- Shakespeare, Hamlet (1.3.75-77)
Hotly Spiced is a fun blog filled with gorgeous food photos and recipes punctuated by often hilarious stories. If you check it out, you'll no doubt be hooked. Thanks, Charlie, for the recipe! You can find it on Hotly Spiced.
This is a very flavorful dish with ingredients that are maybe not as familiar to American palates, like anise and fish sauce. Combine these with soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and mint, and you have a complex flavor that is unique and special. I tried to follow the recipe as closely as I could, but did have to substitute dried for fresh basil and coriander in the salad, and I used 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder in place of chopped chilies. This is because my grocery was out of all three of these and I didn't want to search all over town. I also used anise seeds rather than ground anise because I had them on hand. Even with my substitutions, it still turned out fabulous. Really fabulous. Thanks, again, Hotly Spiced, for a fantastic new recipe!
