If you are a fan of NBC’s “The Office,” you know the characters are obsessed with food -- from birthdays to dinners to going away parties to Christmases, they are almost always eating. I've often tried to recreate what they were eating, from Jan's Osso Buco to sheet cakes to ribs.
I never thought of turning these recipes into a blog until I started listening to the podcast "That’s What She Said." If you are an Office fan and you don't listen to it, you should; it will give you a much deeper appreciation for the show, and it's just a whole lot of fun. I got an iPod for my birthday in February, and now that I have found this podcast, I listen to nothing else. I used to be well informed about the world. Not anymore! It’s all TWSS all the time. And of course that turned me onto a lot of other Office-oriented goodies like Office Tally, and on and on and on. I figured with all of this Office adoration online, perhaps there's room for something else... like an Office food blog. And so here we are.
A couple of ground rules: I will try to re-create recipes from the show as faithfully as possible, based on verbal and visual evidence. For instance, in Season Three’s "Dinner Party" episode, Jan apparently served risotto with the osso buco -- Risotto alla Milanese is a traditional accompaniment -- even though she couldn't have made it. While risotto requires virtually constant stirring, she was in the living room with Michael making their guests’ skin crawl. But because risotto somehow appeared on their dinner plates, that's the recipe I will give you. Another example: in Season Five’s “Dream Team” episode, Michael obsessively makes a stack of French toast. The best French toast is overnight French toast, but since Michael is clearly making French toast on the spot -- the batter winds up in his crocs, after all – I’ll give you a "same day" French toast recipe.
Another ground rule: I will try to make the recipes as tasty as possible. For example, in Season Five’s "Two Weeks” episode, Michael takes Phyllis’s spaghetti from the refrigerator, tastes it, and spits it out in disgust. I will assume that drinking scotch and Splenda all morning deceived Michael's tastebuds and that Phyllis's spaghetti was tasty, so I will give you a really tasty spaghetti recipe. And in Season Five’s "Café Disco" episode, Kevin mentions that his famous chili includes "undercooked onions." There is no good chili recipe that includes “undercooked onions," so in the recipe I will give you the onions will be cooked but not so well cooked that they will be browned or caramelized.
I'm starting off with a favourite recipe, Ryan's "Fort Lauderdale" Pad Thai.
Upcoming recipes include:
Kevin’s Chili + how to remove chili stains from carpeting (from season five “Casual Friday”)
Phyllis’s Spaghetti (from season five "Two Weeks")
Angela’s Double Fudge Brownies (from season three “A Benihana Christmas”)
Dwight’s Pony Sandwich (from season five "Café Disco")
Andy’s Salmon With Mustard Sauce (from season five "Café Disco")
Stanley’s Egg Salad(from season five "Café Disco")
Oscar’s Chimichangas (from season three “The Return”)
Michael’s ‘Samosas’ (from season three “Diwali”)
Jan’s Osso Bucco (from season three "The Dinner Party")
Dwight’s Beet Salad (from season three "The Dinner Party")
Creed’s Soup (from season two "The Package")
Toby’s Goodbye Ribs (from season four "Goodbye Toby")
Pam and Karen’s Fruity Cocktails (from season three “A Benihana Christmas”
Jim’s “Big Tuna” Sandwich
Michael’s Nervous Breakdown French Toast (serves 16)(from season five “Dream Team”)
‘Toby’’s Caprese salad (from season four “Frame Toby”)
Phyllis's Wedding "Chicken" (from season three “Phyllis's Wedding”)
Stanley's Dumplings (from season five "Weight Loss")
If you've seen anything on the show that looks delicious, let me know and I'll try and recreate it for you. You can reach me at theofcfood@aol.com.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Ryan's "Fort Lauderdale" Pad Thai
From Season Five’s "Broke" episode
Ryan: I never went to Thailand.
Pam: Really?
Ryan: I went to Fort Lauderdale.
Michael: Was it nice?
Ryan: Yeah, it was amazing. There was a great Pad Thai place, though.
Michael: I love Pad Thai.
Ryan: You've never had Pad Thai.
Michael: No. There’s a lot I haven't done.
Pad Thai is the most popular Thai dish in America. As is often true of popular dishes, it is frequently pretty awful, with gummy noodles and bland sauce. But it doesn't have to be that way. This recipe makes really tasty Pad Thai -- I fix it several times a month -- and it's very simple. From start to finish, it will take you half an hour.
While Ryan talks about eating at a Pad Thai place in Fort Lauderdale, I like to think that now he is back in Scranton, he makes Pad Thai for himself (he wouldn’t have to, however; there’s a Thai joint in Scranton called “Thai Rak”). Although Ryan was making $60,000 a year as a "shoe bitch" at a bowling alley, he probably cooks for himself at least once in a while, and when he does, a bowl of homemade Pad Thai would take him right back to Fort Lauderdale. And maybe, just maybe, he would make some for Michael, giving Michael one thing to cross off his bucket list. Or maybe not; Michael doesn't need any encouragement where Ryan is concerned.
A note on ingredients: While there are recipes for Pad Thai that require exotica like dried shrimp, the ingredients here are all ubiquitous. The only one you may have difficulty finding is the tamarind concentrate. You can do what I do and order it online from a source like Temple of Thai (templeofthai.com), or leave it out altogether…although I beg you not to do that, because it makes a noticeable difference.
8 ounces dry rice stick noodles (Roland is a popular and good brand)
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup nam pla (fish sauce) (available in the Asian section of grocery stores)
1/4 cup lime juice, bottled or fresh
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate (in some grocery store Asian sections, or at Asian markets or on-line at tasteofthai.com)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (dark or light)
2 T. peanut or vegetable oil
Your choice of protein: either a pound of large cooked shrimp or a cut-up rotisserie chicken or a pound of extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about four cloves)
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
one lime, cut into wedges
Put the noodles in a 13 x 9" pan. Cover them with very hot tap water (break noodles as necessary to make sure they are submerged). Let them sit for 20 minutes (no longer). Note that they will not be tender to 20 minutes. That's okay.
While the noodles soak, combine the warm water, nam pla, lime juice, tomato paste, tamarind paste, and brown sugar. Whisk with a fork until smooth. Set aside.
When the noodles have soaked for 20 minutes, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the protein and push it around for one minute. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook and stir one minute. Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet, along with the sauce mixture. Cook and stir until the noodles are covered with the sauce, about three minutes. Add the bean sprouts and cook and stir for another three minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the finely chopped peanuts. Squeeze the lime wedges on top or let your guests do it themselves.
Any leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Serves four.
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine, which is wonderful BTW.
Ryan: I never went to Thailand.
Pam: Really?
Ryan: I went to Fort Lauderdale.
Michael: Was it nice?
Ryan: Yeah, it was amazing. There was a great Pad Thai place, though.
Michael: I love Pad Thai.
Ryan: You've never had Pad Thai.
Michael: No. There’s a lot I haven't done.
Pad Thai is the most popular Thai dish in America. As is often true of popular dishes, it is frequently pretty awful, with gummy noodles and bland sauce. But it doesn't have to be that way. This recipe makes really tasty Pad Thai -- I fix it several times a month -- and it's very simple. From start to finish, it will take you half an hour.
While Ryan talks about eating at a Pad Thai place in Fort Lauderdale, I like to think that now he is back in Scranton, he makes Pad Thai for himself (he wouldn’t have to, however; there’s a Thai joint in Scranton called “Thai Rak”). Although Ryan was making $60,000 a year as a "shoe bitch" at a bowling alley, he probably cooks for himself at least once in a while, and when he does, a bowl of homemade Pad Thai would take him right back to Fort Lauderdale. And maybe, just maybe, he would make some for Michael, giving Michael one thing to cross off his bucket list. Or maybe not; Michael doesn't need any encouragement where Ryan is concerned.
A note on ingredients: While there are recipes for Pad Thai that require exotica like dried shrimp, the ingredients here are all ubiquitous. The only one you may have difficulty finding is the tamarind concentrate. You can do what I do and order it online from a source like Temple of Thai (templeofthai.com), or leave it out altogether…although I beg you not to do that, because it makes a noticeable difference.
8 ounces dry rice stick noodles (Roland is a popular and good brand)
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup nam pla (fish sauce) (available in the Asian section of grocery stores)
1/4 cup lime juice, bottled or fresh
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate (in some grocery store Asian sections, or at Asian markets or on-line at tasteofthai.com)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (dark or light)
2 T. peanut or vegetable oil
Your choice of protein: either a pound of large cooked shrimp or a cut-up rotisserie chicken or a pound of extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about four cloves)
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
one lime, cut into wedges
Put the noodles in a 13 x 9" pan. Cover them with very hot tap water (break noodles as necessary to make sure they are submerged). Let them sit for 20 minutes (no longer). Note that they will not be tender to 20 minutes. That's okay.
While the noodles soak, combine the warm water, nam pla, lime juice, tomato paste, tamarind paste, and brown sugar. Whisk with a fork until smooth. Set aside.
When the noodles have soaked for 20 minutes, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the protein and push it around for one minute. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook and stir one minute. Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet, along with the sauce mixture. Cook and stir until the noodles are covered with the sauce, about three minutes. Add the bean sprouts and cook and stir for another three minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the finely chopped peanuts. Squeeze the lime wedges on top or let your guests do it themselves.
Any leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Serves four.
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine, which is wonderful BTW.
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