Not just another around the world in 80 foods book, here's Susan Feniger's Street Food (Clarkson Potter, July 17)

On a day when the East Coast will be under under another heat spell I picked a Bangkok thirst quencher as a first excerpt.

Thai Tea Pudding with Lime Caramel and Caramel Cashews

Serves 6

½ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1⁄3 cup cornstarch
1 quart half-and-half
1 cup sugar
¼ cup dried Thai tea mix
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Lime Caramel (recipe follows)
Candied Cashews (recipe follows)
Lime Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

1. Whisk the milk, eggs, and cornstarch together in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine the half-and-half, sugar, Thai tea mix, and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, and then slowly whisk it into the egg mixture until well incorporated.

3. Wash the saucepan and then return it to the stove. Pour the tea-egg mixture back into the pan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan so that the ingredients don’t stick and burn, until the mixture is noticeably thicker, 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the pudding into 6 dessert cups. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

4. Serve topped with the lime caramel, candied cashews, and lime whipped cream.

* Thai tea mix: This is a prepackaged blend of black tea and spices found in Thai markets.

Lime Caramel
Makes 1 cup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)

1. In a deep saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, and salt for 2 minutes without stirring. The caramel will start to bubble rapidly. Then swirl the pan gently to stir the caramel (instead of using a spoon), continuing to cook until the bubbles get larger and slower, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine.

2. Transfer the caramel to a small bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Or cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (let it soften to room temperature before using it).

Candied Cashews
Makes 2 cups
Olive oil spray
2 cups raw unsalted cashews
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

2 In a medium bowl, toss together the cashews, sugar, butter, salt, and cayenne. Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, stirring the nuts occasionally, until well roasted, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3 Chop the candied cashews slightly before using them as a topping for the pudding or other desserts.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lime Whipped Cream
Makes 2¼ cups
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of 2 limes (1 packed tablespoon)

By hand or with an electric mixer, whisk together the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and lime zest in a bowl until light and fluffy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

(* Recipe from Susan Feniger's Street Food published by Clarkson Potter-Random House- July 17, 2012- Photographs by Jennifer May- All rights reserved)