minosagape wrote on Fri, 12 May 2006 16:14:55 -0400:

??>> minosagape > wrote:
??>>> Does anyone know what could serve as a credible
??>>> vegetarian alternative to Fish Sauce, and if so, where I
??>>> might order it online? I make pretty good Pad Thai using
??>>> Fish Sauce, but only my guest get to enjoy it. Thanks.
??>>
??>> As far as I know, there is no substitute for Fish Sauce
??>> (Nam Pla) in Thai cooking.
??>>
??>> You might experiment with whisking together soy sauce and
??>> a thin vegetable oil, although I've never tried this. Keep
??>> us informed.
??>>
??>> BTW What do you use instead of shrimp or meat in your Pad
??>> Thai?

m> When making Pad Thai (still w/egg), I often just omit the
m> meat or shrimp. Occasionally I'll use cubed sauteed tofu,
m> from which I've first pressed out most of the water (whole
m> square of tufu between folded sheets of paper towel and then
m> placed under a heavy book).

It's quite a traditional Japanese thing (in winter of course
years ago) to do but freezing tofu for a few days and then
allowing to thaw removes the water and gives a firm texture. (Is
it sometimes called Buddhist duck?) Tofu prepared this way can
be bought but I've not seen it outside Japanese stores.

James Silverton.