Post from Michelle:
Food in Southeast Asia is delicious. Our stomachs have grown large as evidence to this fact. Picture the Chinese Buddha with his round robust tummy happily protruding and his smile of contentment. This is what we are starting to resemble. Often Tim and I pat each other's stomachs and call each other "our little Buddha." We have consumed countless fruit shakes, banana pancakes, and bowls of noodle soup.
Thai food in particular has captured our heart and stomachs. It is a wonderful mixture of sweet and sour, hot and salty flavors. We have feasted on Tom Yum soup, Phad Thai noodles, green curry, and coconut curry. Upon returning home we want to continue eating Thai cuisine so we took a cooking class at the Sompet Thai Cookery School.
The school was a few miles outside of Chiang Mai nestled in a garden by a river. It was an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our teacher, Mrs. Busara, was a spunky Thai woman overflowing with energy. She gave us a tour of the garden while throwing interesting food facts our way. We walked among cumin, mint, leeks, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chives, lemon grass, basil, eggplant, peppers, and mushrooms.
After the garden tour, we set to work and the next couple hours were a whirlwind of cooking activity - chopping, slicing, cutting, pounding, stirring. We made green curry paste, Phad Thai, fish cake, coconut milk soup with chicken, hot and sour prawn soup, and dipping sauces. Each student had their own work area and stove to cook. When all the food was ready, we settled down to enjoy a beautiful feast. Yum!
Thai food in particular has captured our heart and stomachs. It is a wonderful mixture of sweet and sour, hot and salty flavors. We have feasted on Tom Yum soup, Phad Thai noodles, green curry, and coconut curry. Upon returning home we want to continue eating Thai cuisine so we took a cooking class at the Sompet Thai Cookery School.
The school was a few miles outside of Chiang Mai nestled in a garden by a river. It was an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our teacher, Mrs. Busara, was a spunky Thai woman overflowing with energy. She gave us a tour of the garden while throwing interesting food facts our way. We walked among cumin, mint, leeks, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chives, lemon grass, basil, eggplant, peppers, and mushrooms.
After the garden tour, we set to work and the next couple hours were a whirlwind of cooking activity - chopping, slicing, cutting, pounding, stirring. We made green curry paste, Phad Thai, fish cake, coconut milk soup with chicken, hot and sour prawn soup, and dipping sauces. Each student had their own work area and stove to cook. When all the food was ready, we settled down to enjoy a beautiful feast. Yum!