'Chef Hayley' gets Certified!

I've now attended 3 Thai cooking lessons... so i'm basically a Pro!

When Jilly was here, we headed to the Silom Cooking School for an afternoon of Thai Cooking! I had so much fun the last few times, I simply had to introduce her to my new passion - Thai Cooking! After a manic shopping morning we arrived hungry and excited for what promised to be a fun and yummy afternoon!

Jilly made the menu that Kev and I did on our first lesson (Tom yum soup, Chicken pad thai, Thai green curry and mango with sticky rice) I was happy to do the same menu, but the lady at registration told me I was gonna cook something different and they had a special menu prepared just for me! 

First up was Thai shrimp soup with butternut and mushrooms. This is a good dish for those who like the 'no spicy please' dishes. While still bursting with flavour,  it doesn't take your breath away and have you grabbing the water bottle. The mortar, pestle and me mushed up shrimp and loads of black pepper into a paste, then added it to the wok with whole shrimp, coconut milk, chopped butternut, mushrooms and some green leafy thing that i forget and fish sauce. Flame on and voila... shrimp soup was served, very delicious...peppery...but delicious!

Shrimp Soup

Next up was chicken and holy basil! (Holy basil - just love it...makes it seem as if the basil was grown by Angels! Holy!) I'd been dying to try this dish, so was super excited that i'd actually be making it from scratch! Minced chicken, onions, long beans, baby corns and of course the holiest of basils are tossed in the wok with fish sauce, garlic and oyster sauce! I added two chilies ( I was being brave and i'm starting to crave the spicy kick and upper lip sweat!) quick stir in the wok and there you have it...the 'holy' dish was ready to be served with a dolop of rice. It was yummy beyond yummy...maybe next time one chili thought! (I forget i'm still a beginner with the spicy side!)

Gai pad kra paw

I've made green and red curry, next on the colour wheel was a yellow curry! We pounded the curry paste with chilis and tamarind paste, added it to the wok with chicken, potato and coconut milk. The smell was incredible and I couldn't wait to get it in my mouth...not as spicy as a green or red, sweeter too and super tasty....in fact this little yellow dish of yummy-ness takes the lead with the currys so far!

Kaeng ka ri gai

Time for dessert - this was definitely the weirdest and most interesting dessert i have ever seen and made! We soaked yam (I had no clue what yam was!!! it's a plant thing... like a potato) in coloured syrup, then tossed it in flour, fried it up in boiling water then put it in iced water. Once chilled it was served in a bowl of coconut milk. It was certainly a colour fest for the eyes... very bright indeed! It tasted like jelly with a little piece of apple in the middle...i'm still undecided whether or not I liked it...but the coconut milk I loved and slurped that all up! Not sure i'll ever be whipping this dish up, but if ever I appear on Masterchef and i've gotta make it... i'll know what to do!

Tub-Tim-Grob

My tastebuds are alive and excited for the first time in my life! They have fallen in lust with Thai flavours and I can barely keep up with their demand! From someone who used to think pepper was too spicy... I am now indulging in crazy new flavours and awakening something inside my mouth (and stomach at times!) I never knew existed!! 

We had so much fun and I can't recommend Silom Cooking School or Chef Jay highly enough (he was the cherry on top - just delightful!) We had a brilliant afternoon and I was super proud of Jilly - get ready Dad - she can now cook a mean Pad Thai and Green Curry! 

For more information on any of these dishes please contact Chef Hayley @omgeeiamnowaprothaichef.com

www.bangkokthaicooking.com

Visit to Wat Pho!

Last week Thursday, Jilly and I visited Wat Pho Temple - The Temple of The Reclining Buddha.

It's located behind the Grand Palace and is a little gem in the heart of Bangkok! Its one of the oldest and most beautiful Temples in Thailand. Entrance fee is ฿100 (£2.17) per person and includes unlimited time in the grounds (well until it closes at least) a bottle of chilled water (which came in super handy as it was 35 degrees!) and use of the loos (they have air con!) The Temple also houses a school for Thai Medicine and is known as the birthplace of the Thai Massage - there is still a Thai Massage school on the grounds. (we were tempted to get a massage - but it was just too hot!)  

Jilly and I got the canal boat from Thonglor Pier and set off to 'Old Town' for the day. We were originally going to go the Grand Palace, but I had heard that Wat Pho, although slightly smaller is just as beautiful and and I really wanted to see The Reclining Buddha. So we decided to start off at Wat Pho and kept the afternoon free to visit do the Grand Palace - time permitting! Once tickets were purchased I covered my legs with a scarf - I was wearing shorts. It's requested that you dress 'appropriately' when entering the Temple - shoulders and knees covered. For those that thought spaghetti straps and tiny shorts were appropriate Temple attire, they were asked to cover up and presented with a green dressing gown before entering the Temple. Luckily I planned ahead and brought my trusty scarf along - green is so not my colour! 

We got there early-ish to avoid the crowds and try miss the heat of the day. The Temple wasn't too busy and were able to walk around, admire it's beauty and take pics without dodging the selfie sticks.

The pictures really don't' do it justice! I'm gonna have to invest in a pro-camera that can capture just how beautiful things really are! But until then the little iPhone will have to do - so just trust me - it's much more stunning in reality! When the sun shines on the golden and mirrored decorated roofs...it really does take your breath away

It's so peaceful and calming to walk around the Temple, you wouldn't think you were in the middle of Bangkok - despite it being in the middle of 'Old Town' it's pretty quiet.

Wat Pho houses over one thousand Buddhas and various statutes that have lived there for hundreds of years. Ashes from past Kings and members of The Royal Family are also enshrined there.  The Temple is in pristine condition and refurbishments happen throughout the year to ensure the Buddhas are always looking their golden beautiful selves. 

Phra Buddha Chinnaraj

We saved viewing the 'Pra Buddah Saiyaas' - aka - 'The Reclining Buddha' until last. He definitely does not disappoint. and he was the highlight of our visit to Wat Pho! I'm not quite sure what size I was expecting him to be - I knew he'd be big - but I was super surprised at how big the dude really was. He was hudge! I was in awe!

Pra Buddah Saiyaas is one of the most popular icons in Thailand and one of the largest reclining Buddha in the world! At 46 metres in length and 15 metres in height, smothered in Gold, he lounges in the Temple and brings peace and happiness to all who visit him. There is also a notorious gang of pick-pockets that operate in-front of him and warning signs are everywhere - be sure to give your bag a little cuddle when in there! You are requested to remove your shoes before you enter the temple and given  little blue bag to put them in. And for those not 'polity' dressed, this it's the time you will be presented with the over-sized green gown so you can cover up shoulders and knees and face the Buddha dressed appropriately.

Pra Buddah Saiyaas

We didn't make it to the Grand Palace that afternoon after all (it's on the 'To Do' list -  watch this space) the heat of the day was just too much and we wanted to savour our visit to Wat Pho! We then tuk tukked to the Koh San Road - which is about 5 min away - for a watermelon shake, spot of lunch and shopping!

http://www.watpho.com

Jim's House!

Jilly and I visited Jim's House last week - Jim Thompson is famous for building an awesome house in the heart of Bangkok, and of course he is the chap who revitalised the Silk Industry in Thailand.

 

We got the BTS train 6 Stops to National Stadium and from there a slow 4 min walk to Jim's House, else you can get the free shuttle service (golf cart) which takes a whole 40 seconds! We arrived at 10.30 which was a good time time as not too many tourists had a arrived yet, so we got to wonder around the exhibitions and shop before our designated 30 min English Tour at 10.45. Tickets to Jim's house cost ฿150 (£3.25) tour included, after the tour you can spend as much time as you like walking around the beautiful gardens and looking at some of the stunning silk exhibitions.

Jim's House

Our tour guide (I forget her name) was lovely! She showed us around Jim's garden and house giving us lots of interesting information about Jim and the Thai culture. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside his house (it must be shy) so you can't see all the cool stuff he had in there, but believe me when i say - Jim's house must have been the place to be and the envy of all his neighbours back in the day! He had all the mod-cons including western loo, mouse maze, frog pee-pee pot and gorgeous furniture drenched in luxurious silk fabrics. Scattered around the house are his antique collection of Buddhas and hand painted plates and ornaments. Apart from his amazing interior designing skills, his house is also special as it was made from 6 separate teak Thai houses from around the country that were dismantled,  then combined into one big house! 

Whilst the tour of his house was very interesting and made me miss my house back in London Town (I am going to drench it in silk upon my return and have a bright green silk bed just like Jim's!), I was hoping for a bit more info on the silk making and more about his designs. But i guess that's more of a 'Silk Factory' kinda tour. 

Jim fell in love with Thailand when he was based here during the war and returned years later to purchase and renovate a hotel, but decided that silk trade was more interesting. He became famous when some of his silk was used in the 1956 Film of 'The Kind & I', he then went on to save the silk industry in Thailand (I will now think of him when i wear my Thai Silk Scarf!)  Sadly, and without any trace Jim disappeared when he was 61! Our tour guide told us that his Thai horoscope said that something would happen to him when he was 61... eek! No trace was ever found of Jim... and he was declared dead in absentia by the Thai government a few years later and his silky mansion was then turned into a museum. 

www.jimthompsonhouse.com