LtLOS

Here's a good cast iron one that will last a lifetime, you can use it with a small gas burner or electric hotplate. I personally don't care for the charcoal or chemical flame burners for inside use, great for outdoor though.

http://www.kitchencontraptions.com/archives/004930.php

I remember seeing one at Emporium, I think Central Chidlom also.

You can find a local parm at Food Land that is ok for many daily uses, but for the real parm reggiano and other hard cheeses, you can find them at the Emporium food store or sometimes at Villa also.

You can also use in salads, appetizers, sandwiches, etc, etc. Cut very thin, a little goes a long way.

Cut in about 1 inch chunks, rinse till water runs clear, I do this ahead and let them sit in ice water, pre heat oven to very high, perhaps around 240°C. Dry the potatoes for a couple minutes in a towel and toss with salt and pepper. Take a heavy cast iron pan and pre heat clarified butter and toss potatoes around in it to coat them, pop in the oven about 20 minutes beautifully browned and so easy. The trick is clarified butter, regular butter will burn at higher temp.

Knorr, available Bkk at foodland, cubes and tubs, also the other imported types, surely at Villa also. The knorr is locally made, so with a little talking, you may convince someone to carry it for you, or look for a chinese shop, they may carry it.

Anyone know of any?

Umm...well not sure where your at but the last time I looked there were about a hundred (I exagerate) different varieties of hot dogs here. From the over processed very pink to the bit more refined, to the finer pork blends that can be found at the more upscale markets....hot dogs in Thailand, surely not a problem to find....?...Where you at?

I never had a corn dog, and don't feel at all deprived, but shouldn't be hard to make:

http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/35601/

This is a common recipe, but the key to make it work is the dusting of the dog first to absorb any moisture, and also very important here, unless your familiar with corn meal, is that it is very hard and needs to be soaked. The funny part is this recipe has been copied for a very long time from one site about 8 years ago...anyway it works well. You should try one, they go great with a cold beer.

LtLos

Here's mine, take note of the cornmeal soak, its very hard here and needs to be soaked or you will end up with very crunchy corn dogs.

County Fair Corn Dog

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tablespoon melted shortening

6 hot dogs

6 skewers or sticks

Vegetable oil for frying

Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, mustard, baking powder. and salt. Add milk, egg and shortening and mix until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a tall glass.

Place sticks in hot dogs

Lightly dust with flour

Then dip the dogs into the cornmeal batter, coating evenly. Deep fry in oil heated to 375 degrees until golden brown, about two minutes.

Let stand tall and brush with Ketchup and yellow mustard.

Note: The yellow corn meal here is quite hard, soak it in milk for at least one hour, drain and add to recipe.

LtLos

A bit off topic, but a question from someone looking for Jalepeños....anyone grow Jal's here, if so where can I find them?...If not suggest you try, I think they will sell well.

LtLos

There are small bags available, I don't remember the brand, clear with red print. Then there is Brooks brand carried in a cardboard can with aluminum lid. Which is what I buy regularly, seems to be best price and also pops well. Once opened keep it in the fridge, I use spare screw top jars. I pop corn at least twice a week. I find it best to use a heavy large sauce pan. Put about a 1/4 inch of oil (I use rice bran) in the pot, place it on high heat, add about 6-10 kernals of pop corn. Once these start to pop drop in the measure corn, my large sauce pan will take about 1/2 cup. Pop the lid on tight till it starts to pop, then just slide the lid off a bit to release the steam, one trick to good pop corn is to keep it dry, if you seal the pan, the steam makes it tough. Toss the pan frequently and set the lid back ajar. Once the popping comes to an almost stop, remove and place in a very large bowl in layers. Start with some fresh melted butter in the bottom before you put any popped corn, then some corn, then be ready with whatever else you like, salt, cheese powder, Old Bay seasoning is also good. layer the corn and all the goodies. Then toss it all for a about a minute. Make sure the bowl is large enough to let everything toss around well. Great with an old movie, and takes no time, so much better than that expensive oversalted micro bag crap.

LTLOS

An old trick that I thought I'd post for all the too busy to cook and too cheap to buy the imports crowd:

Take a can of sweetened condensed milk....very popular here found everywhere. Leave it sealed...unopened. Place in a pan of boiling water for about one and a half hours, cover the pan so the water level does not reduce. Cool it down a bit, and be surprised what you have onces you open it!....Very old trick.

The size simply depends on your inventory of baking pans and how full you fill them. Thinner cakes may vary the baking time your recipe states, but you can monitor this the old fashined way with a tooth pick, if come out clean it's done. The thinner the cake the shorter the time, thicker longer to cook the center.

Just a heads up on the lastest from Microworst, suggest you all stay with Linux, sounds like a real nightmare to me.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6407419.stm

LtLos

You can do a sauce starting with any fat, bacon renderings are quite nice, to start with. If you only have fat, cured bacon, pork, duck, etc, you can make a sauce by sauteing some onion and red capsicum in the fat, then sprinkle this with a tablespoon or two (start with one) of all purpose flour, mix the flour into the fat and veggies, till it just starts to brown...you now have a rouxe. Take some chicken stock and slowly start pouring this into the pan, mixing very quick and scraping the bottom, add a bit at a time to get a nice gravy, season to taste. No need for cubes or pouches.

Thanks for the compliment not a pro,, but just a person that likes to cook well at home, rather than spending a lot to get very mediocre western food here.

LtLos

I have read but not sure of how frying tomato paste is good, ideas?

Say you've just finished a baked chicken breast in a saute pan, now you have the juices, and fat in the bottom. Remove the breast, at that point you can add some tom paste, let it carmelize a bit, the sugars in the paste will start to cook out and brown a bit, then perhaps you want some mustard in that, add that and keep stirring, then a bit of white wine, or whatever, then thin with stock to desired consistency that will deglaze the pan and add all those great flavors that are on the pan into your sauce. By starting with the more solid ingredients then going towards the liquids you are building your sauce. Keep the flame fairly high, but watch and stir as you go as it can burn quick, by adding this way you can build and get the desired consistency you want and last of all add salt to taste.

LtLos

First, try and find some center cut chops that still have a nice layer of fat on the outside, fat is the key to flavor in all meats, and here it seems they prefer to trim all the fat off. Second the key to tender chicken and pork is brining. Brining is a way to tenderize these cuts and helps retain moisture. In a large bowl place about 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt, or if your using table salt, less, perhaps about 1-2 tablespoons, and also add about 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Add some cold water and stir till salt and sugar dissolve. Place meat in the bowl and cover with more water. Cover with plastic and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours, best overnight. If your using table or iodized salt probably about 2 hours, but any less won't have a lot of effect. When ready to cook, take out of the brine and rinse under cold water. For chicken, especially with skin, such as breasts, I place on a drain tray in the fridge uncovered to let the meat dry, for chops just take a towel or paper and dry off. Season as you like, then you can sear these for about 2-3 minutes a side to form a crust, then place in oven 350°f for about 10-15 minutes, not much longer. Or if you have a grill place on direct for same time high heat to seal outside, then put indirect for about 10 minutes.

Note brining does not work for beef, best for seafood, but much shorter time, and chicken and pork. People tend to overcook both chicken and pork, if your not used to how long, use a thermometer and check internal temp, rather than going by time at first.

Rod

Celery powder is available at most foodlands, I've found celery seed off and on at Villa over the years. To sub the powder add about 1/3 to 1/4 of what is called for in seed. I use it quite often in dressings, and home made mayonnaise.

I've found certain dried spices to be way over priced, and have gone to buying bulk on the net and then vacuum packing and freezing them. Just checked celery seed at one of my sources and I can get about 450 gms for around 100 Baht. I have a lot of folks traveling back and forth to the states, so its easy to get someone to carry it back for me, if you don't have that available, shipping is not too bad, when you consider local costs, and these can be sent sent snail mail, so not so expensive if you have the time.

LtLos

seems that the Nation is being quite honest,

and seems like the Bangkok Post is trying to ignore it all.

Quit reading the Post during the 1991 coup, never went back.

Probably the only good outcome of this airport debacle will be some understanding outside Thailand of how corrupt the Thaksin regime became....It's all on his watch with his cronies in charge.

Not sure if you are looking here for the basis for a business plan, but B59 for a basic taco is way too expensive.

Reference the following site for some info on US pricing for TB fast food:

http://www.tom.tulane.edu/dining/Menus/TB_Menu.htm

A basic taco is about B32@1:36.

I really think that mexican food is too close to Thai in some respects, to justify farang pricing, and thus the lack of interest, combined with the lack of access on a street food price basis. Take a lesson from favorite Thai pizza content, far from western content for the most popular combinations, and look at the demographics, a lot of Thais ordering pizza based on Thai taste, not the western norm. Now go to any McD's, and look at the same demog, you will find a much younger (and most likely overweight) demog there, a very different crowd. I think you will find there is about room enough for one tortilla manufacturer here in Thailand, and thats about it, you probably know already who that is. You will most likely get a lot of positive feedback from farang about new mexican here but in fact unless you have some new twist on content, and can come thru with a basic lunch that matches the price of a normal Thai lunch it is going to be a nitch product that you should focus on in tourist areas. Finally if you look at the condiments, such as salsa, that use larger quantities of milder chilis and fresh tomatoes, along with as you stated very expensive bean prices, to say nothing about importing masa for corn tortillas, you are up against a big price barrier.

Lots of luck

LtLOS

...do you just put the meat in the cooker with a little water?

Ok, here's my method for pulled pork or beef, or any other type of tougher cut.

The best flavors for most meats come from the tougher cuts such as beef shank or pork shoulder. These are very well suited for slow cooking.

The following can be used for either beef or pork, or any other quite tough cut.

In a heavy skillet preferable cast iron, pre heat and add some oil, place whole cut of meat in the pan and sear on all sides till brown and crispy. The cut should fit whole in your slow cooker pot. While the meat is searing, take your slow cooker pot and add to it:

2 bay leaves

2 whole dried chiles

8 to 10 peeled garlic cloves

3 Tbs tomato paste

3-4 cardomons shelled

if you like a real nice spicy dipping sauce for use with this add

2 whole chipotles in adobo (smoked jalepeños) or 4-5 Thai birds eye chili's stems removed.

After the meat is seared, add to the crock pot and if nessary add to the searing pan:

a bit more oil

1 large onion coarsely chopped

Saute the onion till nicely browned

add to crock pot and deglaze the searing pan with 1/2 cup red wine and add to crock pot. Add enough water to cover.

Cover and cook on low, depending on cut of meat for 8 to 18 hours. I usually start this at about 4 in the afternoon and let go till about 10 am next day.

At that point pull out the meat and place on a tray, cover and let set for a few minutes, then pull with a two forks to get a stringy coarse style pulled meat. Cover this right away as it will dry out quickly.

Strain the stock from the pot into a sauce pan taste and adjust seasoning, I don't add a lot of salt to the slow cook so this sauce will need salt. Also if you want a tangy sauce adjust with vinegar. Reduce this to about 2 cups, at that point if you want a thicker sauce I use a tapioca starch for thickening as it adds a nice sheen, or you can use it direct as an au jus.

Serve on hard rolls with a good hearty mustard and dill pickle chips.

EDIT - I love shredded beef sandwiches and shredded beef with gravy over mashed potatoes. The beef (Buffalo?) I have found can be slow cooked or boiled for hours and it is STILL tough. The rice cooker or crock pot slow cooker just won't do the job.

Gary, I would suggest you braise the buffalo slow and long, pulled or shredded beef can take up to 12 hours to cook properly, depending on the cut, but the temp is quite low, perhaps 285 F or lower in an oven. I take the cheaper local cuts for pulled beef and put in a slow cooker for at least 12 and sometimes 18 hours, on the low setting. If you pressure cook these cuts, you may not get the depth of flavor that slow cooking can achieve. Also the stock from the slow cooker makes a great base for a sauce.

LtLOS

I do what are called cold pack dill's. Note these MUST stay refrigerated, as they are not processed to full temp for room tem storage. The advantage is they stay very crisp.

The following will do about 2 quarts:

Take 4 large cucumbers and slice thin 3-4 mm.

Using two cleaned 1 quart glass jars, place in each jar:

1 TBS Pickling spice (Villa or foodland usually carries)

5 whole peeled garlic cloves

1/2 to 1 dried red chili

1 tsp sugar

1/2 bunch fresh dill, cut the stem end down so the whole stalk can fit in the jar.

Place the sliced Cucumbers in the jars.

Make a simple 50% brine with 2 cups water and 2 cups 5% white vinegar, adding about 1/4 cup sea salt...If you use Iodized less may be necessary. Bring is brine to a boil, and top off each jar with the hot brine, make sure its close to the top rim full, if not enough brine you can top it off with a bit of boiling water.

Put lids on jars and allow to come down to room temp, then place in refrigerator. I like to let mine pickle for about 2 weeks, but they can be used after a couple days.

Remember this are not canned, and must stay refrigerated.

LtLOS

Fagor makes the best IMHO they are available at @ease, Central, and Sogo, have local service. They also have the old style Fagor Classic here, it is a real professional beast, but also costs much more than the home models. The cost of the classic is quite high, so if you're not serious about PCooking start with the home model..The classic is about the only one available that is also Ok to use for a pressure fryer.

LtLos