Pad Thai Cooking

I really enjoy cooking. The problem is when you get home at 5:45PM your lack of motivation does not help. I decided that I was going to crack open my Thai cookbook and make some good food this week. First dish- Pad Thai

When I was in Thailand we took a cooking class one night. The school was called the Thai Orchid Cooking School. As part of the class we all got a little cook book to take home with us.

Pad Thai is really easy to make. The hardest part is just finding all of the ingredients needed. I have had luck at Wal-Mart, but there is also a Chinese grocery store in the city that has helped me out a few times as well.

I will post the full receipe below, but here is a quick play by play of what you need to do. Before you begin you must soak the rice noodles over night.  This allows them to soften and be ready to go the next day.

I like to lay out all of my ingredients before I begin. This dish does not take a long time to make so it makes things easier to have everything close by. For this you will need sugar, vegetable oil, chili's or chili spice, chives, peanuts, bean sprouts, fish sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, eggs, vegetable or chicken stock and some chicken.

In a wok combine the chicken, rice noodles, vegetable oil, chili's, your sause and stock. Cook on a low to medium tempture as you do not want the noodles to stick together.

While this is cooking get your peanutes, bean sprouts and chives ready. When all of the stock has evaporated combine into the noodle mixture and let the sprouts get warm.

True Thailand Pad Thai has eggs in it although most North American places has removed them. This is optional, but I love it with. Push all your ingredients to one side of the wok. On the other side crack 2 beaten eggs and let them cook. No not mix with the pasta misture.

One the egg is cooked serve! Try to get the egg on top of your noodle mixture. I placed it on the side so you can see what the Pad Thai actually looks like. You can make it your own serving with Tofu, or in this case I chose some chicken.

Ingredients:

200g Rice Noodles

3.5 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon dried shrimps (optional)

40g of tofu or chicken

2 eggs

1 cup stock or water

20g chives

100g bean sprouts

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 teaspoon reserved radish (optional)

20g shallot (optional)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoon tamarind paste (or can use viniger)

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon chilies or chili powder

Instructions:

- Heat cooking coil int he wok over low heat, add meat/tofu and shallots fri until turned golden brown

- Put preserved radish and dried shripm in and fry for a few seconds

- Add rice noodles and water/stock. Add sauce. Fry until noodles are wilted and ingredients mixed well

- Add chives, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Fry quickly until sprouts are warm. 

- Make room for egg by pushing all noodles to the side of walk

- Add 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil into the wok, and add beatten eggs to wok and let cook.

- Serve!

One Year Ago...

This time last year I was returning from a 2 week adventure in Thailand. It seems like yesterday that I was there!

Thailand is definitely a place that I will go back to during my travels. The people are amazing there, and the food is even better!

Here are some of the posts that I did this time last year about my daily travels!

Bangkok
Bartering
Sunday Market
Thailand to Date
Thailand Fun
Catch Up Time

Catch Up Time

So I realize that it has been a while since my last entry, but things have been a little crazy as of late. I will catch you up quickly, then should get back to work...

I got back from Thailand to about +10 weather. To most this would be pleasant seeing that we are slowly warming up from our -30 winter. However, when you spend the last 2 weeks in 30-40 degree weather... it sure felt like it was -30 outside. I went back to the farm for the weekend, spent Mother's Day with the family, played with my cows, and just relaxed. Taking a 2 week holiday made me tired!

I got back to the city Sunday night, to start a new week at work. I was really not looking forward to this. I was enjoying the idea of work being sleeping in, playing with tigers, afternoon naps at the pool. Sitting at my computer, pouring through emails and playing catch up wasn't looking to appealing opposed to the other. However, work wasn't all that bad. It was great to see everyone again, and share all of my stories. I made Mango's and Sticky Rice for the staff, a little Thailand treat and we handed out all of our gifts for them. Everyone loved it, and I have posted the recipe below for anyone that would like to try it.

In between working, and doing laundry I have also been trying to pack for our trip this weekend. We will be heading to Las Vegas for 5 days, leaving early tomorrow morning. I am super excited for this trip and have been saving up to go on a crazy shopping spree when we get there. We leave at 7 am tomorrow morning, and we will have a full house tonight. My mother doesn't think we will make it onto the plane sober, and we might not, but we will be having fun none the less.

I will hopefully be able to post some pictures and blogs while in Vegas, and once I get a home computer back up and running I can finish sharing some stories from Thailand. Until then, have a great long weekend everyone!

Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango's

Ingredients
1 cup sticky rice- soak in water for at least 3 hours or overnight (also called Sweet Rice)
1 ripe mango
2 1/2 cups coconut cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
- Drain water from sticky rice and place in steamer. Steam until cooked (15-20 mins)
- Make the sauce by mixing together coconut cream, and salt in a pot over low heat. Reserve 1/4 for topping sauce
- Put sugar in the hot cream, stir until dissolved
- Heat off and add sticky rice to sauce. Mix well, cover and let stand for 10 mins
- Peel mango's and slice thinly
- Sever the sticky rice onto plates, top with mango's, and drizzle topping over.

More Thailand Fun

The last few days have been an extremely busy, but fun time. We have done a ton of shopping, laughing, and gotten a good share of exercise.

On the 30th we set out on a day trek through Thailand. We started off climbing a mountain to visit a small mountain tribe. It was amazing to see how simple their life was. Their buildings were all funtional but simple, they raised all of their own food, and are very accepting of tourists coming though. We then hiked back down the mountain and onto our next stop.

Our next stop was a Elephant Camp. We all were given an elephant to share. They had metal "saddles" for us to sit in and hold on with dear life. The animals were amazing. They are so large, but seem so gental. The riding of the elephants was a different story. Their gait is extremely choppy. They also like to pick up dirt as they walk along to blow onto their backs to keep them cool. The problem is that you are also ontop of their back. Our elephant was the worst of them all for this. When my partner and I were done, our legs and faces were black with mud!!

Our third stop was at a waterfall. We had a short trek into the fall, and then we were able to wash-up and cool down in the water. It was great to see. There were 3 small falls all pouring off a cliff. Everyone had a great time, were able to cool off, and we were able to wash ourselves off!

Our fourth stop was at another tribe. This tribe was part of the largest hilltop tribe in all of SE Asia. Again their life was very simple, growing all of their own food, and definetely not having the luxuries that we enjoy in our day to day life.

Our final stop was at a bamboo rafting place. We loaded up 3 at a time on this long raft made of bamboo trees. There were 2 people to guide us through the river, and at some points the rapids. The ride was beautiful and a perfect way to end the day. As we came along others in the water it was a splashing war, so everyone was drenched when we were done. We also floated by 3 different elephant camps. There was a mother and baby elephant in the river with us, playing in the mud, and getting cooled off. There was another elephant in the water further up that was rolling around in the water. It was a really neat experience to see it.

We then packed up and headed back into the city. Overall the day was really awesome. We got to see lots in an action packed day, and all had a great time doing it as well.

Thailand to Date

Lately I have been doing less blogging and more exploring in Thailand. It just seems really hard to sit in your hotel room and write what could be a novel on this country and what I have experienced. So night I thought I would make a top 10 list of some of my favorite things to date. That way when I get some more motivation, you can ask me the wonderful stories that follow them.

Top 10 List of Thailand as of April 29th
1. Wat Rong Khun Temple
2. Mae Fah Luang Garden
3. Countryside around Chiang Ria
4. Seeing the Special People Foundation that we have supported for the last year
5. The true beauty and spirit that the Thai people have
6. Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple
7. Learning Thai Cooking
8. THE WEATHER!!!
9. Night Market in Chiang Mai
10. Meeting 10 Members that are awesome new friends

Thailand Rant

So there is something that has been bugging me since we got to Thailand, and I have really noticed it more and more since we have gotten to Chiang Mai. My issue is the amount of older men that come to Thailand to prey on young Thai girls...

I know that it is possible for two people from other countries to fall in love with one another, but my issue is much different then that. Every night you see men 30-60 that find young women 16-25 to "spend the night with"

Now I personally do not know what happens when they leave for the night together, but one can only imagine. I find this so degrading to women everywhere. I am a firm believer in women's rights, and women standing up for yourself and for each other.

However, this seems to be the way of life here. Men come, live cheap, eat cheap, and use these women as if they are cheap. It really has been bothering me. After exploring the town some more today, I find that it is not only just in the tourist areas, but everywhere.

Hopefully this issue can get some awareness, and some attention brought to what i think is a huge issue in this beautiful country.

Sunday Market

Apparently Chiang Mai is known for its famous Sunday market. It runs from mid afternoon until 12:00 pm. Like the Night Market there is everything you could ever want to buy. Things seemed to be of higher quality here, and bartering is not really done.

The Sunday market I would say runs for about 3 km. The roadway is shutdown, and the streets become huge lanes of stalls. There are also many musicians and artists that come out and solicit money. Quite a few of these people were disabled, blind, or young children.

There are also lots of food stalls. The smell that comes from these areas is enough to make you sick. It takes a strong stomach to just walk through the area. Most of the stalls sell some type of meat product, or fruit. Most however, do not have their food covered with anything, and open to bugs that are flying around. We had to be really careful what we ate, and how it was prepared.

When the night time comes, and it cools off a little bit, there are huge moth type bugs that come out and are attracted to the smells and the lights of the stalls. It was so bad that we power walked out of the area, back towards our hotel.

Overall, I was disappointed from the Sunday Market. Everyone raved about it, but I think I much rather shop at the Night Market. Although the people are not as pushy and in your face at the Sunday Market, the shopping is much better at the Night.

Bartering

Tonight I had the pleasure of learning how to barter. After many tips from friends and family I thought it was about time to spend some cash.

We arrived in Chiang Mai this afternoon, and after some food, a dip in the pool, and a few refreshing watermelon blender drinks; that will need a whole blog of their own, we were ready for the daily night market.

Our hotel is close by so we made out way to the market to find a little world of its own. There are small metal shops that get set up with anything you heart could desire. Clothing, paintings, purses, sunglasses, food, and useless souvenirs are all to be found. Some stuff is really beautiful and I will go back and purchase more.

However, I did forget a pair of sunglasses, and needed some for the extremely sunny days. I finally found a pair that I liked and asked how much dreading the answer. The lady wanted 450 Baht. I was told to start to offer about 1/2 so I told her 200. This is all done by typing a number into a calculator until you like the final price, or walk away. The lady typed back her number still to much, and I typed back 250. When she said no more, I walked away slowly to the next stall. She agreed on the price on 250 and my bartering virginity was lost.

It is a very unnatural process of how it happens, kinda fun but more scary then anything. I think I am just paranoid of walking 10 stalls down and seeing it for much less. Oh well I guess I just need to suck in up and be happy with my $3 "Channel" sunglasses!!

Thailand Day 1.75

So I have finally arrived! I thought that since everyone is eager to find out about the trip I will recap what seems like the last week, really only 1.75 days for you.

Our group all landed in Vancouver, and boarded at about 3am on Thursday morning. Everyone is super nice, really a great group. One person never showed up so we had to leave without him, but I just got word that he is reconnecting with us tomorrow morning.

Anyways... so we boarded our plane which was huge and prepared ourselves for the 13.5 hr flight to Hong Kong. I had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting next to 2 Asian women, who made my night/morning not overly fun. I had to wake up every hour to let at least one of them out of their seats. This left me for about 3-4 hours of sleep total.

When we arrived in Hong Kong, we then boarded another plane to take us to Bangkok, which is where we are now. The flight was fine this time, nice and short! We then gathered up our belongings, found our bus driver and headed to the hotel.

The hotel is really beautiful. They are super friendly, and their English is fairly good as long as you speak slowly. I forgot my one camera cord so pictures are going to have to wait till I get back.

After a nice shower, a change of clothes, and a quick check of my emails- we headed out to 2 temples. I will wait to tell you about this till I have the photo evidence to back it up. Its like they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

But its about my bedtime here, we have another big day tomorrow. We will be heading to our final destination city- Chiang Mai. Stayed tune for more followings, and I will try to use my other camera some so that I can post some pictures.

Traveling

So this spring I will be do a lot of traveling. Through work I have been planning a study tour to Thailand. We will be there for 2 weeks, in a town called Chiang Mai. During the day the students will be learning Thai Massage, and I get to tour around the area. I am now looking for things to do. So if anyone has any suggestions that would be great to hear them. So far we will be doing an Elephant tour, visiting a village, white water rafting and also seeing how silk is made. So please pass on your suggestions.



After getting back from Thailand, I will be heading to Vegas with 2 friends and as well meeting my sister down there. We will be celebrating 2- 22nd Birthdays, as well as a 21st Birthday. We are so excited to go, as this is all of our first times traveling to Vegas. Again if you have any suggestions of things to see or do while you are down there we would love to hear them!