BACK TO COOKING

My fingers were itching for the wok and my body for the heat, both were answered today. We were back to the kitchen! Unlike western cooking, I find the line between appetizers and main courses quite thin. To my amateurish 'faranf eyes' Thai dishes do not differentiate too much, some are even interchangeable. Today we did a few appetizers, a curry which is the only main course, plus a fried rice. One other observation is how close Thai cuisine is to Chinese, starting with the basic cooking methods. 'Pad' means stir-fry and the application of 'pad' is all over the culinary vocabulary, not the least in 'Pad Thai' which is the all time favorite of Hong Kong foodies, next to 'Tom Yum Kung'.

PA NANG KAI : Creamy Chicken Curry
KAI HOR BAI TOEY : Chicken wrapped in Pandan Leaf
SA KOO SAI MOO : Steamed Sago Grain Ball with Sweet Pork Filling
KHAOW KREAB PAK MOR : Steamed Rice Flour Pancake with Pork & Peanut Filling
KHAOW PAD MOO : Pork Fried Rice
NAM MA TOOM : Bel or Bael Fruit Juice

The curry base of the chicken dish is also red ie from a regimented, redolent list of 12 items, each one is meticulously ground by hand .... 'food processors do not produce the same taste effect', we are told. One can also use pork or even beef, which is less preferred here. The origins of this curry date back to Indian influence, and 'pa-nang' is said to be from Cambodian.

Pandan Leaf Chicken is marinated chicken thigh nuggets wrapped in a Pandan leaf, and deep fried. Light years ago Dora used to serve the Cantonese version of this exact same dish, pairing it with her famous shredded chicken smoked in tea with a garlic & chili vinaigrette, next to a papaya salad on palm sugar dressing. They used to be big hits but sadly, my better-half is so preoccupied at her school these days we have to show her where my new kitchen is. 'I shall return', she proclaims. It better be soon, my love, while I can still chew with my own set of teeth. BTW the only challenge for me, again, is the artful pandan leaf wrapping technique where I am sure I lost the points I scored with Professor earlier. The sauce at the corner is made from sweet dark soy sauce, sugar, water, salt plus roasted black & white sesame. A brilliant complement to the chicken pieces, a marriage made in heaven.