Cooking Class in Chang Mai

Internet here in Laos is not the most condusive to food blogging. However, a quick look at a day-long cooking class we took in Chang Mai to learn Thai food...

First: our instructer, Gay-ray, takes us to the market to explain all our necessary ingredients. I know now the difference between types of lime (smooth for garnish, bumpy for curry), cocunut milk and cream (milk has water too, cream is first squeeze), crushed and fresh ginger, etc, etc... Also, if you have a bug bite, rub some yellow tamaric on the itch and it shall soon disappear... old Thai remedy!

Look how small the eggplants are in Thailand. As Gay-Ray says, "Thai people, very small. Thai vegetables very small. Small but big flavor!"
A billion different types of rice...

And then, our welcome snack to prepare us for the day. Wrapped in a leaf (I forget which kind) is a mixture of: chili pepper, onion, ginger, dried prawns, peanuts, baked coconut and sweet fish sauce. All in one bite or it's not worth it. It was SO good. Apparently, the King serves this when officials come to Thailand for a visit. It has the perfect mix of crunchy, salty, sweet , fresh... everything.



We were to cook 7 courses. I was SO full by the end. Here's how we started: with the classic pad thai. Basically, just frying noodles with garlic, veggies, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken. It only takes about 2 minutes for the whole process in the wok and it's so easy. Definitely a must try at home.
Next was spring rolls. We made the inside filling by basically making pad thai all over again, and then wrapping it in the dough and frying it in a mound of oil. Also so easy! Get ready to eat this at my dinner parties in the future.
Our last appetizer was papaya salad. Shredded papaya, tomato, chili pepper, green beans, carrots.. all mashed together with lime, garlic, and other flavors. So good!


Look what I did!



Now on to the big stuff. Making curry is an ORDEAL. First you have to choose which kind (Eli and I chose Massaman because we like peanuts), then the right ratio of ingredients, then mash it all together like you've never been angrier until you get the perfect paste consistency!
Green curry paste, red curry, massaman and panang. Mine is the best, clearly (top left). It definitely smelled the best because of the peanuts.
And voila! Add a little coconut cream and fry and there you have it. But what's crazy is that Eli and used the same paste, but ours came out so different. I used more paste, boiled it for longer for a thicker consistency, and added more fish sauce. Mine was better. Eli thinks his was better. But mine tasted so peanuty, which is what I wanted. So I guess we both win.

Mine
Eli's.

And then we finished with sticky rice mango, a 6 hour process that we only helped make 20 minutes of. I walked out STUFFED. Literally could not imagine eating ever again. I had a cheeseburger 4 hours later.