Kanchanaburi Cooking Class

Dear readers (reader count = 10, and just a few lurkers…you could wave hello, jus’ sayin’), I have made a commitment to give my honest view of the cultures that I find myself immersed in. I would have to say that there is much that I have not touched on that will be revealed in time. However, let me start by discussing the unique philosophy of Thai food. The population of Thailand is 95% Buddhist, and the central tenant of balance runs through all parts of their lives. This is especially true of their food. There are four cornerstones to all Thai dishes, and although I had come here knowing this I did not fully understand it until this past weekend.

The young teacher with an old soul, who I find I have shared the most with here, and I took ourselves on a girl’s get away weekend to cooking school in Kanchanaburi. Granted there are more than a handful of cooking schools here in Bangkok. In fact, I am blessed to live in a city where there is no lack of things to do (unless of course you’re an old goth-industrial-synthpop enamored lady with a love of dance…in which case you might just be sh….well, you get the idea). However, after having spent the entire month of January in Bangkok, and getting a nice little case of black lung from all of the smog, we needed a bit of a break from the city. Thailand has an amazingly developed transportation system, and there are any number of ways to get from Bangkok to just about anywhere you want (for the right price). We ended up taking one of the minivan services that can be picked up from any number of locations around Bangkok, and arriving in Kanchanaburi a few short hours later. Have I mentioned that there seems to be a general lack of speed limits here? And that many vehicles are outfitted with seven speeds, and nitrous tanks? No? Hmm. We made our way to Apple & Noi’s Retreat which was located just out of town, and across the River Kwaire. We arrived, checked in, and as it was well after dark on a Friday night soon found ourselves nestled on mattresses softer than anything I had slept on in months.  Have I mentioned that most Thai beds creak like a wooden door when you lay down? No? Hmm.

I awoke early, the bane of keeping up with my weekly teacher schedule, and after being properly refreshed wandered down to snap a few photos in the early morning light.

Yes, it really was this peaceful.

I made my way down to the retreat’s river side open air restaurant, and slowly sipped my way through my favorite Boston style cup of joe to full alertness. I had not been sitting long when I was brought a menu, which as I do not often wake up with raging hunger I declined, only to discover that this was how I would be choosing the four menu items that I would be cooking that day. The heady mix of caffeine induced alertness, and excitement makes me quite the bouncy girl. My companion dragged herself down to join me at the table, and after finishing her first cup of coffee finally put two words together. We were soon joined by the rest of our cooking companions for the day, and our fearless leader Noi. Noi’s sharp mind and wit were quickly revealed, and I knew that this would come to be a day to remember when she reminded us in perfect English to continue smiling through the market (especially the more carnivorous sections) as we were merely weekend visitors, but she had to live with the people in her little town. I had mentally armed myself knowing that I would not be visiting anything close to our American supermarkets where every piece of meat is well washed, and shrink wrapped. However, I had not put quite enough forethought into my packing, and noticed as we were headed to the market that maybe I should have packed something other than my $2 flip flops.

The market was not anything truly new to me as I have now been in this country four months. However, given that I have no kitchen in my little studio in Bangkok (which is not unusual), I have little reason to buy food at markets. Noi proved to be even more knowledgeable than she had first seemed, and I learned much wandering around the market. As with anything there comes a point where you reach saturation, and can’t seem to take in any more information. This happened as we were headed (ha, headed) into the meats section of the market. I remembered to smile, and nod, but I am fairly certain that my eyes were wide as saucers at some of the things that I was snapping photos of as I went along.

You didn’t think I would spare you now did you? Heavens no.

After making our way back to the retreat, we donned our aprons, and watched attentively as Noi demonstrated the cooking process of our first course. We had come together as a group, and voted to make Pad Thai and Labb Gai. We carefully watched, and listened as Noi took us through the process of fully realizing each recipe—some of us taking notes, and others snapping pictures. We then paired up, and began our cooking. The majority of the participants added the tiniest amount of dried chili flake, but my companion and I are built with similar capacities for spice. Meaning that when the time came for the group to try other’s dishes ours were given a surreptitious nod, and nothing more. Suffice it to say, we both found ours to be pleasantly spicy. The instructors went around tasting everyone’s and actually came away from ours remarking on how spicy they were, and giving us an approving look.

My first homemade Pad Thai (left), and Labb Gai (right).

By the end of the first course we were well sated, and wondering how we would be able to finish our second course. However, first came the cooking. For our main course (as Labb Gai is considered a salad, and Pad Thai is considered a started course) we had opted to make Gai Panang and Tom Yum Gai. Now, what is important to know about the various curry dishes is that they vary based on the various curries one can use (yellow, red, and green—can you guess which one is the hottest?). Gai Panang is made with red curry, and is absolutely delicious. Again, we are not afraid of spice, and found ourselves having to stay our heavy hands in favor of actually not overwhelming the dish. Want to take a guess at how many tried our Gai Panang? Yep, that would be correct. Finally, we finished with Tom Yum Gai, which is a fabulous dish for clearing the body of any illness as it is chock full of many natural antioxidants. And now that I know how to make this from scratch, don’t expect anything else if you ask me to bring you soup when you are sick. The majority of these dishes we were unable to finish until much later that night, as we had stuffed ourselves on Pad Thai and Labb Gai.

My first homemade Gai Panang (left), and Tom Yum Gai (right).

I mentioned earlier that the central tenant of balance was quite apparent in their food, and I will share this little secret with you before leaving you with a recipe. The four standard flavors of any Thai dish (as many Thai enthusiasts know) are sweet, salty, spicy, and sour. However, until I cooked under the tutelage of a Thai woman I had no idea how these actually worked. The key is that the salty is balanced by the sour, and vice versa. So you guessed it, that means that the spicy is balanced by the sweet. Trust me, next time you make a dish a little too salty, try adding just a little bit of lime or lemon juice and see what happens. As it is cold season in the states, I will leave you with the recipe for Tom Yum Gai and wish you good health and happy eating.

Enjoy,

The Epicurous Gypsy

Ingredients

       8 oz chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (with or without bone) or shrimp

       4-5 kaffir lime leaves

       2-3 pieces galangal, slices

       1 1/2 cup staw mushroom, halved

       4 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce

       3 cups water

       1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 2" long pieces

       2 Tablespoons lime juice

       1 Tablespoon Thai chili pepper, chopped

Preparation

       Bring water to boil in a medium-sized pot over high heat. Add kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemon grass. Cook for 2 minutes.

       Add straw mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes more. Add chicken. Do not stir. Cook for 5 minutes or less until the chicken is cooked through - do not overcook.

       Remove from heat. Season to taste with fish sauce, lime juice and chili peppers. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.