When we Americans think of "street food," we may think no further than the local hot-dog vendor or ice-cream truck. But around the world, street food reaches astounding culinary heights. In Thailand, for example, open-air food stalls are, according to a new book, an "essential" part of daily life. As explained in "Vatch's Thai Street Food" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Books, 2007), most Thais frequent these stalls at least once a day because they provide the "freshest, most authentic and delicious Thai cooking." Now, you can try some of these dishes at home.

"Open-air food stalls" doesn't do justice to the Thai street-food scene. Some of the eateries are stationary, like outdoor cafes, but many are moveable feasts: They consist of customized storage boxes or cooking ranges pushed, pulled or pedaled through the streets. "The most common and simple was the hahp, a bamboo shoulder pole with rattan frames at each end holding baskets," writes Bhumichitr. This contraption could be balanced "so the vendor could pass down narrow alleyways or travel on little boats from up-country villages." These hahps are so important that Bhumichitr quotes a proverb about them: "A broken hahp is like a broken home."

Thai street vendors are flexible. As one area develops, vendors can move quickly to feed the new population center. In Surin, a city known for oppressive heat, the purveyors deliver food stuffs after dark, and the vendors cook for them all night, as well as for the shoppers, who arrive at dawn. The former capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya, is a city of canals filled with floating restaurants and noodle boats.

A note on ingredients: "A Thai cook works more by intuition than by measurement," writes Bhumichitr. You will find most of the ingredients in the supermarket, but you can try some of the substitutions that I used, or experiment with your own. As the author says, "If it tastes good, go with it."

CLAMS WITH CHILI AND BASIL

For the broiled chili oil:

5 garlic cloves, peeled

5 shallots, peeled

5 long dried red chilies, seeded and chopped (see Cook's note)

1 tablespoon ground dried shrimp (available in Asian markets) or 2 large fresh shrimp

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt (see Cook's note)

For the clams:

1 pound fresh, small, hard-shell clams

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon broiled chili oil (from above)

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (sold in many supermarkets and specialty stores)

2 tablespoons fish stock or water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 long red chili, finely slivered (see note)

20 holy basil leaves (Thai basil) or regular basil

Cook's note: For the grilled chili oil, I used dried pasilla chilis, purchased at the grocery store. A few teaspoons of hot red pepper flakes would probably also work. For the long red chili in the clams preparation, I used a red jalapeno, also purchased at the grocery store. (A green jalapeno would work, too.) Also, I found the dish extremely salty (and I love salt), so I strongly recommend omitting the salt in the grilled chili oil. The fish sauce adds enough sodium.

Make the chili oil: Position a rack close to the heat source and preheat a broiler. Place the garlic, shallots and dried chilies on a piece of foil and broil, turning occasionally, until the skins start to blister and become charred. Using a mortar and pestle, or mini food-processor, pound or pulse together to form a coarse paste.

If using fresh shrimp (not dried shrimp), shell and broil them until they are shrunken and beginning to get brown around the edges. Cool, pat dry and chop or grind finely.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil and add the grilled paste. Stir a couple of times, then add the sugar and the shrimp (and salt, if using - see Cook's note). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. It will be quite dark. Set 1 tablespoon aside for this recipe, and store the rest in the refrigerator. This recipe makes about 5 tablespoons.

For the clams: Rinse the clams under cold water, discarding any that do not close when handled. Drain and set aside.

In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and fry the garlic until just beginning to brown. Add the clams and broiled chili oil and stir thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients in turn, stirring after each addition. Cover and cook over high heat until the clams open. Discard any clams that remain closed. Serve at once.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe from "Vatch's Thai Street Food" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Books, 2007)

FRIED PORK WITH GINGER AND PINEAPPLE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 (8-ounce) piece of pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips

5 large black fungus mushrooms, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes (these are sold in many supermarkets and also in specialty stores)

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 generous cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable stock or water

2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1 long fresh red chili (such as a red jalapeno) sliced diagonally into thin rounds

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden brown. add the pork and mushrooms and stir well. Add the remaining ingredients in turn, and stir-fry over a high heat until the pork is cooked through.

Season with black pepper and turn onto a serving dish. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe from "Vatch's Thai Street Food" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Books, 2007)

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU

1 (4-ounce) cake firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

vegetable oil for deep frying, plus 2 tablespoons for stir-frying

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

3 tablespoons English cucumber, sliced

3 tablespoons mixed chopped red, yellow and green bell peppers

3 to 4 white (button) mushrooms, quartered

4 to 5 whole baby corn, quartered lengthwise (available, canned, in the supermarket)

2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch lengths

3 tablespoons pineapple chunks

1 medium tomato, stemmed and sliced into rounds

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Put the tofu on a board and place a weight (like a pan of water) on it. Angle the board so the tofu will drain into the sink. Leave for an hour, to try to squeeze as much liquid out as possible. Cut into 2-inch cubes.

Heat the oil to 400 F in a deep pot or deep-fat fryer. Fry the tofu cubes until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden. Add the vegetables and fruit, stir well, then add the sugar, vinegar and salt. Stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds. Toss in the deep-fried tofu, stir once and turn into a serving dish.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe from "Vatch's Thai Street Food" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Books, 2007)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.

Clams prepared with chili and basil bring the tastes of Thailand to your kitchen. Photograph by Martin Brigdale for "Vatch's Thai Street Food" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Books, 2007)