Fake Flea Market!

Kay and I did some exploring near the city center this past weekend. She hadn't been there yet so we wandered down the little streets. We walked through the pet market and petted some of the puppies in their boxes. One kissed me and the lady said I had to buy him because we had a connection. He was cute, but not that cute! Around the corner from them was what looked like a flea market. Hundreds, maybe thousands of porcelain, glass and metal knicknacks, tea pots and vases were set out on sheets on the ground. We thought how cool it would be to give some of the pieces as gifts since they were old, with lots of history and character. Kay found a patinaed copper tea pot and asked how much. 1000Y! What! We thought this was flea market! We practically fled the scene for fear of tipping something over. As we exited back out on the main street, a man sitting next to his outrageously expensive junk called out after us: Waiguoren! Tai gui le! Tai gui le! (Foriegner! Too expensive, too expensive!) Darn right! He was mocking us because that's what any Westerner would say to the hefty price tags they had placed on 50 cent goods.
mandy

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A Day Off!

I was so looking forward to sleeping in today. School is out for Tomb Sweeping Day and we have the next two days off. We had to work on Saturday to make up for it but still. All I wanted was to sleep in. That dream was ripped from my pillow  by Ji Tang (chicken soup), the rooster next door (dubbed Ji Tang by me at 6:30 this morning when he opened his big mouth!). He crows every morning, but we hadn't heard him lately and assumed he had graced the dinner table with his presence. No, he is alive and well, and I am AWAKE! It wouldn't have mattered much if he hadn't crowed, because soon after, a very badly behaved child began screaming bloody murder in the courtyard below and hours later, with many adults around watching her, is still at it. Someone please spank that child! But, I have the day off! Time to do laundry, blog, study(maybe), crosstitch, and anything else I can get done before time for dinner. I'm cooking tonight. Low-country boil. Chinese style (meaning whatever ingredients I can get that resemble the real thing). The weather has finally warmed up! This is what its supposed to be! I went out yesterday in three layers, scarf and gloves and was down to my capris and sleeveless shirt by noon. Glorious! Now if I can just get some rest.  Maybe tomorrow Chicken Soup will sleep in and the brat will stay at home. I can wish can't I?
mandy

Papaya Salad

Here is the recipe:



3Cups peeled and shredded green (not ripe) papaya + a carrot for color



6 Cloves of garlic



1 Tbs fish sauce



2-3 dried chilies



3Tbs Palm sugar



2Tbs Tamarind juice



2Tbs Lime juice



2Tbs Roasted peanuts



2 Tomatoes



1/4 C Fresh green beans- cut into 3in. pieces



2 Limes or Lemons - cut into small cubes



Put garlic and chilies in processor or blender and puree. In a bowl, add the sauce and peanuts and beans. Add the chopped tomatoes, fish sauce, tamarind sauce and sugar and stir. Add the lemon juice, then the papaya and lemon/lime cubes and mix again. A carrot or garnish cucumber can be substituted (instead of green papaya) -Recipe from Krabi Cookery School



I did not have most of the ingredients on hand so this is what I did:



1 Cucumber, shredded



1 Carrot, shredded



1 Tomato, chopped



1 Apple, chopped



1/2 Red onion, chopped



2 Large cloves of garlic



1 Dried chili



1Tbs Brown sugar



2Tbs Rice wine vinegar



1Tbs White vinegar



2Tbs lemon juice



2Tbs slivered peanuts (for baking)



Puree the chili and garlic and half the nuts. Pour in a bowl, add the vinegar and lemon juice, and sugar to the processor and spin to get any remnants from it. Add to the bowl with the rest of the nuts. Dump all the vegetables and apple in the bowl, mix and salt to taste. I forget to put in the fish sauce but will add it in before dinner is served. Its fine with or without. I served it with homemade bbq shredded chicken sandwiches and blue Kool-Aid. It took me less than 15 minutes and made about 3C of salad, enough for four people. I am going to throw in some shredded cabbage too and stretch it farther. Enjoy!



"If people take the trouble to cook, you should take the trouble to eat."-Robert Morley



mandy

The Everything Thai Cookbook: From Pad Thai to Lemongrass Chicken Skewers--300 Tasty, Tempting Thai Dishes You Can Make at Home (Everything Series)

Thai Recipes #1

Here is a recipe to make your own curry paste. I am substituting for what is available in the States but will include the original( ) just in case you can find it. You can probably find the paste in a jar in the supermarket but if you would like to make it yourself, here's how:



1tbs Ginger-peeled and chopped (galangal)



1tsp Lemongrass powder (2ts fresh lemongrass- lower 1/3rd chopped)



1tsp Orange peel, chopped (Kaffir lime peel, chopped)



1tbs Coriander root chopped. That's cilantro, just not the leaves.



3tbs Shallots- chopped



2tbs Garlic- crushed and chopped



2tsp Salt



1tbs Anchovy paste (shrimp paste)



10 Small dried red Chilies (for the kick! reduce to bring down the heat, but its supposed to be spicy)



3 Large dried Chilies- seeds removed and soaked in water 15min. for color



1tsp each: Pepper, Cumin, Coriander seed, ground.



3-4 Cardamom pods roasted and ground. Just use the powder, 1tsp or so, or asian stores have the pods.



Put all of it in the food processor, add a little water to get it moving. Puree till smooth. This keeps for a long time in the freezer.



If you add 2 tbs crushed peanuts to 2tbs of Red Curry paste, you have made Panaeng Curry. Substitute green chilies (15) for the small red ones and use the leaves from the cilantro instead of the root and you have Green Curry. Add a few dashes of Cinnamon and you have Masaman Curry Paste. A little turmeric powder makes the Red Curry even redder. If you want to mix this in a mortar and pestle the old-fashioned way, DO NOT add water! These curries form the base for many delicious Thai recipes. I will share as many of them with you as I have. They are all from Krabi Cookery School. I take no credit for any of them unless I give suggestions on variations I have made myself. Let me know if you try to make this!!!



"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."-Harriet Van Horne



mandy

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mandy



 

Welcome To China!

Those are the words I say every time something doesn't go the way we think it should. Now, Ralph has started saying it too. But, a visit to any of the parks or restored "ancient towns" gives you another meaning to the phrase. The people here are very welcoming. Terribly curious, but welcoming. At least they stare with a smile. You can talk to just about anyone and expect to get a positive reaction. Even if they have no clue what you are saying, they will smile and grab their friends so they can look at you too. I am fond of the old men. I admire their silent strength. They lack the desolate look that many elderly in Western countries have.  One day, I hope to be able to understand the stories they tell.
 
mandachino

Pineapples Don't Grow On Trees, But Rubber Does!

Did you know that pineapples actually grow on a low bush? As we drive around exploring the island, we pass large fields, like seas of pinapples clinging to the mountainside. Thailand is one of the largest producers and exporters of this golden fruit and much of that comes from the areas South of Bangkok. The varieties here in Krabi are exceptionally sweet. Street vendors and fruit carts everywhere peddle pineapples. They are often sold by size, 5baht for tiny ones and up to 30baht for the largest size.  It takes two years for the first crop to appear but one plant can yield up to three generations of pineapples before the field is turned under and let lay fallow. By using crop rotation, Thailand has pineapples year round! The pineapple fields we came across along a dirt road, were nestled between long rows of rubber tree plants. The setup reminded me of maple trees. The trees have a section peeled back and scored to bring the sap to the surface. The white sap drips along the cut lines into a cup or half-coconut hanging on a nail. When it dries in the cup, it is a solid piece of white, raw rubber. Native fauna and flora have been destroyed all over the island to make way for this cash crop. It seems anyone with land, has it seeded with these thin, tall trees. It's amazing what you can learn trying to get lost on backroads!


mandy

The Same, Only Different!

I have been finding it difficult to blog this trip. Not just because internet is broadband, one computer at a time but I can't seem to find words. I have plenty of pictures though.  We have been here a week now. The water is much colder than I expected but the sun and wind are wonderful. I was looking forward to the food and we have not been disappointed. Our friends, Jeff and Melissa have been more than generous hosts, showing how to get places, making dinner, introducing us to people. Thanks guys, hope we don't wear out our welcome.
So much of this place reminds me of China. The markets, the noodles, the bargaining, the fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many differences though. Men wear skirts here, the women have prettier smiles, the noodles are covered with curry sauces, the bargaining stops faster even if they don't make a sale and the fruits and vegetables are more expensive. Oh, and the fried chicken is awesome!! Sold on the street for around $2-3 a piece, its juicy and tasty, without the strange sweetness that China gives it.
We are driving a gas powered scooter here. A big step up from my hunk o' junk! Helmets are the law and the police have checkpoints so no worries Mom, we are being careful. I am planning another blog just about the food so you will just have to wait for those pictures. Here are a few random ones :