Khaaw Pad American (or Khao Pad American) literally translates to 'American Fried Rice'. At first I thought that this was a dish Thai people thought was popular in the US. But recently I heard that this dish was made up by Thai cooks during the Vietnam war era, to give US service men something the Thais thought they'd want to eat while over here in Thailand during breaks. This explanation makes more sense to me. It's almost like the Thai cooks put all the things they thought of when they thought of American food, and fried them up with rice. And while this isn't so much 'Authentic Thai Food', it's become a popular dish 40 years later with kids -- it's one of the most popular lunch items at the university where I studied Thai. This recipe was requested by Diane in Brooklyn, NY. Enjoy!
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