True Ped for Tuesday

Today's true fact about Ped. He did not eat junk food. Ped only ate food that he had prepared, or that his mother had cooked.

All new links about the trial are here.

The waiting is over

I was shocked at how fast jury selection went, and barely made it to the courtroom in time for the opening statements. I will keep updating the links post with every story I can find about the trial, but I also have a restaurant to run so the links may be late some days.

I have lost track of how many people I've told Ped's story to who, after hearing that on the night of his fatal accident Ped was going to the restaurant to give the cleaning staff a ride home, said to me, "And Amy Senser was going to pick up 3-4 young women who had each gotten the gift of a $47 ticket to see a Katy Perry concert." Like most restaurants in the Twin Cities, True Thai pays our clean up crew a buck an hour over minimum wage, so with taxes taken out they would have had to work six hours to see a Katy Perry concert. But instead of going to concerts, at least one of the clean up crew was saving for a bicycle so Ped wouldn't have to give him a lift home. The clean up crew, by the way, were 17, 18 and 21 years of age, and all now have bicycles.

Another person wondered to me how Amy Senser could have gotten lost when she went to college at the University of Minnesota, especially since one of the Senser girls lived only two blocks from the crash site. Others are saying that Amy Senser turned herself in because her step-daughter said people were accusing the stepdaughter of having done it. Well, I heard that rumor too last August. There are too many rumors going around, and I hope this trial will bring out the truth about what happened.

Buddha said there are three things you cannot hide: the sun, the moon and the truth.

Here is something that is not a rumor, and is the truth. Ped was such a fast cook he averaged one entree per minute by using three woks at a time, and they were the best entrees we served. It was a joy to watch him work because he was so focused on making everything perfect. You cannot make Thai food slowly, wok cooking is fast and if the cook is not precise, the food will not be good.

Another true fact is that today, Monday, April 23, is the 243rd day since Ped died last August 23.

Trial links

Jury selection starts tomorrow, and there will be many news stories about the case. Rather than post about the trial each day, I am going to put all the links here, updating the list as they are published.

• End game nears for Senser's defense by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Star Tribune congratulates itself on its Senser coverage by Nancy Barnes, Star Tribune
• Star Tribune on why Amy Senser is not guilty by Matt McKinnon, Star Tribune
• Amy Senser to take the stand this week by Boua Xiong, KARE11
• Amy Senser expected to take stand Monday by Jennifer Griswold, KSTP
• Two lives tragically altered; how should we judge Amy Senser? by Judy Weinberger, Minneapolis Judaism Examiner
• Expert: Victim's body in Senser crash wrapped over SUV's hood by Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Trial Day 5: Prosecution in Amy Senser Trial Rests by Leslie Rolander, KAAL-TV
• Amy Senser hit-run trial: She said she 'had a sip of something,' daughter testifies by Emily Gurnon, Pioneer Press
• Molly Senser: I'd never seen that expression on my mother's face by Rob Olson, Fox9
• Joe Senser loses cool, tells photographers to "get a life" by Aaron Rupar, City Pages
• Frustrated Joe Senser confronts photographers covering trial [KARE11 video]
• Amy Senser trial: Prosecutor questions her fidelity, husband's credibility by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Day 4: Amy Senser's youngest daughter testifies by Brandt Williams, MPR
• Joe Senser Admonished By Judge After Allegedly Talking To Jury Members by Holly Wagner, WCCO-TV
• Question of affair surfaces in Senser trial by Bob Collins, MPR News Cut
• Joe Senser Testifies About Wife's Independence by Leslie Rolander, KSTP-TV
• Joe Senser shows frustration during testimony by KARE11
• Joe Senser on "Amyworld": Flaking out on  picking up kids reflects her 'fierce independence' by Aaron Rupar, City Pages
• Friend says he was told Sensers learned of fatal crash from TV news by Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Joe Senser expected back on witness stand in wife's hit-and-run trial by Brandt Williams, MPR
• Joe Senser takes the stand in wife Amy's trial [KARE11 video]
• Amy Senser trial: Husband says he saw damage but no blood on car by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Joe Senser: Wife said morning after she hit construction cone by Abby Simons and Matt McKinney, Star Tribune
• Brittani Senser knew victim's brother, jurors see crash photos by Brandt Williams, MPR
• Testimony Reveals New Details in Amy Senser Case by Leslie Rolander, KSTP
• Amy Senser's stepdaughter wraps up testimony, KARE11
• Expert: Day after fatal crash, 45 texts deleted from Senser's phone by Abby Simons and Matt McKinney, Star Tribune
• Graphic: Site of Amy Senser incident, Star Tribune
• Amy Senser hit-run trial: Daughter Brittani says she forced stepmom to admit she was driving by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Witnesses Give Emotional Testimony in Senser Trial [WCCO video]
• How headlines matter by Bob Collins, MPR News Cut
• Senser Trial: Day Two [KSTP video]
• Photo of hit and run victim brings Amy Senser to tears by KARE11
• Amy Senser trial: Photo of victim's body brings tears on both sides by Matt McKinney and Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Amy Senser hit-run trial: She came forward only after stepdaughter threatened to call cops, prosecutor says by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Senser jury must sift her intent out of facts by Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Jury selected in Amy Senser case [KARE11 video]
• Opening Statements Finished In Amy Senser Trial [WCCO video]
• Jury Seated in Amy Senser Case, Opening Statements Complete [KSTP video]
• Jury Selected, Opening Arguments Heard in Senser Trial by Rob Olson and Shelby Capacio, Fox 9 News
• Prosecutor: Stepdaugher prompted Amy Senser to step forward as driver by Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Speed dating for justice by Bob Collins, MPR News Cut
• Amy Senser trial opens in Minneapolis by Brandt Williams, Minnesota Public Radio
• Amy Senser opening statements: Senser will testify during trial by Gregory Pratt, City Pages
• Amy Senser's Trial Set To Begin Soon by KJ Segall, Daily Norseman
• Apologizing Has Legal Benefits & Consequences by Nick Winkler, KAALTV.com
• Amy Senser trial: Different paths led to a fateful exit ramp by David Hanners, Pioneer Press
• Senser jury must sift her intent out of facts by Abby Simons, Star Tribune
• Anousone Phanthavong family remembers chef ahead of Amy Senser trial by Gregory Pratt, City Pages

Oldest stories last, new links at the top.

Born under a bomb sign

I have been thinking about Ped a lot lately. Jury selection starts Monday and it seems like all the local media are getting ready to publish something about that "Roseville man."

I've told you that Ped was True Thai's nickname for Anousone, but his family called him Pec because when he was born a bomb exploded nearby. The plane that dropped the bomb had "The Inspector" written on its side, and from that his family started calling him Pec, short for inspector.

I don't know what it sounds like when a Mercedes SUV hits you while going 50 mph, but I suspect it makes a loud noise, too.

Amy Senser was also charged with a third count of vehicular manslaughter after her defense team finally turned over her cell phone records and it was discovered that she was talking on her cell phone at the exact moment she struck Ped.

I do not think it's unrelated that today Minnesota law enforcement cracked down on "distracted driving." Police do not like people talking on their phones while they are driving, especially on our highways. I must admit that I use my cell phone while driving, but never while driving at high speeds. I also have not run into anyone while driving, and do not drink while driving. I wish more people could say as much.

Songkran! (สงกรานต์)

Today through Sunday they will be celebrating Songkran in Thailand. New Year's celebrations are so much better when you get three days to celebrate! In fact, in Chiang Mai they celebrate for six days!

But the best, best, best part of Songkran is the water fights, and the best water fights always include elephants!

10,000 post reads!

I started this blog back in 2007, but Blogger didn't start tracking statistics until Google acquired them in 2009, so my blog stats only reflect the last three years. I admit that once a month or so I spend too much time looking at these numbers, but blogging has been a strange adventure for me, and it helps to know which posts customers like best. Except I'm not so sure most of my readers are customers. In fact, the stats say that most of my readers aren't even from Minnesota!

How the tamarind tree saved Little Anna's life is not the post I would have guessed would be my most popular. I thought for sure that Mom! Mom! There's a crocodile in our living room! would be more popular, but it only got 15 reads! That is so sad. A crocodile is much scarier than a rabid dog.

A friend who understands these things told me that I get about 50 hits each time I post to my blog. But that number keeps growing because most of you only check my blog every so often, not every day. An average post now gets a few hundred readers altogether, but thanks to Google and other search engines, some posts keep getting new readers every day. My tamarind tree post just broke the 10,000 reader mark! I am proud of that, but also shocked. This blog thing is surprisingly popular.

Some of you may be surprised that My remembrance of Ped is not my most popular post. Actually, it is, but most of the people who read it saw it in the Star Tribune which did not link to my blog. I have no idea how many people read the version the Star Tribune published, but I've been told it was in the tens of thousands.

The trial of the woman who hit and killed Ped is coming up soon. I will be there, but I do not think I will write about it. I am still very sad that Ped is dead. Everything I wrote in my remembrance of him is still true. We here at True Thai miss Ped every day, but I am comforted each time I check my stats and see that a few dozen more people have read about him since I last checked. Since I wrote about Ped's death, many of True Thai's customers and friends have made generous donations to his family. His nephew Shawn works at the restaurant. If you fast forward to the very end of that Best of the Block video about True Thai, Shawn's at the bottom of the screen with a big smile.

The spirit of Ped is in that picture.

Closed Easter Sunday

If I were in Chanthaburi this weekend, I'd be celebrating Easter mass here, in the newly refurbished Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (อาสนวิหารพระนางมารีอาปฏิสนธินิรมล). It is on the same site as the original missionary chapel built in 1711.

But, since I will be here in the Twin Cities far from my family, I think I'll sleep in instead.

Have a happy Easter with your family and friends. True Thai restaurant will be open Saturday and Monday as usual, but closed Easter Sunday.

Best of the Block: TRUE THAI!

Some of you may have remembered TV cameras filming you when you ate at True Thai last fall. They were from the Thai Food Network, and Best of the Block, episode 33, True Thai, is now available to watch on YouTube!

The Thai Food Network's Best of the Block series is about Thai restaurants not in Thailand. True Thai is not in Thailand, and we are Thai, so we qualified! Thanks to the magic of television, we never got to meet Alyson Sullivan, the host, but we enjoyed meeting and feeding the Best of the Block camera crew.

The camera crew went everywhere, and shot some beautiful pictures of our staff and food but my favorite was the group picture they took at the end of the shoot. 

The day the Thai Food Network came to True Thai was very exciting. I hope you enjoy the video.

Awards season

We just ordered our Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine "Best of" award and will link to this year's Best Restaurants issue as soon as those links go up. MSP Magazine has always been very good to True Thai, and I know a lot of our regulars either subscribe or get their copy in the checkout lane at the grocery store every month.

The awards are nice, but the best part is knowing that our regular customers keep voting for us year after year after year. Thanks to you, True Thai has helped to raise the bar for Thai food in the Twin Cities.

Meanwhile, until I have a better link for MSP's award, you can always vote for True Thai online at City Pages' annual Best of Poll. Lots of stuff to vote for and I'd love to see us do better in the Best Takeout, Best Cheap Eats, and Best Place for a First Date categories! I know my easiest vote this year was for Best Villain, but I probably shouldn't say anything more about that.

Thank you again to Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, and to all of you, our loyal fans!

High priced Thai

I always mention lime leaves when I talk about some of the expensive ingredients we use at True Thai, but I don't think I've ever talked about our second-most expensive ingredient: Shiitake mushrooms.

As of this morning, dried Shiitake mushrooms are selling for $8 a pound wholesale in the Twin Cities. Thai eggplant might go for more than that at the moment, but only if you can find them (we can't). Baby Indian eggplant is a good substitute, but purple eggplant doesn't look the same as crunchy green Thai eggplants.

The good news is that thanks to all the Thai and SE Asian restaurants, it's easier than ever to buy hard-to-find ingredients here in Minnesota. And good oranges are finally back. Not just big Florida oranges — blood oranges are in season right now. Expensive, but if you buy them by the case (Seward Coop is our connection) you don't have to pay a dollar apiece for them.

Love, Minnesota Style

It snowed last night, so I guess we're having a white St. Valentine's Day.

Brrrrromance?

Fair warning!

This Valentine's Day will be True Thai's ninth, and in each of the previous eight years we have been booked solid with reservations. So this is your reminder that Valentine's Day is less than a week away, and True Thai has already taken a lot of reservations. A lot of reservations. Tick, tick, tick....

We'll be wall-to-wall with young, not so young, old and not so old couples on Tuesday, February 14. Will you be among them? Call 612 375-9942 to make your reservations today!

I bet you did not know elephants were sexy. Well, until I saw this picture, neither did I!