More Yummy Thai Goodness
Last night was our third
I didn’t write about class last week, but
We talked a lot about sticky, or glutenous, rice. Generally used by
the working class because it fills you up is it also used in snacks
and desserts. We were also introduced to a black variety of sticky
rice that when soaked (you have to soak sticky rice before cooking it)
the water turns almost the color of wine. There was also a brown rice
that needs to be soaked for 22 hours before cooking and had the most
amazing flavor with nothing added to it.
This week had the following menu:
- Garlic Peppered Shrimp (and Pork) - This is one of those dishes that
you just love. Basically you take shrip (shells on) and toss them
with ground white pepper, tapioca starch, and chopped garlic. Once
the oil in your wok is hot you toss them in and let them cook for a
few minutes. All you do is make sure they aren’t touching after a
minute. The deep frying makes the shells edible (and you can even do
the shrimp with the heads on if you want). Served on a bed of lettuce
with some tomatoes around it this was an appetizer for our class and
disappeared fast. We also made it with pork cut into thin strips
(across the grain of the meat). Same great effect but with pork. - Hot and Sour Calamari Salad - I like squid a lot, but the
preparation can take a while. Thankfully there were many people in
the class and it went fine. Mixing the squid with cuttlefish we
blanched them for 30 seconds and then tossed them into a bowl with
mint, cilantro, lemongrass and galanga. Once the herbs had wilted we
covered it with the hot and sour sauce made of pulverized garlic and
thai chilis, lime juice, fish sauce, and some sugar as a balancing
agent. Just the sauce was awesome. Perfect hotness and a great sour.
Easy to fix and not tough at all this is one of those “oh wow” dishes
you can do. - Stir fried long beans with basil and garlic - taking long beans,
making them between 1.5″ and 2″ long and then stir frying them with
garlic and chili paste. I’ve always loved that dish and I never knew
how easy it was to prepare. Because of the roasted chili paste it had
a sweet flavor that wasn’t too hot and would be good in many
settings. - Coconut-Flavored Sticky Rice with Mangoes - cook up the soaked
sticky rice. In another pan mix coconut milk, a little sugar, and a
tiny bit of salt. Add in pandanus leaves for flavor. When the rice is
done pour a small amount of the coconut milk over the rice, but not
too much, just enough to coat the rice fully. When you serve it you
can put more of the coconut milk on top. With the pandanus leaves
there is a distinctive flavor to the dish. An excellent dessert. - Black Sticky Rice Pudding - using the black sticky rice you cook
it and then form it with a bowl. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and
shredded coconut over top. Another great dessert and very unique.
All in all it’s a great class. I’m learning a lot and I can’t wait to
take the intermediate class.
