His Southeast Asian Pesto, made with fresh Thai basil, fried peanuts, mint, cilantro and serrano chilies, gives room-temperature noodles Asian attitude. The recipe makes three cups of pesto, so if you like, you can use it in a variety of dishes. Stir it into cooked rice or drizzle it on grilled fish. For a warm-weather buffet dish, Cost suggests serving his Southeast Asian Noodle Salad With Basil, Lemon Grass and Peanuts. Chinese egg noodles are tossed with chicken, vegetables and herbs, then coated with a lemon grass-scented dressing.
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Heat oil in wok or deep skillet on medium-high heat until almost smoking. Carefully add peanuts and turn off heat. Stir once and let sit 8-10 minutes, or until peanuts are light golden color. Remove peanuts with slotted spoon and place in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process peanuts to coarse paste.