Category: Cooking

Thai cooking survival guide by a Thai soprano-wife-mother.

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Where is the real Thai taste?

I am Thai. A Thai who grew up in a modern household; yet, I had the fortunate opportunity to witness the greatness of the Thai past. I was the last generation of my family to see the real Thai way from within my very own teakwood fence.

I remember Bangkok in a calmer way than most people now. The coolness of fresh air with the faint sweet aroma of Thai flowers – DokJumpee, DokPuth, DokMali, DokKaew, and DokPiguln- in combination with the sound of brass bells from a wooded tram on which I would ride along Rajchadahmneun Avenue, was the Bangkok that I knew. My mother was the oldest daughter in a family of five children.

Back then, she and her eldest brother were the two who were married and had their own children. We lived in one of three houses on my maternal grandparents’ large property on the west side of the Grand Chaopraya, the river so deep that it supports not only domestic traffic but is also the path for international freight ships, making it the major blood vessel of the country.

My grandparents occupied the largest house, also the first house at the front of the property, which faced a major road but sat far enough back and was disguised by many large and shady fruit trees. My eldest uncle and his family lived in the second house in the middle, and our house was set farthest back on the property. I was very happy with my never-ending activity from playing with my playmates ‘from tree-to tree,’ and waiting every afternoon for a Chinese “Olieng,” or iced coffee, iced tea and sweet snack goodies, vendor to arrive in his boat in the canal- “klong-” that marked our property line and the neighbor’s in the back.

I had many playmates, and I vaguely remember they all lived with us on our property- as to where on the property, I wasn’t sure. A few years ago, I asked my mother about them and received confirmation that those were our- or, rather, my grandparents’- hired help and their families who had been there since my maternal great-grandmother’s day. I was surprised that I could remember back that far, since my mother said that they had moved out when I was very young. She also confirmed my memory of the tram but said that it stopped running soon after I was born. I don’t know if I’m dreaming, but I have flashes of memory of this wonderful time, here and there, throughout my life.

My great-grandmother- the mother of my maternal grandmother- represented the real Thai extended family. She was a Thai-Mon. (Mon – the nation that got swallowed up by Myanmar-Burma back then. The Mons relocated to Siam since the Golden Age of Ayuthaya.) The word “Thai” means freedom, and coming to Thailand meant to open the door of opportunity among the peaceful people and under the cool shade of the Great King.

My great-grandfather was a Chinese boy who came to Bangkok with his family. He grew up to be an inventor, an author, a scholar, and a businessman who owned and operated an international trading company with his old country, China. Along with a British physician, Dr. Bradley, they started the first English language newspaper in Thailand and also invented the first Thai typeset for the typewriter. Later, my great-grandfather was granted a title from the King.

Cooking for Coeliacs Ten Top Tips

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Cooking for someone with Coeliac Disease, which means they are intolerant to both wheat and gluten, can be a daunting task. As you will find from reading this article, if you are well prepared then cooking them need not be scary, nor should it compromise your ability to cook a great tasting and healthy meal.

1.Probably the most important thing to remember is to always check the labels of any food that you are using, to make sure that the food does not contain any hidden gluten. It is vital to remember that hidden sources of gluten include preservatives, additives and stabilizers found in processed food. A great way to combat this problem is to cook only with basic ingredients that you are sure do not contain gluten, omitting products such as pre-made sauces and dressings.

2.As mentioned before, using good, fresh foods is one of the best ways to ensure that whatever meal you are cooking will be suitable for Coeliacs. So look for dishes that include fresh meat, fresh fruit & vegetables, fresh herbs, egg and dairy products and pure oils and vinegars. Knowing this gives you a large scope to be able to cook a variety of delicious dishes, without having to worry about using any ingredients that are not safe.

3.If you have your heart set on using ingredients, such as flour, that are not suitable for Coeliacs, there are a large range of alternatives that are gluten free. Instead of using ordinary flour you could instead use any of the following rice flour, potato flour, corn flour, cornmeal, soya flower and buckwheat flour. With these substitutes you can cook many dishes that would not normally be suitable.

4.Whilst it is gluten that gives things like bread their elasticity and cakes their spring, this does not exclude you from baking either of these items when cooking for a Coeliac. Gluten-free cakes actually work very well. You can use flour alternatives such as ground cornmeal or a mixture of rice flour and ground almonds to create light and delicious gluten-free cakes. A great tip when doing so is to use a mixture of flours along with ground almonds so the cake remains moist when baked.

5.When purchasing the ingredients for your meal, do not forget to check out the specialist sections in health stores and most big supermarkets. These sections will include a plethora of wheat and gluten free products that you can use in your meal, safe in the knowledge that they have been properly tested and are safe to be eaten by Coeliacs.

6.Remember that for some people even the tiniest trace of gluten or wheat in their food could lead them to become very ill. With this in mind make sure that your food preparation areas, including any chopping boards and knives used, have been thoroughly cleaned before use. Do this to ensure that no traces of wheat or gluten from previous meals remain on the utensils and are transferred into your otherwise safe dish.

7.If you are unsure about any products or ingredients that you plan to use in your meal, there are many great online resources for finding out if they are safe. Simply Google Coeliac food directory for more information.

Cooking With Offset Smokers Basic Tips for the Beginner

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Cooking with offset smokers, also called barrel smokers, can be a fun and rewarding experience. Offset smokers have a separate firebox attached to the cooking chamber which allows for direct grilling in the firebox, and direct or indirect cooking in the smoking chamber. When mastered, the indirect cooking method turns out fantastic barbecue, smoked meats, poultry, and fish. The secret of the indirect cooking method lies in the ability to maintain an even cooking temperature over a long period of time. For the novice, this can be a difficult and frustrating skill to learn. This article offers some basic tips that will help you become master of your offset smoker.

When buying an offset smoker, one of your main considerations should be the thickness of the steel. Thin gauge steel does not retain heat very well. This makes it more difficult to maintain a consistent cooking temperature. Also, the temperature near the firebox can be hotter than at the other end of the cooking chamber. The thinner the steel, the more pronounced this heat difference will be, and you may have to rotate your meat fairly often. You can still cook exceptional barbecue and smoked meats with a thin gauge steel smoker, it just takes a bit more work. My choice is the Bayou Classic offset smokers. They are built to last with heavy 10-gauge steel and 1200 degree heat resistant paint.

No matter which offset smoker you choose, the key to low and slow cooking is to maintain a consistent cooking temperature. To do that, you need to get a feel for how your particular smoker cooks. It takes practice, a little experimentation, and a lot of patience. Here are a few simple tips to help you get started.

*Season your smoker. Its really a simple process, just like seasoning a cast iron skillet only on a larger scale. First, coat the inside of your smoking chamber with cooking oil. Any type will do, so dont use anything expensive. Next, build a fire in the firebox and add wood chips for smoke. Maintain the temperature at 250 to 275 degrees F and let it go for two or three hours adding chips for smoke when needed. Its that simple. The oil and smoke will create a barrier on the inside of you smoker and protect it from rust. This is also an important step for the simple fact that it gives you a dry run on your new smoker.

*Use coals for your fire not wood. Charcoal burns at a consistent pace, and is much easier to control than wood. Once youve mastered the charcoal fire, go ahead and experiment with wood if youd like. But until then, do yourself a favor, cook with charcoal and add wood chips for smoke.

*Pre heat the cooking chamber to the desired cooking temperature.

*Keep the lid closed. You cannot maintain an even cooking temperature if you keep opening the lid. If you are cooking a lot of meat and are using all the grill space, you may need to open it occasionally to rotate the meat away from the firebox. Otherwise, keep the lid closed.

*When adding coals, use a charcoal chimney to pre start them prior to adding them to the fire. Adding unlit coals will cool your fire and you dont want that.

*Dont soak your wood chips. Wet wood chips can cool your fire. Again, you want your fire to burn as consistently as possible.
Clean the ashes in the firebox and the grease from the cooking chamber. You should get in the habit of doing this after every use. Just scrape out the ashes and grease. You dont want them building up in your barrel smoker, they can trap water and cause rust.

Well, thanks for reading and I hope these tips help. Go grab a beer, or a glass of wine and fire up that offset smoker. But don’t drink too much, you have to pay close attention to that fire.

The Different Cooking Configurations of the Big Green Egg

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The Big Green Egg ceramic grill is incredible because of its flexibility. You are able to set up your Egg up for direct cooking, similar to a regular grill, to barbecue chicken. With only one additional component you can set up your grill to become a slow smoker that is able to do smoking “low n slow” all day long! You can also use your Egg as an oven to cook up bread, pizza or even cookies.

The traditional grilling set up is commonly known as direct cooking, because you are cooking your food directly above the hot coals. Simply set your Stainless Steel or Cast Iron Grid right on top of the Fire Ring, and you are ready to grill direct. Many Eggheads can lift the level of their cooking surface with extenders or lower their cooking surface by taking out the Fire Ring to set the grid right on the Fire Box.Shifting the level of the cooking surface affords you more control over the style of heat your food will encounter; make the grill surface higher to avoid the flames for grilling vegetables, and drop the cooking surface to quickly sear pork chops. Direct grilling is commonly used for steaks, hamburgers, fish, pork tenderloin, and vegetables.

The Plate Setter Accessory is a heat barrier sold by the Big Green Egg manufacturer. If you possess a Plate Setter, you are able to use your Big Green Egg for indirect smoking. To configure your Big Green Egg for indirect barbecuing simply set the Plate Setter right on the Fire Ring with the legs facing up, rest a drip pan full of water on the Plate Setter, and then place your grid on top of the Plate Setter. If you are baking pizzas you can put your ceramic baking stone directly on the grid and you are ready to grill cook indirectly.The basic concept behind indirect smoking is that your meat is indirectly exposed to the fire, so it roasts via convection and radiant heat. This cooks the food slower than exposing it to direct heat, and is the only choice for true smoking. If you want to slow smoke brisket, pulled pork, or ribs you will need to do it via indirect grilling.

If “low and slow” isnt your thing, you can make use of the Plate Setter to change your smoker into an outdoor oven. Even though the fire is being blocked by the Plate Setter, the internal grill temperature can reach as high as 600F and allow you to cook out of this world brick-oven style pizzas. Contains about anything you could bake in a normal oven you can roast using the indirect cooking set up of the Big Green Egg.

Enjoy Teaching Your Children To Cook

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If you’re ready to teach your children how to cook, here are some simple tips for teaching them the basics, and giving them skills that will last them a lifetime!

First of all, think safety. Any child that has to stand on a stool or chair in order to reach the stove is too young to cook. Start younger children off by letting them help set and clear the table, gathering ingredients, and stirring, mixing or adding ingredients.

Next, set rules about handling knives and other sharp instruments and handling hot pans or boiling ingredients. Some parents start teaching their children to cook by showing them how to make things that don’t require cooking first, and then graduating to letting them make food in the microwave.

Create a relaxed atmosphere that is fun when teaching your kids to cook. Remember what it was like when you were learning to cook? Chances are, you made a few messes and broke a few dishes. It happens. Learning to cook should be fun, not drudgery, although there are certain responsibilities that go along with the privilege, such as cleaning up as you go along, and leaving the kitchen clean when you’re finished.

Start with the basics. Show your kids what the different utensils are used for, and the right way to use them. Teach them about herbs and spices, and using the right ingredients for the right dishes. Cooking is a great way to learn fractions and chemistry, and your kids might not even realize they’re learning while they’re having fun!

Begin with simple recipes. There are some great cookbooks for kids on the market today, that include step-by-step instructions and pictures so kids can see what something’s supposed to look like while they’re assembling the recipe…let success build on success.

Give your kids a chance to shine. As they learn to cook more complicated recipes, let them be responsible for planning — and cooking lunch or dinner one night. Letting your kids plan the meal — and even shop for the ingredients will help them to realize and appreciate the effort that goes into cooking.

As your kids become more skilled, begin including foods from different cultures. Many recipes such as French crepes or Italian lasagna are not difficult to make, and your kids will develop an appreciation for many different kinds of food.

Especially for younger children, having tools that are their own size not only make cooking more fun, but make it easier for them to participate. Kid-sized kitchen utensils can be found at many department or specialty stores.

Make sure you take plenty of pictures — you may not realize it now, but you’re making memories that someday will be as delicious as that batch of chocolate chip cookies you’re baking now!

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