A word to the wise

Our new menu just went to the printer. We have held off increasing prices as long as we could, but rising prices and a huge rent increase have forced us to bump up our prices. I think we are still very competitive with the other Thai restaurants in town, and I hope True Thai will still be affordable for you.

We chose to delay raising prices until after the trial was over, and then we decided to wait until after Mother's Day to introduce the new menus. You will still be able to get tofu and mock duck entrees for under $10 but the most expensive seafood entrees will now cost you $15.95.

So now is the time to stop by True Thai to enjoy the old prices one last time!

True confession

Many people have asked me why I was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read. Partly it was because I had used up a lot of vacation attending the trial, but mostly it was because I was afraid to hear the verdict. I did not trust the jury to do the right thing.

I think many of us found this trial to be emotionally exhausting. First Deborah Russell spent a week proving the prosecution's case. We saw pictures of Ped's dead body, we listened to horrified 911 callers, we heard testimony from experts about how much of Ped's body would have been visible to the driver of the vehicle. Imagine seeing pictures of your loved one's dead body and I think you will better understand why I was not up for being in court that day. Then spend a day listening to the person who killed your friend lie about what happened.

Amy Senser will be in the news some more, but until she's willing to tell us what really happened that night, I am not sure I care to hear what she has to say. I appreciate the jurors getting the verdict right. This has been said many times but it needs to be said again: Amy Senser is not going to prison for killing Ped. Amy Senser is going to prison for killing Ped and then driving off and not telling anyone.

I would like to hear Amy Senser explain why she did that. Why she hit Ped, then drove around in her damaged car calling everyone but 911. Tell me that, then we can talk about forgiveness. But don't tell me any more lies written by lawyers. I have heard enough of those.

Are you ready for Mother's Day?

It's this coming Sunday, and time is running out to make a reservation to take Mom to her favorite Thai restaurant.

What's for Hot Lunch?

St. Paul Public Schools just let me know that Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken is back on their Hot Lunch menu. Based on True Thai's Superior Sweet & Sour, we donated this recipe to St. Paul schools years ago. I remember that it was very popular, but didn't realize they'd taken it off their menu until they sent me this notification that it is now back on the menu. (Yes, I'm a little confused, too.)

If you click on the picture, you'll get a larger image that includes our secret recipe — guaranteed to turn vegetable-hating kids into vegetable lovers!

When we opened True Thai, I knew I wanted Sweet & Sour on our menu. But the Sweet & Sour when True Thai opened is not the Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken served by the St. Paul School. That Sweet & Sour (which is what we serve at True Thai now) is the version that Ped perfected.

Hardly a month went by that Ped didn't think of a slightly better way to make a dish. Maybe it was a technique that let him cook faster, but mostly he would adjust the recipe until it was better. The Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken served by the St. Paul Schools was one of his best.

Since Ped perfected our Superior Sweet & Sour recipe, we have served it over 100,000 times. That's only an impressive number until you stop and realize that the St. Paul Public Schools have 39,000 students. I suspect they have served well over one million servings of Ped's Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Ped was famous in a very quiet way, and just about everyone who went to a St. Paul school since 2003 has eaten one of his recipes. That's a lot of people.