By By Jennifer Huberdeau,The Berkshire Eagle

Copyright berkshireeagle

Have you ever watched an episode of “The White Lotus” and wished you could sample some of the dishes the characters are eating?

I’m not going to lie — I have — every season. It doesn’t matter what season either, I’ve wanted to sample dishes from all three — Maui, Sicily and Southern Thailand. Honestly, I’d be happy just being able to pick a few dragon fruit and pastries from the breakfast buffet of Season Three’s White Lotus Resort in Southern Thailand.

Luckily, for people like me who dream of tasting the food from their favorite books, television series and movies, there’s a whole genre of cookbooks dedicated to making that happen. And, one of the most recent releases just happens to be “The White Lotus Official Cookbook: Signature Recipes from Our Resorts’ Most Popular Destinations.” Of course, I had to try it out.

First, this cookbook is one of the best television tie-ins I’ve seen. Written in collaboration with the studio behind “The White Lotus,” Warner Bros. and HBO, it’s able to bring the luxury of the fictional resorts to the page, replicating the tiniest details of the menus to the overall aesthetic and charm of the individual seasons, each of which is represented in its own section.

Part of its charm is that it’s written as if it were penned by staff members at each resort. Even the introduction has the schmoozy charm that we’ve come to expect from the top brass at the resorts: “From all of us at The White Lotus, we thank you for choosing us to be part of your vacation. Now, we’re thrilled to join you in you’re own kitchen with this cookbook … Just because you’re not currently at a White Lotus resort doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to take a moment for yourself, get in the kitchen (or have your personal chef do it for you), and taste a little bit of paradise amid the hustle and bustle of your everyday life.”

The first section, from the Maui resort, features recipes that “both celebrate and elevate Hawaiian seafood, meats and produce” and features staples like Spam Musubi and Loco Moco (a beef patty breakfast dish) alongside the resort’s “signature dishes” of Coconut Seafood Chowder and Seared Sesame-Crusted Mahi-Mahi.

Sicily’s section is full of dishes that just make you feel like you need to get in some exercise — and that’s just from looking at the mouthwatering photographs! It’s packed with recipes for Warm Ricotta with Lemon and Olive, Arancini (fried balls of rice, mozzarella and a variety of other stuffings), an “utterly decadent” Pasta Pecatore (with mussels, shrimp, scallops and lobster meat) and, of course, Pasta con le Sarde, a pasta that celebrates the humble sardine.

The third and final section of the cookbook is dedicated to the most recent season of “The White Lotus,” which transported viewers to The White Lotus Resort & Spa in Ko Samui in Southern Thailand. Whether you love or hate Parker Posey’s accent, you can’t deny that this last season was a hoot! The show earned 23 Emmy nominations, including four for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Posey (Victoria), Natasha Rothwell (Belinda), Carrie Coon (Laurie) and Aimee Lou Wood (Chelsa); three for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Jason Isaacs (Timothy), Walton Goggins (Rick) and Sam Rockwell (Frank).

In honor of Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played Saxon, the eldest son of the Ratcliff clan, telling Cinemablend he ate chicken and rice and pad thai “every day, all day” during the seven months he spent shooting the series in Thailand, I decided to make Pad Thai Goong, a variation of pad thai, a stir-fried rice noodle dish considered to be the national dish of Thailand. This recipe features shrimp (goong) and rice noodles, which not only make it a great gluten-free option but also bring a lightness to the overall dish.

Aside from preparing the sauce in a small saucepan and boiling the noodles in another pot, the majority of this recipe is made in a wok. I found the instructions easy to follow and had quite a bit of fun cooking the meal, which included tofu, eggs, bean sprouts, shallots, garlic and peanuts.

Served immediately, the dish, which incorporates a sauce made with tamarind paste, palm sugar and fish sauce, is the perfect balance of sweet, sour and salty flavors. It’s definitely something I’ll make again and again.

PAD THAI GOONG

(Reprinted with permission from ‘The White Lotus Official Cookbook’ by Jarrett Melendez, Insight Editions, September 2025.)

Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce:

1/3 cup palm sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup tamarind paste

1/3 cup fish sauce

For the Pad Thai:

8 ounces rice noodles

4 tablespoons vegetable or other neutral oil

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

8 ounces firm tofu, drained and diced

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups bean sprouts

1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Special equipment: Wok

To make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the palm sugar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, then stir in the tamarind paste and fish sauce.

To make the Pad Thai: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions (a shorter cook time is best, because the noodles will cook more and absorb additional liquid later in the preparation). Drain the noodles and set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large wok over high heat. Cook the shrimp in two batches, tossing constantly until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, moving them constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and cook, tossing until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Push the tofu, garlic, and shallots to one side of the wok. Pour the eggs into the bottom of the wok and cook, stirring constantly, until they are barely dry. Move them to the side with the garlic, shallots and tofu.

Add the cooked shrimp, bean sprouts, half the peanuts and the cooked noodles to the wok. Toss until well mixed. Add the sauce and cook until it’s just absorbed.

Divide the Pad Thai among four bowls and top with the remaining peanuts. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

COOKBOOK REVIEW

“The White Lotus Official Cookbook: Signature Recipes From Our Resorts’ Most Popular Destinations” by Jarrett Melendez.

Published by Insight Editions