Cooking and Food!

So today, Tuesday is my cooking class. Now maybe it's just me, but when I walk into any Thai grocery store or market, I look around and only about 5 or 6 things actually look familiar! I know some of the vegetables - potatoes, carrots, okra, tomatoes, garlic (turns out I didn't even know this!), onions and mushrooms. However, there are about a bazillion variety of mushrooms - most I've never seen before. For fruits, the usual are obvious. Mangoes (although the kind I got in New Zealand, not the US), pineapple, strawberries, bananas (but at least 2 different types), and that's about it. There are some apples and mandarin oranges, too.

We started in the market with our cooking instructor explaining all the different types of ingredients. He really barely touched on all that is available, but in that short time, there was a dizzying array of different fruits, veggies, and spices. Asians tend to use different parts of a plant for different things. For example, a fruit he showed us used the leaves for a seasoning, the rind to make a paste, and the actual fruit for another purpose. We westerners (and I'm really talking about myself) are clueless as to what nature has to offer! Our grocery stores, even the big ones in large cities, pale in comparison with the variety of locally grown food in Thailand. Of course, their climate allows this plethora of variety. 

After the market, we head to the cooking school and get a quick lesson on using the gas stove and wok. Now we're all scared of the thing blowing up! We've all chosen the meals we'll make and it was so nice because we were allowed to make anything on that menu. We didn't have to all make the same dishes. Since I'm a weenie, I chose all dishes with no spiciness. Our first coarse was soup and main meal. Art, our instructor, explained that Thai's always eat soup with the main meal, otherwise it's too dry. I made a cabbage soup and Pad Thai (hence the play on words with the name of my blog...) It's really pretty easy when all the food is measured out and all we have to do it cut, wrap and cook! They even come and wash all your dishes for you! What a deal! We all sat down to eat and the food was yummy! I was with a group of 7. One girl was traveling on her own from Edmonton, Canada. A couple from DC, actually working on their masters in DC at John's Hopkins were also there. He was originally from Nashville and she from Singapore. Lastly, a family from Michigan that had moved from Canada, that had moved from China. The daughter still lives in Montreal, but the parents just moved to Traverse City. There was a lot of food and most of us had some taken to go. We still have 3 more courses! Next, we made mango sticky rice. This is a popular dessert here in Thailand. The rice is combined with coconut milk and palm sugar. The topping is made with coconut milk and salt, and the mango is cut up to be eaten with the rice. Finally, we made an appetizer, curry paste and curry. I made spring rolls which look difficult, but are surprisingly easy. I also made a curry paste and curry with no spice and it was wonderful! I hope to be able to at least cook these dishes when I get home on my electric wok! I don't have a mortar and pestle to make curry, but I do have a food processor. Art joked and said if we used a food processor, we'd never make a good Thai wife! I did find a way to steam the sticky rice on a stove without a bamboo basket, but I'm just hoping I can find the ingredients in the states. I think I can find some in Gunnison and an occasional trip to the Asian market in Denver should do it. I may even head to the market and get a few things to take home with me!

It would be fun to eat with locals so when I go to a restaurant, I'd have a clue of things to order! We kind of get the items we are used to. Of course, I'm not a spicy hot fan and Thais - most of them - love their food very hot and spicy!