Loving Rice

Goodbye Bangkok

2011-07-01T01:25:00.000+07:00

Bangkok has been a remarkable home. I will miss it deeply. But, it's now time for our family to move on, create a new home and add new memories as we fall in love with another city. I'd love for you to join us on the next chapter of our journey. Travel on over to a new bohemia...

Wonderful oddness

2011-06-13T07:56:00.000+07:00

While living in (or visiting) a foreign country, I am charmed by the everyday differences from my home country. Differences are what make things, places and people interesting. They make me wonder, smile and etch themselves in my brain as a moment of discovery. Below, some of the latest 'differences' discovered...

My husband had a horribly unfortunate short return home between recent business trips. I offered to make the unpack and quickly repack a bit easier and picked up a few things on his needed toiletry list. Looking for a tiny, airline friendly tube of toothpaste, I grabbed a familiar brand. Once home, the fact that I bought Salt(!!!!!) flavored toothpaste sunk in.

Wiring. In the States, the entire perimeter of this intersection would be roped off for fear of electrical damage to anyone passing by. In Bangkok, every single sidewalk seems to be covered with poles dangling in intricate webs of electrical wire and hanging individual pieces trailing from the poles to the sidewalks. Crowds walk by and slowly move around all obstacles. I somehow can't seem to miss the swinging strays and they hit me in the windshield weekly while driving some of the side streets.

I have no idea what the Thai says, but found this adorable collection of children's school rulers while shopping an outdoor market. After a bit of use, I looked down and wondered why the entrance to the park (on the bottom green ruler) says "Fighting"?!

All over Thailand, English is used in the shopping and tourist areas. Writing of English seems to be approached similarly to a foreigner wishing to write a Thai word... sound out the words and give it your best shot. Other examples recently spotted on professionally printed signs: 'We toil your suit' (We tailor your suit!) and 'Come eet hair' (Come eat here!).

Deep fried jackfruit! Who would have thought to fry it (not me!)?! Found on a very local restaurant's menu, it was delicious. Kind of like a plantain, but not. Kind of like a fritter, but not. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. Slightly sweet, but savory. I'm pretty certain I'll never have anything like it again. But, if presented with the opportunity, I'm soooo there.

Hua Hin

2011-06-06T08:32:00.000+07:00

While living in Bangkok, we've been fortunate to visit several of Thailand's amazing beaches. I've loved them all and have a collection of seashells and memories to prove it. If you're in Bangkok and need a quick getaway, head to the summer spot of the Royal Family-- Hua Hin. A few faves from our visits there:*

DO!
Go to Hua Hin to relax, escape the air and noise pollution of Bangkok and enjoy waves on your toes without having to hop on a plane or sit in a car for a full day's drive. But, if you must 'do' something while in Hua Hin, here are a few highlights.

1. The night market. I've never met a Thai market that I didn't like. This one is a manageable size, strung with overhead fairy lights, filled with vendors serving satay from their grills, beer towers flow and you can purchase anything from pirated DVDs to original paintings to rice paper lamps to handcrafted jewelry and everything in between.

2. Walk the beaches. Gorgeous white sandy beaches of Thailand. Go early before the day's humidity drives you into the shade.

3. Thai cooking classes. I immensely enjoyed my time spent in this cooking course while on my first holiday in Hua Hin. Completely relaxed, you start the day in a very small group trip to a local market to buy ingredients and then spend the rest of the day in a family home cooking. Everything is hands-on and there is no way you'll be leaving without knowing how to make curry paste from scratch, exchanging travel stories with the other participants and enjoying more food than you should have eaten in a given day!

EAT!

1. Monsoon (Narasdamri Road). Your opportunity to eat in a Thai teak house. Climb the traditional narrow stairs (and beware if your feet are larger than an average Thai size!) and enjoy evening breezes while colorful lanterns sway on the balcony. Traditional Thai dishes that our whole family enjoyed.

2. Brasserie De Paris (3 Naredamri Road). THE fantastic restaurant for a night spent staring out at the water. Foie gras, giant Thai prawns, generous crispy salads, pomme frites-- all delicious in a setting that makes you feel like you're on a private yacht sailing through exotic lands.

3. Rua Rimtarn Restaurant (12/203 Khao Takiab Beach). Located down a long dirt road, this restaurant is housed in a big land locked boat, with an active view of an inlet populated by colorful fishing vessels. The traditional southern Thai dishes are yum. And, it's a perfect family-oriented place. Our kids loved the playground/park located next to the restaurant and we loved that they could run back and forth from the toys to the dinner table as we dined on the generous deck.

STAY!
1. The Dusit Thani Hua Hin. For a true luxury experience, this place was great. Our kids loved the chocolate fountain at the breakfast buffet and the HUGE kid's pool with the island fitted with fountains and planted with palm trees. I loved the pool side drinks served in hollowed out dragon fruit. Plus, I had the divine ability to lay in a lounge under an umbrella and watch my kids splash about without worry that the water was too deep, the edges were too sharp or that they were disturbing other guests with their swimming fun. A perfect all-inclusive resort experience (and they provide a regular shuttle into town when you grow weary of the all-inclusive resort experience!).

2. Anatasila Villas. Located on the south side of Hua Hin, this resort is located down a dusty dirt road and difficult to find. Go here if you want a more remote experience, but still with wonderful touches of Thai hospitality. I loved the instant access to a seashell laden beach, sitting in fabulous teak gliding rocking chairs and staring out at the surrounding palm trees, and watching my son "rescue sea life" by throwing stranded beach crabs into the gently crashing waves.

*By the way, like everything else on this blog, these are a few of my personal favorite things (in other words, I haven't accepted any form of payment or any requests for advertising!). We've had several great trips to Hua Hin and I've left a huge handful of experiences off of this list. Consider it a short version of my faves that I'd easily recommend to anyone who asked what I enjoyed while in Hua Hin.

Noise

2011-06-01T06:47:00.001+07:00

Bangkok is LOUD. Outside, it's black exhaust billowing buses, millions of zipping full throttle motorbikes, cars dodging the two aforementioned vehicles, skytrains whizzing overhead, promotional materials blasting full volume over microphones, bossa nova music cranked up while the shop or home next door blares their techno beat... all combined with the other typical noises of the city. Inside, there is a mix of three types of competing music, video screens playing anime and commercials, promotions blaring on the loudspeaker while a live 'model' announces another promotion via a microphone.

Take a look and a listen to the noise of an indoor children's play area.*

* I've written about the play areas before. They are located all over the city and provide a park alternative for children living in Bangkok. In this climate, unfortunately outdoor park play expires fairly early in the day as the sun scorches the plastic and metal play areas and buckets of sweat pour from an active kid in a matter of minutes. We enjoy the outdoor parks, of which there are many gorgeous ones, as often as possible in the early morning hours.

Lovely moments

2011-05-27T23:00:00.001+07:00

A random collection of a few lovely moments within the last couple of weeks in Bangkok:

A big steaming bowl of tempura ramen from the local Japanese restaurant, spiked with still crunchy morning glory and a beautiful neon pink, round fish cake (you'll have to trust me on the fish cake part since that was eaten before I thought to take this picture!).

Before coming to Thailand, I had never even heard the word Tuk Tuk. Now, they are a regular form of transportation. So much so that during the discussion of how to get my daughter to and from school, I joked to my husband that I'd like to drive a tuk tuk. "Wouldn't that be great?!" I laughed. And, then I spent the next three days contemplating how to make that a reality. But, I couldn't figure out how to keep my kids in the back safe enough for our daily drives so that shut down the deal. (However, I know where you can buy one, have it boxed up and shipped anywhere in the world-- just in case you should ever need a tuk tuk of your own!)

A som tom vendor in Bangkok-- one delicious vendor cart of many. In fact, I dare you to find a block in this city without at least one vendor cart perched on it (more realistic is that you'll find multiple carts per block in this city!).

On a recent road trip, I snapped this picture of Thailand's salt flats. The pools create some great salt that is farmed. And, on this particular day, the clouds looked almost like they were dropped into the sky via some digital movie creation. As I sat in the back of a bumpy van with my newborn, I stared out at the clouds and thought, "Those must be fake clouds!"

On an early morning walk on a recent holiday to Hua Hin, I snapped this picture. My four year old insisted it was a pirate ship and we should keep a watch out for Captain Hook. He ultimately decided it would be far too hot for Captain Hook to be in full pirate costume on Hua Hin's beaches and spent the rest of the walk thinking every man he passed was 'perhaps, perhaps, perhaps Captain Hook in his beach clothing.'

The Immigration Building. Critical to any expat living in Bangkok. For those who know me well, you've heard me complain about taking the family to immigration. But, for all of my complaining, the architecture of this newly opened immigration building is pretty impressive.

A perfect May afternoon.

My kids absolute favorite new addition to the Chatuchak Market. Just outside of section 23, Barney Ice Bar Bangkok is awesome. My kids press their faces up against the glass and contemplate for what seems like hours what ice cream to get. Then, they both order a vanilla cone.

Another stall at Chatuchak taken on a recent steamy afternoon. Notice the songkran shirts at the left of the picture? Those were half price (down from 100 baht) given that Songkran was over a month ago!

A vendor ready for a busy lunch hour with three tanks of propane going at once.

The absolute best invention ever for a city as humid as Bangkok. Overhead fans installed with misting devices. They rotate and spit cool mist in every direction. Wonderful. Brilliant. Sanity saving.

What I love in Bangkok right now

2011-04-03T20:31:00.002+07:00

A few of my 'of the moment' favorite things to experience in Bangkok right now...

Vientiane Kitchen, 8 Sukhumvit Soi 36 (BTS: Thong Lo, exit 2): I've been fortunate enough to eat here a couple of times now and I absolutely love it. The building is quite magical in that you wander down a nondescript Bangkok Soi and stumble upon a small opening in a large warehouse like building. Upon entering, you are immediately transported to an open air Laotian restaurant, calm and serene. The huge space features a stage where live music featuring flutes and drums is played nightly. Giant teak tables fill the space-- which is really great when you inevitably order too much food from the fantastic menu. My husband is partial to the fried catfish. I've loved the soups served in clay pots and full of prawns and lemongrass.

Weather: WEIRD lately. It's now April and we should be in the full swing of Thai summer with heat, humidity, and more heat. Instead in the last two weeks, we've been bundling up with 70 degrees Fahrenheit weather outside.

Flooded streets, March 2011

Before you think I'm crazy for being chilled at 70 degrees, remember that Bangkok is often listed as one of the hottest capital cities and even my blood seems to now be running at a more tropical heat. Trust me, I've enjoyed the cold snap, but do find it a bit disconcerting to be chilly in the middle of the hottest season. Air conditioning has been turned off for days, hot drinks have replaced iced confections at the local coffee shop and the fashions have adapted with people scouring their closet for a few warm pieces. I usually don a sun dress and sandals to pick my daughter up from school.Last week, I actually wore long pants, long sleeves and a lightweight polar fleece jacket that was luckily tucked away in my closet. AND, my metallic painted toenails were tucked away inside socks and REAL shoes (*gasp*)!

Rainstorm, March 2011

In the middle of all this, we've had lightening and thunder and huge downpours of rain as well. Streets have flooded and I've found myself wading and 'rowing' our car on occasions usually reserved for Bangkok's monsoon season. As I write this, temperatures are now climbing again and it appears that we'll be back to normal temperatures for next week's Songkran activities.

Gorgeous Jack Fruit

Jack Fruit: I'm not a fan of the flavor/texture combo (kind of a weird fermented banana flavor in a stringy texture). But, I absolutely love seeing this spiky, green-toned fruit growing. A few years back, it would be completely normal to see an apple growing on a tree. Now, it is commonplace to see jack fruit, bananas and mango within the neighborhood.

Thai-glish: I have become fluent. I absolutely love the Thai language-- the inflection, the way one word can mean several different things depending on the tone used, the warmness that is injected with the ever present smiles. However, I can't stand how difficult it is to learn! Luckily, English is spoken in bursts throughout the city. The only trick to remember is to use English with a Thai accent-- take the inflection up at the end of most words and you'll be more easily understood than with your usual accent of using a flat tone. Want a mineral water while dining at a restaurant? They are called a 'soda' here. But don't order a flat so-da (you'll get a quizzical look). Instead, order a so-daaaahhhh (elongating the last syllable and taking it up in tone). Nice job-- bright bubbly mineral water to be served in an instant! In all seriousness though, I love how welcoming the culture is to non-native speakers. I've found patience and help when I test out a word here or there.

After You: Found at a couple places throughout the city, I'm partial to the restaurant on Phaholyothin's Villa Market complex, located across from Soi Ari and next to Phaholyothin Soi 6. Known as a dessert shop, the lines are out the door and the wait can be hours. A little known secret, though, is that you can enjoy a completely indulgent breakfast starting at 10 a.m. Get there on time though, otherwise tables will fill in the first hour fairly quickly. And, when I say 'breakfast' I say that slightly tongue in cheek as you will be served a similar menu to what they serve for dessert.

Strawberry Pancakes with ice cream!

Once in awhile though, it's a fabulously fun spot for anyone to enjoy. Watch your kids eyes grow into giant saucers or treat a guest and watch their jaw hit the floor when their 'breakfast' is served. My kids like the strawberry pancakes (served with a giant swirl of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and freshly pureed strawberry syrup).

Shibuya Honey Toast

I'm partial to a doppio espresso and the Shibuya Honey Toast (a giant thick slice of toast, topped with butter and a bit of honey that soaks through the whole thing and served with scoops-- yes, plural--- of vanilla ice cream... oh and a nice hearty dollop of whipped cream topped with almonds as well!).

Over medicating

2011-03-22T21:37:00.003+07:00

Our family was struck down by common illnesses that seemed to drag on for the better parts of January and February. The four year old would catch a cold, pass it to his big sister, then the baby would begin to sniffle a bit and my husband would return home from a business trip with some exotic stomach bug. After weeks of fighting off a virus, I too was taken down. Then, the whole cycle would repeat, repeat, repeat. We ran through our fair share of cough drops and tissues. The thermometer and hot water bottle never made it back into their storage places. Special 'sick day' toys were on heavy rotation. And, our weekly budget took a hit as the kid's movie DVD buying increased.

My son had the worst of all the illnesses, repeatedly getting slammed with fevers and flu and coughs and colds. So, inevitably we trudged our way through the heat in cabs and skytrains and traffic and went to the hospital.* Each time, laughing a bit upon exiting as I carried a small brown bag, that looked more like a gift bag, filled with various syrups and elixirs and pills. And, of course a big stack of dosing cups and syringes, thrown in like party favors. A swingy little bag of meds has always accompanied us, upon exit, no matter what we went in for in the first place. I smile each time, knowing that I just paid for a bag of stuff that I won't use. But somehow I feel okay about it since I didn't quite understand it was being prescribed in the first place.

Our appointments go a bit something like this:
Walk into the doctor's office (cleverly disguised as a cute little kid-friendly house), sit nervous patient in a swivel chair, tell doctor symptoms, doctor takes a quick look and describes the patient's problem, thank yous in Thai and English, exit house (aka doctor's office) and sit on a park bench in the faux indoor courtyard created outside of the faux house, a few minutes pass, paperwork is brought by a nurse, more thank yous in Thai and English, kids (aka patients) begin to relax and run to the massively overstimulating play area featuring slides, coloring stations, video games, television shows and other people's sick kids, proceed to the cashier, hand over some Thai baht, proceed to the pharmacy (because you always proceed to the pharmacy), receive a bag of meds that you apparently just paid for, find your kids in the huge play structure, squirt some hand sanitizer on everyone, be thankful that your kids put up with the doctor and go out to lunch to celebrate (aka pump yourself full of coffee at the Starbucks downstairs), hop a cab, arrive home, sort through meds, stack new dosing cups neatly in already established skyscraper rivaling pile in cupboard.

In any event, a trip to the hospital results in me continuing my Starbucks addiction and a huge stack of dosing cups that need to be tamed. This weekend I took advantage of that stack and used them to entertain my six and four year olds. Look closely! Those little 'smoothies' that the kids' stuffed animals and alien invaders are sipping on? Med dosing cups filled with a pom pom to create the 'flavor' and topped with seed bead 'sprinkles.' We rolled up a straw, made a personal label and these guys are now living the high life sipping on their custom ordered smoothies. (And, the kids actually got some use out of the dosing cups and had a pretty fantastic time doing it. A bit of creative play makes for some good medicine if you ask me.)

*Three years ago, while living in the States, I'd say we were going to the doctor. Now, it's become common form to say "I'm off to the hospital." (Fear not, though, I still maintain my American speech patterns of inserting a 'the' prior to the word hospital. Most other expats I know have adapted the international verbiage of "I'm off to hospital!")

Why? Because. There I said it.

2011-02-22T06:02:00.000+07:00

My six-year-old daughter has taken to asking 'Why?' in response to everything I ask of her. I happily suffered through the why stage with her a couple of years back when the question was posed to learn more about her world. Now, however, I am certain the reflex-forced 'Why?' punctuates her sentences purely as a means to annoy me. Okay, I'm not certain about that, but...

When that 'why' flies out of her mouth all I really want to say is "BECAUSE!" but that's just too cliche and I can't bring myself to settle for that answer (although, it is intriguing). So, after mentally whittling my list of possible comebacks, I have come up with two viable options. A) I can either get crabby and annoyed and then spend the rest of my day miserable. Or, B) I can come up with the most absurd comeback possible, force a laugh out of her and possibly lure a smile out of myself in the process.

I'm happy to report that option B has been tried and tested. Preparing for an outing, I asked her to fill up her water bottle. The inevitable, fast as bullets "Why?" shot out of her mouth and assaulted my ears. I took a breath and responded "Because if you don't, you will get thirsty on our outing, your mouth will feel like cotton balls and you may think we are in the dessert. And, the problem with the dessert is that there is very little water to go around. So, then we'd need to find a camel to carry us across the sands and hopefully somewhere during that ride we would find some water. I really think it would be easier to just fill the bottle now and we can be on our way." Problem solved.

So, Loving Rice readers, when you hear that I've been testing horrific chip flavors, please don't ask 'why'. Instead, together, let's embrace the absurdity that is a blueberry and hazelnut flavored potato chip.

A few posts back, I mentioned that a potato chip company has been stocking Bangkok grocers shelves with some odd flavors. And, in a comment I said I couldn't bring myself to give them a try. A reader threw down a challenge via email and the next day I was out buying four tins of oddly flavored potato chips in order to provide the following information. (Information that will prove insanely helpful if you are ever struck with an urge to come to Bangkok and grab a tin of chips. Otherwise, consider it a virtual romp for your taste buds and thank your lucky stars you never applied one of these little cardboard textured, horridly flavored wonders to your palette.)

My general advice after tasting Bangkok Grilled Chicken Wing, Soft-shell Crab, Lemon & Sesame and Blueberry & Hazelnut? Skip them all. Bangkok Grilled Chicken Wing was the only one that I could actually eat more than one of. It tasted like a potato chip covered in the ramen noodle seasoning packets. Not tasty, but choke down able. The Blueberry & Hazelnut was by far the oddest of sensations. I can't compare it to any actual food item I've ever tasted before. All I could think about was the scent of one of my childhood toys-- the blueberry scented character from my strawberry shortcake doll collection. I felt like I was eating that scent. Lemon Sesame was another odd sensation, hitting my tongue with a blast of fake lemon flavor that was followed with the typical potato flavor. And, finally, Soft-shell Crab. This one blew me away. The odor coming out of that can was unbelievable and the taste had me running for glass after glass of water. The single bite I managed to taste conjured up images of putting a long dead and rotting fish in my mouth and squishing it around for a bit. Horrid.

And, what about my 'why' asking six year old? She tasted alongside me and absolutely devoured the tin of Soft-shell Crab. And, not once, ever pausing to ask why such a flavor was even created in the first place.

*By the way, this is an ad-free blog and this post, like all of my other posts, is not affiliated with any endorsement or paid review. I'm purely having fun investigating all that Bangkok's grocery shelves have to offer. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and I encourage you to do a taste test as well!

Wrapped in a mama hug

2011-02-11T20:05:00.001+07:00

I really want to just throw my hands up to the sky and scream in frustration. I've been away from this blog and missing in action as I've been dealing with a household of illnesses. Ever since moving to Bangkok, it seems that our family gets one big nasty bout of some weird illness each year. Two years ago, it was mercury poisoning. Last year, it was the H1N1 flu. And, this year we have been coping with a triple threat. A back-to-back-to-back virus starting as intense non-stop coughing, followed rapidly by a fairly ordinary head cold and then a not-so-swift kick of a flu.

My four-year-old is still suffering through the final phase of the flu and my newborn seems to be catching his first cold, but the rest of us seem to be well on the path to recovery. At one point, while drinking tea, downing vitamin C tablets and moaning out loud, I really wondered if we'd ever be healthy again. I know, dramatic. But when you feel as crummy as we have, for as long as we have, you start to lose touch with your normally undramatic self.

But, this year, one thing was different. For when the illness struck our house, my kids were armed with their new 'curl up in when you're sick and maybe feel a bit better' mama hug quilts.

For some time, a pile of too small, but much adored clothes had been stacking up in my kid's closets. They were the special items they didn't want to part with. "But, mama, this is what I wore when I had ice cream for the first time in Bangkok!" or "But, mama, this is what I was wearing when I did apple bobbing outside on the patio in that hot sun on Halloween that year!" The protests continued, the clothing stayed neatly stacked and I devised a plan.

Working late at night, all of the clothes got cut, stitched and sewn into two quilts. My sewing machine is still in deep storage in the States, so I've spent late nights on and off for the last year hand stitching one seam at a time. And, I finished them up in time to wrap them up as Christmas presents this recent holiday season. My kids oohed and ahhed and dubbed them the Mama Hug Quilts.

The quilts are far from perfect as I am a project sewer. You know the type-- someone who randomly says, "I bet I could make that!" and finds the fabric and jumps in without a pattern to create something somewhat like what they started out to create... strong emphasis on the somewhat. Their mama hug quilts sport uneven stitches, puckering here and there, wonky and oddly sized crazy squares, and no quilting in between the layers!* But, what they do sport are several years of memories for my two oldest children.

So, when the illness hit our house and my son looked at me with those miserably dark, puffy sick eyes and said, "I need to curl up in my Mama Hug Quilt," all of my many late nights spent getting frustrated with my lack of perfect stitches were instantly worth it.

*The only thing that really dampened my creative spirits on this project was my lack of ability in finding quilt batting. I searched high and low throughout Bangkok for the stuff. And, just as I was about to give up, sometime around last April, a friend called while shopping at CentralWorld and said she found a store that sells it (everyone knew I was looking for quilt batting!). I told myself that I'd go buy enough for both quilts as soon as the protests that were underway in the city calmed down a bit. If you're a reader of this blog, you know that things didn't calm down and CentralWorld (and my quilt batting source!) were set aflame. So, I gathered up my almost completed quilts and thought... so they become blankets instead.... and there ends the tragic story of my unquilted 'quilts'.

Sweet

2011-01-15T21:51:00.000+07:00

While walking through the neighborhood this morning, I picked up two bags of cotton candy for 20 baht each and threw them into my Whole Foods sack. Sweet irony.

And, while we're on the subject of cotton candy... One thing I love about interacting with the expat population occurs in the moments that require a pause in conversation. The moments, that although a friend and I are both speaking English, we don't understand what the other is saying. Such moments have occurred regularly over the communication of 'cotton candy'. Apparently, the sweet (fave of mine!) confection goes by the terms 'fairy floss' and 'candy floss' as well! Who knew?!

After throwing the fairy floss (forget cotton candy... I'm loving the new term!) in my bag, he and I continued on to discover a few treasures and partake in the atmosphere of the giant outdoor extravaganza. My seven-week-old enjoyed his third trip to Chatuchak's Weekend Market this morning. I carry him everywhere in a baby sling and his usual habit is to nestle in and fall deep asleep. So, per usual, he slept for the entire (short) commute on the skytrain. As we zipped into our destination's station, he woke. Honestly, my first thought was not and excited 'He can enjoy the market with me now!' Instead, I thought 'Bummer-- this is not going to be easy! He's going to want to do the things newborns like to do when they are not sleeping... eat, diaper change, eat, diaper change, and repeat, repeat, repeat.' But, he popped those little eyes wide open, grabbed hold of the sling material and wrapped it a bit tighter around his face. Then, proceeded to enjoy the sights and sounds of Chatuchak with me. In fact, he politely peered from the folds of material at every person who acknowledged him and even carried on in a few newborn squawks as he watched a vendor string twinkle lights in front of his face. I smiled, wandered the market and chatted with my slinged companion for the duration of the trip. Sweet moments.

After Chatuchak, it was lunch time and I was anxious to get home to spend the afternoon with my other kids. So, I stopped by a Pad Thai stand on a street near our home. I had never taken the time to stop at this particular stand before. It's usually packed around the lunch hour and I got lucky with a very short line. The vendor was so enthusiastic that there was a baby to stare at. She made the noodles to order and was happy to allow me to watch closely. In contrast to the other versions of Pad Thai I've eaten before, this one prominently featured caramelized onions, creating a very unique taste. Sweet mouthful.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no.
Sweet Street Pad Thai
The trick, as I learned from my mini street side cooking lesson today, to this version of Pad Thai is to slice everything to mimic the shape of the noodles. This version has a very unique sweet flavor-- thanks in large part to the generous amount of caramelized onions, the addition of toasted coconut and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Ingredients:
Rice noodles, about 8 ounces
1 tablespoon veggie oil
2 onions
A pitcher of water
1/2 of a carrot, cut into match sticks
1/2 block of firm tofu, cut into match sticks
1/4 cup lightly toasted coconut
1 hand full of cilantro
4 green onions
1 cup of bean sprouts
5 tablespoons ketchup
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons brown sugar
crushed red chili pepper, as desired

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, submerge the noodles in warm water. Set aside.

Peel the onions. Cut them in half and then chop finely into strips. In a wok, heat the veggie oil and add the onions. Keep the pitcher of water nearby. As the onions cook, add a bit of water and allow to evaporate. Continue this way and cook the onions until they are a dark rich caramel color. Add approximately 1/2 cup of water and add the tofu, ketchup, soy sauce, black pepper and a bit of chili pepper if desired. Toss the tofu and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add the carrots. Drain the noodles, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the noodles to the wok. Toss to coat and add a cup of cooking liquid at a time. Allow the liquid to coat the noodles and evaporate before adding more. The noodles should be al dente. When the noodles are the desired texture, add the sugar, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro and coconut. Toss to coat. Add more red chili peppers as desired.

Traumatic confessions

2011-01-11T19:37:00.000+07:00

I am finally going to confess. It has been two and a half years since 'the incident.' I thought I had buried the memory deep in my subconscious until a traumatic moment of three days ago sent it soaring back to the forefront of my brain.

Let's go back to July of 2008. We had been in Bangkok for just a couple of days, suffering through the worst jet lag of my life. We were in our new, unfamiliar home that felt cavernous and echo-ey. All of our possessions were on a boat somewhere in the middle of the Pacific. We had two kids (2 and 4 at the time) waking at odd hours of the night, falling asleep at inconvenient times (Ever tried carrying a child on your back while navigating Bangkok's skytrain for the first time? I don't advise it.). I was overwhelmed with the heat and really wishing we had crammed more toys in our few suitcases. And, my eyes were blazing with the wonderful sights, sounds and scents that we spent our early days seeing, hearing and smelling. I was simultaneously exhausted and falling in love with our new home. So, just remember all of that when I finally bring myself to confess. (Yes, these are excuses and I am attempting to sway your understanding when I reveal my confession).

Here goes. Confession.

9 o'clock at night. I walked into our kitchen. A small gecko (even small in size by gecko standards) ran across the kitchen floor. I started hyperventilating. I shook. And, then, I cried. (And, while I'm embarrassing myself, let us go a true step further. I cried those ugly sobbing 'what-have-I-gotten-myself-into' tears.) Oh, the relief of finally putting it in writing. Confession over.

Fast forward to three days ago. 9 o'clock at night. Needing some clean diapers for our 6-week-old son, I walked out to our back balcony to check on the laundry. Three steps outside and I felt a sharp, clinging sensation on my bare forearm. A large gecko (large by gecko standards) fell from the ceiling onto my arm. All in one move, I looked, inhaled sharply and brushed the creature rapidly off my arm. I picked up the freshly laundered diapers and smiled (side note: Let's be brutally honest. It wasn't a content, 'wow-look-how-well-I-handled-that' smile. It was more a demented 'oh-I-just-survived-a-nightmare' smile.) No hyperventilating. No tears.

Look how far I've come.

In the land of smiles

2011-01-07T18:03:00.002+07:00

Little moments in life this week that made me smile...

1: Krispy Kreme opened their first Thailand-based store in September. It's now January and Krispy Kreme fanaticism is going strong. Located at Siam Paragon, the luxury shopping complex in the center of the city, the lines still wind and snake in a maze of people before extending outside. I sat at a nearby Starbucks recently and watched as people gratefully 'made it' to the portion of the line where they could enter the air conditioning. Once at the counter, several dozen donuts were purchased by each person. My husband recently saw the 'Krispy Kreme' stand across the street from Siam Paragon-- an enterprising Thai vendor reselling donuts he had previously stood in line for. Watching the length of the lines at Siam Paragon, I'm sure his venture is a money maker!

2: I took my newborn in for his 6 week check-up (the first official appointment since we left the hospital after his birth). He's doing really well, with the exception that he has the same severe dry, chapped, irritated skin that his older brother and sister had as newborns. So, when the doctor offered a solution to the problem, I was more than happy to listen. She began by saying, "I prefer a very natural approach." My eyes lit up and I thought, "Hooray! Someone on the same wave length as me. Natural. YES!!!!" and did a quick little mental dance for joy over the fact that in prescription-drug-crazed-Bangkok, a doctor might actually support my natural method desires. She then proceeded to lay a thick layer of petroleum jelly over his face(!).

3: New Year's is a BIG deal in Bangkok, with neighbors, friends, familiar faces wishing each other a Happy New Year (or 'Sawadee Pi Mai') upon seeing each other for the first several times after the New Year begins. And, part of the tradition is to purchase and give out New Year's baskets for those in your life. I recently walked into a doctor's appointment to see my doctor's office filled with baskets (and by filled, I mean, stacked one on top of another, covering the floor space-- I had to walk around baskets in order to sit at her desk!). Patients came in to interrupt doctors between their appointments to drop off baskets filled fruit, jams, coffees and candies. DANG! I should have thought to bring a basket!

4: So, in line with observation number three... perhaps the funnier thing is what is contained in the baskets. Sure, there are fruit baskets, but the majority sold at the grocery stores are filled with random, disconnected imported items. How 'bout a basket brimming with instant coffee, laundry detergent, Pringles and panko bread crumbs? Oh, and did I mention, said baskets are ridiculously expensive!

5: Pringles. This country seems to be in love with them lately. And, Pringles has responded with a trillion (okay, I'm exaggerating...) new flavor choices. Crispy shrimp anyone? Hazelnut and blueberry sound like a yummy chip combination? Nori seaweed float your boat? Just a few of the many offerings available on your nearest Bangkok grocer's shelves.

You'll never look at a straw the same way again.

2010-12-30T23:10:00.001+07:00

Happy New Year!!! In my two previous posts, you've seen a few of Bangkok's crazy and beautiful Christmas decorations. Below are a few that bridge the Christmas season and the New Year's festivities. One of my favorite artistic endeavors of all time was discovered in one of the Siam shopping centers-- Siam Discovery. Each piece of seasonal artwork throughout the building is made out of multi-colored drinking straws. From life-size Christmas trees and holiday garlands, decorated in twinkling lights, to a suspended graphic treatment of sculptural stars and a giant exclamation of the word YEAH!, the work is absolutely stunning up close. The grandest in scale is featured in the center's entry hall, which consists of an entire wall covered in drinking straws spelling out a welcome greeting. Take a look and then go get yourself a straw, pop it in a cool drink and contemplate how long the artists must have spent creating the displays featured below. Again Happy New Year!

Entrance to Siam Discovery. The entire wall is covered in drinking straws!

A close-up of the above wall.

More drinking straw art. Suspended from the ceiling, three floors up.

A golden shoe and a few pretzels too...

2010-12-24T20:46:00.001+07:00

Merry Christmas! From the tallest Christmas tree in southeast Asia to a tree made out of golden high-heeled shoes to a tree decorated with pretzels to a giant snow globe that you can step inside of, Bangkok has once again outdone itself with crazy Christmas decor. Here are a few pictures of what the city looks like now....

The largest Christmas tree in southeast Asia, at Bangkok's CentralWorld.
The tree stands an impressive five floors tall.

Everyone needs a tree decorated with pretzels, right?!

Yes, they really are pretzels!

A tree of golden shoes!

A giant snow globe. See the bench? You can step inside and become part of the decor.

The "Happy Skywalk"-- located outside of CentralWorld on the skytrain's elevated walkway. Christmas music blares annually and paper decor flutters overhead. This year, construction from the Zen Department Store (being rebuilt after last Spring's protest fires) competed with the music.

Through the rabbit hole...

2010-12-20T22:43:00.000+07:00

Last year, Bangkok's premier luxury shopping center, Siam Paragon, had some of the oddest Christmas decorations I've ever seen (A cardboard Christmas tree, wearing a sombrero and strumming a ukulele was one of the features). So, I relished the opportunity to go check out what they came up with for the 2010 holiday season. The theme this year has something to do with giant rabbits and while I don't necessarily get the Christmas connection, I think they are pretty cute! Oh, and there's a few flying reindeer thrown in for good measure and a crystal Christmas tree. Take a look...

Having a baby in Thailand (or, "It's 1 a.m. Where the hell are you taking my baby?!")

2010-12-12T13:30:00.001+07:00

Upon moving overseas, I quickly learned rule number one of being a successful expat: NEVER assume anything will be as you expect. Then, I learned rule number two (specifically for Thailand): NOTHING will be the same as it is in your home country no matter how often you hear someone tell you it's the "Same, Same" (a favorite English phrase of locals that foreigners have appropriately tacked on "But Different"). So, it was my own grand mistake upon entering the hospital for the birth of my third child that I a) assumed I knew what to expect and b) that the experience would be similar to the birth of my other two children.

Several readers have inquired what it was like to give birth in Thailand. Let's start by saying that it was a unique experience best summed up by 'Same, same, but different.' I'm relieved to be home with my newborn and starting out his life in Thailand. I love Bangkok and still am amazed that I was able to survive the pregnancy in the tropical heat with the distinct scents of the city. It was a life adventure I'm glad to have had. And, for those interested in a few further details related to our hospital experience (perhaps humorous in retrospect, horrific while happening) read on...

After realizing that I was mere minutes away from the baby's arrival and witnessing a room that was not prepared for this moment with panicked nurses yelling to each other in Thai*, I simultaneously realized there was no doctor 'on call.' The only doctor who was going to birth this child was my own, pre-assigned doctor and no one else would be available to help should she not get there. My doctor was called and I consciously screamed persistently and as loud as I could (so that no one would doubt my need for the doctor to arrive). She came flying in, baby came flying out and I breathed a sigh of relief. Later I learned that she was in her office, a floor below, and left a whirlwind of paper and pens scattered about as she raced to make it to the labour room.

The after care was where the bigger shock came into play. Thailand is a nursery society. Meaning, babies are routinely kept in the hospital's nursery rather than in the room with their parents. All medical evaluation is done in the nursery and parents are generally not encouraged to participate. My husband had the tricky task of navigating the indirect nature of communication in Thailand while insisting that our child not be taken away from us. He went running after the baby each time our son was wheeled to the nursery for "observation"-- which turned out to mean, put the baby in the wheely bassinet and let him sit in the nursery without looking at him. A completely foreign experience for us whose first two newborn children had hospital issued security tags that would set off alarms if taken out of a specific small ward of the hospital! So, you can imagine my horror when I walked out of the bathroom in my private room at 1 a.m. in the morning to see my sleeping child being wheeled out the door by a nurse attempting to take him to the nursery for "observation." (In case you're wondering, I strongly communicated 'no observation'.) In the end, we were fortunate to be able to keep our son with us, even though our wishes were continually challenged. Our son spent mere minutes out of our sight while we were at the hospital. (Tip: if a nurse says she'll bring your child back, she will not and a parent should go racing along side the wheeley bassinet being pushed to the nursery).

And, then there were the moments that I had to roll my eyes and think "only in Thailand." Such as the moment of seeing my child's feet painted with liquid gold. A small container of beautiful gilded artist's paint was applied with a fan shaped paint brush. A lovely process of collecting his foot print until my curious eyes settled on the paint jar's label-- "Not to be used by children. Toxic." (join me in an eye roll if you wish)

Then, there was the moment when my son was in the nursery for a routine medical procedure. We were told he could come right back to the room when finished. The story changed when my husband was observing the procedure and we were told it was the nursery policy to keep him for 'observation'. My husband came to get me so that I could go feed our son and stay with him. When I returned to the nursery, just minutes later, three nurses were clustered around our one-day-old, with mobile phones outstretched, snapping pictures. (another eye roll please)

And, then there was the moment when I was instructed on how to 'bathe' our child. A new parent is not allowed to be discharged until they are taught how to bathe their child. I had to laugh with the instructing nurse (luckily she found the humor in instructing me!) as she showed me the steps to washing our (third!) child. Put a bit of water on with a sponge ("WATCH OUT for the feet! Keep them dry!" the nurse scolded. I have no idea why, but I wanted to be discharged so his feet stayed dry.), a little soap in his fuzzy (almost non-existent) hair, wipe off with water, dry, dab eyes with dry cotton ball to dry completely, diaper, dress, comb (previously mentioned almost non-existent) hair to create a part(!).

And, there was the moment when we were finally being discharged from the hospital and informed that a nursery staff member, per their policy, would escort us to our waiting car. After a few seconds of awkwardness, I soon realized it was the staff member's job to carry my baby for me. I reached out, gently took my child and left her carrying the massive amount of goody bags the hospital sends you home with. I'm pretty certain I broke their policy.

Perhaps, you'll understand when I say that a true sense of relief washed over me as we finally left the hospital and returned home to begin life as a new family of five.

*Thai that I, most likely incorrectly translated, to be 'Get the $##$@#@% doctor in here NOW! We're $#%#%# freaking out!'

A four week round up

2010-12-06T15:36:00.000+07:00

In the last month, our lives have changed again as we (finally, after 42 weeks of pregnancy!) welcomed our third child to the world. As I write this, I'm surrounded by a hazy bubble of baby goodness. My husband is taking extraordinary care of me-- preparing gourmet meals around the clock and picking up where I left off with shuttling our daughter to and from school, taking our four-year-old out on the town for endless adventure, giving me lots of room to rest and time to bond with our newest darling. A few thoughts on having a baby in Thailand will be included in an upcoming post, but for now I thought a quick round-up of the last four weeks would be worthy of a post. So much celebrating has ensued, it seems appropriate to share a bit of the fun that has been happening at our home in Thailand.

My husband took his final long business trip before starting paternity leave. During this time, I had the kids crafting themselves into a project stupor. Weekend days and after school evenings were spent with glue, scissors, bits and baubles creating ornaments for each of the celebrations mentioned below. Laughter rang loud as they created crazy renditions of the project at hand.

Halloween involved a four-year-old werewolf screaming through the house (who morphed into a spiderman and then a batman before the night was complete) and a fluttery six-year-old butterfly swirling right behind him. In the week leading up to the holiday, a massive squash search occurred. Local markets were stopped at and street vendors pestered. The kids and I lit up each time we placed a new one in our growing collection. Paper mache pumpkins, made with a big mess, sat next to our market finds.

My husband and I have both celebrated our birthdays with nights out in the city, celebrating one another while feasting on Vietnamese food one night and Thai food another.

We enjoyed a long visit from my parents as they made their way to Thailand to welcome their third grandchild, stocked with bags and bags of wonderful goodies 'from home' for us. (I now have a healthy supply of my favorite pastel coated licorice candies. The top shelves of my walk-in closet are towering with with wrapped and ready to go Christmas presents. Our favorite coffee is restocked... and, as I write this, almost again depleted! And, the depleted felt supply in our house has been rejuvenated.) But, most importantly, we are fortunate to have spent the time with my family as we approach a very different holiday season (the first Christmas season to be spent in Bangkok, rather than in the Pacific Northwestern States chilly air with family and friends).

We listened repeatedly to the Loy Krathong song over and over again as we prepared our flower bedecked floats and then pushed them out onto our swimming pool after dark in celebration of one of the biggest and most serene holidays in Thailand. My parents, still visiting, joined in the celebration this year. We spent the morning of Loy Krathong browsing Chatuchak and then hopping over to Or Tor Kor (the Green Market, located next to Chatuchak) to buy our krathong making supplies-- rounds from the banana tree's trunk, banana leaves, orchids, chrysanthemums, joss sticks and candles.

We shared a relaxed Thanksgiving meal complete with what has become my favorite cranberry sauce (see below). This year marked one of my favorite Thanksgiving celebrations to date. We had our four day old newborn in the house, dished up (fantastically delicious food!) buffet style and then lounged around our family room enjoying one another as we dined. My two older kids loved the familiar flavors of the holidays and enjoyed plate after plate.

Somewhere in there, my husband managed to treat my dad to an overnight adventure in Kanchanaburi where they slept in a stilted village over the river, crossed the River Kwai, dined on Thai food in the warm November heat and swam in a waterfall.

And, I enjoyed the final weeks of my pregnancy with my mom by my side getting unlimited manicures and pedicures, going to the theatre, hitting Chatuchak's weekend market a few times and sipping far too many of Starbucks' seasonal red cup drinks (note to self: lay off the peppermint mochas now that you're no longer pregnant).

Then, on one miraculous day, we managed to get to the hospital, survived labour and welcomed our third child into this marvelous world.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 92:
Stewed Cranberries
We eat local and fresh ingredients mostly, but on certain days of the year we make an exception. Thanksgiving is one of them. Sure, we opt for the locally raised chicken instead of that frozen rock of a butterball flown in from the States and priced outrageously. But, I just can not fathom celebrating Thanksgiving without cranberries. And, after three Thanksgiving celebrations in Bangkok, I have yet to find any fresh ones. So, our first year here (desperate for a cranberry sauce) I created the following recipe. While I'm sure fresh berries will remain a favorite, I strongly suspect that I'll continue to make this version in tandem. The flavors are intense and now a personal favorite for the holidays.

Ingredients:

4 cups of dried cranberries
1 cup of orange juice, freshly squeezed
zest of one orange
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup of water

Method:

Place the cranberries into a large bowl, cover with water and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or parchment. Refrigerate overnight (up to three nights). When ready to cook, drain the cranberries from the liquid (reserving the liquid for later use). Place in a heavy bottom saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Over low heat, simmer, for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch closely so that the sauce doesn't scald. Add portions of the reserved liquid, as necessary, to make into your desired consistency.* Serve warm or cold. Place over meats or eat as a side dish.

*I prefer for the sauce to have a bit more liquid so that it takes on a thick gravy-like consistency.

Paint a grenade?

2010-11-07T15:50:00.013+07:00

Sunday morning. Two active, interested in exploring the city kids. My husband was out of town on business, I had family scheduled to arrive three days later and I was 38 weeks pregnant. I needed a quick, EASY outing where my six and four-year-olds could create their own adventure (and I could sit and watch, while drinking a massive mug of mocha!).

So, off to the skytrain we went and landed at Siam Paragon. We made our way to the flagship store's play area, which can only be described accurately as crack for kids. In other words, massive stimulation all at a kid level. The kids had a fantastic time while playing in the winding maze of slides and swings and balls and tunnels. They climbed to great heights inside the netted environment. They (perhaps not so happily) dodged the area's attendants' attempts to startle them from jumping out from behind giant clown punching bags. All the while, three different kids' songs set to techno beats are blasting over the loudspeakers simultaneously, lights and bells are flashing from the surrounding arcade games and the store is making announcements for special promotions being offered in their other departments. Perhaps even more startling than the environment itself is that I still remember arriving in Bangkok and thinking how oddly overstimulating it all was. Today, I still find it overstimulating, but it is now a completely normal part of Bangkok's landscape.

While drinking my coffee as the kids played, I took the opportunity to observe the entire play area which consists of the enclosed aforementioned slide/ball/maze zone, a concession area, an arts and crafts area and then a game arcade and ride on carnival toys (all sized for the under 8 crowd, but enjoyed by kids of all ages). And, even though we've visited this particular play zone many times during our stay in Bangkok, I ended up laughing as I noticed things I never had before.

How about the 'rules' of the play area? The sign says "1. During Mondays-Fridays the entrance is 50 baht for 30 minutes per child. 2. During Saturdays and Public Holidays the entrance is 50 baht for 30 minutes per child." (In case you're wondering, I paid 50 baht for 30 minutes per child on a Sunday.)

Right next to the 'active' play area, there is an arts arena. Little tables, full of paints and art supplies that allow you to work on a number of unfinished projects. For example, you purchase a stained glass piece and then finish it with the paints provided there. Or, you purchase a piece of bisque sculpture and paint it. I almost spit my coffee out when I looked over the bisque items available for painting and my eyes landed on an actual-sized grenade!

And, the Thai love affair with corn continues. I've written about how corn is placed in and on every food item imaginable here-- ice cream with corn, pizza topped with corn, etc. If your little one gets hungry during their play time, saunter on over to the concession stand and enjoy some caramel corn, regular popcorn or maybe just some steamed corn kernels!

But, really, what child could resist a kid-sized air hockey table? Not mine. They squeal with glee as they shoot the puck across the table and are oblivious to everyone's stares as they scream, "WOOOOOO HOOOO! I got you!" as they score against one another. My daughter (the older of the two) smiles as her little brother pushes the puck into her scoring slot. He enjoys making a point regardless of what team he's playing for!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 91:

Gooey Corn

I've mentioned the Thai love affair with corn. Here's a sticky sweet fun option. Great to make with kids (or for a late night fast sweet snack!).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

6 Tablespoons butter

5 cups of marshmallows

Seeds scraped from two vanilla beans

Food coloring (2 drops), optional

Optional: Toasted nuts, small candies (red hots, m&ms or sprinkles all work well)

Method:

Pop the popcorn, remove unpopped kernals and set aside. On top of the stove, place butter in a heavy bottom pot and melt. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add vanilla. Remove from heat. Add food coloring as desired. Pour over the popcorn. Add nuts or candies as desired. Mix well until covered and spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to cool for 30 minutes and break apart into smaller pieces. Place into an airtight container or sealable bags for up to 30 days.

Today

2010-10-17T21:25:00.005+07:00

At this time of year, the weather typically cools just a bit in Bangkok. Those native to the area feel the 'chill' in the air. The rest of us breath a sigh of relief as the humid steam lessens a bit.

As I write this a super typhoon is approaching the Philippines and all of southeast Asia is having some unusual weather. Paired with the natural seasonal cooling, we are experiencing our third day of near constant drizzling rain. Usually, at this time of year, it will rain (hard and heavy) for about an hour in the afternoon or for several hours overnight. But, it is strange here to experience a day where you find yourself under constantly misty skies.

My youngest has little to no recollection that this was the normal weather pattern for much of the year when we lived in Seattle. Having moved to Thailand when he was two years old, he doesn't remember days spent in the drizzle. He looks out of his Bangkok bedroom window and says, "Let's just wait it out mama. No sense in getting wet." While my daughter, being slightly older when we moved, has strong (and fond) memories of the rain and is approaching Bangkok's unusual rainfall with typical Seattle-ite gusto declaring it a perfect 'color at the coffee shop sort of day'.

With a firm grip on his spiderman umbrella, my son agreed to the coffee shop outing as long as his favorite matchbox car could come too. A big stack of coloring books and the diminutive car journeyed with us. We sat at the window and sipped hot cocoa as the rain continued to drizzle down. My daughter constructed roadways with crayon borders for her brother's car while he intently instructed that he needed a stronger curve or a longer path to race on.

We eventually returned home for a day of play, crafting and ongoing big batch cooking projects. By dinner time, the freezer held twenty new glass containers of fresh tomato sauce ready to be dispatched for pizzas, pastas and consumed as is for tomato soups in our near future. And, by bedtime, everyone in the house was still smiling and happily exhausted from a fun day. While I tucked my son into bed he looked at me and said, "Let's hope it rains again tomorrow."

Cooking in Thailand, entry no 90:

Tomato Sauce

There are hundreds of variations on this recipe available. But, especially since moving overseas and not enjoying the tomato sauce brands available to us, this recipe has become a staple to keep on hand in our freezer. We use it on our homemade pizzas, on top of pasta dishes and paired with grilled cheese sandwiches as a garden fresh tomato soup.

Ingredients:

12 large yellow onions

8 heads of garlic

3 cups of water

1/2 cup of olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

2 kilos of tomatoes

3 large bunches of fresh basil, leaves removed from stems

salt

1 generous pinch of red pepper flakes

Method:

Off of each head of garlic, slice the upper 1/4 off and discard, creating a flat top. Place all heads of garlic into a double layer of aluminum foil, lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Wrap tightly and place into a 200 degree F oven for one hour. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, remove the cloves from the garlic skins.

In a very large stock pot, add the garlic and all of the onions, roughly chopped. Add a bit of olive oil and cook until very light golden in color. Add tomatoes, remaining water, remaining olive oil, the red pepper flakes and several generous pinches of salt. Cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally for one hour. Allow to cool.

Working in batches, place the sauce into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to another large pot and continue until all of the sauce has been blended. Finely chop the basil leaves and add to the blended sauce. Taste and add salt as needed. Pour into glass jars (leaving a bit of room), top and place into the freezer for later enjoyment!

Happy Hot Season

2010-09-30T11:20:00.003+07:00

I haven't been on holiday quite as long as my blog has. But, from my observation, blogs have a funny way of extending their holidays.

My family enjoyed a busy summer and has been back in Bangkok for the last month. Upon return, we survived a (brutal) two weeks of jet lag. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about being in your last trimester of pregnancy and traveling with two young children wears one out. My daughter returned for her second year of school, at our fabulous little gem of an international school. The rainy season turned into monsoon season and with it came a sweeping couple weeks of illnesses that kept all of the neighborhood kids away from one another (and the parents rolling their eyes and begging for a good night's sleep). We're currently in the last week, hopefully, of a nasty cough and cold that the locals blame on the 'season change' and a 'chilly drop in temperature.' (As transplants from the Western United States a couple degrees, still with high humidity, doesn't seem that drastic, nor does it quite seem appropriate to get excited about as a 'season change'. But, then again, I guess that is all about your perspective.)

We're entering a fun time in Thailand right now. Honestly, this is the season I love most every single year, regardless of where I am at in the world. But, walking through my Bangkok neighborhood, I can't help but enjoy the 'change of season' (see note in previous paragraph for perspective though) and the new fruits coming into season. Currently, the giant golden pink pomegranates are an obsession and the teeny tiny tangelos are just a few weeks away.

The new moon celebrations are embraced widely in Bangkok and moon cakes can be found in every grocery and outdoor market. Our neighbor brought us our annual tin and although they taste a bit like a really dry fruitcake with an egg baked into the middle, the intricate stampings on their dough always make the kids and I ooh and ahhh.

Another item adding to the festive mood of this season is one of Thailand's largest and most joyful celebrations which will be underway in about seven weeks (give or take a few days!). It seems that houses are already tidying up and lights are preparing to be strung throughout the city for Loy Krathong-- a celebration of light that allows people to push away their misgivings of the last year and start fresh for the new year ahead.

And, as long as you're happy nestling into the extreme air conditioning (I pack a lightweight scarf or sweater everywhere with me during this season-- not for the outdoors, but for layering on the minute I step into any shop or coffeehouse!), the monsoon storms never seem to grow old. This is our third monsoon season and, still, the pounding rain and regular night time cracking thunder is utterly unbelievable.

Happy hot season (that's out of the Thai-described seasons of hot, hotter and hottest!).

Taking a holiday...

2010-08-03T21:42:00.001+07:00

As I write this, I'm packing for a much needed holiday abroad. I have each of the kids' favorite stuffed animals thrown into the suitcase and have a mental list of airplane essentials. After the months of living with political turmoil, getting my daughter happily to the end of her first school year in Thailand and experiencing the joys of the first half of my third pregnancy, I am more than ready for a break from daily life. We'll be visiting family, kicking back and enjoying each and every moment. We'll most likely return to Bangkok with far too much luggage, jet lagged beyond belief, and a few pounds heavier from holiday (over)eating. But, above all, I hope we return to Bangkok refueled from a wonderful summer spent enjoying family and time kicking our feet up. So, until our return (when I am certain you will hear much about the perils of Bangkok's monsoon season!) I will be most likely taking a bit of a computer holiday as well. See you soon.....

What I love in BKK right now

2010-07-26T21:18:00.000+07:00

As I write this, I'm eating a bowl of homemade 'fast food' dessert-- freshly sliced mangoes over hot rice and covered with coconut cream and a sprinkle of sugar on top. Several years ago, I never would have made this dish for a late night snack and I'm so thankful to have found this wonderful explosion of flavor combination. Here's a few other things I've discovered, and LOVE, in Bangkok:

A wonderful woman who sells pure essential oils at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Go visit Wassana's selection of oils, starting around 120 baht per bottle. Oils are sold throughout Chatuchak, but many are watered down or not pure. Frankincense, Patchouli Orange, Lemon Lavender, Bergamot, Neroli... all favorites of mine and all sold in the wonderful peace that exists within Section 26, Stall number 208, Soi 1/9 of Chatuchak Market. (Oh, and great all natural fiber bags and yoga mats and other goodies are sold in this stall too!).

Crepes and Company's Moroccan Mint Tea. A well known restaurant in Bangkok, Crepes and Co. isn't off the beaten path. But, a late night visit recently yielded an amazing pot of authentic Moroccan mint tea. Lift the lid on the golden tea pot you are served and you'll see muddled mint leaves, floating pine nuts and sweetly swirled honey. Enjoy a pot in the restaurant's beautiful garden with tropical foliage surrounding and fairy lights floating overhead. 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 12.

Cicada. If you've never seen the insect up close and personal, consider yourself very lucky. One of the ugliest creatures I've ever run across, the cicada looks like an overgrown fly. However, I find it's excessively loud hum a comforting sound here in the tropics. Throughout the year, the sky grows dark and the cicada begin their electric sounding hum that resonates throughout the cities sois.

Bangkok's Street Side Sewing Men and Women. Turn a Bangkok corner and it's not unusual to find a man or woman sitting behind a huge and heavy sewing table right in the middle of the sidewalk. They are usually busy at work, mending, making products as requested by their customers and not noticing the blazing sun overhead. Come September, I look forward to working with our neighborhood sewing vendor and having several sets of napkins made to order for our dinner table.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 89:

Fast food mangoes over rice

When you want to enjoy the flavors of Thailand and only want to spend a few moments preparing a late night snack, reach for some coconut milk, a mango and some hot rice.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup of cooked white rice

1 mango, cut into bite-sized pieces

Method:

In a small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl), heat the coconut milk, sugar and salt. Stir. Add the rice to a serving bowl, Place the mango on top and cover with the heated coconut milk mixture.

Sweetness

2010-07-19T20:25:00.003+07:00

It's been a busy time in our home. My husband has been traveling in the region for business, my daughter has been finishing up the school year and I'm five and a half months pregnant. My son turned four last month and during the 'growing up' his heart melting adorableness has stayed in tact. Funny how that happens.

Last night I tucked him in and after our nightly bedtime songs, he wrapped his arms around my neck for a hug and a kiss. He didn't let go. "Mama, I need to tell you something. I want all of my family together always. I don't want to be in the bed alone (said with very sleepy eyes) and I want papa to come home and I want the baby to come out and say hi to me and I want my sister to come read to me and I want mama to wrap us all up and keep us together forever."

And, with that, I melted.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 87

Citrus cookies

These look like an exotic slice of citrus fruit and have a wonderfully crisp, thin texture. A wonderfully-- just perfectly--- sweet treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup of unsalted butter

6 ounces of cream cheese

1 cup of sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

the zest of two limes

the zest of one lemon

green food coloring

yellow food coloring

Method:

Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light in color and well mixed. Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, soda and salt. Mix well. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mixing just until the flour is combined into the dough. Divide the dough in half and place in separate bowls. In one, add the lime zest and a few drops of green food coloring. Mix to achieve a bright green color (add more coloring until desired color is reached). Repeat with the other bowl of dough, adding the lemon zest and the yellow food coloring. Spread a long sheet of parchment or plastic wrap onto a clean counter. Place half of the green dough onto the parchment, spread to create a narrow, long rectangle of even thickness. Place all of the yellow dough on top of the spread, keeping to the middle (so that you still have an edge of green visible). Finally, place the remaining green dough over the yellow and use clean hands to encase the yellow 'center' completely. Roll the parchment around the dough, encasing it completely into a tube. Place overnight in refrigerator. The next day, remove and slice into very thin rounds (revealing a lemon center surrounded by lime). Place onto a silicon lined (or greased) baking sheet. Bake at 350 for approximately 5 minutes (allow cookies to brown just very slightly at the edges and remove quickly-- they will look cake-like in consistency). Cool on baking sheet and allow cookies to harden, loosing their cake-like consistency and turning firm. Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container.

Certainty

2010-07-13T06:31:00.000+07:00

I love the absolute certainty with which my daughter leads her life. I will miss these days should that certainty diminish. She's full of energy, enthusiasm for learning and humor. And, she is always right. Anyone else have a six year old and relate?

Today, she said, "Mom, I have a reading book ready for us and I read the 'bloob' and it sounds pretty good." After quiet pondering, reading the book with her and more pondering, I realized that she meant to say 'blurb'. Of course, there was no way I was going to convince her of that. So, for now, if your interested in finding out what a book may be about prior to reading it... consult the 'bloob' on the back cover. That's what we'll be doing in our home.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no 88:

Kid's Fave: Pink Pasta Salad

My daughter LOVES this dish. During the school year, I pack it in her lunch box and it's one of the few pieces of her lunch that returns home with a completely empty container!

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces

1/2 carrot, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces

1 green onion, diced

2 cups of uncooked pasta (choose a fun shape)

1 fresh beet, cut into four pieces (wash, but do not peel)

white vinegar, 1/8 cup

olive oil, 1/8 cup

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fill a large pot full of water, a pinch of salt and the beet. Bring to a full rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, add the vinegar and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, carrot and green onion and toss to coat. When the pasta is cooked, drain, remove beet pieces and immediately add the pasta to the vegetable mix. Stir well and season with salt and pepper as desired. Cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dinner Party: Savory Corn Pudding

2010-07-11T20:09:00.007+07:00

We love having friends over, enjoying drinks and dinner, as the kids dash in and out of the evening-- often in some sort of outrageous costume. No matter the size of the party, large or small, the days leading up to a dinner party are always enjoyable with menu planning, cooking and everyone in the house getting into the festive spirit. Last weekend we enjoyed having a great kick back opportunity to chat with both new and old friends during a dinner gathering at our home.

One of the dishes I created for the party was a savory corn pudding. The dish takes full advantage of our local markets' ready supply of year-round fresh corn and also caters to the season currently underway in many other parts of the world. So, for our wonderful dinner guests who enjoyed the corn pudding and requested the recipe-- this entry is for you!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 86

Savory Corn Pudding

Ingredients:

6 ears of fresh corn

1 cup of whole milk or cream

6 eggs, separated

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup of your favorite cheese

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into fine strips

1/4 cup of sugar (optional)

1 finely diced chili

Method:

Clean the corn and remove the husks and silks. Place into a large pot of boiling water and cook until done (approximately 10 minutes). Remove, cool and cut the corn off of the cob. Place into a blender or food processor* with the milk and puree until smooth. Add the egg yolks, butter, flour, salt and baking powder. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in the cheese. I prefer not to use any sugar, but if the corn isn't very sweet you can add the sugar at this point. And, if using the chili peppers, add them at this time as well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the corn mixture taking care not to deflate the whites too much. Lightly grease a souffle dish or other deep baking dish with a bit of veggie oil or butter. Add the mixture to the dish and gently arrange the sliced red pepper on top. Place into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until lightly golden on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cooking time will vary based on the depth of the dish used. But, plan for approximately 45 minutes. This dish can be made several hours in advance and reheated just before serving, if desired.

*If you don't have these appliances, you can proceed with this recipe by finely chopping the corn and placing it into a large bowl with the remaining ingredients as outlined in the recipe above. The texture will be different, but the flavor will be the same.

Today's triumphs...

2010-06-30T19:15:00.006+07:00

Three expat life triumphs happened today...

Expat triumph number one: Overcoming the language barrier.

I went to visit my non English speaking stylist at our neighborhood hair salon. It's now been two years and I have only had three visits where I have walked out with the 'artistic vision' for my hair that I went in with. (On visit number one, I received a very chic bob with three very un-chic tails that hung about three inches longer than the rest of my hair.) So, after the regular head bowing welcome, our usual pantomime of my desired style and an odd Thai/English description on my part, I left the salon today smiling and quite pleased with the tiny dusting of a trim he gave me. Triumph.

Expat triumph number two: Developing ultimate resourcefulness.

My six-year-old daughter has been enjoying working on hand stitching projects. Every couple of days, she picks up her project, sews a bit and then puts it back down for a few days. The outcome is a 'thing' of course (a handkerchief with her artwork on it, a small felted rabbit, a tiny fairy doll...). And, the 'thing' appeals to my four-year-old son. So, he's now taken to an ongoing stitching project as well. We drop my daughter off at school, then hit the local coffee shop for a cup of coffee/cocoa and sit and stitch for a bit (interspersed with some iPodding--he's a wanna-be rock star!). So, he's working on a 4-inch-tall pirate doll and it's turning out adorably... big four-year-old boy stitches and all! Which brings me to my triumph today. The pirate is currently bald and that's not working for a blond four-year-old with a stitching vision. So, as soon as the kids fell asleep tonight, I snuck into my daughter's room and plucked a few blond yarn hairs out of one of her dolls. Tomorrow the pirate will have a full head of hair. Triumph.

Expat triumph number 3: Live local. Eat local.

I had 10 minutes to make lunch before a kid-related melt down was sure to occur (or I was going to pass out from not eating breakfast and running around all morning). Without even thinking I grabbed some coconut milk, lemon grass, shredded ginger, mushrooms, shallots, lime juice and salt. I threw them in a pot and brought them to a bubble. Meanwhile, I took the bamboo rice paddle, popped open the rice cooker (which conveniently always holds a fresh batch of rice), scooped a paddle full into each of three bowls and topped with soup. My daughter added her standard additional large amount of lime juice. I added a generous scoop of pepper flakes from a local market vendor. My son complained that he had too much lemon grass but fished his way to the rice. A couple of years back I never would have guessed that Coconut Lime Soup would be my go-to fast food meal. Triumph.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 85:

Lime-a-colada

This is like a lime flavored sweet-tart candy in a glass. My kids love the no alcohol added version.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut cream (or coconut milk)

2 tablespoons of sugar

Juice of 6 limes

Zest of 1 lime

Lime slices for garnish

several ice cubes

Splash of dark rum (optional)

Method:

Add the coconut cream, sugar, lime juice and lime zest to a blender. Mix well. Add the ice cubes one at a time until the drink is chilled and slightly slushy. Pour into decorative glasses, add a float of rum (if desired) and a slice of lime.

I missed Siam

2010-06-08T20:14:00.008+07:00

During the months of being confined to our neighborhood due to political unrest manifesting in city-wide political protests, I continued to enjoy what our corner of Bangkok had to offer. Our family dug deep into our time together and continued with a fairly normal existence of creating new flavors in the kitchen and new art for our little home gallery. We went to local pool parties hosted by great friends and sipped coffee at our local coffee house.

But, behind the semblance of normalcy lurked a deep pit in my stomach. First, there was the dark feeling created by living with my mobile phone glued to the palm of my hand in anticipation of a call that came occasionally to pick my daughter up early from school. Protest gatherings and marches were regularly planned for Bangkok's city streets, causing schools to release students early in hopes that they wouldn't get caught in the inevitable traffic jams. Second, there was the gut instinct that the regular security checks on main streets, involving mirrors placed under our car, were a sign of things to come. And, finally, there was the sadness that settled into a lump in my throat when my three year old ducked deep into his car seat as we passed groups of soldiers regularly assembled in public places. I asked him what in particular bothered him and he responded, "I don't want their big guns to hurt us."

As the world now knows, the protests ended with stories of violence told about the 'final fight' of May 19 and pictures published accompanying headlines screaming out 'Bangkok Burning.'***

My heart sank at the first sign of smoke viewed from our home's balcony windows. The air was thick with the smell of tires burning and plumes of black smoke continued through the nights, alerting us each day that dawn did not 'bring a new day' after all. In the early morning prior to the 'final fight', we were eventually relocated by my husband's employer to a different area of the city. Our immediate neighborhood wasn't in danger, but my husband was returning from an out of the country business trip and fears that he wouldn't be able to reach us should we become trapped with a perimeter of conflict around us started to seem like a possibility. From our new 'home', we witnessed the city's destruction-- billows of smoke, excessive out of control fires, crowds running away in fear.

I, like many of Bangkok's residents, have lived with mixed emotions these last few weeks. Over recent discussions with friends, we all acknowledge that the unrest isn't gone, just merely on hold. We're all trying to enjoy the calmness that seems to have returned to the city... for now. We all have expressed deep sadness for the loss of favorite places burned in the turmoil. And, we've all expressed disbelief as to how this could have happened to a city we've grown to love.

This weekend, we stepped out into the heart of the city, for the first time as a family since the protests began on March 14. Hoards of shoppers had returned to the city center as well, ushering back in the opening of favorite shops, restaurants, entertainment and public gathering places. My kids were overjoyed to embrace a favorite toy store, a favorite indoor play area and a favorite restaurant--- all of which had been closed since late March.

"I'm happy Siam is back. I missed it," my three year old said at the end of our family outing, just moments before collapsing into a happy deep sleep in our candy-colored taxi.

*** An excellent recap of the March-May 2010 protests, including a timeline, can be found here.

Bangkok Chaos

2010-05-20T07:06:00.003+07:00

I prepared a much longer post, but our electricity keeps jumping in and out of service. So, for now, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all of the personal email messages I've received from the readers of this blog. In the days to come, I will attempt to address your questions either via a personal message or via a post on this blog.

For now, I am beyond horrified at what is happening in a city I have very much come to love. My full energy is going into keeping my family safe and out of harm's way. We've been temporarily relocated to a different part of the city and hope that the current chaos is all over soon so that we can return home and go back to enjoying what was a beautiful and peaceful city.

More recipes and adventures to come in happier days ahead....

Expat parenting

2010-05-05T07:22:00.022+07:00

My 3-year-old: What do monks do?

Me: They care for people.

My 3-year-old: Mama! You're the best monk EVER.

Yesterday, after the monk conversation, the desire to kick back at the local coffee house and have a lazy start to the day overtook me. So, with my husband out of town for business, the kids and I headed to our favorite coffee house to meet a few friends. My bag was full of all the typical mama stuff-- puzzles, coloring sheets, snacks. The sky was overcast and the air was humid.

We arrived at our favorite coffee house, met up with friends, ordered drinks, played, chatted, sipped. And, then... the torrential rains started.

We eventually reached departure time, but the rains were still coming down and we were umbrella-less. With their kids melting down, my friends eyed the humid rain and chose to make a very wet dash for home. No amount of convincing was going to make my kids budge. Rather than fight it, we retreated back for a cup of hot chocolate, froze in the now cranked up air conditioning and waited out the storm. The storm turned to a heavy drizzle and, well past the point where we MUST leave the coffeehouse, I convinced the kids that it 'wouldn't be too bad'. This was our window of escape.

The drizzle continued and on our walk home, my daughter asked to stop at a street vendor's covered stand of little trinkets. She proceeded to negotiate in elementary Thai and her efforts were rewarded with a sparkly new key chain, paid for in baht from her coin purse. We continued our walk home, past the many spirit houses that dot our Bangkok neighborhood. The kids waved and wai-ed (bowed, Thai-style, with palms of their hands pressed together). A hilarious discussion of how tiny the spirits must be to live in such tiny houses made the walk go quicker than usual. Three-fourths of the way home, the skies opened and poured once again. My heart clenched as I anticipated two already wet kiddos complaining. But, instead, they frowned and then started laughing. The remainder of our walk took twice as long as it should have due to the splashing through the giant puddles that had already accumulated.

We returned home to meet a neighbor who looked at us curiously and then proceeded to greet us in Thai. Not missing a beat, and hyper from the morning's wacky twists, the kids answered back with big goofy smiles: Sawadee-kah/kab! They continued to weave the Thai words they knew together in order to impress our neighbor.

In this moment, soaking wet and happy, I realized that my children are having a completely different childhood than I ever imagined for them. Sure, I thought we'd get caught in rainstorms and splash our way home. And, yes, I thought we'd meet up with friends for coffee and I'd pack my bag full of 'kid-stuff'. But, I never expected to stroll with my three and six-year-old past spirit houses, have conversations about monks, watch them interact in a foreign language and negotiate for toys in a foreign currency--- AND, have it seem completely normal to them. There are times that are trying and there are stories to tell that point to the negative of parenting overseas. But, in this moment, I recognized that we have created a rich, vibrant, happy childhood full of adventures and love. After all, isn't that what every parent, regardless of where they live, dreams of for their little ones?

Cooking in Thailand, entry no 84:

Rainbow cookies

Named by my daughter ("they look like they got stuck in a rainbow"), these cookies are a fun recipe to cook with the kids. Make the batter and roll the cookies, in advance, then let the kids in your life help with the sprinkle application. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

approximately 1 cup of tiny multicolored round sprinkles

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then, proceed by adding the rest of the ingredients one at a time, stirring well in between. Form the dough into small balls, about half the size of a golf ball. Roll in the sprinkles to cover entirely and place on a silicone lined baking sheet. Press gently with a fork, once. Bake 8-10 minutes until flattened. Watch closely as the cookies should not brown at all-- do not overcook! Remove from oven, allow to rest on the cooking tray for five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Protests

2010-04-17T07:00:00.000+07:00

Where to even begin? The last month has been a cacophony of events.

My daughter turned six and much celebrating ensued. We had a huge variety of school events-- costumes to create for international day, Songkran splash celebrations to partake in and, of course, birthday cupcakes to make and deliver. And, our family took an amazing beach holiday to Hua Hin, full of relaxation and intense sunshine.

But, while all of these glorious events were taking place, the UDD (also known as the Red Shirts) protests started on March 14 and have continued on, placing Bangkok in a State of Emergency. In addition to regularly marching throughout the city (peacefully and happily, appearing in a parade-like atmosphere with lots of smiling, waving and honking), the Red Shirts have occupied several protest sites at locations throughout the city. For the last week and a half, the protesters have intensified their efforts to dissolve the current government by fully occupying Ratchaprasong Avenue, at CentralWorld. This move successfully brought Bangkok's city center and main shopping district to a screeching halt.

Prior to occupying the city center, there was the much publicized blood draw and blood spilling on key sites throughout the city. Protesters drew small portions of their own blood, mixed it together and took the large containers to dump at the the gates of Government House, the Prime Minister's home and the Democrat Party headquarters. Extra blood was then used to paint large artworks depicting the struggle of Thailand's lower economic classes. In an unfortunate evening on April 10, the government attempted to clear the protesters with use of force-- resulting in much finger pointing, opposing stories of what happened during the confrontation and, sadly, 20 people dead and over 850 injured.

Which brings me to today. It's Saturday morning in Thailand. Our family of four awoke at 5:15 by one of the first big thunder storms of the season and we've enjoyed a relaxing start to our weekend. As the days go on and the protests continue, our normal life is a bit less than normal. With the exception of my husband's daily commute to his office, our family is primarily confined to our immediate neighborhood. Usual travel routes to my daughter's school are closed and I'm joining the hundreds of others trying to navigate Bangkok's main arteries that are annoyingly jam-packed and dotted with soldiers.

So, as the days go on, we will continue to stay out of harm's way. And, we will continue to celebrate the amazing aspects of life that having two young children and living in a foreign country provide. The cacophony of events continues...

Cooking in a Thailand: entry no. 83:

Quick Thai Pickles

If you're not feeling in a pickle from political distress in your city, you'll still enjoy a twist on traditional Thai pickled vegetables. Street vendors apply quick pickling techniques to a variety of vegetables and serve them alongside many different dishes. Use the recipe below and replace the cucumbers with anything from sliced cabbage to matchstick-cut carrots or cauliflower florets.

Ingredients:

approximately 10 peppercorns

1 large shallot, finely diced

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon dried ginger

white vinegar (amount will depend on container)

small crisp cucumbers, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

Method:

Boil a large pot of water. Turn off the heat. Add a clean glass jar and lid, that you will use for your pickle container, to the hot water and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Remove jar with tongs, emptied of water, and place onto a towel lined counter top. Allow jar to cool until just warm, then add the shallot, pepper flakes, and ginger. Then, pack the cucumber slices into the jar tightly. Pour vinegar over the top until the jar is full. Refrigerate for a minimum of overnight. Will keep in fridge for one month.

The wrath of the leprechauns

2010-03-17T17:45:00.006+07:00

Our life in the city has been abnormal these last six days as Thailand's Red Shirt protesters have blocked traffic, thrown blood and paraded through the city streets chanting and waving banners. And, as I write this, the protest continues, continuing to grind traffic to a standstill. Perhaps, I'll have more to say in the upcoming days about this mess, but for now... I declare a break from Red Shirt discussions. Today a far more important event, at least in our home, took place. The leprechauns struck their annual magic.

When we woke, our clothing was plastered with shamrock stickers. During breakfast, soda water magically turned sparkling emerald. At mid-morning, a trip to our art studio revealed that the usual crazy rainbow cacophony of crayon colors was replaced with an array of green. And, dinner was a fiasco... with a table full of lime-tinted croque monsieur sandwiches, stalks of asparagus, green gelatin sea horses and mango "shamrock" smoothies.

I raise a glass of green Beer Sing in honor of those pesky St. Patrick's Day mischief makers and wish you the luck o' the Irish. Here's hoping your house fares better when the leprechauns strike....

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 82:

Mango Shamrock Smoothies

Delightful on March 17 or any day after. If you don't have fresh mangoes readily available, substitute a freshly sliced orange.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of whole milk

1 tablespoon honey

1 whole mango, peeled, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup of ice

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1 drop of green food coloring

Method:

Add all ingredients into a blender, and swirl until smooth. Pour into tall glasses and serve.

What I love about Bangkok right now

2010-03-07T19:14:00.003+07:00

In Bangkok, right now, this is what I LOVE:

1... the bathroom signs at Siam Center. Adorable.

2... that even though there's political turmoil brewing, the satay is still grilling. The main topic of conversation seems to be related to when the red shirts will begin their promised protests. However, the streets are currently peaceful and full of the usual vendors. The street economy is booming in every way: MBK is still packed with bootlegged movie buyers and the fried dough vendor had a line of 18 patiently waiting customers this morning. (Yes, my son yelled "Alloy Mak Mak" as we attempted to walk past our beloved fried dough. Knowing it was a losing battle, I took my place and waited for our turn... which is exactly how I know that there were 18 people ahead of us since my three year old did a bang up job of counting them all out.)

3... Loft at Siam Discovery. Where else can you be greeted by an 8 foot tall yellow gorilla batting at hanging bananas overhead? And, if that isn't good enough, they put an 8 foot tall waving good luck cat nearby. Once you make it past the entrance of this eclectic store, you are in a two story wonderland of hip, crazy Thai goods that fit into the gift, stationary, home decor and accessory categories. This is where you should come if you're looking for a mini godzilla that screams 'I love Pad Thai!'

4... the MAMA aisle at Tokyu Department Store. (Yes, there is an entire aisle dedicated to the popular brand of noodles. But, I'm taking it as a personal compliment that they decided to name a grocery aisle after me.)

5... Somtum restaurant. If you're lucky, you have one too. You know, that little neighborhood joint that you happily go to over and over again. Somtum is a fabulous little hole in the wall of a place in the Ari neighborhood of Bangkok. You wander up to the front porch and mosey on over to a table where they immediately saddle you up with your Beer Sing. Serving simple, fresh Isaan cooking, my husband and I love to kick back on their porch (with strategically aimed electric fans so that we survive our meal in Bangkok's humidity). You're welcomed in, served an amazing meal and left to chat the night away over endlessly flowing drinks. I have never left with anything less than a big goofy grin on my face. Located at Ari Soi 3.

6... Somtum's bamboo salad. I'm going out on a limb here and naming this dish my absolute favorite Thai food dish ever. I would order this fabulously earthy, warm, bamboo concoction again and again and again... breakfast, lunch and dinner.

7... that it's not "summer" quite yet here. Just at the cusp of the hottest season of the year, I'm already planning to go into hibernation in front of my air conditioners (or, spend endless hours eating ice cream in CentralWorld's deep freeze air conditioning system!).

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 81:

Bamboo Salad

It would be far too embarrassing to visit Somtum for every meal-- heaven knows my husband and I are there frequently enough for them to wonder if we ever cook for ourselves anymore! So, an attempt to replicate their amazing bamboo salad at home began. I've gotten pretty close with this tribute.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white rice

2 packed cups of sliced bamboo*

1/8 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 packed cup of fresh mint leaves

3 dried red peppers, whole

7 shallots, sliced in fourths

Dried red chili pepper flakes, to taste

Method:

Place the white rice in a saute pan and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat. Cook just until the rice becomes fragrant and lightly golden. Be careful-- the rice will burn quickly. This should take just a couple of minutes. Allow to cool and then place in a spice grinder. Grind until the rice turns into a coarse powder. In a large saute pan, add the fish sauce, oil and lime juice. Mix well and heat until bubbling around edges. Add bamboo, shallots, dried red peppers and cook until bamboo turns tender. Approximately five minutes. Remove from heat and add mint, peppers and dried chili pepper flakes to desired spiciness. Add toasted rice powder and stir quickly. Transfer to serving plate. Enjoy with jasmine rice and fresh fruit.

*Buy fresh bamboo if possible. If you must use canned, then rinse it very well in cold water, drain and set aside.

I ate a NON organic strawberry and survived

2010-03-01T18:35:00.000+07:00

Almost two years without strawberries is purgatory.* Especially when I walk by fruit vendor after fruit vendor after fruit vendor selling in-season, local strawberries by the bag full. The little red wonders have been quietly whispering my name each time I pass by.

Last week, I splurged on a box of organic strawberries flown in from California-- selling for $18 US and slightly shriveled. Tears filled my eyes and the next strawberry vendor got my money,** regardless of the fact that strawberries appear on the USDA's dirty dozen-- products you should only consume if they are organic. I'm fairly certain my street vendor's strawberries are not organic and completely confident that Bangkok's traffic whizzing by within inches of the berry bags polluted them either further. But, man oh man, did they taste good to a tongue craving juicy in-season fresh berries.

*Okay, I'm being a tad bit dramatic. I've had several gorgeous berries on a summer trip to the States last year.

**WARNING: Do not try this at home unless you are desperate for strawberries.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 80

Lime Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe includes two things that I ADORE: freshly made lime curd and beautiful strawberries. I always feel like I'm tasting a bite of sunshine when I make this!

Ingredients:

Lime Curd:

1 cup sugar

the zest of 3 limes

1 cup fresh lime juice

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

2 cup of fresh strawberries, sliced

Shortcake Biscuits:

2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons butter

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1 cup of freshly whipped cream

Method:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 of the lime zest and lime juice. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and slowly add a few tablespoons to the yolks. Stir well and add the egg yolk mixture to the larger pot of boiled sugar, zest and lime juice. Whisk well and return to heat. Over low heat whisk until mixture thickens, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until melted and well combined. Transfer to a bowl, place a piece of parchment paper on the surface of the mixture and place into fridge.

Next, make the shortcake biscuits. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add the butter and mix until it resembles sand. Add the egg and milk. Mix just until combined. Grease muffin tins and fill half full. Place into hot oven and cook for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.

Add the remaining lime zest to the freshly whipped cream and begin to assemble the shortcakes. Slice the biscuits in half. Place one half on a plate. Add a generous dollop of lime curd, cover with berries and add the other half of the biscuit. Top with freshly whipped cream.

Homesick for Chinese Food

2010-02-12T18:33:00.008+07:00

With the actual date occurring this weekend, we celebrated Chinese New Year about two weeks ago and were a tad bit early. My daughter's art class was making elaborate dragons in honor of the holiday, while decorations covered every major shopping destination in the city. And, maybe more importantly, my kid's were homesick for "Chinese food delivery like we used to get when we lived in Seattle" and my husband was out of town on a business trip. I desperately wanted to curb the homesickness and needed a long activity to fill the evening.

I suggested a Chinese New Year celebration dinner, complete with costumes, decorations, music and Chinese food. Excitement filled our house and I took a deep breath knowing that if I pulled this off, I'd have two happy kids and I'd be completely exhausted by the end of the evening. So, I pulled out a stack of red construction paper, gold glitter pens, scissors and random animal stickers (I figured that we didn't have to just celebrate the year of the tiger!). The kids whipped up some decor, while I browsed iTunes for something appropriate and prepped up some veggies and egg rolls. We set the table with chopsticks and a tiny little tea set.

Then, I sent the kids to change into costumes from their extensive costume closet. Thrilled, they took a solid 20 minutes quietly sorting through options regularly yelling, "don't peek mama!" The electric thrill of two happy kids and a fun evening ran down my spine. I poured tea and my kids walked into the room, holding hands, with little smirks of pride playing at their lips. Decked out in layers of colorful Mardi Gras-esque beaded necklaces, my son was shirtless wearing a pair of traditional Thai pants. My daughter wore her treasured Loy Krathong outfit consisting of a pale turquoise silky shirt and matching ornate baggy Thai pants. They posed for pictures and grinned from ear to ear as they, in celebration of the Chinese New Year, ate Chinese take out "just like they used to get in Seattle."

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 79:

Egg Rolls

Unfortunately, these really do need to be fried heavily to taste magnificent. Use enough oil to cover half the roll at a time. Cook them until they are a deep golden to develop a strong crunch. Serve with some sweet and sour sauce and enjoy hot!

Ingredients:

1 package of large egg roll wrappers*

thin rice noodles (vermicelli noodles), 1/4 package

1 carrot, cut into matchstick size pieces

1 green onion, sliced into thin rounds

1 cup of bean sprouts

1 cup of packed spinach

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

soy sauce, about 1 tablespoon

cornstarch, for dusting work surface

Veggie oil, for frying

Method:

Cook the rice noodles in boiling water, following package instructions. Do not overcook. Rinse in cold water and place into a bowl. Add the ginger, red pepper flakes and a few shakes of soy sauce. Toss to coat, drain off any extra liquid, if necessary, and set aside. Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time, lay the wrapper on a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. Place a small amount of noodles, lay several leaves of spinach, a few carrots and a few sprouts. Wrap by folding up the two ends, then roll, using a slightly dampened finger to adhere final seam. Repeat with each wrapper and set on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy bottom pan and add completed rolls, working in batches. cook until golden brown on one side, flip once and cook other side to match. Remove from oil, place on parchment lined cookie sheet and repeat until all the rolls are cooked. Serve hot (can be reheated in the oven once), with sweet and sour sauce.

*If your store doesn't carry them fresh, check the frozen foods section.

Discovery: I hate coconut cream pie.

2010-02-07T06:00:00.001+07:00

As a kid I would press my nose up against the bakery cases admiring all the cream pies that my mom would never buy. And, as an adult I've continued a fascination with cream pies but have never purchased them. Instead, the idea to make a cream pie at home gets pushed to the back of my brain with certainty that "some day" I'll try one out. Sure, I've had bites and slices here and there at various people's parties... I think. Clearly, none made a strong impression. And, my childhood home wasn't a stranger to pie. As a Washington State native (and with a mom that makes the world's best pie crust... yes, really), hot apple pie was often cooling on the stove top.

Which is why this is such a startling revaltion to me. I actually despise coconut cream pie. How does a lover of all things coconut rectify their disgust for that creamy coconut filling? How does one admire the toasted coconut specked fillings and lofts of cream for years and years... and end up despising such things of beauty?

Three days of baking. Four coconut cream pies later. Tweaking each in an attempt to meet my high expectations of desiring to adore coconut cream pies. I have created what is a fantastic recipe according to my guinea pig friends, family members and neighbors. And, yet, I still despise coconut cream pie. Here's the winning recipe that everyone is raving about. You be the judge and see if you join the leagues of cream pie lovers or join me as an admirer from afar.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 78:

Coconut Cream Pie

After trying four different versions, this is the coconut cream pie that took the cake (so to speak). I found that coconut extract made the pie very fake tasting, even with real extract. And, I found that extra coconut flakes created an overly flecked texture. Using pure 100 percent coconut milk (make sure you don't purchase a kind with oils or preservatives added), was the key.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can of coconut milk, 14 fl. oz.

1 1/4 cup whole milk

2 vanilla beans

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 cups of cream heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 cooked pie crust

Method:

In a large heavy bottom sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter (set aside remaining tablespoon). Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add salt and coconut milk. Over low heat, stir with a whisk until thickened. Remove from heat. Split the vanilla beans, set one half aside for later use. Scrape the inside seeds into the coconut milk mixture and add the exterior beans. Mix and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the coconut into a large non stick skillet. Place over low heat and toast until it becomes fragrant and just barely golden, approximately 1 minute. Stir regularly and watch closely (the coconut will turn from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds). Remove the vanilla pods from the coconut mixture. Stir in 3/4 of the coconut (reserve the rest for topping) and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Place filling into pre-baked pie crust. Chill until cool. Whip the heavy cream until peaks form. Add the sugar and the interior contents of the previously set aside vanilla bean. Beat for an additional minute and top entire pie with cream. Sprinkle with reserved coconut and serve.

Coffehouse Crawl

2010-02-03T09:08:00.001+07:00

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, my blood naturally loves the cool damp air. Seattle was where our holiday festivities took place this year--I layered up and loved the respite from Bangkok’s humidity. The holidays are over and 2010’s newness has started to wear off. This blog post is about four weeks overdue, but the memory of the experience lives on.

On New Year’s Day, while other people snoozed off the champagne from the previous night’s celebrations, a group of us gathered for our second annual coffeehouse crawl. In celebration of my father’s birthday (which lands on January 1), we assemble a list of artisan coffee houses and visit them early in the morning, sipping and slurping shots along our merry way. By the end we’re all buzzing and gather for a lunch made up of a lot of starch to soak up the caffeine. At each coffee house, we order drinks, then huddle around the biggest table the shop owns and test our shots. We then rate, on a scale of one to five, four separate categories—taste, presentation, ambiance, service.

On our last tour, we ranked Seattle-based local roasters--meaning the shop had to roast their own beans. This year, we chose neighborhood cafes—stores that were getting all the buzz as a favorite local hangout serving great, great coffee. So without presenting an exact scoring tally, and keeping any snarky comments written on the scoring cards private, here are four wonderful shops that you might want to visit when in Seattle…

First stop: Fuel Coffee in the Wallingford neighborhood. Only a couple years on the scene, this coffee house managed to capture my heart. You just feel good holding a cup of Fuel coffee. Fuel has created an accessibly artistic space, with a cool retro vibe. You know, the kind of retro where you are not concerned about fleas jumping out of the cushions, but instead where you admire the bold graphic painting on an exposed brick wall and the artfully mismatched furnishings. And, they serve Hi-5 Pies… essentially pocket sized bundles of dough filled with throw back fillings—mac n cheese pie or s’more pie anyone?! Winner: Ambiance

Second stop: Trabant Coffee & Chai in the University District. Okay, I’ll admit it right away… I know this is a coffeehouse crawl, but I had heard so much about their chai that I had to order one. (critics: I tasted the coffee too!!!!) The chai is hands-down the best I have ever had. Order the spicy vegan… warm, frothy heaven in a cup (even if you’re not a vegan). And, the service at Trabant was spectacular. A knowledgeable, friendly, unpretentious barista shared our excitement at the store’s clover machine and served us expertly pulled shots. Winner: Favorite overall stop.

Third stop: Herkimer Coffee on University Avenue. Yes, it's sleek. Yes, it's well designed. But, the service during our visit left a bitter taste in our mouths. After I ordered a single shot of espresso for my father, the barista refused to make it stating that it was a short shot (exactly what I wanted to order!) and made a double shot. Her explanation: He won't even notice. The crummy Herkimer service continued to rain on our New Year's morning as we observed the barista's delicate* handling of the customers following our order. However, on a positive note, the espresso was served with a side of soda water to cleanse the palette and the doppio espresso con panna was everything one should be... hand whipped vanilla bean spiked cream dolloped beautifully atop two shots of inky espresso. Herkimer actually pulled through the lousy service to (barely) win our presentation award. Although, carry you're own soda water and I'm certain you could find a beautiful con panna, extraordinary service and beautiful presentation elsewhere. Winner: Presentation

Fourth stop: Victrola. Not officially included in this year’s coffeehouse crawl, but far to good to be missed by several members of our party. A favorite from our previous year's coffeehouse crawl, Victrola's expert roasting provides a beautiful cuppa. After several bags of beans were purchased and our veins were running at maximum caffeination, we headed home for a home cooked meal and further discussion of the morning's events. Winner: Place we love to return to over and over and over again.

*Oh, how I wish their was a universally recognized "Sarcasm Font".

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 77:
Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

In case your new year's resolution for healthy eating is still going strong, I've injected these with whole grains, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and the ever healthful dried fruit. (Just omit the butter and sugar from your brain and enjoy!)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (save pod for another recipe)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup raisins

2 large bar of dark chocolate (choose your favorite with 70 percent cacao content), chopped into generously sized pieces

Method:

Cream butter and sugars thoroughly (leave that mixer on for a few extra minutes and let it get extremely creamy!). Add egg and vanilla beans. Mix to incorporate. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix just until combined. Working by hand with a wooden spoon, add oats, raisins and chocolate. Form dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on parchment paper and wrap, securing the ends with twine. Place into freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place rounds on greased, or silicon baking mat lined, cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the cookies are very lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow to rest for 3 minutes and move to a cooling rack.

Best. Ever. Meatballs.

2010-01-30T08:00:00.008+07:00

I've been taking a little bit of a break from meat-eating lately. While it's not my intention to become a vegetarian (yet or maybe ever...), I have been avoiding meat for awhile now. So, when my family raised the question "Can we please have a bit of meat?!" I realized that my cooking had gotten a tad bit extreme for my family's desires. Immediately, I thought... I'm going to make meatballs for dinner. Easy, meat eaters satisfied. So, I grabbed an old recipe and immediately recalled that they had a texture similar to my son's favorite red rubber bouncy ball.

With my husband at work and my daughter at school, my three year old happily donned his chef's toque and climbed atop his kitchen step stool. "Meatballs?! Like in my book Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs?!" Sold. I had a day-long dedicated meatball making helper at my side. I opened the fridge and began pulling out bits and pieces of unusual ingredients thinking of ways to add moisture and sweetness to a really boring, basic recipe.

The result? A fun morning with my son and the best meatballs in the world. Yes, I tasted them. Yes, my son was popping them so fast we had to make a second batch. Yes, I am going to create some sort of prize for myself and claim it. Yes, I will go head to head with anyone who thinks their long lost aunt's meatballs are better than mine.

P.S. Later in the day, I told my husband that if there was one reason to go back to meat it would be this recipe. I look forward to consuming lots of them once my meat eating habit returns.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 76:

Best. Ever. Meatballs.

One of my favorite features of this recipe is the size of the meatballs. Don't make them huge. Instead form them into small rounds about 3/4 the size of a golf ball.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 green onions, finely chopped

1 stalk of lemongrass, cut into four pieces and smashed*

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of milk

1 egg

1/4 cup of raisins, finely chopped

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the veggie oil in a large skillet. Add the lemongrass. Add the carrots and cook until very soft, adding a few tablespoons of water as necessary to cook without burning. Add the green onions and cook just until wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat and remove the lemongrass pieces. Add the green onions and carrots to a large mixing bowl. Set skillet aside for later use. Add beef, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, raisins, milk and egg. Mix until well combined. Add additional bread crumbs (up to a 1/2 cup) as needed to allow the mixture to hold a ball shape. Begin forming small balls (about 3/4 the size of a golf ball) and set aside on a cookie sheet. Once all the balls are formed, place into fridge for 30 minutes.

Then, heat remaining veggie oil in skillet, place meatballs into pan (working in batches) and cook until golden, turning frequently. Drain on kitchen towels and transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Place into oven at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes.

*just bash it with a meat pounder or the side of a knife so the fibers smash.

Kind of like gummy fish

2010-01-14T17:59:00.004+07:00

When a local friend presented our family with three bags of dried fish, I wasn't quite sure how we'd eat them all (or even what I'd do with them). I thanked her for the gift and then eyed the little bagged fish suspiciously. Their beady dried eyes stared back, equally as suspicious.

My five year old daughter said, "Ooh those are shiny and pretty." Now, you have to understand that my daughter has always been an adventurous "try-er" of food items. Only cautious to check for peanut products, due to her allergy, otherwise she'll usually give most things a try. So, I wasn't surprised when she showed interest in trying the fish immediately. Reaching her hand in and carefully selecting "the prettiest one", she slowly popped the head of the 1/2 inch creature into her mouth, chewed and walked slowly to the garbage can to spit it out. Making a face and smacking her lips together, she said, "Hmmm. That was actually kind of good. Kind of like a gummy fish, but not really gummy and not really sweet and not really candy." She reached for a second, a third and a fourth. It was during her fifth attempt that she realized she could eat the entire fish (previously she was licking the "meat" off of the little skeleton and depositing those into the garbage bin).

She's continued in her tiny dried fish eating ways for two days straight now, eating them as a supplement to dinners, for after school snacks and trying out a recipe I created for her. Tomorrow, she's requested that a few go in her lunch box. I'm a fan of the little guys for her, but can't quite enjoy the flavor myself yet. And, my three year old, a not so adventurous try-er of foods, has pinched his nose and said "pew" whenever he walks close to the air-tight container holding the fish.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 75:

Spicy sour fish

Here's a recipe, based on a traditional Philippine serving method for dried fish, that I created for my daughter. Make sure you really like the flavor of dried fish before embarking on this journey though.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of small dried fish, unseasoned (sardines, anchovies or other equivalently sized fish)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 pinch red chili flakes

1 shallot, diced finely

1 chive, diced finely

Method:

Mix the above ingredients together in a small container, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (will keep well for several days, although the fish will lose their shape). Serve desired portion over hot rice as a condiment.

Jeeeeet Laaaag

2010-01-08T18:04:00.006+07:00

The plane’s wheels touched down in Bangkok just before midnight with a wall of humidity, felt even in the air conditioned plane, already smacking me straight in the head. Out of all of the cross Pacific flights I’ve done since our move to southeast Asia, this one is a record breaker. Usually, I can sneak in a block of good sleep-- a feat that shouldn't go unrecognized for someone who travels with young children. Yes, up until my most recent flight, I would have said that I perfected the sleep of a plane-flying mother. Arms outstretched and two boulders, that double as my kids’ heads during waking hours, slam up against my shoulders. My knees jam into the seat in front of me. A musty airline blanket covers us all. I sleep deep and wake up with pools of slobber on my sleeves from the boulder-esque heads of my kids. Believe it or not, that scenario is the usual "bliss" I experience. Unlike my most recent flight where I raked in a record breaking hour or so of time spent asleep. Fellow passengers snored, the smell of hot coffee wafted from the first class cabin, and my eyes stung in horror over the fear that I would doze off as soon as my kids woke up from their slumbers.

As I write this, I’m experiencing epic proportions of jet lag. My husband went to the guest bedroom, since he’s supposed to be at work in a couple of hours after not sleeping on the flight much either. My kids are pinging off the walls as it it’s their normal morning hours. And, I’m half expecting a knock on our door from a neighbor who is sure to be disturbed by our middle of the night jet lagged antics. Right now, I can’t imagine doing anything other than staring at this computer screen and drinking multiple cups of strong coffee stashed away from our holiday to the States in my yet to be unpacked suitcase. But, I hear the kitchen calling and the need to create new dish. My stomach feels sick from the odd hours I’ve been keeping, but my brain says a fried egg over something will cure me. So, off I go.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 74:

Jet lag egg

Created in my Bangkok kitchen at approximately 2:03 a.m. Enjoy and eat at a much more reasonable hour.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons veggie oil

1 egg

black pepper, to taste

1 cup of boiled, drained and rinsed thick egg noodles

1 green onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 hand full of green peas

1 long pour of soy sauce

1 generous squirt of hot sauce

¼ teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon of ketchup

Method:

In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of veggie oil and cook the chopped carrots over high heat just until golden brown. Place the egg noodles into the pan, add the peas, onion, soy sauce, hot sauce, ketchup and brown sugar. Stir and heat until steaming hot. Place in a serving bowl. Add another tablespoon of veggie oil, heat and crack the egg into the hot pan. Sprinkle generously with black pepper, flip and cook over easy. Place on top of the noodles and prick the center of the egg so that it oozes over the noodles. Enjoy immediately.

Ringing in the New Year

2010-01-05T02:35:00.005+07:00

A holiday has come and gone. As I write this I’m somewhere in the air between Seattle and Tokyo, with an expected arrival into Bangkok in some horrendously long amount of hours. This flight has become a mental game for me and I attempt to take it in small batches brainwashing myself to forget how awfully long it really is.

My daughter and husband are sitting to my right, working on a sparkly sticker activity book and typing on a laptop, respectively. To my left, my son is mesmerized by a game of fishing. He throws his airline provided movie headset out into the aisle and drags it back whispering “here, fishy, fishy”. He’s found a willing accomplice in a grandfatherly type two rows up who is encouraging good trolling form with the occasional thumbs up sign.

The last three weeks included multiple Christmas celebrations, quiet nights spent by a blazing fire, days catching up with friends over sushi, coffee and other assorted treats, wonderfully quiet moments with family, cupcake outings with my daughter, blissful evenings spent near a blazing fire with my husband and my son’s first major injury (he’s okay after quite a bit of bloodshed when he decided to super hero dive onto his sister and instead landed on the corner of a relative’s coffee table). And, of course, no summary of time spent out of Bangkok is complete unless I mention that not a single drop of sweat was shed during the holiday season. Very un Bangkok-like and an acknowledgment that this holiday provided a much needed respite from the weather of the tropics.

As I sit mid-air and the turbulence shakes the plane, I can’t help but notice that excitement is running through my blood along with the starbucks coffee shots I slurped down before departing Seattle. I am very much looking forward to our return “home” to our life in Bangkok. After every holiday, I have found a silent thrill in the unpacking of the suitcases and putting them waaaay in the back of a dark closet. There’s something therapeutic about knowing you’re not getting back on a plane for a bit. I’m also very much looking forward to a dip in our pool, firing up the industrial strength rice cooker and pounding out a fresh batch of curry tomorrow morning.

But, I’ll also acknowledge that I am already exhausted in just thinking about the jet lag that takes our family weeks to extinguish. I’ll be brewing a batch of strong coffee and padding through the house in my favorite red fuzzy socks around 2 a.m. as the kids settle into a daze in front of their Little People villages or whip up a plastic breakfast in their faux kitchen. And, again, with many hours of travel in front of me, the newly acquired experiences with friends and family lead my tired brain into a bit of sadness at once again being far away from those I love.

My hope for these early weeks of 2010 is that I’m able to hold a piece of the socially energizing days and extend the blissfully slow evenings of our holiday vacation. I plan to send my daughter back to school and welcome her home for evenings spent coloring, playdoughing and breaking in the newly acquired Christmas presents together. I look forward to mornings spent with my son at Bangkok’s open air markets and time lounging in what promises to be much more humid weather than what we left behind in Bangkok three weeks ago. And, even though his business travel schedule will be in full force, I eagerly await each and every moment I will get to spend out and about in Bangkok’s evening air, sipping Beer Sing and chatting the hours away with my husband. Oh, yes… and I’m greatly looking forward to placing my jingly jangly earrings that seem so fitting to my life in Bangkok, back on my ears. They’ll serve as a gentle reminder to savor each moment of this extraordinary life as they swing and ring in the New Year and each of its to-be-created memories.

Happy New Year everyone! And to those family and friends that are far away again, thank you for a wonderful holiday season. You are always near in my heart.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 73:

Plane Gorp

Written with a good dose of humor, here’s my recipe for keeping my kids happy on a long plane flight.

Ingredients:

½ cup of favorite cereal that is never purchased at any other time (i.e. something with a cartoon character on the box)

½ cup whole grain (parent-endorsed) cereal

1 small package m&m candies

¼ cup roughly chopped nuts

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2 small boxes of dried cranberries

¼ cup dried fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup chocolate chips

¼ cup banana or apple chips

Method:

The night before your scheduled flight, gather your ingredients and your kids to the table. In a large bowl, add your ingredients and have the kids stir vigorously. Drop into portable individual serving bags and add to the kids’ backpacks. (My kids add a bit of “love” to their plane gorp by kissing the bags before loading them in… completely corny, but apparently absolutely essential for their five and three year old psyches.)

Christmas Decor in Bangkok, part 2

2009-12-23T07:15:00.000+07:00

A couple days back I gave you a glimpse of Bangkok's grandly scaled holiday decor and hinted at a second post featuring the wackier side of holiday decorations widely populating Bangkok during this time of year. Plastic tinsel and wacky metal creations float grace the air conditioned halls of Bangkok's Mega shopping centers, along with a helping of classic trees and graceful reindeer. But, at Siam Paragon this year, the creative team decided to feature two dimensional (kind of creepy) cut out paper dolls alongside ukelele playing trees wearing sombreros(!).

But, perhaps my favorite wacky holiday moment in Bangkok this year came at the discovery of the "Happy Walk Sky Walk". Located between the Chidlom and Siam skytrain stations, the happy sky walk is a crazy funny interpretation of the holidays. Take a walk in the mild, but still hot, temperatures of Bangkok's December as the traffic races underfoot, snowflakes and paper ornaments sway overhead and ear piercing volumes of Winter Wonderland and Frosty the Snowman scream overhead in the Happy Walk Sky Walk!

Happy Holidays (more recipes coming in the New Year... the kitchen is churning out Christmas cookies now!).

Christmas Decor in Bangkok, part 1

2009-12-09T21:13:00.012+07:00

With the holidays in full swing, I thought I'd take a couple posts to share Bangkok's Christmas decor. Like everything here, presentation is key. The scale is massive, the glitter and sparkles are abundant and, in some cases, the tackiness over the top. The following images are all from within one of Bangkok's "lifestyle" shopping centers. The tree towers over four stories tall and the toy soldier sits next to it towering three stories tall. The bells swing festively overhead as classic carols trumpet over the sound system.

And, another glimpse at Bangkok's Christmas decor coming up in a couple of days. Get ready for the wackier side of holiday life in the Big Mango.

Happy Holidays (more recipes coming in the New Year... the kitchen is churning out Christmas cookies now!).

What I love about Bangkok right now

2009-12-09T20:59:00.002+07:00

Every once in awhile, it's good to take a look around and give thanks for a few of the things that get you really jazzed to be living where you are at that moment. And, what better time to reflect on things that make you happy than during the holiday? Here are a few of the things and places I love in Bangkok right now:

The Bangkok Zoo:

Maybe not the most impressive zoo on the planet, but when you're living in Bangkok and want an escape from the urban jungle this park-like setting fits the bill. Ordinarily, I'm not all that interested in the bird exhibits at zoos, but The Bangkok Zoo's bird island shouldn't be missed. In a land of tropical bird songs that play around the clock, the exhibit is an amazing look at the many feathered instruments. Peacocks roam freely, cockatoos fly overhead and hundreds of other birds that I don't know the names of flutter round.

Or Tor Kor Market:

Located at exit number three off of the Kamphaeng Phet MRT station, Or Tor Kor Market is one of the city's cleanest open air markets. Most items here are registered as organic and the brightly-lit, well organized haven for fresh food products is a relaxing place to visit. Farmer's from all over Thailand bring their goods for sale here, allowing you to taste fresh from the farm exotic fruits, vegetables, meats and prepared treats. Great for a visit while shopping at Chatuchak weekend market (right across the street) or for locals, like me, who enjoy doing their weekly shopping there!

Cool Air:

Believe it or not, Bangkok's cool season actually arrived with some low humidity this year. The temperatures are pleasant. As a testament to how refreshing this cool air can be to an expat, let me recount a recent, hour long conversation I had with three of my friends: "Can you believe this weather?! I'm able to add jeans and lightweight scarves to my wardrobe! I haven't broken a sweat in three days! I can take my kids to the park and they have energy to run around for longer than 10 minutes!"... and on and on and on for well over an hour. The cool air is MAJOR news when you're used to sweating your way through your day.

Ruen Mallika:

I loved my recent birthday dinner that my husband and I enjoyed at this quaint Thai restaurant situated far back on the soi. Housed in a historic 19th century teak building, the restaurant serves delicious royal Thai cuisine. Go, sit in the garden, flip through the massive picture book menu they present you with and order the edible flower platter! (located at 189 Sukhumvit, Soi 22, Road Khlong Tuei)

The smell of charcoal in the morning:

The fires begin in the early morning and simmer throughout the entire day. Everything from satay to curry to spicy meats grill atop the coals. But, when you are walking to your morning coffee and smell the charcoal fires burning, you just know you are in Thailand.

R.S.T. Natural Herbs and Spices:

A permanent vendor stall at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, this herb and spice store stock everything from Lemongrass tea to curry paste to garam marsala. I've only recently discovered this little gem of a shop and look forward to filling many bags full of their spices. An excellent stop for anyone looking for a taste of Thailand in their home pantry. (Located in the 25th section, soi 4 of Bangkok's Chatuchak Market.)

For a few of my favorite things from months past, click here and here.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 72:

Cashew Mix

This is one of the dishes served at my favorite neighborhood restaurants. You sit outside on the big porch, order a tall Beer Sing and start the evening with an appetizer of this dish. Here's my version of the Thai nut dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole cashews

1 teaspoon of red chili peppers, sliced thinly into tiny rounds

1 scallion, green part only, sliced thinly into tiny rounds

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:

In a hot dry skillet, toast the cashews. Keep them moving around the pan continuously and toast just until crunchy and golden. In a mixing bowl, add the other ingredients. Add the toasted cashews to the bowl and stir well. Pour onto a small serving plate and enjoy alongside a cold beer (preferably while sitting on a porch!).

New Moon in Bangkok

2009-11-23T19:40:00.010+07:00

A few months back, I picked up a little movie at a local market. Now, I'm used to walking by one of the local DVD stands and picking up a movie. But, on this particular day, I saw a movie called Twilight and thought, "oh, that sounds interesting." Little did I know that the movie was based on a hugely popular book series or that the movie had been a huge hit in the States. Later that week, I watched, then went wild trying to find copies of each of the books here in Bangkok. Everywhere I went, they were either only in Thai or sold out. I finally got them, read them and marked the date on my calendar for the second movie in the series to hit theatres.

Which brings me to Saturday, November 21 when I experienced a hysterical pop culture moment, Thai style. I love the theatres here and have written about them before (plush, leather recliners with pillow and blankets and valet popcorn and cocktails... what's not to like?!). On this particular Saturday, I entered the huge lobby with soaring ceilings and was shocked to see it filled wall to wall with people. Lines snaked in various directions and people of all ages waited, laughing and chatting and dressed in costumes. There were vampires, there were wolves, there were moody looking girls in long black wigs. Signs with "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" were being handed out randomly and two Thai Edward and Jacob impersonators greeted the waiting crowds. Pictures were snapped, videos were being shot and the movie's soundtrack pulsed through the air.

People were prepared to wait for hours for a ticket. This was the first Saturday that the movie was playing and three days into the movie's run. No advance tickets were sold, but the film was playing on seven screens. I stood for about five minutes at the end of one of the snaking lines until I realized that I was planning to see the film in one of the Ultra Screen Theatres which have a special VIP box office. (The Ultra Screens, also called First Class in some theatres, are the more expensive, but "totally worth the ticket price" experience.) Spying the special box office and reacting with mild shock when I realized that there were only three people waiting, I quickly moved that direction. Ten minutes later, popcorn in hand, I kicked my shoes off (as is the custom), settled into my posh leather recliner and laughed at the craziness still underway in the theatre's lobby.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 71:

Rustic Corn Pizza

I had to create a recipe using corn because the vegetable is added to the oddest of things here in Thailand. I laugh every time I discover a 'new' dish where it is present! Corn seems to be a match for anything and everything here: on pizza, as an ice cream topping, on a burger, along with maybe a more traditional use of corn in soups and stir-fried veggie dishes. This cornbread-like crust is scattered with little pops of sweet corn... a really nice and surprising addition to a rustic dish perfect for a kick-back Friday movie night.

Ingredients:

Dough-

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup corn meal

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce-

5 large ripe tomatoes, halved

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, skin removed

1 giant hand full of basil leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 chili pepper, split and seeded

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup of water

Toppings-

1 ear fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob

8 cherry tomatoes, split in half

1/2 onion, diced finely

4 slices of ham, sliced into thin strips

1/2 cup of diced fresh pineapple

1 hand full of basil leaves

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

dried red chili flakes, optional

*you'll need a bit of veggie oil on hand to prepare the pan and the crust during assembly

Method:

Make the dough. Combine the water, honey and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes. Then, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Turn onto a floured board and knead until the dough forms an elastic, smooth ball. Place in a well oiled bowl and cover. Allow to sit for at least one hour.

Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cover. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cool. Place into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet by spreading a piece of cooking parchment across it and rub generously with veggie oil. Roll out the dough to fit the size of your pan. Place the dough on the parchment and rub the dough with a generous amount of veggie oil, concentrating on the edges. Prick the dough several times with a fork and place into the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan and quickly cover with just enough sauce to create a thin layer (you will have extra, use as a dipping sauce or for a future pizza). Place all of the toppings sprinkled across the top of the sauce, finishing with the cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbly and edges are brown). Cool for five minutes and slice into generous pieces.

Calm and well being

2009-11-11T18:18:00.010+07:00

The week before my birthday coincided with one of the largest Loy Krathong festivals in the city of Bangkok. At The Golden Mount, locals celebrate Loy Krathong by climbing from the temple complex to the mount, while reflecting on the past year. They write their names atop the mount, wrapped specially in red silk for the holiday, and send their hopes for a peaceful new year to the winds that whip the spire. Then, they enjoy the raucous street festival's activities at the bottom of the mount after their reflective climb. The whole activity sounded like a perfect celebration to ring in my birthday-- a bit of old Bangkok's serene and reflective personality combined with a healthy dose of fun and festivity that is ever present in modern day Bangkok. So, hopping a cab with my "always up for an adventure" three year old in tow, I set out to experience The Golden Mount for the first time.

After a surprisingly mellow, traffic-free taxi ride, we arrived at the temple grounds where the annual Loy Krathong festival was just setting up for the day's business. Vendors were unmasking their stalls for the final day of the nine day festival by removing tarping that had been wrapped around their goods for the night. Large feather dusters were being flicked across the merchandise and charcoal barbecues were being lit. Hoping my son was game for a bit of a climb, I hopped out of the cab and whispered a little prayer that I wouldn't be carrying a three year old up the stairs that rose steeply in front of us. Grabbing his hand we began our ascent of the 318 steps ahead.

And, what amazing fun the climb turned out to be. Man made waterfalls gurgled along the path and multi-color candles rested on concrete steps spilling their warm wax on top of the day's previous meltings. As we passed a tea house, my son vowing aloud to stop on our descent for a refreshment of what would be teeny watermelon slices, made out of shortbread cookies, and steamed milk delivered in a silver edged porcelain tea cup. On our climb a bit further up, and ever closer to the mount, we came across a large flat outdoor foyer lined with giant antique prayer bells. Following the few other individuals also on their climb, we picked up the available mallets and smacked the bells one by one to create a deliciously rich symphony over the rooftops of Bangkok. My son's smile spread deeply as he whacked each one with renewed gusto.

Perhaps the transformation I felt occurred because of his joy in the bells or perhaps it was due to the climb. But, either way, each smack of the bells took me deeper physically into a sense of calm and well being. I admired the temple's statues and looked out over Bangkok's tiled rooftops as my jangly earrings rang in the breeze. I smiled as my son giggled at the monk who lifted him to ring another bell. And, in those moments, even before reaching the site that tourists climb to see, I realized that this was a feeling I wished I could bottle up and keep forever. The combination of the activities already described, the low chanting of the monk's surrounding the base of the temple and the gentle breeze whipping warmly around us, provided an ancient serenity.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 70:

Golden Tofu (and sweet and sour dipping sauce)

When you are craving something deep-fried, but want to ease your conscious with something that is usually healthy, give this recipe a try. Completely delicious and satisfies the need for a crunchy fry. And, even if you think you don't like tofu, give this a try... you might be surprised!

Ingredients, for tofu:

1 pack of tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup of flour

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon pepper

2 tablespoons salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

2 finely chopped chives

Veggie Oil

Ingredients, for dipping sauce:

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon of ketchup

pinch of salt

1/4 cup water, room temperature

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Method, for tofu:

Combine the flour, cayenne, pepper, salt, sugar and chives in a shallow dish. Add the tofu and roll to coat. Remove from flour, gently dusting off extra, and set in a single layer on a tray. Using a large saute pan, add just enough veggie oil to lightly coat the bottom. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the coated tofu, working in batches if necessary for the size of your pan. Cook each of the four sides until they reach a deep golden color (I find flipping them with a pair of long chopsticks works very well). Remove from oil and place onto a towel lined plate. Serve immediately with following dipping sauce or transfer to a cookie sheet and reheat in the oven until warm (about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F).

Method, for dipping sauce:

In a saucepan, add vinegar, sugar, ketchup and salt. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth and no lumps remain. Using a wire whisk, stir the cornstarch into the vinegar mixture, until smooth. Turn on the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.

Yield: appetizer for four (unless there are kids around and then you should make extra... they gobble these up at an insane rate!)

Sugar Rush

2009-11-01T19:43:00.007+07:00

I hopped my three year old up on sugary ice lollies at Chatuchak Market before wandering to the serene, nearby produce market. Maybe not such a good idea, but I was in search of krathong making supplies and since my son was not such a willing participant, I needed a bribe.

Tomorrow is Loy Krathong and, coming right off of the Halloween festivities, I'm in full swing party prep! Spring rolls are prepped and awaiting their hot oil bath, the curry paste is pounded and the mangoes are awaiting disposition to their sticky rice. Celebrated annually on the day of the Full Moon in the Twelfth Lunar Month, Loy Krathong is one of Thailand's biggest celebrations (and will forever be one of my favorite holidays). After enjoying a Thai meal, families and friends make floats out of banana tree trunks, banana leaves and assorted flowers. They spike the floats (or krathongs) with a candle and three incense sticks, and make a wish upon lighting them. Then, friends and family walk to a nearby waterway and gently sail their floats. The floats are believed to carry away the person's sins and sufferings in order to make room for the wishes made for the upcoming new year.

After wandering through the produce market and purchasing a bag of fresh passion fruit, some candied sesame cashews and an assortment of veggies, my son and I found a woman sitting on the sidewalk with various sizes of sliced banana tree trunks in front of her. "Krathong?" I asked, as my son took up his ever present spider man web slinging stance and unleashed an imaginary web in her face. "Chi!" she answered enthusiastically. Excellent.

As she assembled four bags of krathong making supplies, my usually stranger-shy son launched into a chorus of I'm a little teapot. Truly thrilled that we, the foreigners, were buying krathongs and intrigued that I had a singing and dancing child, a small crowd gathered around us. My son finished his song, bowed and said, "thank you, thank you" before launching into an attempt at the Thai Loy Krathong song. He knows three words (Loy, Loy Krathong) and sings it to a different tune each time he attempts to perform it. After a generous round of applause and gathering up our bags of supplies, I hailed a taxi all the while hoping that the sugar crash would set in soon.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no 69:

Sweet Sticky Rice Parcels

Widely available at the markets throughout Bangkok, these little packets of sweetness are so much fun to present to guests. Easily made at home, they make a fun addition to the dessert tray. If you have difficulty in finding the pandan leaves, you can roll the sticky rice into shape and present on a beautiful spoon. I've done this for several parties and the presentation was playful and well received. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of coconut milk

3/4 cup of glutenous rice flour*

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/2 cup of sugar

Food coloring, any color

Cashews or peanuts, crushed

Shredded coconut

Pandan Leaves (or substitute Banana Leaves)*

Method:

In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat, heat 1 cup of coconut milk. Slowly add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the sugar. Continue to add the remaining coconut milk slowly, stirring constantly over low heat. Cook until thick, about five minutes. Add the scraped vanilla beans, discard pod. A couple drops of food coloring and the crushed nuts. Stir well and turn into a well greased deep dish. Sprinkle the coconut over the top and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Using a small spoon, remove about 1 inch pieces and gently form an oval shape. Place onto a pandan leaf. Gather the leaf around the sticky rice and secure with a toothpick. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*These ingredients can be found at most Asian grocery stores.

A late night chocolateria

2009-10-29T01:09:00.002+07:00

Tonight was a long glorious night. A string of magical moments that had me singing along to my iPod, smiling, dancing and seeming to float just above the ground. With a sprinkle of mother's love, my kids drifted off to dreamland immediately tonight. I crept to the other side of the house, pulled out my supplies, cranked up the music and transformed the kitchen into a full scale chocolateria.

Moments ago, I was up to my elbows in chocolate ganache. I've taken a momentary break to visit my laptop, but will soon be returning to the magic that is roasted cardamom pods, split vanilla beans, toasted chili peppers and cream spiked with bittersweet chocolate. It's just after midnight and a fine veil of bittersweet cocoa powder covers everything within my fluorescent lit kitchen.

With Halloween just a couple of days away and a party on Thursday, my desire to create a spectacular has been stirred. Not that I've been alone in my ventures! My five year old has awaken her inner mischief-maker and has busily been creating orange and black construction paper chains that now line our entryway. My three year old has helped out with the painting of dead plants black and stringing them with cobwebs. And, in a combined effort two home made paper mache pumpkin heads sit atop newspaper stuffed clothing creating welcoming giant pumpkin people. Paper mache ghosts float along the ceiling, orange and black balloons loom over a candy covered haunted gingerbread shack and a pumpkin patch was collaged against our dining room wall. And, at least once a day for the last two weeks, a woodland fairy and a spiderman have donned their attire and practiced their magic spells and web slinging in preparation for October 31.

Now, you might remember from my post of last year that Halloween is not celebrated in Thailand. Prior to our move overseas, I really wasn't overly "into" Halloween. Frankly, it's always kind of seemed like a holiday to get through on the way to my favorite holiday of the year. But, a move overseas seemed to stir some odd desire in me to create a magical dream-like Halloween for my kids. And, so, for our second Halloween in Thailand, I have given into my children's need to fill the house with Halloween schlock and my desire to whip them into a Halloween frenzy.

Okay, back to my truffles. Time to continue dancing to the Monster Mash and whip up another couple dozen pieces of dark chocolate before my little ones awake from dream land. And, when they finally rise, they'll catch the drifting scent of dark chocolate, catch the sparkle of the newly strung fairy lights and the flame of the tiny pumpkin candles as the gauzy ghosts float overhead. Happy Halloween!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 68:

Ginger Infused Truffles

Dark bittersweet truffles spiked with just a hint of ginger are one of my favorite types of truffles. In addition to buying the highest quality chocolate you can find, look for the very best heavy cream as well... both ingredients make a huge difference in the final product. A delicious grown-up treat that a whole family of goblins will adore.

Ingredients:

1 cup of heavy cream

2 cups of bittersweet chocolate

1/8 teaspoon dried ginger

2 cardamom seeds

a pinch of chili powder

a pinch of salt

2 vanilla beans, split and scraped

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the cream to lukewarm. Add the cardamom seeds, vanilla beans and pods. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove the cardamom seeds, vanilla pods and reheat the cream to lukewarm. Add the ginger, chili powder and salt. In a mixing bowl, add the chocolate and pour the heated cream mixture over it. Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined and glossy. Pour into a shallow-sided baking pan and allow to cool at room temperature for one hour. Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and place the newly made ganache in the refrigerator for a minimum of three hours. (The ganache will keep for one week if well covered and refrigerated). When you are ready to create the truffles, place the unsweetened cocoa powder on a large plate. Using a melon baller, scoop the chocolate ganache into balls. Roll in your hands to create a rounder shape and immediately place into the cocoa powder. Roll gently to cover and transfer to a parchment lined baking pan. Once all of the truffles have been created. Place them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (Or, transfer to the freezer, freeze solid and then transfer to an air tight container. The truffles will stay in the freezer for three months. Defrost before serving.)

Makes approximately 30 truffles, depending on size.

Expat mingling

2009-10-26T16:25:00.000+07:00

Getting to explore a new land. Spending time immersed in a local culture. Learning more about yourself-- what you love, what you can endure, what pushes you too far. These are all of the elements of a life lived abroad. But, far too often, one of the keys to a robust life lived overseas is neglected to be mentioned-- the other expats.

For the first three months of life in Thailand, I only had a few connections that I had either made during Internet research prepping to live abroad or by a matter of circumstances. In an effort to set up "home" and find some friends for myself and my kids, I had a few bumps along the way... a morning playgroup that turned into a cocktail mixer, the well meaning neighbors, the kid-centered play areas that felt more like a disco. But, as time went on, I slowly began to meet some wonderful people who were also on their expat journey.

A few months back, about ten of us sat around a dinner table. I found myself at a quiet moment and looked around at the faces of those seated at the table. On this particular evening, we were all moms enjoying an evening out sans children. And, as wine was poured and the meal was served, I realized what an amazing experience I was a part of when I took note that my dining companions hailed from the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, England, America, Canada and Thailand. The opportunity to talk with women who are all at a similar point in raising their families overseas is one that I get to repeat often as an expat. And, during this quiet moment at the dinner party, I realized again how incredibly fortunate I am to be having this experience.

I have valued these friendships through weekly playgroups, explorations through local markets, mornings at coffee shops, limoncello shots (sans kids) and, yes, even visits back to those nasty Bangkok play areas that still feel like baby discos to me. And, along the way, I have collected wonderful stories from their home countries and generous conversations about their overseas experiences. One can not meet so many amazing people from around the globe and not be changed by the experience. For the positive affect my other expat friends have had on my life, I am profoundly thankful.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 67:

Yeast Dumplings (Kynute knedliky s ovocem)

A wonderful friend from the Czech Republic, and fellow expat living in Bangkok, gave me a gift of a Czech cookbook. Having never cooked Czech food before, I excitedly embraced the opportunity to test my culinary skills out on her gift. After several "test" batches (and a couple of pounds gained!), I fell in love with these amazing little fruit dumplings. I altered this recipe from the one found in "Traditional Czech Cuisine" from the Czech Chefs Association.

Ingredients:

for dumpling dough:

2 teaspoons of yeast

1 cup of whole milk

1 Tablespoon of sugar

2 cups of flour

1 egg

pinch of salt

for filling:

1 cup of chopped fruit (apples, plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries)

1/4 cup of apple juice

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

sugar, if needed to sweeten the fruit

for topping:

your choice of melted butter, confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, yogurt or extra fruit

Method:

To make the dumpling dough, heat the milk to lukewarm. Remove from heat and add sugar and yeast. Set aside. In a mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients, then add the milk mixture. Stir until combined and turn onto a well floured surface. Knead and add more flour to create an elastic dough. Return to a bowl, cover and allow to rest for an hour. When you return to the dough, separate it into golf ball sized pieces and set about two inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Begin to make the fruit mixture. Place fruit and juice into a small saucepan and bring to a bubble. Remove a bit of the liquid, place into a small bowl and add the cornstarch. Combine well and return to the fruit simmer. Add sugar if the fruit doesn't meet your sweetness requirements and bubble until thick. Remove from heat and cool.

To assemble and cook the dumplings: Again, working on a well floured surface, flatten each ball and gently roll until the dough is about 3 inches in diameter. Place about a 1/2 teaspoon of fruit filling in the center, pinch the dough closed and form back into a ball. Make sure the seams are well sealed and set the balls seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with all of the dough. Cover and leave to rest for half hour. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the dumplings (working in batches) into the boiling water. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, remove from water and place in a serving bowl. Top with desired topping and enjoy hot!

(Note: you can freeze the filled dumplings prior to boiling. Place cookie sheet containing unboiled dumplings into freezer, remove and individually wrap later. Place into boiling water to cook, when desired, directly from the freezer and double the cooking time.)

The Pineapple Market

2009-10-16T18:39:00.006+07:00

My brain is forever programmed to hear the words Bobae Market and to think of pineapple. It's a Pavlovian response. Would you like to explore the famous Bobae Market, the epicenter of wholesale clothing trade in southeast Asia? Ding. Pineapple. Shall we spend a few hours wandering the steamy outdoor alleyways or the seven floor tower at Bobae Market? Ding. Pineapple. Perhaps we could go pick up some really inexpensive brand name outfits for the kids this weekend at Bobae Market? Ding. Pineapple.

Comprised of an extensive labyrinth of open air alleys and two seven story air conditioned towers, rows and rows of discount clothing fill the stalls at Bobae. (Ding!) I experienced my first trip to the market a few weeks back and while I picked up a few items, it didn't exactly live up to my expectations for clothing. Now, don't get me wrong. The place is filled with clothing and has a strong sampling of what you'll find at other markets in Bangkok. There's a fantastic costume store where you can buy everything from feather plumes to rhinestone studded shoes to crowns and elaborate dresses in every size imaginable. The towers also house multiple stores for children's dress wear that is absolutely gorgeous-- taffeta spun with chiffon overlay and three piece suits starting for your 3 month old and heading up in size. You'll see every T-shirt imaginable, along with biker jackets, men's sized high heel shoes, beauty supplies and name brand children's clothing (manufactured in Thailand and exported). But, for every day wear, it was just kind of... inexpensive in every way. The quality of the every day clothing was flimsy and the location isn't exactly convenient to drop into. However, if you're looking for a unique specialty costume item or want to have a thousand polo shirts custom made-- you'll find it at Bobae.

But, enough about the clothes and the main reason that every other human being visits Bobae Market. I was smitten with the pineapples.

On my early morning drive into the heart of the market, I noticed massive amounts of huge empty baskets being loaded onto trucks. Once I arrived at the perimeter of the market, it seemed that there were baskets everywhere and as I grew closer and closer to the towers, more and more baskets materialized. At the time, I thought it was an unusual sight but wrote it off as something that must be unique to the clothing trade. I shopped for a few hours, wandering and discovering. When it was time to go, I climbed back into the car and, warm from the humidity, cracked open a bottle of water. One gulp into the cool liquid and my eyes bugged out of my head. The sight outside my window was unreal. The baskets were back and full (I mean heaping, over flowing full) of pineapples. With each street and each turn, the baskets were stacked higher and higher on the sidewalk edges and people were resting on their haunches with huge knives, carving the skins off of the fruit. At times, I could only see the tops of fellow shoppers heads because their bodies were hidden from the highly stacked baskets. I flipped open my camera and rolled down the window. The scent of intensely sweet pineapple warming in the sun smacked me in the nostrils.

Upon arriving home, I regretted not stopping somewhere in order to really photograph the scene. A blurry basket was all that I got after snapping in succession as we careened through the winding market streets. But, the memory of that day has forever united the words Bobae Market and pineapple in my brain. Ding.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 66:

Pineapple Satay

Thinly sliced pineapple is made even more delicious when grilled. Add a few pieces to your bbq when making this dish, serve with a side of rice and you'll have a completely delicious meal.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of meat (chicken, pork or beef), sliced into one-inch strips

2 cups of pineapple juice

1 hand full of fresh basil, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

bamboo skewers

Method:

Place a piece of saran wrap on a cutting board. Place one strip of your chosen meat on top of it and cover with another piece of saran wrap. Using a meat pounder, gently pound the strip until thin taking care not to tear the meat. Repeat with all slices.

In a shallow dish, combine the pineapple juice, basil, green onion, coconut milk and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add the meat. Cover and refridgerate for a minimum of two hours. Remove the meat from the marinade, skewer each with a piece of bamboo taking care to run the stick through the meat several times. Place on a charcoal bbq and cook until done. The cooking time will depend on what meat you select, but should be no longer than a few minutes on each side. Take care not to overcook.

A little huge appreciation

2009-09-30T02:07:00.001+07:00

My father is an educator. I have childhood memories of helping to decorate his classrooms, and later, as he moved from a teacher to a principal, hanging out in the copy room and helping to staple endless packets of paper together. Today, he is a superintendent and, when I have to opportunity to visit, I still enjoy a trip to his colorful office full of reminders of my childhood.

From the years of watching my father work endless hours to foster a love of learning in children, I know the around the clock commitment that goes into such a job. The staff at my daughter's school is no exception. So, as my daughter completes her first month of school in Thailand, it seems only natural to take a moment and recognize those who have made her transition into formal education a successful one. So, a few days back, I concocted a plan to bring some treats into the teacher's lounge accompanied by a few written words expressing my thanks. Sounded simple enough at the time, but, like most things in life, the path to my gift of appreciation's creation took a few unexpected twists and turns.

While we have a well stocked market in our Bangkok neighborhood, it requires a bit of an outing to get to. We try to do our shopping, for our family of four, once per week so we can qualify for the home delivery option available. Wonderfully convenient... unless you forget just a few heavy items and find yourself lugging them home through the heat and humidity (with a child begging to be carried and wanting to stop for sticky rice from the neighborhood street vendor).

So, planning ahead, I added my necessary ingredients to our weekly list for the HUGE candy cookies I planned to make (show stoppers always and a little play on words... "HUGE cookies for HUGE appreciation"... I know, corny, but, trust me... completely effective). The groceries arrived a couple of days ago and I got started baking this morning. I hadn't counted on two elements that became a part of my morning-- the first: my newly created recipe yielded a very small amount of cookies and the second: the sneaky ability of my son to consume massive quantities of candy when my back is turned. My recipe made a whopping four cookies (I needed about 50 to complete my project) and my son found the giant bowl of M&M's I placed on the apparently now accessible to him counter. I saw him licking the bowl clean before he turned into a whirling blur of sugar energy bouncing off the walls of our dining room.

Two additional trips to the store were taken today, with me lugging pounds of butter, sacks of flour, bags of sugar, and endless tiny bags of M&M candies (since the store's larger bag supply was already purchased a couple of days earlier during our weekly grocery shopping!).

The huge cookies fit three at a time in my Bangkok-sized oven. This post has been written eight minutes at a time as I place a new batch of cookies into the oven and wait for them to turn from pasty white to a beautiful golden brown. I've personally consumed several cookies worth of dough and have broken out in a sweat at the thought that I might have to make another run to the store for yet another sack of M&Ms.

It's now two o'clock in the morning on the day of my planned delivery to the staff lounge. The kids have long been asleep and I'm clicking the dials off on the oven. I just finished individually wrapping the final batch of cookies and have packed them into their basket along with my note of appreciation. Now, perhaps I should wander to the bedroom and set an alarm clock before getting a few hours of sleep.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 65:

HUGE Candy Popping Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookies to buy in a bakery, but now that I've created this recipe I may never need to buy another. The size of them makes them seem extra special when you're giving them as a gift. I've tried to make other large sized cookies only to be disappointed by them crumbly apart after they had cooled. Finally, I have a recipe that yields delicious, gift worthy cookies that won't immediately crumble to pieces! Make them as large as you like and remove them from the pan with care. They'll firm up nicely on a wire rack without risk of crumbly apart later.

Ingredients:

1 cup of unsalted butter

2 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of M&M candies, frozen

Method:

In a large bowl, whip the butter with the sugar until the mixture is a light lemon color. Add the eggs. Mix to combine. Then, add the baking soda, vanilla and flour. Mix into a dough. Form into balls slightly larger than a golf ball in size and place onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet, three cookies per sheet. Flatten the balls and press a generous amount of M&Ms onto each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for eight minutes until lightly golden on the edges of the cookies. Remove from oven and allow to cool for three minutes on the pan. Using a large spatula, remove carefully to a wire rack. Allow to harden and wrap individually in saran wrap to preserve the texture.

Yield: 8 huge cookies

Ginormous Art: Here today, gone tomorrow

2009-09-21T02:59:00.002+07:00

If I was ever in a situation where a producer screamed at me, "Hire an art director today!" I would immediately fly to Bangkok, walk into any of the city's shopping centers and demand to know who was in charge of art installations. Now, that scenario will never happen because a) I'm not a famous director (or for that matter, not even a part of the film industry at all) and b) because I am certain that the shopping centers in question would be foolish to let their art teams get away.

The thought that must go into the exhibits featured in Bangkok's shopping centers must be tremendous. For starters, the scale is huge-- at times seven floors in height and courtyards larger than several football fields. Additionally, the amount of time the exhibits are available for viewing enjoyment is absolutely mind boggling-- sometimes as short as a week before one massive exhibit is swapped for another that is equally stunning (and massive).

I was walking through Bangkok's CentralWorld one week and the entire seven story atrium was covered in humongous decorative lanterns. Meanwhile, outside the giant (several football fields long) courtyard was covered in twinkly lights and bamboo poles with smaller versions of the lanterns suspended overhead.

The very next week, the same atrium featured a chandelier of fresh orchids and jasmine strung in combination with dazzling pink twinkly lights. The overwhelmingly sweet scent wafted through the stores. And, simultaneously, just down the hallway, a series of "tunnels" created out of more exotic fresh flowers, including thousands of fresh roses in varying shades of pink, stood awaiting shoppers to stroll through the indoor garden they created. A mossy floor was laid and spritzed with water by the attending cleaning crew. A small box with a sign saying "please remove shoes" in both English and Thai was placed at the edge of the display.

Yet again, two weeks later, the same shopping center featured a tribute to local artists and the traditional Thai fan. Artists were commissioned to imprint their work onto fans which were then strung the series of seven floors to create a massive installation that swayed with the breeze of the indoor air conditioning. Giant pieces of bamboo were woven together to form 12 foot tall spheres that paid tribute to the region's basket making artisans. Baskets were piled together to form functional furniture as a part of the display and invited shoppers to sit and relax on surprisingly comfortable "furniture." I went back to snap a few more pictures two weeks later and, of course, the entire display was gone.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 64:

Red or Green Curry Paste

An art form in its own right, the pounding of your own curry paste is a richly rewarding process. Unless you live in southeast Asia where you can walk to any outdoor market and buy some fresh paste, you're probably stuck with one brand of generic red curry or green curry. Walk away from the jar and head to the produce section of your grocery. But, warning: once you've tasted the difference a fresh curry paste can make, and experienced how joyfully rhythmic the process of pounding your own is, you'll never go back to the preservative laden jar on your grocer's shelf.

Ingredients:*

For red and green curry paste base:

6 shallots, skins removed and diced finely

3 garlic cloves, skins removed and diced finely

a one inch piece of galangal, finely diced

1 stalk of lemon grass

zest of one lime (kaffir lime is preferable)

2 tablespoons of small dried shrimp

salt, to taste, approximately 1 teaspoon

For red curry paste, all of the above, plus:

Two dried red chilies

Paprika, a couple pinches

dried red pepper flakes, optional, to alter heat

For green curry paste, all of the above (not the red curry ingredients), plus:

3 stalks of cilantro, finely diced

turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon

two fresh green chilies, finely diced

dried red pepper flakes, optional, to alter heat

Method:**

Begin by making the curry paste base: Cut the stalk of lemon grass in half, discard top "leafier" side and finely dice the remaining piece. Set aside. Place the shallots and garlic into the base of a mortar and begin pounding until mashed and combined. Continue adding ingredients in the order stated above, working until each ingredient is well combined. The texture of a good curry paste will be chunky, not completely smooth. You should be able to recognize filaments of the galangal and lemon grass and small flecks of the other ingredients within the combination.

To make red curry paste: Soak the dried chilies in a small amount of water for approximately 30 minutes. Remove chilies and dice finely, discard water. Add the chilies to the curry paste base already created and pound to incorporate. Add paprika to further color the base and add desired amount of red chili flakes (working with a few at a time and increasing amount as necessary). Place finished paste in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to one month.

To make green curry paste: Add all listed ingredients to the already created curry paste and pound to incorporate. Remember to add desired amount of red chili flakes to increase the heat (working with a few at a time and increasing amount as necessary). Place finished paste in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to one month.

Yield: The amount of curry paste you will use will vary with the recipe (and level of spice you prefer). As a general guideline, the above ingredients will produce two meals of red chicken curry, serving four people per meal.

*Note that the following substitutions will alter the traditional flavor of the curry paste, but if you can't easily find the first ingredient, substitute as necessary and you'll still have a magnificent, fresh version:

Galangal: substitute fresh ginger

Dried shrimp: substitute shrimp paste, found in your grocer's Asian foods aisle

**I enjoy pounding my curry paste by hand and the results are a beautifully textured paste. However, if pressed for time, a food processor is a great alternative to a mortar and pestle. The end product will be a bit watery in texture and will not keep as long in the fridge without a definite texture change so the machine produced product is best used immediately.

School days

2009-09-07T07:18:00.001+07:00

I'm attempting for the third time to rip the suction that has been created between my eyeball and my contact lens. Somehow, a week of tears, stress and anxiety have taken their toll on my contacts as well as my emotional state. My oldest child, now five, started school five days ago and the ride leading up to the first day was a quiet, relaxed one spent mostly at home enjoying each other. But, as perhaps any parent who has been through it before will agree, the first day of school is nothing short of traumatic.

My daughter is attending a beautiful school with a garden setting and beautiful Thai woodwork surrounding the buildings. The teachers are caring and the campus is close to our home. Yet, that first day, I saw the effects living overseas has on a child, which are both positive and negative. We've always been a very close-knit family, but the last year of tuk tuk riding, market going and curry pounding together has created an even stronger dependence on one another. And, while playgrounds and the promise of new friends are always welcomed, the idea of being apart from each other from 8:30 to 3:30 was a new concept for both my daughter and me.

Days of my daughter pleading not to take her back to school, tears of dread over what the next day may bring, and the worry of missing her mama while sitting in the cafeteria filled her waking moments. So, after agreeing that it was a hard week, I set out to make Friday evening extra special. A celebration, if you will, of my daughter's bravery, my husband's undying support and my ability to see through swollen eyes.

After dropping off my daughter at school on Friday, my son and I returned home to put the plan into action. Stringing up a sunset sky of blue and red streamers, laced with silvery star garland, our setting was taking form. We spread out a bunch of pillows and covered them with a dirt colored quilt. A giant metal tray filled with wadded up black construction paper rocks and some well crafted paper logs and a few red tissue flames completed our faux fireplace that would later serve as a home to indoor s'mores. While my son set up a few wild (stuffed) animals within our camp site, I prepped a picnic dinner full of my family's favorites.

Probably needless to say, the smile that spread across my daughter's face upon returning home and discovering our week's end celebration was a moment I will hold in my heart and never forget. As for the health of my swollen eyes and suction cupped contact lenses, I will rise again on Monday morning and see what the second week of school holds in store for us. (And, there's always more ingredients in the pantry should another round of s'mores be necessary!).

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 63:

Teddy Bear S'Mores

A perfect little bite of dessert for the kids, but one with flavors that adults love too. If serving for adults, just alter the shape of the cracker as desired. Serve warm for a wonderful gooey finish to a meal.

Ingredients:

For the crackers:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

7 tablespoons butter, very cold

1/3 cup honey or agave syrup

5 tablespoons milk

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/4 cup chocolate chips (measure first, then finely chop)

small teddy bear cookie cutter

For the filling:

1/2 cup, approximately, mini marshmallows (I use the colored ones for the kids)

1/4 cup, approximately, chocolate chips

Method:

For the crackers, mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse sand. Add the honey/agave, the milk, the contents of the vanilla bean and the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined. Form into a ball, press flat and wrap in parchment or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to three days.

Remove from refrigeration and roll out on a well floured surface. Roll as thin as possible (the dough will puff a bit in the oven) without tearing and cut your desired shapes. Place on a silicone lined(or well greased) cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes until golden and firm. The baking time will vary depending on what size cutter you select to use.

To build the s'more, just before serving, place a cracker on a cookie sheet. Top with two mini marshmallows and place under the broiler. When the marshmallows puff, remove from oven, insert chocolate chips into the marshmallows (very carefully... they are really, really hot!) and top with another cracker. Serve and enjoy!

Remembering

2009-08-21T12:41:00.007+07:00

A little over one year ago, I began writing about our family's adventure in Thailand and we've now reached a point in our journey where history, to some extent, begins to repeat itself. While Bangkok has felt like home for quite some time now, it's just this last month that we can look forward to experiencing Thai culture for a second time around. We're living through rainy season (again), we're approaching monsoon season (again), the moon festival is right around the corner, followed by Loy Kratong and soon the neighborhood coconut ice cream street vendors will pack away their carts until the warmer weather returns.

It only seems appropriate that when July flipped on the calendar, my mind would naturally begin a progression backwards to the memories our family has built in Bangkok. I remember arriving fresh off the plane, greeting our new home and being swept away by a wave of humidity and a cloud of jet lag. I remember endless weeks trying to entertain two toddlers while waiting for our shipment, holding all of our household and personal possessions, to arrive from the States. And, I remember the welcoming smiles and warmth towards our children expressed by new neighbors and local merchants. I remember my first smell of the ever present charcoal barbecues being lit in the early morning, mingling with the scents of bubbling curries and spicy breath catching fire sauces starting in street side woks. And, I remember the true joy I felt in successfully finding and purchasing our first cooking pot in Thailand.

Little did I know that the warm neighborhood welcome would make Bangkok feel like home much faster than I ever dreamed possible. Nor, did I know that I would learn the art of making an authentic Thai curry from a wonderful, generous woman in Hua Hin, providing me with the ability to replicate the streets simmering curry on our own home's stove top. And, while my husband and I were planning this grand adventure of raising a family overseas, I never realized that the purchase of one simple pot would lead to Loving Rice.

And yet, here I am sitting on a rattan woven chair full of cushions covered in scarves purchased at a local open air market. Here I am, looking out over our home's balcony filled with orchids and cloaked in steamy humid skies. Here I am, sharing a mutual adoration of the local chicken vendor's signature spicy sauce (and spending endless amounts of time in conversation trying to figure out her secret ingredient!) with my husband. Here I am, enjoying being a parent overseas and looking forward to taking my daughter to her first school day in Thailand (and then picking her up as I dodge monsoon raindrops!).

Here's to an amazing experience and to the adventures that the future holds. Happy Birthday Loving Rice!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 62

Coconut Cake

Here's one of my favorite recipes for those times when you need a dessert that satisfies, but you don't feel like spending much time in the kitchen. The result is dense and decadent, without being overly sweet. Without a need for icing, this can whipped up in a short time, baked and then left to cool until serving. Serve solo or with a dollop of cream to dress it up further.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter (plus a bit extra for greasing the cake pan)

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of powdered sugar (plus a bit extra for garnish)

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean, split

1 1/4 cups coconut milk

Method:

Place the coconut milk in a saucepan. Scrape the interior out of the vanilla bean and add to the coconut milk (also add the exterior halves). Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Allow to cool. Remove vanilla bean halves once the mixture cools and discard. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until well combined and light in color. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and coconut milk. Stir, with a whisk, until there are no lumps. Pour into a well greased cake pan and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 35 minutes (times will vary depending on size of pan used). The top will be a dark golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Ode to Chinatown

2009-08-10T14:00:00.004+07:00

Chinatown has always held a special place in my heart. I have memories of early childhood, gathered around a big lacquered table at a particular restaurant in Seattle's Chinatown. My grandfather would usually be the reason for gathering us there-- in celebration of either his or my mom's birthday. He'd order steaming bowls of won ton soup, piles of sesame noodles, fried baby octopus, and almond gravy coated chicken. And, we'd sit and talk and eat and eat and eat.

My mother continued my love for Chinatown by taking us to the international district's supermarket to search through the tiny aisles and small stairways that led to additional dusty rooms of treasures. My love for chopsticks and tiny rice bowls and exotic candies was fostered in those dusty halls. As a college student, I ventured north of the American border and discovered the Chinatown of Vancouver. Again, over steaming bowls of soup, Chinatown worked its way into my personal history with a particularly eventful birthday lunch as my parents visited and I shared my dislike of early college life.

Then, while living in San Francisco, I journeyed down Grant street more times than I can even count popping in and out of stores with rickety stairwells. Each time, leaving with a new tiny vessel for soy sauce or a set of meditation balls or a set of chopsticks as a memento of my day's adventure. And, even while living in Philadelphia, I sought out the teeny tiny Chinatown in need of a little bit of exotic discovery.

Today, I wander the twisty windy alleyway known as Sampeng Lane, the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown. The long Lane is unlike any other Chinatown I've experienced before. Like other Chinatowns, the streets are alive with endless flows of people bustling from fabric stores to produce stands to trinket stalls. But, here, the main purpose of excursions seems to be to buy in wholesale bulk. Many stores won't sell single items, purely dealing in wholesale lots exclusively.

As you walk the tiny lanes single file with other shoppers, it's difficult to imagine any motorized vehicles fitting through the "roadways." That it, until a motorcycle carrying a towering load of cardboard boxes beeps behind you and flies down the awning covered pavement. Sampeng Lane journeys for blocks and blocks of the city, winding in and out of noodle shops and shoe sellers and repair stands along the way. A full morning only allows one to barely begin to explore Bangkok's Chinatown. But, after a couple of hours in Sampeng Lane, I've easily picked up a new soy sauce dish, a bag of exotic fruit and another day of memories to add to my own personal history with the world's Chinatowns.

Cooking in Thailand: entry no. 61

Peanut Butter and Noodles

This dish is rich and decadent. I recommend you serve it alongside something light and refreshing (like Green Papaya Salad or my version of a classic summer Fruit Salad) and with a glass of beautiful summer wine or an icy pitcher of beer.

Ingredients:

1/2 package whole grain spaghetti noodles (about 6 oz)

1/2 cup peanut butter*

1/4 cup boiling water

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 cup green onions, roughly chopped

Method:

Cook the noodles in vigorously boiling water until al dente in texture. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, boiling water and soy sauce in a skillet and mix until smooth. Add the cream and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer over low heat. Drain the noodles, do not rinse, and transfer to the pan containing the sauce. Toss to coat the noodles and bring to a very hot temperature. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. These are best served steaming hot.

*Since my daughter is allergic to peanuts, I use a home made cashew butter instead of peanut butter and make sure to add a little bit of extra salt to closer replicate the flavors of this recipe. We've tried this with almond butter to a lesser success.

The glitter of Pratunam

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000+07:00

The morning started out gray with a heavy mist of humidity fanning out over the city. But, I was not going to be deterred from an outing to Pratunam Market. For months I've heard of the market dedicated almost exclusively to clothing and beauty products. So, after skytraining my way to central Bangkok and disembarking at Siam station. I proceeded out into the humid air and let my green leather flip flops clap their way down the cement stairs and to street level.

Vendors were out early, already hawking their noodles and adorable miniature pineapples (I ended up going home with six... how can you pass up a miniature pineapple?!). I walked past CentralWorld, the newest of Bangkok's ultra glossy super shopping centers, and found myself waiting to cross a quadruple lane road along with a gaggle of Thai women wearing towering heels and chatting excitedly. I held my breath and followed with the pack as soon as there was a slight clearing of the rushing taxis and tuk tuks. Exhaling with relief, as I have learned is "normal" for me to do upon successfully crossing traffic, I set foot on the opposite side's crumbling sidewalk and surveyed the scene. So this was the edge of the famous Pratunam Market.

Judging from the size of the crowds milling, morning was a popular time to head to Pratunam. People were everywhere. Women in their heels and pencil skirts shaded themselves with parasols, men in short-sleeved polo shirts dabbed at the perspiration already forming on their brows with brightly colored handkerchiefs and market employees dressed in aprons bustled about hauling huge carts of assorted goods.

But, like all good markets in Thailand, the edge is merely the beginning. Like a present being unwrapped, one must step into the covered, dimly lit curving alleyways of a market in order to really discover the prize. Tables heaped with long flowing bunches of glistening black human hair, baskets toppling over with every shade of nail polish imaginable and rows and rows of tiny pencil skirts and matching patent leather heels awaited inside. Throwing myself into one of the markets narrow openings, I turned down the twisty alleys until the crowds thinned a bit and saw the huge Buddha surrounded by tables covered in tiny offering plates. I'd later find out that rather than have vendors set out food offerings by their own stalls, as is common at other markets, Pratunam was built to provide a central offering place that all stall owners could contribute to as desired. The rule was established to cut down on vermin within the market, and for that I was glad. One doesn't desire to reach for a strand of human hair and be surprised by a rat popping out of it.

A tiny little twinkling caught the corner of my eye. One twist and another turn and I was standing at the open mouth of an amazing site, unlike any other treasure I had yet found in Bangkok. Some time ago, this may have been just a quick pass thru to lead a visitor to another bustling area of the market. But, today, the sun streamed in (as this tiny alley wasn't covered like all of the others) and glitter and sequins were scattered over the cement floor and walls. It was if someone skim coated the entire place in concrete and then let the sparkly confetti fly, trapped for eternity! Note to self: absolutely brilliant and to be replicated in a future home sometime, somewhere.

I walked slowly through, taking it all in and cursing the fact that I didn't bring my camera on this outing. At the end of the dazzling alley, the market began again, but this area had a much different tone. Huge feather boas were strung around the necks of male mannequins wearing giant cotton candy wigs and bedazzled evening gowns in neon that trumpeted out into tulip trains. Seamstresses sat at tiny sewing machines behind the mannequins creating even more elaborate gowns at a shocking pace. Yards and yards of tulle and man-sized heels in every shade of an extra glossy rainbow brilliantly lined nearby racks. I laughed out loud, dazzled by the color and the show, half expecting a drag version of a Bollywood movie's dance scene to pop to life in front of me.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 60:

Cool Slaw

After a hot and humid morning exploring the back alleys of a local market, I crave a crunchy fresh dish for lunch and a giant glass of water filled with ice and lime wedges. Here's one of my favorite lunches that also works great as a side to dishes like Pad Thai or Philippine Ribs.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of black pepper

pinch of salt

pinch of cayenne, vary amount to taste

1/3 head of green cabbage, shredded

1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 green onion, finely diced

1 hand full of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

lemon wedges

4 hard boiled eggs, optional

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oils peppers and salt. Add the cabbage, carrots and onions. Mix well. Refridgerate for at least 20 minutes. Add cilantro just prior to serving and mix well. Serve with a lemon wedge and a sliced hard boiled egg, if desired.

Yield: four lunch size servings

Jiggle, jiggle

2009-07-23T14:36:00.010+07:00

While traveling solo with the kids recently, we stopped in Hong Kong for what was supposed to be a brief layover. In reality, the stop ended up consuming an extra seven hours of our time due to flight delays. Rolling my eyes in exasperation (I mean really, who wants to entertain two of the five and under set at an airport--any takers?), we wandered, hoping to pass the time quickly.

We looked at over priced souvenirs. My son kissed a life-sized plastic ramen girl who was promoting steaming soups. We found a little television set with other travel weary families. But, after witnessing two minutes of sword swallowing, blood spurting animation I quickly decided to take the kids for a look at a few more overpriced souvenirs.

And, then, off in the distance, I saw the beckoning green and white lights of my favorite coffee chain. While I enjoy local businesses in almost every scenario, there's one coffee chain that I frequent as if it is a second home no matter where in the world I am. And, this long layover was about to become one fortunate, life changing stop as it will forever be remembered as the day I discovered... coffee jelly.

With my kids already eyeing the nearby playground they had just discovered, I placed an order for a latte with coffee jelly. I've long stared at Thailand's jellied drinks, a bit nervous to try them at the open air markets. On Bangkok's streets, vendors stand in the humid heat stirring giant glass vats of milky liquid with various colors of gelatinous globs floating through.

Upon receiving my drink in Hong Kong, I had doubts. Cubes of darkly tinted gelatin floated through the cold latte like leeches hiding in a muddy river. And, then, with kids happily prancing through the playground, I slurped and fell in love. Milky latte mingled with small droplets of rich, almost bitter, espresso beads.

The subsequent hours in Hong Kong were filled with two more coffee jelly drinks, hours of playground merriment and an extremely caffeinated self boarding a plane (with two sweaty hot, happy children in tow!).

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 59:

Coffee Jelly

After a bit of work in the kitchen, I finally settled on the consistency that matched the jellies I enjoyed during my layover in Hong Kong. The finished product should not be too firm, but rather "scoopable". Add a scoop to your next iced coffee drink, think of a long layover in Hong Kong (and be thankful that you're not at an airport!) and then settle into a lawn chair in the summer sun!

Ingredients:

2 cups of your favorite freshly brewed coffee

1 Tablespoon gelatin

2 Tablespoons sugar

Method:

Combine all ingredients and stir well, until the gelatin and sugar is completely dissolved. Spray a deep bowl with a mist of vegetable spray and pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, make an iced coffee (or a glass of chocolate milk) add a large scoop of coffee jelly, some ice, and a straw.

Will keep for two weeks in an air-proof container, kept under refrigeration.

Make room for noodles

2009-07-15T15:00:00.004+07:00

While my mom was visiting Bangkok recently, we took an afternoon sans kids and did some exploring of the much neglected by tourists neighborhood of Victory Monument. Sure, it's the main intersection of Bangkok (and as a side note, the location of the most recent Red Shirt protest activity that shut the city down for a number of hours). But, a lot of tourists consider Victory Monument a place to pass quickly through en route to another location. Stop for a couple of hours and you'll be richly rewarded with covered market after covered market (after covered market and on and on...).

Used and refurbished shoe sellers stand elbow to elbow with home made noodle vendors and imported clothing stalls selling shirts and dresses for a song. Umbrellas and faux designer watches mingle with MAC cosmetics and Christian Fior (no typo... you read it correctly) handbags.

And, unfortunately, a little cart-like front of a McDonald's is plopped down right in the middle of no less than two dozen vendors selling every type of homemade noodle under the sun. Good grief. In a country that does fast food so well, hand cooked quickly, with natural ingredients and traditional culinary skills, why must the frozen slab of pseudo meat place exist here too? If you find yourself with an hour of two to pass in Bangkok, head to Victory Monument's ring of covered markets, skip the Big Mc Meal and sample a locally made ice cream concoction, a plate of noodles or a mixed Thai soda. Then, take a fist full of coins and score some excellent deals on all sorts of wonderful finds.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 58:

Coconut Curry Egg Noodles

This noodle dish is a wonderfully satisfying meal at the end of a long afternoon of shopping. Slightly creamy, not spicy and full of fresh flavors, it pairs well with a tall iced tea or sparkling water with lime. I enjoy making Char Siew and serving it on top of the noodles, but any protein would sit well with the dish.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of egg noodles, approximately

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of mild red curry paste

2 cups of loosely packed greens (spinach, arugula, celery leaves, finely sliced cabbage all work well)

1 carrot, finely cut into 2 inch matchsticks

1 large hand full of cilantro

1 cup of chopped green onion, about 1/4 inch long

1 lime, cut into wedges

Cooked protein of choice: char siew, steamed sliced chicken, quickly boiled large prawns

Method:

In a large wok, bring the coconut milk and curry paste to a simmer. Add the carrots and greens. Cook until the vegetables are slightly wilted, but still crunchy. In a separate pot, bring a full container of water to a boil and quickly cook the noodles, no more than three minutes. They should be chewy and al dente. Drain, rinse and add to the coconut curry mixture. Toss the noodles to coat and place generous portions into four bowls. Generously top with cilantro and green onions. Serve with one lime wedge and top with protein of choice.

Yield: four generous servings

Street vendor fruit, photo essay two

2009-06-25T13:30:00.004+07:00

Here's the second post in a two part photo essay series! Thailand's fruits are just too wild to let the photo opportunities pass one by.

While I'm not entirely sure of the spelling and can't even quite get a consistent pronunciation of the fruit featured on the right of the platter, consensus seems to lead me to thinking that it is called Mong-Pong. Just peel open the shells similar to a pea pod fresh from the garden and you will find bright white starchy fruit. Neither sweet or sour, this little fruit serves as a great snack. Think of it as the popcorn of the fruit universe! On the left of the platter is one of Southeast Asia's most gorgeous fruits-- Rambutan. Related to the lychee, the rambutan looks similar. The flesh is somewhat translucent once you peel back the exterior soft spiky shell.

In the picture at left, is one of Thailand's Red Lady Papayas. Split in half, the fruit is still heavy and fragrant. One of most intensely flavored papayas I've ever experienced, the Red Lady almost tastes like flowers smell. Floral with pungent green notes, the texture follows with a dense silkiness.

And, one of the cutest and best fruits I've ever had the pleasure of meeting is pictured here---mangosteen. With a thick outer skin, the mangosteen resembles one of Asia's plump little eggplants. But, slice it open and you're treated to opaque white segments of fruit that will blow you away. Strong intense sweet flavor pack into these tiny things... in fact, think about the best mango you've ever eaten, add some sugar to it and multiply by ten. Then you're getting an idea of what the mangosteen does on your tongue.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 57:

Passion fruit Puddings

My absolute favorite food in the world! I can not think of anything else I'd rather eat if presented with the opportunity to consume only one food until eternity. These little puddings are a perfect finish to a spicy Thai meal. If Passion fruit isn't easy to come by in your area of the world, hunt some down (or plan to on your next vacation) and try these adorable little puddings.

Ingredients:

4 Passion fruits

1 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup of sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon of butter

Method:

Cut the tops off of the passion fruits, remove seeds, pulp and juice (do not discard). Rinse and dry the shells of the fruit. Set aside. In a medium saucepan add the cream, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and strain the pulp of the previously set aside passion fruit to remove 2 tablespoons of the juice. Add the 2 tablespoons to the pudding mixture along with the vanilla and the butter. Stir well. Allow to cool slightly and spoon into fruit shells. Place into refrigerator and just before serving, spoon a small amount of pulp and seeds onto the top of the puddings. Serve with small spoons and enjoy!

Street vendor fruit, photo essay one

2009-06-20T13:30:00.005+07:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you already know that I adore Thailand's street vendors. And, with so many different kinds of food to sell, it only makes sense that each of their carts is outfitted to do a particular job. Some carts are set up for grilling satay, others for making and serving home made ice creams. The cart here is detailed with the purpose of selling freshly cut fruits. Each fruit is presented in an enclosed glass container, with room for ice to drain off (keeping the fruit cool, but not water logged!).

We've enjoyed so many of Thailand's unusual fruits. And, since so many of them are native to this area of the world and too fragile to be exported commercially, I wanted to spend a couple of postings celebrating our culinary discoveries here. So, please enjoy a few of our unusual finds and if you have the opportunity to try them for yourself... don't let it pass you by.

Wah, about the size of a large black olive, with a pit in the middle, this fruit is dark purple in color. The skin is thin and a bit bitter. The flesh inside is a bright violet color and is somewhat sour and bitter. Many of the fruits sold from the vendors come with a little packet of chili sugar (see below for a recipe). And, it should be noted that I'm not entirely certain of the spelling of this fruit's name!

Fruit at left: Sala. Looking somewhat like a giant strawberry, the sala fruit should be taken seriously. Harmless looking thorns are sharp and embed in your fingers easily (trust me, I know from plenty of personal experience!). Strongly scented and extremely sweet, the sala fruit is white inside (the red, prickly skin is removed before eating) and has a large pit. Absolutely delicious!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 56:

Chili spiked sweet salt

A popular condiment provided by almost every vendor selling fresh fruits. The vendor cuts the fruit open, packages it and provides you with a little sachet of the sweet and spicy salt to sprinkle on the fruit. Serve in a small dish, accompanying any fruit of your choice (see picture of wah fruit above!).

Ingredients:

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of salt

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to four months.

What I love RIGHT NOW in Bangkok

2009-06-15T22:36:00.001+07:00

Every few months, no matter where you live, I think it's a good practice to take a look around and make note of the things that excite you in that minute. What people, places, things really get you excited to be planted where you are? After a quick few minutes of reflection, I always feel a bit more excited to continue blooming where I am planted. So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things at this moment!

10 o'clock in the morning. The smell of charcoal wafts through the city's air as the street vendors begin to prepare for the lunch crowd. The light dances on the leaves of trees and the heat rises in little snakey streams from the pavement. And, when the charcoal lights up, the scent transports me to an exotic land. And, then, I realize... wait, this is an exotic land and I get to live here. A happy walk home continues.

Pla Dip, a fusion restaurant. Now brace yourselves, this sounds like an odd combination: Thai, Italian and Japanese. Odd, but somehow it works here. The place features an outdoor wood fire oven, an in-house DJ and an industrial minimalist vibe. A kick-back watering hole, with great food that my husband and I keep returning to time and time again.

The return to rainy season! A few afternoon storms always help to cool the hot humid morning air. No matter where you live, a change of season should be embraced.

School uniforms. As Thai summer ends, Thai children are heading back to school for another term and that brings school uniforms. With an endless parade, it is fascinating to see how all different ages of children attempt to adapt their uniforms while staying within school code. Office supply binder clips seem to be extremely popular with teenage girls. I haven't yet figured out their meaning or purpose, but they are clamped onto the uniforms belts of almost every pre-teen and teenage girl in town. And, with my daughter starting school here in just a few short months, the parade of uniforms provides fodder for the ongoing topic of "school is cool"!

Thai Thai at J.J. market. Located on the outside edge of Section 8 at Chatuchak Market, this little stall offers gauzy hand made clothing items for women. Tunics, skirts, and billowy sundresses from 100 percent cotton in a gorgeous pallette of colors for about the price of two lattes. Can't go wrong.

Funarium. A relatively new outstanding indoor play complex for kids up to age thirteen. With an indoor bike track (with bikes of every size), a basketball court, HUGE bumpy slides of every make, obstacle courses, ball pits and an in-house art studio, this place is heaven for Bangkokian kids and parents in search of active fun in an air conditioned environment. My kids raced until they dropped and I look forward to our next visit!

For a few of my favorite things from months past, take a click here!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 55:

Rustic Thai Crab Boil

Beautiful, fresh ingredients prepared in the simplest of ways to create something amazing--- the very essence of my favorite dishes. It seems that nearly every seaside culture has it's version of this dish and no matter where you find yourself in the world it's a dish worth serving up!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon veggie oil

1 head of garlic

4 shallots, diced

15 pieces of thinly cut salami

2 carrots cut into large pieces

2 corn, on the cob, cut into large pieces

2 crab (I like Thai blue crab when in Bangkok), cleaned

1 cup broth

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 tablespoon smoky paprika

1 giant hand full of thai basil, plus extra for garnish

Method:

In a large stock pot, heat the veggie oil and add the salami, whole head of garlic and shallots. Cook until the shallots are golden. Add a few tablespoons of water as necessary to prevent the ingredients from buring. Add the stock, coconut milk, curry paste, paprika and basil. Bring to a simmer and add corn and carrots. Cook, covered until carrots are fork tender. Add the crab and cook until bright in color (approximately 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the crab). Pour immediately into a large bowl, garnish with basil. Remove the garlic, squeeze out of paper and serve alongside with warm crusty bread (and a lot of napkins!).

Hello, meet BOB

2009-06-10T20:00:00.004+07:00

Have you met BOB? I wanted to tell you about BOB. And, so goes the verbal spillage put forth by my son. Have you met my son? He's the little now three year old running around Bangkok and absolutely obsessed with DreamWorks' newest offering, Monsters vs. Aliens.

The whole obsession began around mid-April when movie posters featuring a motley crew of monsters started to appear in Bangkok. The ever-present posters (on the Skytrain and all the shopping mall floors, projected on random walls, bill boards, etc.) struck an immediate chord with my son and my husband and I laughed and played along by telling him the characters names. On and on and on the dialogue went, becoming elaborate and more detailed. Monsters vs Aliens imaginary play games were created in our house, craft projects featuring the characters were started and great discussion ensued: What do you think Dr. Roach (a monster) ate for dinner tonight? What color gelatin is BOB (another monster) made out of again? What would Missing Link (another monster) do if he were here? Do you want to be Ginormica (you guessed it... another monster) tonight mommy?

The one little trick to this obsession is that the movie is really intended for a much older audience. But, after including the friendly little monsters in our lives so often, I broke down, bought a copy of the movie and proceeded to snuggle in with my kids to possibly get it out of my son's system. No luck. After "watching" the movie.... okay, he's seen about 10 percent of it, I hit fast forward and skipped entire scenes... the obsession continues. And, I've agreed to embrace it. So when we celebrated my son's third birthday this weekend, I whipped up a triple batch of butter cream and enthusiastically built BOB's likeness in cake. Viva la monsters.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 54:

Tropical Fruit Cakes

In the event you don't have a reason to cook up a BOB, you might want to find an excuse to whip up these delicious tropical cakes. Light and fluffy, they are really more of a muffin than a cake. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for dessert or warm and serve alongside a glass of fresh squeezed juice for breakfast!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 large or 6 small Thai variety)

3/4 cup sour milk (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to sour your own)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons steeped peppermint tea, cooled

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fresh diced pineapple

1 carrot, grated

1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped (optional)

Method:

Grease a popover pan (a cupcake pan will also work) and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and add the banana. Mix together and, working progressively down the ingredients list, add each ingredient until all are combined. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden on top. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of pan you select)

Beauty Buzz

2009-06-06T22:20:00.001+07:00

I enjoy tradition and appreciate history. But, I ADORE anything labeled "new" or "the next big thing." I can't help but just sort of gravitate with curiosity towards a trend. And, if it's not my thing? Oh well, at least I've had the adventure of checking into it.

So, for months now, I've seen an increased number of ads and posters around town promoting little tiny bottles of beverages referred to as Beauty Shots. The bottles are marketed towards women and have all sorts of feminine colors and cute names: iBeauti-full, beauti shot, i-healti, blink (I'm going out on a limb here, but guessing that refers to "in the blink of an eye you'll be gorgeous."). And, they all seem to pack an extraordinary amount of cosmetic filler and vitamins into those bottles.

So, with my husband out of town (he usually saves me the torture of shopping with the kids) I was left to do our weekly grocery shopping. And, of course, when I strolled by the impressively large segment of the grocery containing beauty beverages, I quickly snatched a couple of them for the cart.

I'm not sure what I was thinking would happen when I swallowed, but I was sure to find a quiet moment to myself (in the event I would turn into some other creature and my children wouldn't recognize me?!). Sending out a quick prayer that there was nothing dangerous in the little metallic bottles, I quickly chugged down one laden with both collagen and beta carentene. Gulp. Swallow. Hey, not so bad. I cracked open the one labeled sugar-free glycosamene and collagen. Hmmm. Intensely carrot and tomato-like, the little shots weren't so bad. Next up, the pink bottle with three days worth of vitamin C and E servings.

I wonder what a beauty shot chased with my newest, hippest, trendiest coconut chocolate cookies would taste like? I'm certain that the world's best cosmetic surgeons inject collagen and then offer chocolate. Right?! Like I said, I enjoy checking into "the newest thing," but tradition isn't so bad either. I'm off to whip up a batch of cookies in hopes of absorbing some of the collagen rumbling around in my stomach...

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 53:

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These were invented last week when my kids and I had scheduled a playdate and (horrors!) had no goodies in the house to offer to our guests. So, I pulled out the last egg, my dearly saved imported darkest chocolate bar and bags of unsweetened shredded coconut that I had in the pantry. Devoured hot out of the oven, these cookies were an instant hit!

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1 C flour

1 1/2 C finely grated, unsweetened coconut

1 large dark chocolate bar, cut into small pieces

Method:

Cream butter and sugars together until well whipped. Add baking powder, soda and egg. Mix well. Add flour first, stir just until combined. Then, add the coconut. Stirring until well combined. Mix in chunks of chocolate. Form into small balls and gently push down onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden, in a 375 degree oven.

Cracking the shell

2009-06-03T09:00:00.000+07:00

One of the many surprises of parenthood happens in the moments I desire to recreate memories from my own childhood. Simple activities that were long forgotten bubble to the surface as I look into the eyes of my own children. Holding my children's hands and walking through the grass in bare feet, picking a dandelion and blowing hard to scatter its seeds to and fro, sucking on a lemon while sitting on hot concrete... all simple moments that happened decades ago and have been replanted into the newly created psyche of my kid's childhood memories.

Some memories are easily repeatable. Others, not so easy. Last week, a simple conversation led me into a wild goose chase of one of my childhood memories. Let's start with two words: Magic Shell. If you're of a certain generation you'll immediately ooh and ahh at the mention of this wondrous ice cream topping that magically turns solid when poured atop a milky scoop of your favorite flavor. My sister and I downed many a bottle attempting to build the perfect rock hard coating when we were a bit younger. So, while whipping up a batch of spaghetti in my kid's pastel colored play kitchen, my daughter announced that I should concoct a perfect pairing of dessert for her plastic noodles is was only natural that I immediately said "Okay, how a bout vanilla ice cream with magic shell?" The land of the imaginary meal cooking halted abruptly and everyone wanted to know what Magic Shell was. I recognized the sparkle in their eyes and knew a fire had been lit. The kids and I popped on our sun hats and headed out on a walk to the store.

Let's just cut to the chase on this one... no magic shell at the local Bangkok Market. Surprise. Carting two cranky kids home who babbled on and on about how life would not be the same without magic shell was not fun. So, the next morning, I spent two hours chasing down Bangkok's lone bottle of pseudo Magic Shell (actually produced by some other company and delivered under an impostor name of... Hard Coat). The impostor would have to do and I whipped it out after dinner to drizzle on to little scoops of vanilla ice cream. As I watched my kids thwack away at the waxy cocoa coating, I smiled knowing that another childhood memory was taking root.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 52:

Magical Hard Coat Cocktails

For anyone who was, is or wants to be a fan of that magical ice cream topping... cheers to you!

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Hard Coat or Magic Shell Chocolate Syrup

1 ounce of coffee liqueur

2 ounces of vodka

2 ounces of espresso

1 ounce of heavy cream*

1 tablespoon dark pure cocoa powder

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 small scoop of vanilla bean or chocolate ice cream, for garnish

Method:

Place a cocktail glass into the freezer. Allow to chill for at least 10 minutes, remove and swirl with magic shell. Place back into the freezer. In a saucepan, warm cream over low heat with the cocoa powder and sugar. Stir until dissolved and allow to cool.* Once the glass is chilled and the chocolate cream mixture is cooled, add several cubes of ice to a cocktail shaker. Into the cocktail shaker add the coffee liqueur, vodka, espresso, and chocolate cream mixture. Shake. Strain drink into prepared glass and top with a float of ice cream. Enjoy being a grown up kid!

*Since one ounce of cream is such a small amount, you may want to make extra and keep it in the freezer for future beverage making!

Bottoms up

2009-05-26T14:32:00.010+07:00

Always with the best intentions to enjoy the quirks and charms of Bangkok, my husband and I share an enthusiasm for exploring side streets and checking out new restaurants when we have an evening to ourselves. So, armed with an appropriate sense of humor, a recent evening led us to a stroll down Bangkok's infamous Soi Cowboy. Our chosen restaurant was just a few blocks away from the soi and we were a bit early. With time to kill, this was a perfect opportunity to observe the supposedly crazy wilds of Bangkok's Red Light district before it would turn to nightfall and become "not our scene."

With the exception of a giant neon cowboy riding high over the alley-like road and the city's ever present motorbike taxi drivers careening around pedestrians, Bangkok's red light district looked pretty tame compared to other cities similar neighborhoods. After an uneventful stroll past bars with the names playing on various versions of The Dollhouse, we were still a bit too early for our preferred dinner hour. So, we ducked inside a bar proud to be one of the few places in Bangkok to serve Guinness on tap (sort of).

Within no more than a minute, the "draft" Guinness was set on coasters before us. Now, let it be known that I am not an expert on beer. My consumption habits are pretty much limited to Irish Pubs, tropical beaches or, in this case, a Dutch bar on Soi Cowboy in Bangkok. However, thanks to the help of my husband, I know that a good Guinness takes more than a minute to pour. So, uncertain of what was actually in my pint of espresso-colored, no foam, lukewarm cup labeled Guinness, I proceeded cautiously. Thankfully, it wasn't long before it was time to head to our real destination of the evening, just a few blocks away.

It has been quite awhile since I've enjoyed delicious Vietnamese cooking and I had hoped that the darling greenery covered restaurant in front of me would provide relief from my draught. Dressed in white linens and traditional blue enameled plates, with gorgeous artwork and a continuation of the outdoor's beautiful greenery, my heart started to palpitate at the overall experience that might await us. As quickly as the palpitations occurred, I flat lined when our chosen beverages approached the table. Two completely naked women, breasts bubbling over with the drink's foam, were placed on the table. From a tame Soi Cowboy to an elegant Vietnamese restaurant serving in vessels disguised as naked women! Unable to control the humor that the night presented, my husband and I attempted to hold in belly laughs, clinked the breasts together and winked, "bottoms up!"

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 51:

Candied Coconut Cashews

Take a break from Bangkok bar hopping, stay in, cook up a pizza and whip up this version of a bar snack. Just be forewarned that Candied Coconut Cashews are addictive. I take no responsibility if you find yourself tiptoeing to the kitchen at midnight to make a new batch.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh raw cashews

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons unsweetened finely grated dried coconut

Method:

In a saute pan, add the sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat to high and stir the ingredients until they just begin to melt. Add the cashews, mix to coat and continue to stir until the sugar is well caramelized (about 2 minutes). Allow the nuts to stand for a moment to "roast", but don't allow them to burn. Remove from heat and add the coconut. Stir to coat well. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy while warm.

Yield: 2 snack sized servings

Not a good idea

2009-05-21T18:12:00.011+07:00

Going for a gentle stroll in the middle of Bangkok's monsoon season. Trying an exotic local delicacy from the stand next to the bug vendor's cart. Running on a treadmill in 100 degree humid heat. Some things start out seeming like a good idea.

Which is why I never thought twice about swimming in our pool during betel nut season until one hit me squarely on the head. In the middle of a little sans-children relaxation, I swung my feet up and brought myself into a back float. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the sweet smell of jasmine and listened to the dull bubbling sounds brought on by having your ears under water. The sun warmed my face and my mind drifted until..... THUMP. Right where my hair meets my forehead an insanely hard object ricocheted off my head. Startled and swallowing a bit of water, I steadied myself to see the golf ball-sized, persimmon-colored fruit floating next to me. With a lump forming on my head, I held a perfect betel nut in my hand.

Freeze frame for an instant: I mention that it was a perfect specimen because I had secretly been after one for a good couple of weeks. A friend was surprised to hear I'd never tried one before. "You cut into it and find the seed. This is what you chew on and it releases a mild tobacco-like calming sensation, similar to a cigarette." Honestly, not one with a taste for tobacco products, I surprised myself when I thought, "Well, that's a local experience I may never get the opportunity to try again."

Our property has trees of different tropical fruits lining the sides and for the past week the morning ground had been covered by the betel nuts. But, add to this knowledge when you're envisioning our fruit covered tropical oasis: Our beloved house dog could be spotted with a betel nut in his mouth at nearly every hour of the day and all of the fallen fruit seemed to have been partially chewed on overnight by various animals and/or insects. Perhaps you now see why even the whack in the head could be overlooked when I now held an unscathed betel nut, fresh from the tree, in my hand.

Ummm... mild tobacco-like calming sensation? I never got to the sensation since the taste was exactly like what I'd imagine taking a cigarette, wadding it up like a piece of gum and giving it a good long chewing would be like. One bite into the seed and my betel nut hunting came to a screeching halt. Even after merely one bite, I continued to taste the foul thing for a solid 24 hours. So, needless to say, when I went back to the pool a week later and was once again pelted by a falling betel nut, I threw it towards our happily panting house dog.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 50:
Rum Coconut (not a Betel Nut!) Shrimp
While some things just aren't a good idea (see the above narrative), here's one that is. The combination of rum, coconut and shrimp, with a little acidic lime juice thrown on top, is a perfect ending to a tropical day.

Ingredients:
4 of the largest shrimp you can find (2 per serving), peeled, deveined, tails intact
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black finely ground pepper
2 tablespoons dark rum
4 heaping tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup of veggie oil
lime wedges

Method:
Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, rum and flour in a shallow pan. Place the panko, sugar and coconut into a different shallow pan and mix. In a large deep skillet, heat the oil. Place the end of a wooden spoon into the oil, when bubbles form gently around the wood the oil is ready. Working with one shrimp at a time, roll them in the egg mixture, followed by a thorough coating in the panko crumbs. Place gently into the oil and cook until golden brown. The time will vary depending on what size shrimp you selected. Plan for 1-3 minutes, flipping once. Drain on a rack and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Yield: 2 servings

Foodie Fights: Battle Cauliflower Raspberry

2009-05-18T23:50:00.012+07:00

After being selected as one of six competitors in this week's Foodie Fights,* I had a mild panic attack upon finding out the selected ingredients. Battle Cauliflower and Raspberry would not be easy while standing on Thai ground. For starters, the word for raspberry doesn't even exist in the Thai language! And, although cauliflower can be grown here, it isn't a local vegetable but rather a farang vegetable (specifically farmed for foreigners).

So, I dreamt up a recipe, loaded my wallet full of Thai baht and began the trek to the closest foreign market in search of two non-local ingredients. Arriving at the market, drenched from the morning's tropical rainstorm, I was surprised to locate the raspberries in the produce section. Shipped from California, they were a bit weathered looking. But, I scooped up the container which boasted 12 berries for a mere $14.76 USD (sarcasm and eye roll intended). While the raspberries pinched the wallet, the cauliflower took on the role of the illusive ingredient. After searching the produce section extensively, I approached the store's manager and in broken Thai language I attempted to ask if there was any of the produce perhaps located elsewhere. At the time, I didn't know the word for cauliflower and had to resort to charades. Somehow I made an impression and I was asked to return in 30 minutes. After a bit of a wait, I was presented with a head of cauliflower about the size of a baseball ($10 USD), which had been put on the back of a motorbike and delivered from another market. I placed the snowy white vegetable next to the berries in my reusable bag and skipped home ready for a morning of cooking.

*Update: the votes are in and counted. And, disappointingly, this recipe didn't take the win for battle cauliflower raspberry. However, it is a delicious example of fresh Thai cooking and I highly recommend you give it a try in your kitchen. Cheers to my competitors for a great foodie fight!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 49:

Fresh Rolls Dok Kha Lam,* with raspberry ginger dipping sauce

A satisfying alternative to a salad, these rolls feature fresh zappy ingredients that wake up the mouth. Enjoy as an appetizer or as a light lunch, served with some fresh fruit and a cool beverage.

Ingredients:

For the rolls:

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into separate stalks

1/2 carrot, cut into matchsticks

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup of bean sprouts

1 hand full of mint leaves

1 hand full of cilantro

6 green onions, trimmed into 4-inch pieces

10 Spring Roll Wrappers

For the dipping sauce:

1 pint fresh raspberries

1-inch piece of ginger, cut into three pieces

1/4 cup of water

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

Method:

For the dipping sauce-- Place the raspberries, ginger and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Mash the fruit slightly and simmer for three minutes. Remove from the heat and push the liquid through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds and the ginger. Return the liquid to the saucepan and add the honey and lime juice. Over low heat, stir well until the sauce begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely while you assemble the rolls. Serve cool.

For the rolls-- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the cauliflower florets and the carrot slices into the water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and immediately place into a bowl of ice water. Strain and move vegetables to a plate. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take the cauliflower and cut carefully into strips, discarding any small pieces that crumble. Working with one wrapper at a time, submerge into hot water until pliable, approximately 30 seconds. Place wrapper onto a flat surface and add a pinch of cilantro leaves, bean sprouts, mint leaves, 2 pieces of green onion, 2 pieces of carrot and 3 pieces of cauliflower. Wrap sides in and then wrap tightly to form a tube around the vegetables. To serve immediately, cut in half and place on platter. To save for up to three days, line a covered storage container with a damp cloth. Layer the rolls with a damp cloth between them, cover and place in the refrigerator.

Yield: 10 rolls

*Dok Kha Lam is the Thai word for Cauliflower

Damn the thermal scanner

2009-05-16T20:49:00.003+07:00

Swine flu jokes made for good reading on facebook and twitter feeds until I returned from Singapore last night with a feverish five year old in tow. After a fantastic holiday in the island nation of Singapore, we headed to the airport to catch our plane bound for Bangkok. With two days of lacking naps, the kids were tired and a bit worn looking. And, it was apparent that as the two hour flight progressed my daughter was catching a cold. The same daughter who was content to run around the Changi airport happily looking at their many art installations registered a full 103 degree temperature by Bangkok's airport thermal scanners.

As a swat team of masked medical professionals pounced on my sleep deprived, ill child the nightmare began. Since she had been riding on her papa's back as we originally passed through the scanners, we were told that she'd have to walk the path again but on her own this time. After racing away, choking, screaming and throwing herself on the floor, I struck a deal with her. Whether the medical team liked it or not, the only way they would have a chance to put their thermal scanners to action on her would be for her to come into my arms and bury her face into my neck. Together, we walked the scanners path again. Beep, and again we were snagged.

Then a complete recording of our travels and a collection of our contact information, followed by an in-airport trip to the doctor and the dangling promised nightmare of taking an ambulance ride for an overnight stay at a local hospital. Needless to say, our nerves were fried when we piled into a taxi and finally sped to our home through a late night thunder storm.

Today, my daughter is sniffling from a cold and promising to "never, ever, ever, NEVER" return to an airport. Looks like our next holiday will be extremely enjoyable.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 48:

Singapore Chicken Rice

A favorite southeast Asian chicken soup that always comforts the soul, stuffy noses and exhausted parents.

Ingredients:

Step one:

1 chicken placed in a large pot and covered 3/4 with water

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

a large piece of ginger (about 3 inches)

1 vanilla bean

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

soy sauce

black pepper

Step two:

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 piece of ginger, about 1-inch, peeled and chopped

1 vanilla bean

2 tablespoons of oil

2 cups of long grain rice

4 cups of chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

For condiments:

hand full of chopped cilantro

hand full of bean sprouts

hot peppers, chopped

bottle of sesame oil

bottle of soy sauce

Method:

For step one: Add all of the ingredients listed under step one and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for two hours. Strain, reserving chicken and stock. Allow stock to cool slightly and skim off any fat. Return to pot and season with soy sauce and freshly ground pepper. Strip chicken off of bones and set aside on a serving platter.

For step two: Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic, ginger and vanilla bean until fragrant and slightly caramelized. Add the rice and stir. Cook until slightly golden. Add one cup of stock at a time, stirring regularly, until absorbed by the rice before adding another. After the last cup is added, bring to a higher heat to burn off any extra liquid. Remove vanilla bean and place rice in a serving bowl.

To your serving platter, add chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, chopped peppers and bottles of sesame oil and soy sauce. Heat the reserved stock and serve in large soup bowls. Allow guests to add a portion of chicken and rice to their bowls, adding desired condiments on top.

A flute playing cabbie in the garden of good and evil

2009-05-11T01:52:00.004+07:00

Bangkok is sometimes referred to as "the city of candy cars" because if you take a moment to rise above the traffic and look down on it, you'll notice that the city's taxi cabs come in a rainbow of brightly colored hues. Hot pink, lime green, lacquered purple, fiery orange, brilliant turquoise and nail polish red line up with the occasional traditional yellow and green combo sprinkled into the mix. But, if you've heard of our famous candy colored cars, I'm fairly certain you've not yet heard the story of one cab among many that I will forever affectionately refer to as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on wheels."

On a hot and humid day, my visiting mother and I strolled along our sub soi until we met a cab ready to pick up passengers. Relieved to escape the heat, I opened the door and caught my breath in surprise. Expecting the usual Buddha image affixed to the dash, a friendly cabbie's face and a blast of frigid air conditioning to greet me, I couldn't hide my fascination when I poked my head in and saw the interior. The friendly cabbie and the a/c were present and accounted for. But, instead of the typical religious images, the entire cab was covered in little tchotchkes unlike any I have seen before.

In awe and slightly questioning what I had just gotten my mother and I into, I told the cabbie where we were headed, he nodded and revved the engine. Zooming away, rows upon rows of little ceramic ladybugs fluttered their wings, hula dancers wagged their hips, little bells tinkled and confetti colored fantasy animals swayed to the rush of a/c. The cab was part voodoo-esque in design, reminding me of several alter images referred to in John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and part modern art museum on wheels. Sensing his passengers wonderment and acceptance, the cabbie took down his sun flap above his head and pointed to a tiny glued on statue. "Buddha here," he said before quickly closing the flap.

I so wish someone driving by could have captured our picture. With a normal looking taxi from the outside, I'm sure our faces were hysterical as we stared and pointed and expressed our love for all the little wobbly bobbley shiny things. And, if that wasn't fantastic enough, at the first major stoplight our driver said, "Music" and promptly removed a hand made reed flute from his overhead sun flap. We continued to smile, with a musical treat at every stoplight, all the way to our destination.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 47:

Evil Jungle Prince

Evil Jungle Prince is one of my favorite Thai dishes because it satisfies a curry craving without the richness of too much coconut milk. But, be forewarned, this is called "evil" for a reason! For a less spicy version, add less chili peppers or serve with freshly cut mango to cool the heat.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon veggie oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 3-inch piece of galangal, cut into thin slices*

1/2 cup of coconut milk

2 heaping tablespoons of red curry paste

10 chili peppers, sliced in half, stem's removed

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded**

1 cup of shredded green cabbage

about 10 pieces of baby corn, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup of prawns, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup of pineapple chunks (fresh is best, but use canned if necessary)

1 cup of Bamboo, thinly sliced

2 cups of Basil leaves

Method:

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and add the onions, garlic and galangal. Saute until caramelized (add water as necessary to avoid burning). Once caramelized, add the coconut milk and stir. Add the curry paste and cook for three minutes, stirring. Add the chili peppers and cook for one more minute. Add the lime leaves, cabbage, corn and cook just until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add the prawns and pineapple. Cook until the prawns are opaque. Then, add the bamboo and basil. Cook until the bamboo is hot and the basil is wilted. Serve immediately on a large platter, with plenty of jasmine rice on the side.

* If you can't find fresh galangal, use a one inch piece of fresh ginger instead. The flavor will be stronger in the dish, but still similar enough.

** If you can't find fresh kaffir lime leaves, substitute 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

A pack of rabid dogs

2009-05-05T17:38:00.005+07:00

I had a pretty normal day. I took my almost three-year-old shopping for a few new movies at MBK, met up with my husband and five-year-old for lunch at Siam Paragon and then came home to relax a bit before heading to the store and being instructed to take the waiting tuk tuk through the rabid pack of wild dogs milling on our side street. Oh, screeching halt. Rabid dogs in a pack... not so normal.

After stocking up on just a couple necessary items for tonight's teriyaki dinner, I started the walk home with a highly iced beverage in hand. I was humming along to my kids favorite theme song (stuck in my head) and enjoying the satay stand operators friendly smiles. Until half-way home, I saw a small crowd gathered in the middle of the street and looking further down the road a group of about sixteen dogs milling about the street. A tuk tuk and two motorbike taxis were taking members of the crowd slowly through the dogs and depositing their passengers on the other side.

Waiting for just a couple of minutes, I climbed on my designated motorbike and the driver shrugged his shoulders and said, "Rabies. Free." I was dropped just beyond the dogs and the motorbike ventured through the pack again to pick up another passenger. The walk home ranks up there with one of my oddest moments in Thailand to date. And, I must admit, riding with your ankles dangling at mouth level near a pack of rabid dogs does get the adrenaline pumping. I had desperately been hoping for the tuk tuk instead of the motorbike.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 46:

Lemon Grass Martinis

A perfect drink to calm the nerves and refresh the palette. Great thanks to my mother who, while visiting, was my guinea pig for this recipe. Here's the improved version, Mom! *wink*

Ingredients:

6 stalks of lemon grass (1 stalk set aside, 5 stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces)*

1 cup of water*

juice of 1 lemon*

1 teaspoon honey

2 shots of vodka

1 small wedge of lemon

Ice for shaking

Method:

In a small saucepan, add water, 5 stalks of sliced lemon grass and the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for five minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Strain and add juice of one lemon. Place 1 teaspoon of honey into a martini glass and place glass into freezer (can be done far in advance). Take reserved lemon grass and cut into a two inch spear. Pound one end slightly and thread a lemon wedge onto the stalk. In a shaker, add 1 shot of the lemongrass mixture, 2 shots of vodka and a handful of ice. Shake. Strain into frozen glass and garnish with prepared lemon grass spear.

*The combination of these ingredients will create more than necessary for one drink. Save any leftovers in the fridge for up to one month.

First class theatre

2009-04-25T15:45:00.001+07:00

On Saturday, the air was warm and humid with overcast skies. That is, until precisely 20 minutes prior to my husband and my planned departure time. The sky opened up for the third day in a row and dropped sheets of rain. Thunder cracked overhead and the winds whipped. Our street flooded. As I stepped a toe out into our river, formerly referred to as a street, our security guard wrinkled his nose and quickly showed excitement as a taxi appeared within hailing distance.

Moments later we were in the car and off to Bangkok's CentralWorld for the rare treat of a movie.

After paying for our tickets, and wondering why they cost more than the last time we were at the theatres, we were greeted at the base of a red carpet and directed down a hallway that I had not noticed on previous trips. Little did we know that we were embarking upon one of Bangkok's truly amazing finds- The First Class Movie Theatre. Similar in concept to first class on an airplane, although executed with even higher levels of service, the theatre allows movie goers private, exclusive priveledges.

At the end of the hallway was a modern glitzy lounge, serving drinks and a small buffet of bite-sized Thai treats. Perhaps you'd like a beer or a cappacino served to you during the start of the movie? Or, maybe you'd like to have an elegant taste of Thai caramel custard or chicken satay before entering the theatre. All options are provided with the compliments of your ticket price or for a small additional fee (depending on your beverage selection).

We were again greeted and escorted to our seats. WOW: Two side by side giant plush velvet covered easy chairs awaited us. Our order was taken for a choice of curry or herb salted popcorn and choice of beverage (both included with the ticket price). Blankets were brought and, after standing for the national anthem and accompanying montage footage of the King, we reclined to tuck in for the movie ahead. My future movie going experiences will be forever spoiled by Thailand's "first class movie theatres."

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 45:

Thai pizza

I never thought I'd move to Thailand and end up getting really good at making pizza! However, when the nearest grocery store isn't right around the corner and the frozen pizza sold there looks extremely unappealing, one quickly figures out how to make a healthy, delicious pizza for the pizza lovers in their life! This recipe involves quite a few steps, but if you have kids, they'll love to help you (my two year old dons his apron and loves to help knead the dough). And, the dough freezes beautifully so make a double batch- freeze the dough in the round. When you want to cook a pizza again, just remove the pizza round from the freezer and set aside to thaw before topping and cooking.

Ingredients:

Dough-

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 cup cornmeal, plus a bit extra for rolling

1/2 teaspoon salt

Toppings-

4 Tablespoons nut butter (use peanut for an authentic Thai flavor, but my family prefers cashews)

3 Tablespoons of brewed tea

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons lime juice

pinch of dried red chilies

pinch of dried ginger

2 Tablespoons honey

3 green onions, chopped

1 large boneless chicken breast, chopped into fine strips about 1/2 inch long

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

extra dried red chilies for optional garnish

Method:

For the dough- Place the warm water, yeast and honey into a large mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, remove from bowl and knead for 10 minutes. Place in a clean, well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour. Return to the risen dough and on a floured surface, create the pizza round. Then sprinkle a pizza stone or pizza pan with cornmeal and move dough to the stone/pan. Set aside and let rise for at least 1/2 hour.

To prepare the toppings- Combine the nut butter, tea, soy sauce, lime juice, chilies, ginger and honey. Stir thoroughly. Remove 2 tablespoons and place over raw chicken. Cover remaining sauce and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Cover raw chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour. Remove chicken after marinating and cook in a hot skillet, about 3 minutes, then set aside.

To make the pizza- Place the pizza round into a 250 C/425 F preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and quickly top with the nut butter sauce, spreading a thin layer. Add the chicken, the green onions and sprinkle with cheese. Place back into the oven until the cheese is bubbly. Remove, top with the carrots and cilantro. Serve immediately with a side of dried red chili peppers for topping at the table.

Happy 2552!

2009-04-16T23:00:00.002+07:00

Happy New Year 2552! That's right, it is the year 2552 in Thailand and we've been celebrating all week long.

With the end of the latest round of riots, the Songkran festival is in full swing and everyone is relaxing as we celebrate the start of a new year. Traditionally, Thai families spend the week prior to Songkran (which officially runs from Monday to Wednesday of this week) preparing for the New Year by cleaning their homes extensively. Then, during Songkran week, people return to their homes for huge family gatherings and celebrations with those nearest and dearest to them.

Tradition calls for the sprinkling of water on elders as a cleansing sign of good fortune for the year ahead. However, in modern Thailand, Songkran has morphed into a massive splash party. People line the streets with giant super soaker water squirters, water bottles and buckets in order to splash anything that moves. Colored powders are then applied to the soaked faces. All of this is done in gentle good fun and depending on where you go to celebrate, you'll receive a dousing of more or less water.

With Bangkok in a state of emergency, the festivities were slightly dampened. But, friends who ventured to Khao San Road (the epicenter of Bangkok's water festivities) said it was a wet world. And, my husband and visiting father journeyed outside of Bangkok for a day of trekking and ended up practically drowning in water as pick-up trucks full of locals doused them with buckets. The kids, my mom and I celebrated in our own way by racing through our yard with squirters. Happy New Year everyone! May it be a wonderful 2552 for you and yours....

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 44:

Banana Fritters

A fun dessert for celebrating any occasion.

Ingredients:

4 bananas, sliced into thick rounds

1 1/2 cup of rice flour

pinch of salt

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup ice cold water

vegetable oil

Ice cream, vanilla or coconut

Optional: 1/8 cup rum, 1/8 cup orange juice, 1 Tablespoon sugar (mixed together)

Method:

Combine 1 cup of flour, salt, cinnamon and water in a shallow pan. Stir to create a paste. Roll the bananas in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and then add to the paste mixture. In a deep saute pan, heat a shallow layer of oil and add the bananas (cooking in batches). Cook until golden, flipping once to ensure even coloring on both sides. Drain on towels and serve immediately on top of ice cream. Drizzle a tiny bit of the rum, orange juice mixture over the top if desired.

Easter in a Buddhist country

2009-04-14T06:52:00.005+07:00

Celebrating Easter in a Buddhist country made for a quiet day. Unlike the Christmas season, when Bangkok decked the halls and embraced the commercial aspects of the holiday, Easter came and went without a single note of public fanfare. While leaving our home, my son's "Happy Easter" exchange with our guard was rather one-sided. Looking confused our guard met the greeting with a cheerful "sah wah dee-kob" (hello). None the less, we enjoyed our own personal celebrations and had a great day spending time close to home.

Meanwhile, the latest round of protests were heating up throughout the city. People dressed in red shirts took to the streets, closing down major intersections in order to make themselves noticed. The protests continue on and we continue to stay close to home, working on using up all of those Easter eggs my kids decorated a few days ago!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 43:

Fresh Egg Salad Sandwiches

A spin on the traditional recipe, this egg salad utilizes fresh ingredients to provide a crunchier texture. A perfect way to use up all of those Easter Eggs!

Ingredients:

5 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, finely diced

5 shallots, peeled, finely diced

celery greens (just the leafy top of the stalks), roughly chopped

juice of one lime

Mayonnaise, 1-2 tablespoons depending on taste

Pepper, to taste

White bread, lightly toasted

Method:

Combine the eggs, shallots and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in a bowl. Mash and stir until well mixed into a chunky texture. Add cucumber, celery greens, a dash of pepper, lime juice and more mayonnaise as necessary (texture should be able to hold together, but not saturated with mayo). Place a generous amount on to a slice of toasted bread, cut in fours and enjoy!

Yield: makes approximately 4 generous sandwiches

Stormy skies equal curry buns

2009-04-06T20:51:00.002+07:00

Supposedly, we are in the hottest and driest season of the year in Bangkok. However, the weekend started with a massive storm in the very early morning hours and has continued to gust for the better part of our holiday weekend.* The wind continues to slam the house, thunder cracks overhead and the rain comes down so steadily that it is hard to see any space at all between the giant pelts of water falling from the sky.

A storm now and then can be quite enjoyable, but after several days of our street turning to a river, I finally looked at the mud-colored water streaming by and gave in to one of the basic pleasures of childhood. After a wonderful morning of homemade play dough and painting butterfly pictures, I took the kids puddle jumping (and yes, Bangkok's rain water is just as disgusting as any guide book will lead you to believe). We returned home to hot showers and then sought some quiet in a newly discovered Australian children's television program. As I sat within ear shot of the well loved program, sipping my french pressed black coffee, I heard my kids sweetly sing along with the actors: "Five curry buns in a bakery shop, round and fat with sugar on the top." Well, that sounded delicious and just like the sweet bun I tried last week from a vendor at the Skytrain station. And, so the remainder of the day's activities were immediately born. After another 15 minutes of sing-a-long, the kids jumped at the opportunity to help me create a Thai Curry Bun recipe. And, as the rain pelted the house, we put some music on, measured yeast and watched it rise, had flour flying and kneaded until our wrists hurt.

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 42:

Thai Curry Buns (with sugar on the top!)

This recipe looks complex, but it's actually fairly easy. You will need a few special supplies to make them turn out correctly: a wok with a perforated metal steaming plate that sits above the water and a cover that fits the wok.** You'll also want to have small (2 inch by 2 inch) pre-cut waxed paper squares at the ready. If you have a stormy afternoon to spend, make a big batch of buns and freeze the extras. You can defrost, heat and have an instant lunch or snack that will transport you to the street vendors of Thailand!

Ingredients:

Dough, step one-

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup warm water

Dough, step two-

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon veggie oil

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (set aside, you will need this much later in the recipe)

extra sugar

Filling-

1 teaspoon veggie oil

1/4 onion, finely diced

1 boneless chicken breast, raw, diced

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/4 cup water

pepper, to taste

Method:

Begin with the dough, step one. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and allow to stand for fifteen minutes. In the meantime, in a large saute pan, add the oil and onion. Cook until wilted and translucent, adding water as necessary to keep from burning. Add the chicken, raisins, curry and water. Cook over high heat until the chicken is opaque. Add a dash of pepper and remove from heat. Allow to cool and then chop finely.

Next, add all (except the baking powder) of the "dough, step 2" ingredients to your already started dough mixture. Remove from bowl and knead until combined. You may need to add a little bit more flour as you knead to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. However, take caution, you want the dough to be slightly sticky (it shouldn't be a dry dough). Place in a bowl, uncovered, and allow to sit for at least one hour. When you return to the dough, use the reserved baking powder to lightly dust your work surface and form the dough into individual golf ball size rounds. Working on one at a time, flatten the ball, spoon a tiny amount of filling into the middle and gather the edges around the filling, returning it to a ball-like shape. Place seam side down on a small square of waxed paper. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top of each stuffed bun. Allow filled balls to sit for at least 30 minutes.

In a wok holding boiling water, with a metal steaming plate sitting above the water, place the buns about two inches apart (still on the waxed paper squares) onto the steaming plate. Cook, in batches, for 15 to 20 minutes. Wipe the lid dry between batches (otherwise, the dripping water will discolor the buns). Eat warm and enjoy!

* Celebrated annually on April 6, Chakri day is the founding day of the royal Chakri Dynasty. The present monarch is the ninth king of the dynasty.

** Truth be told, I don't currently have the ideal wok and steaming plate (but it's on my wish list for the near future!). Cooking these buns is a bit tricky without the right gear, but I can attest to the fact that it can be done. I use a tall slender pasta pot to hold the boiling water, place a perforated pizza pan on top of that and then cover it with an inverted pot the same size as the pasta pot. The whole thing gets entirely too hot and is a bit clunky to work with, but... it works!