Chiang Mai Cookery School - Day 1

When I arrived to Chiang Mai, things didn’t start off with peaches and cream (that’s day 5). They thought I was a girl, so the guy sent to pick me up looked confused when a 6ft 3 English MAN walked up to him and introduced myself. So, rocky start but it quickly got better. The room was fantastic, the facilities are perfect, the pool is wonderful and the hosts are wonderful. I was made very welcome and enjoyed a long shower before tucking into a plate of fruit.

The next day I actually got to do some cooking. We began with something simple, tom yum goong – prawn soup. It’s the perfect Thai food, delicious and takes literally five minutes to put together. So, after a brief tutorial we were unleashed, and it was great for all of two minutes, until the knife slipped and I sliced into my thumb. 

Right now the pain is just an annoyance

And when I say sliced, I mean I took a half centimetre chunk out of the side of my thumb. It was quickly bandaged up and I was back cooking in a few minutes. I even finished the dish.

Worth it!

Next we tried fried fish cakes, it was white fish mixed with beans and some curry paste. It went really well, and I did better than some two handed people. It involved making a thick paste then deep frying it, and dipping it in a sour sauce. It’s delicious.

Next was the classic Thai green curry. The paste we make tomorrow, so right now it was just frying the stuff in coconut oil. After that, we sliced some lime leaves and chillies and artfully arranged them, before delicately blobbing on some coconut cream. Though, try being delicate with one hand, it’s tricky.

We then attempted Pad Thai with tofu, which is incredible easy. Though, I prefer the method Pookie showed us, I find the tofu just sits in the stomach uncomfortably.

My fourth lunch that day

Then came the meal I’d been dreading – laap gai, or minced chicken. This is a classic Isaan dish, and I had it a lot in Nong Khai. Problem is, I really don’t like laap gai. I made it and reduced the shallots in the dish to something manageable, but still “euch”.

Finally we enjoyed pomegranate and coconut milk. And by coconut, I mean water chestnuts dyed red and boiled. It’s a very common Thai pudding, and I ate it a lot. I was wondering how I’d find the recipe, but here it is. Also, it’s pretty much sugar free, which is a nice change.