The Tale of Two Thai Cities

Having promised to several teacher friends living in various small towns scattered piece-meal across the countryside that I would visit, I made my way this past weekend to Dan Chang. This is a small and sleepy town just a few short hours west of Bangkok on your way to the Myanmar border. Now, dear readers (reader count=10, and thank you random lurker for waving hello last post), those who know me know that I am no small town girl. Why the very thought of settling in a city devoid of certain necessities would be unheard of for this big city mama (think more than one coffee shop, a club with live music, and another with a great DJ where I can dance, and no lack of entertainment options come the weekend—yes, these are all necessities, don’t judge). So I was expecting to have a quiet, restful weekend where I would possibly enjoy a beer under the eaves of a quiet porch on a dusty country road. However, leave it to Thailand to once again completely surprise me.

After only a few minutes of arriving in Dan Chang it was clear that my hosts had put some thought into our weekend festivities, never mind that I was looking for a good little bit of rest and relaxation. We walked from my drop off point across and down the “city” streets of Dan Chang to a restaurant on the other side town. Mind you this took all of about fifteen minutes. We ended up at one of those establishments that are so common in Thailand: part street side restaurant, part local hang out and congregation area, and part private home. And all of this crammed into a space smaller than my tiny studio apartment in Bangkok. However, as is indicative of many of these places—the food was quite good, and certainly fresh.

We were soon joined by a gracious couple that I had heard much about (all wonderful things by the way), but was only just meeting. They proved to be just as delightful (and down to earth) as many had said as the day wore on. We were dropped soon after lunch across from the town’s local temple at what looked to be part junk shop, and part auto maintenance facility where after a little bartering we rented a car for the next twenty-four hours. The addition of the car, in a sleepy country town completely lacking in all of the blessings of public transit that I am so used to, made for ease of transit and what would be a whirlwind twenty-four hours.

We were off as soon as the deal was bartered to the Sam Chook 100 year old market. One could easily lose themselves in the winding streets of this little market, and we most likely would have had it not been for the fact that we arrived so close to closing. However, we found plenty to entertain ourselves, and I would recommend heading there should you want a little trip out of Bangkok. You can find more information here:  http://tweetyourselfthai.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/sam-chook-100-year-market-a-little-history/

However, the highlight of my trip was stumbling across this beautiful silver cuff. It was a rather ornate, but earthy piece that spanned at least a couple of inches wide in intricate duplication of little vines and leaves. The vines and leaves were interspersed with the most gorgeous off-white natural stones, and immediately I was drooling. I have been practicing my bartering skills since coming to this country, and was soon making the “that’s a little pricey” face (the one that leads to the shop owner and I going back and forth until we have settled on a price we both like. It is customary for the proprietor to supply the customer with more information that will lure the hard earned baht out of your pocket, and into their hands. However, telling me that those gorgeous stones were actually ivory made me turn on my heel, and immediately walk out with a muttered, “Mai ow, kha” (I don’t want). Ivory! Nope, nu-uh, I don’t think so. There are simply a few things that regardless of how okay that seems to be in Thailand I will never get used to, and I am certainly not planning to bring any home.

The rest of the night was spent wandering from one place to the next, until we ended up at the local fair. I am not certain why those small traveling fairs are so alike from one country to the next, but certainly this one did not disappoint. There was the usual bass thumping, loud music that you can’t quite distinguish since the sound system is so terrible. Carnival rides dotted the hay strewn area—a tilt-a-whirl here, an octopus there. The games were just as similar as well, and I did not miss my opportunity to shoot a few pellets at some meanly snarling stuffed animals. Three of which I ended bringing down, thank you very much! I am quite the hunter, no? Did I mention that this whole thing was on the town’s temple grounds? I didn’t? Hmmm. Let’s just say that the peaceful, smiling Buddhas did a wonderful job of reminding me that I was most certainly not in Kansas anymore.

The next day was packed again, but this time with some amazing food. I have found a Thai dish that I absolutely adore, but which I have never seen in any Thai restaurant in the states, and it is a version of this that I leave you with.

Enjoy,

The Epicurious Gypsy

Pla-muk tod Gatiem

100 gms Squid

4 Garlic Cloves

1 Teaspoon White Pepper

2 Tablespoons Light Soy sauce

1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

100 ml Oil (something light like Canola)

Preparation

1. Cut the squid like squares clean the inside of the squid carefully, remove the beak if it is still present.

2. Score the squid with diagonal criss-cross scoring, this will make it more tender and less chewy once cooked.

3. Pound the garlic in a Thai mortar and mix with squid, light soy sauce and fish sauce.

4. Put oil into a frying pan over a medium heat.

5. Add the squid mixture into the pan and cook for 3 minutes.

6. If you overcook squid it becomes chewy, so only light, short cooking is necessary.

Serve With

Fragrant Rice

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.

"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." ~Jack Kerouc

Dear readers (reader count=10, and just a few others…hello others), let me start by apologizing for my complete lack of attention to this blog. Having said that, please know that this will be the very last apology you will receive from these nimble fingers (get your minds out of the gutter!). Yes, the fingers are nimble, and wouldn’t you just love to know how nimble they are? However, I must say that I would be referring to my rather ambidextrous nature (again pull your minds out of the gutter). I have every desire to write on a daily basis. I have dreams of throwing myself into my work in some beautiful beach side bungalow where nothing more is demanded of me than my writing. However, until I hit it big in the lottery, which I don’t play, or until I am swept off my feet by some handsome billionaire who loves moody and artistic women…yeah, well you see my dilemma. In the meantime you will just have to be a wee bit patient with me. Between the teaching, the masters studies, and the traveling I am not left a great deal of time for writing. But then again, maybe I am just making excuses.

As a young, not well traveled, and inexperienced teen I read voraciously from writers who focused on their life and travel experiences. However, there was one book in particular that would be cracked open every spring as the itch to travel would begin in my toes and travel up my spine. Let’s just say that this particular novel left me with romantic visions of traveling cross-country by train. The prose harping on the rolling country side, and the sense of the infinite that it inspired would be an unrequited lust until I venture halfway across the world. It was here in this rich and verdant environment that I first experienced a day long train trip. I had experienced trains before, but in comparison that first train trip did little to inspire or sate my desire. It was here, coming from the dusty little town of Surin, and heading for the next nine hours back to Bangkok that I was officially indoctrinated to the pleasure of train travel. Watching the hills, lakes, dusty little towns, and gorgeous temples roll by that I found myself transported back to the pages that my sixteen year old self would sop up in pleasure. There are not sufficient words to describe the beauty that rolled by minute by minute on that train. Maybe it was traveling through one of the country’s most beautiful parks, maybe it was the fireworks that sang through the air illuminating the night like so many multi-colored angels, but I would have to say that it truly may just come down to the company I kept that day.

I have been blessed to meet a multitude of characters since I first stepped off that plane. You see, and here I must stop to disclose some vital information, I came to Thailand to deal with my past-namely my divorce. Make all of the Eat, Pray, Love jokes you’d like here, but sadly it is true. I had to come half way around the world to meet myself. Let me say that the first few months have been less than pleasant in more moments than I would like to admit to.  It has been almost a year now since the final separation, and I am grateful every single day to have been set free. My marriage taught me a lot, about myself, about life, but mostly about relationships. It was tough, and a lot of work, and there were some moments that were pure magic, but I am glad that it is over. I believed, when I married him, that I had met my match. I know now that I simply didn’t know what I was capable of. Having said all of that (and wow talk about full disclosure), I must say that I was not so easy to be around my first few months here. I can feel the changes in me, and I know that I am pulling out of it. There were a few bright souls who (for whatever their reasons) chose to see past my disarray. It is for these folks that I say thank you. Thank you for seeing past all of my bullshit, and loving me for me. You showed compassion, kindness, and humor when all of mine had run out. So thank you S for being a lifeline and go to in Bangkok when I was not quite standing on my own. Thank you S and K for showing me the best parts of yourself, and what I aspire to express on a daily basis. Thank you K for getting me from that very first weekend, and being so patient with my little princess ass. Thank you C for reminding me of home, and being a bright spot here in Thailand. Thank you G and N for your constant love of life and fun, and for keeping me light. My circle here is expanding daily, and I am grateful for the best parts of myself that are being revealed a little bit every day.

"Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone." -The Dhammapada

Sincerely,

The Epicurious Gypsy

p.s.: I have included a picture below of the strangest snack I have had on a train.

The Temple of the Dawn and a little Mutton Korma on the side

Every day in Bangkok is an adventure for this wander lust lady. From venturing down the city and side streets of my local neighborhood to stumbling across glimpses of the ancient world; Thailand does not disappoint. I came to this foreign land with the intention of expanding my mind, and centering my spirit. Every morning I awake with a lack of expectation of what the day will bring, save one thing—lessons. I am constantly learning. Language, culture, life, but mostly I am learning about myself. I am learning what I am capable of—both good and bad. It is truly moment to moment here, and some moments are better than others. Some moments are bright, shining stars on my horizon that make everything else pale in comparison. Some moments stir my soul and fill me with beatific gratitude. I was blessed to be awash with one of these moments quite recently.

A Saturday morning means sleeping in for those of us who are blessed enough to do the weekly grind. I awoke this particular Saturday a little early and very excited about the day to come. Another traveling teacher and I made our way down to our local pier of the Chao Phrya. The Chao Phrya, for those of you who don’t know, is the river that separates Bangkok from Thonburi. Think of them like the twin cities, you know…Minneapolis and St. Paul? Didn’t know I was a geography teacher, did you? After looking at the maps, and figuring out what pier we were headed to we hopped on one of the river taxis. Now, just to be clear, they are called that, but it is a little bit more like a river bus. You tell the attendant what pier you are headed to, and hand over the appropriate baht. We made our way down the Chao Phrya, and headed to the pier that would take us to the river ferry to Wat Arun. I hadn’t done any shopping since arriving in Thailand. However, the pier turned out to be one tempting vendor stall after another. You see, dear reader (reader count=8, and just a few others…hello others!), I am not tempted to spend my baht on kitschy I <3 BKK t-shirts, or even the cooler variety of printed tees with gorgeous scrolling, and spiraling motifs. I don’t feel the need to don fisherman pants, and in fact the majority of the clothing here isn’t meant for these Italian curves. But the tribal masks, wood carvings, and general display of all things foreign and beautifully strange…ah, these are truly temptations for me. I refrained from diving in and hording as many of these little treasures as I could. At least for now, and centered my sights on the beauty of Wat Arun.

This breath taking temple is a mix of Thai, Indian, and Chinese influence. In the Khmer style, this temple is approached from the pier. Immediately one is greeted by large, shell and porcelain covered spirit houses, and towering, grimacing, tile-armor covered guardian demons. A lush, verdant path leads to the main gate of Wat Arun. On either side of this entrance are prayer houses. These are functioning buildings of glowing white from which devout Buddhists emerge with the flow of serenity around them. For a small donation, anyone can enter and receive a blessing or meditate. These buildings were a curiosity to me, and certainly received my respect. Although I chose to show my respect by not entering, and instead observing from a respectful distance as I know little about Buddhism outside of high school required reading of Herman Hesse. And truthfully, I know myself well enough to know that I am far to fond of Bacchanalian reverie to find myself following a spiritually centered, middle path professing, Eastern spirituality. That being said, I do plan to immerse myself in meditative peace and quiet very soon, if only for a weekend.

I proceeded through the main gate of Wat Arun, and stood in awe of the soaring, spiritual spectacle before me. The main tower, or central prang, of Wat Arun is surrounded by four smaller “satellite” prangs. The central prang is unusual in that it can be climbed. There are three sets of stairs that lead to the top of the central prang. The last two sets of stairs are somewhat steep, and immediately I was reminded of a trip a few years back to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben. On this particular trip I allowed myself to be talked out of climbing the stairs to the top of one of the most beautiful temples that I have seen yet. I carried away with me that day the beauty, and spiritual splendor of those ruins, but also regret. It would take me a few more years of allowing myself to be held back and doubted before I moved past this. On this particular day, as the sun broke through the clouds, I realized that there was no one there left to doubt me, or to hold me back. I climbed those stairs, stopping at every terrace, and circling around each level so that I could take it all in. In the midst of this I was filled with so much gratitude for the freedom to do this, and moved to tears that words filled my head, and this is what I wrote, “Rhythmic chanting fills the air amidst the ruins of Wat Arun (The Temple of the Golden Dawn). On this overcast day the temple seems to glow, and amidst the chaos of the city of Bangkok—there is peace here. I moved to tears by the beauty of it all, and simply awed that the Universe has seen fit to bring me here.”

What more can I tell you all of Wat Arun? There are no words for the shift in me that place brought this day. I can only say that Thailand is already transforming me.

We left Wat Arun, and headed back across the river. Making our way down the river a couple of piers, left us at the Memorial Bridge and from here we made our way to Praharat—Little India. Now, just so you know, I love Thai food. There are a couple of different Thai restaurants in Atlanta, oh Atlanta…I miss you so, that don’t require a look at the menu. I always seem to get something wonderful, and love everything I’ve had. However, that being said, having it morning, noon, and night for weeks, and what will eventually be months…well, any of you that may have worked for an extended period at a restaurant knows what I am about to say—eventually you come to take the food for granted, and long for anything but the food you once loved so much. I seem to be getting something other than rice and whatever comes on top of the rice at least once a week. I had been craving what I knew would be the best Indian food I had savored in my life since I first realized that there was a Little India in Bangkok. I was not disappointed. Everything that I had was amazing, but certainly no one dish more so than the recipe below.

Enjoy,

The Epicurious Gypsy

 Ingredients:

1 kg mutton, cubed, washed

4 cloves

2 elaichi

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

2 large onions, finely chopped

5-6 green chillies, slit

1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste

1 large tomato, chopped

salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsps oil

1 1/2 tbsps ghee

3/4 tsp garam masala pwd

chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

For marinade:

2 tsps red chilli pwd (adjust)

1 1/4 tbsp coriander pwd

3/4 tsp cumin pwd

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 cups thick yogurt/curd

Make a paste

1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds, dry roast for 4 mts, soak in water for 10 mts

4 tbsps grated fresh coconut

4 cashew nuts, soak in little water or milk (optional)

1 Add the curd, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd, half of the ginger garlic paste to the washed mutton. Keep aside the marinated mutton for 30-40 mts.
2 Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, add whole spices and bay leaf and fry for few secs. Add the chopped onions and fry till transparent. Add the green chillis and remaining ginger-garlic paste and saute for 3 mts. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 4-5 mts.
3 Add the marinated mutton and cook over medium heat with lid till the water from the meat and yogurt is almost absorbed. Check in between and stir.
4 Add the poppy seeds-coconut paste and salt to the mutton and mix well. Cover and cook for 4-5 mts. Add 3 cups of water and salt. Cook with lid on simmer till the mutton is tender and the gravy thickens. Add garam masala pwd and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Turn off heat.
5 Serve with pulao, biryani, coconut rice or rotis.

Note:

The cooking time will depend on the quality of mutton used. If its tough meat, it takes longer to cook.

Crunch Critters on Khao Sarn

The sound of leaves crunching under children’s busied feet as they hustle down the darkened Oak Park sidewalks. Candy bags clutched tightly in little fingers, as goblins, ghouls, and little witches make their way from one warmly lit porch step to the next. A small, ghost white, little girl with midnight black hair and a tinfoil tiara skips down the street happily humming the bars to “Monster Mash”. Is this some idyllic scene from a Disney movie or a memory from my own childhood? Well dear readers (reader count=eight, and <gulp> a couple hundred lurkers) to be honest I’m not quite certain myself, and what I have found in my educational research on the workings of the human mind leads me to believe that our memory constructs itself continuously and creatively. That being said, the point is still clear…I have always had a love of all things Halloween. The ritual of pumpkin carving, and roasting the seeds after, the creative construction of costumes, the spooky stories, and the mayhem and mischief in the air—this is Halloween.

Some years have been better than others. As an adult I’ve made many memories that will be carried in my heart for years to come. In fact when it comes to decadence, debauchery, and dancing I have been thrice blessed on the devil’s nights. However, it is quite possible that last night’s festivities will be carried with me far into the future. The Thai have a saying that I am learning to live with, and quite possibly love. “Mai pen rai” they say, or “never mind”.  You see, learning to go with the flow is most definitely one of my biggest lessons here. Going into the weekend I had already let go of my desire for something that would make me feel a little less homesick. I had found a night here that would be comparable to a fabulous evening of maudlin marauding back in my hometown of Atlanta, but had opted to join the group’s activities and head down to

Khao Sarn Road

instead.

Khao Sarn Road

is the backpacker’s destination in Bangkok. Any night of the week it is crammed with vendor’s stalls filled with funky beach wear, Asian printed t-shirts, and a various assortment of Thai dishes and delicacies. However, on Halloween night it was a crazy kaleidoscope of chaos. A small troupe of traveling teachers and I made our way from the local Bangkok neighborhood that I now call home down to Khao Sarn. A short cab ride later, and the traffic came to a jumbled stand still. We hopped out of the taxi and picked our way around vendor’s venues and snack stalls. The thundering noise of the crowd filled our ears, and the glow of a lit platform adorned with deejay and psychedelic screen illuminated our path. This was Halloween on Bangkok’s busy city streets.

A sea of faces greeted us upon arrival. Needless to say it was only a few moments in when we lost one of our numbers who went rushing off after familiar faces. Khao Sarn is packed with bars, and on this particular night the crowds were so chaotic that they came spilling out onto the streets, and it became nearly impossible to differentiate between street traffic and busied bar patrons. Our group gladly took in all of the sights and smells. It would have been impossible not to get caught up in the madness of it all. Let’s just say much fun was being had by all, and the vibe just spread. There were definitely some differences between the Thai costumes and the farang costumes. The majority of the Thai seemed to revel in all things spooky, scary, and sticky, whereas the farang took this night as an opportunity to come silly, slutty, or stupefied. This was easy to do with some of the costumes we saw that night.

Point taken? Now, I have promised you all culinary curiosities, and I promise to not disappoint. Bangkok, just like any other town has it’s standard bar food. Late night, naughty noise-makers need nourishment (say that three times fast). However, in Bangkok there is always an adventure to be had. As one of my new dear friends likes to say, “Ahhhh, Thailand…how strange you are sometimes.” It was not long before we found a snack cart that would make Andrew Zimmern salivate. There it was, a vision of glowing beetles, bugs, and scorpions.

Did you think I was joking? I am sad to report that this night was not the night I would try one of the crunchy critters. Calm down! I have a year, it may happen yet. Instead, I opted for a treat that I had heard several people describe with stars in their eyes. After experiencing it myself, I can see why. I have included a video clip that shows the making of this Thai treat for your viewing pleasure. I promise that the next post will include a recipe. Until then…

Enjoy,

The Epicurious Gypsy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFb9hn_FcSQ

The Royal Palette

My third day in Thailand brought every blessing that I had been anticipating. That’s right dear readers (reader count=5 and nameless lurkers), finally I was receiving all of the blessings that I had been hoping for here in this lovely country. The bus ride to the Royal Palace brought a more complete view of Bangkok’s smoggy, and congested chaotic tumble of traffic. Our traveling troupe of teachers was met outside the palace gates by a deafening rumble of vendors, tuk-tuks, and basic Bangkok bedlam. The veritable din of noise (notice that I use this phrase a lot, don’t you? I just love how it sounds) outside of Bangkok’s Royal Palace was oddly and suddenly quieted completely as I entered through the palace gates. The sights and sounds that surround the Royal Palace were replaced with the beauty of the lush oriental gardens that spread out before us on our way to the golden pointed spires that illuminated the otherwise dark and dreary day. A brick wall and a sea of tourists and farangs (I have come to find out that this only applies to the white foreigners and therefore is a nicer form of our American “cracker”) separated me from the barely visible bevy of beauty that awaited me through the palace’s true doors.

Entering through the palace’s true doors I was greeted by gorgeous gold leaf engraved murals that spoke of ancient stories of kings who valiantly fought demons for their true loves. Needless to say it was hard not get swept up in the romance of it all. I opened my world wearied heart and eyes to the sights that awaited me. Immediately I was overwhelmed by a series of buildings that sang out in a chorus of gold, red, turquoise, and emerald, and stone statues that were softened by dots of verdant green, well manicured topiary. I was breathless and blown away, and there are not words that would suffice to speak of all I saw and how I felt that day. I found myself waffling between mouth agape awe and busied bulb flashing. However, there is no way that I could possibly have captured on film or now in words this truly once in a lifetime experience. You’ll simply have to add this to your bucket list.

A crowd had gathered around the cluster of beautiful buildings that seemed to gently push me through to the center of the jeweled treasure trove to which I had been transported. The building that awaited me held the famed Emerald Buddha. The country’s greatest treasure is held within a beautifully ornamented wat. This would be one of the many wats around the city that I would see over the next week, but by far the most beautiful (for those of you who have not the time or interest to do the homework yourself a wat is a temple, you’re welcome). As this statue is so sacred to the Thai there are no photographs allowed inside of the wat. This only adds to the sense of sacred inside the building. Incense greets you at the door, and inside there is a hush as people kneel and bow their heads in quiet reverie. It was here that I was overwhelmed by a wave of gratitude. The tears swimming to my eyes obscured the vision of gold that awaited me in the wat. Overwhelmed by emotion in a country that, from what I had read, would not understand or welcome tears spilling from my eyes in such a public manner (even if they were the happy kind). I stepped outside to do my best at blinking it back, and shifted my attention on the vendor’s booth of tourist treats that greedily await the farang pocketbook. I wish I could say that I was that kind of farang, but this little mama has come by every opportunity through a mix of hard work, smarts, and sheer luck. Money lining my pockets? Not so much. Now where’s that gorgeous sugar daddy expat when I need him?

As if this day could have possibly gotten better? Oh, but it did. Following the Royal Palace excursion, our merry band of busied Bangkok bohos headed across the street for the single best meal I have had here so far. Let’s just say kiddies, my palate was more than pleased. According to several travel guides that I consulted about this restaurant (thanks to some help from the team that brought me to Thailand) it seems that this is not the kind of place you can just walk in to, and their menu was impossible to find. However, after consulting a couple of the local teachers I believe the elusive name of the amazing dish that I found myself gravitating towards would be Pla Muk Pad Ped, and I have included the recipe for your dining pleasure below.

Enjoy,

The Epicurious Gypsy

Ingredients

1 lb Cleaned Squid               

Marinade

5    Minced Garlic Cloves          2 tb Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)        

2 tb White Wine                        1 tb Soy Sauce                   

1/8 ts White Pepper                   1 tb Sugar                       

1 tb Cornstarch                          2 tb Oil                         

Garnish

Green Leaf Lettuce Or              Tomato Slices               

Chinese Lettuce                        Carrot Slices               

Cucumber Slices                       Cilantro Leaves             

Slash the mantle/hood of the squid diagonally, then cut diagonal slashes in the opposite direction. Slice into 2 inch pieces.

Mix together all the marinade ingredients, then add the squid and marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet, add the oil and saute the squid on medium-high heat until all the squid curls.

Garnish with the ingredients listed above, or with any decoratively carved vegetables, and serve.

Busy Bees in Bangkok

First, dear readers (reader count=4, and nameless untold masses) let me begin by apologizing for the extreme tardiness of this post. To say that the last month of my life has been a veritable whirlwind of things to do, people to see, and places to go would be putting it lightly. Rather, it has been utter fucking chaos in every wonderful way imaginable. Will I regale you all with stories of the beautiful, amazing, and wonderful human beings that I am blessed to know? Not a chance. For I know that this is not at all what you came to read. Instead, let’s just say that I am one blessed little mama. What you want to hear, and what I have been craving to give you is news of the sights, sounds, and pleasures of Thailand. So, here we go…

Stepping off the plane in Bangkok was not unlike an emergency flight evacuation. No sillies, there were no fires to put out or people to be taken into custody. Instead the emergency may have been how sore all of the farangs’ (farang is the word the Thai use for foreigners) asses were from untold hours in the air. When stepping off the plane the first things that hit you are the warm, moist air and the smell. I have heard the heat and humidity described as oppressive, but I believe that these may very well be people unfamiliar with a sizzling Atlanta summer. I arrived in the “rainy” season, which typically has some of the country’s mildest (outside of the “winter” season) weather, and consequently found myself mildly surprised at the lack of discomfort. A warm drizzle of rain cooled my skin as I stepped from the plane onto the bus that would carry me to baggage claim, and was greeted immediately with the fragrance of something akin to one of the sweeter curries. This was maybe more surprising, as I had heard tell that Bangkok “stunk”. I am now wondering if the particular individual’s taste buds tend to run a little, well, “white bread”. This would be one of my first lessons here in not believing someone else’s tales of Thailand (and yes I include my own in that, so you’ll just have to come and visit me to see for yourself).

The sweet and somewhat spicy smell of the air would be a bit of a tease for the next 24 hours, but I will get to that in a bit. This will be no long story short post as my first 24 hours in Bangkok was a whirlwind of traveling tales that must be told. Several traveling teachers and I had agreed to meet at the airport since we shared the flight from Tokyo to Bangkok. In all, five of us tramped through the city’s gorgeously muraled airport to claim our luggage and our destinies. I know I am so dramatic, but this is why you keep coming back, right? Don’t worry it will be our little secret. I am not sure if it was the lack of sleep, or the 24 hours in flight, but whatever the reason the next hour was quite the adventure. Our small pack of flight wearied wanderers made our way to the airport stand just outside of the hotel. Now, before coming to Thailand I had done quite a bit of research, but this seemed to fly right out of my jet lagged head. Never, ever go to the airport directed “official” taxi stands. Numerous websites, and travel books had said just this, but they had failed to mention that the actual airport signs direct you to these little motorized scams. So, following airport signs, this is exactly where we ended up. We proceeded to negotiate the taxi fare. If you find yourself in Thailand, and about to take a taxi, do not take a flat fee that they will try to offer you, instead insist upon the “meter, please” with a large, and polite smile spread across your face. A little sugar makes the medicine go down, and this is particularly true in Thailand.

After negotiating the taxis for all five of us, we headed out to find our way to the hotel that would be our home for the next week. Let me just say that the next half hour came very close to coloring my view of what is yet to come. However, if you haven’t figured out that I am one tenacious little fire cracker than you haven’t been reading this blog. I’ll give it to you quick and dirty: monsoon like torrential downpour, nitrous in the trunk (no, I am not kidding), breakneck speed of 120 kilometers per hour, almost insurmountable language barrier, two tolls, a couple of stops on the interstate, and a frustrating and screaming taxi driver. In the smog and fog filled morning, when a few hours of sleep had been acquired and new friends were being made, I found that to one extent or another many of the taxi stories went quite a bit like mine (give or take some drama).

This, of course, brings me to my first full day in Bangkok. Planes, trains, and automobiles? Nah! Try trains, tuk-tuks, sky-trains, buses, and finally a taxi. A large group of us wound our way down to central Bangkok by way of train. From the train station we made our way to the outskirts of Bangkok’s central modern shopping district. After we paid a visit to what the Thai call the “happy room” (you’ll just have to look this one up for yourself), we procured our first Thai meal. In all honesty, I should say that this was our second Thai meal, as our first was the breakfast in the hotel. Now, I am no stranger to Thai food, and was greedily anticipating all of the spices and flavors awaiting me on this beautiful journey. However, these meals just continued to disappoint. They were bland, overpriced (in no way am I saying that the prices compare to our cheapest restaurant meal in the states-more like dollar meal prices at a sit down pace), and altogether disappointing. After procuring our measly meal we headed back out and found a tuk-tuk to take us to the nearest market. Imagine five women crammed onto the back of a golf cart and you have the idea. We knew that this wasn’t quite right when even the locals were staring, pointing, and making merry. And then we found ourselves in what looked like a cross between certain neighborhoods in the states where you go for the cheap rims (you know what I’m talking about, don’t try to act like you don’t), and an actual junkyard. Amidst two and three story dingy, decrepit, and otherwise run down dwellings were car parts stacked upon car parts further than the eye could see. Where were we? “Maah-kit” our tuk-tuk driver happily declared to us. Our jaws were on each other’s shoulders (forget the floor, the chins didn’t have room to make it down that far). We stared in disbelief around us. This was not quite what we had in mind. Another negotiation landed us safely in a major shopping center known as Siam Square (think Times Square, the French Quarter, and a major shopping mall and you might get the idea).

After a small bit of gawking, we headed confidently in the direction of the sky-train. The sky-train is certainly one of the pleasures of travel in Thailand. Think of Chicago’s EL, but brand new, shiny, very clean, quiet, and extremely quick paced. Okay so it is nothing like the EL, maybe I should have made a Disney reference here instead? Oh, suddenly you know what I’m talking about, huh? Anyway the end of the line in Bangkok’s sky-train transportation is Mo Chit. This was a very pretty part of Bangkok cleaner than most of the city and fairly green (I’m happy to report that I will be living very close to there very shortly). We hopped the bus that the hotel swore would bring us to Soi 64 which was the large road located just a half block from the hotel. You already know how this story ends don’t you? Needless to say our limited Thai, and the bus driver’s limited English (0=0) left us somewhere north of the city, but not much closer to our hotel. After settling on a taxi being the easiest way to get back to the hotel, we quickly piled into the taxi and headed back to more familiar ground for the first decent meal I had in Thailand.

The day had left us disoriented, wearied, and more than a little hungry. Happily our first course, and my favorite, was a shared portion of Tom Yum soup which I have included for your tasting pleasure below.

Enjoy,

The Epicurious Gypsy

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 stalk of lemon grass (cut into 4" long pieces and bruised slightly to release flavor)

3-4 keffirlime leaves (torn into small 1/2" pieces)

1 package of white button mushrooms (sliced in half)

3-4 whole Thai chili peppers

1 1/2 lbs peeled shrimp

3-4 tbsp fish sauce

2 tablespoons of chili paste in soy bean oil

2 large limes

1/2 cup of cilantro leaves

DirectionsPreparation for Thai Tom Yum

Boil water in a deep pot

Add cut lemon grass, keffirlime leaves, sliced mushrooms and Thai chili peppers

Add shrimp

When shrimp turns pink turn off heat

Season with fish sauce (to suit your taste)

Add chili paste in soy bean oil

squeeze in 2 large limes (roll these on a cutting board or other flat surface before slicing and squeezing-you get twice the juice!)

add ½ cup of cilantro leaves

remove lemon grass stalks and keffir lime leaves (they are too tough to eat-or don’t and watch your guests try to chew on these, too funny!)