Is You A Great Cook In Thailand? I Is.

[chiangmaikelly]

All these poor guys going on and on about wifey cooking, geees. My mother was a shopaholic gold digger and never spent an hour in the kitchen except to get ice for her daiquiris. I learned how to cook shortly after I could walk. It was that or turn into an alkie like pop.

I got my first job in a professional kitchen when I was 14 and was marinating road kill in a Greek restaurant at 16. I ran joints in the Bahamas, Canada and China before I was 22. A Thai woman who knows how to cook? 555.

So tell me am I the only expat in Thailand that can cook?

Edited December 4, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[SeaVisionBurma]

Moved to Farang Pub.

[petedk]

I've been cooking since I was 12 years old.

We only eat at home at weekends and Saturdays we eat Thai food prepared by the maid.

On Sundays I do the cooking and I try to find a new dish at least once a month.

Nearly all my Thai friends say I should open a restaurant but I guess I am too lazy.

I like to keep my cooking as a hobby.

Christmas is coming soon and it's my duty to roast a turkey, cook ham, beef weelington, lasagne (for the kids), apple crumble and some other dessert. All this for about 25 to 30 people.

I am looking forward to it.

[krisb]

My Thai wifes a great cook. Why do you find that funny?

I work in the building industry, and here we say tradesman who tell you how good they are, usually arent.

[Spoonman]

Unlike the the OP who has had a few ribs removed so he can smoke his own whistle yeah I too can cook.

[chiangmaikelly]

Maybe it was watching my grandfather or father struggle in the kitchen that motivated me to get my first cooking job.

I have never met a woman who can hold a candle to my cooking. I hired one female chef to do my part for womens lib and breaking the glass ceiling; worst mistake I ever made. She got together with the female executives in the company I worked for and took my job.

[smokie36]

I enjoy cooking....but I am an average cook overall....I do maybe a dozen dishes well....all else is edible at least I think.

[Dancealot]

Moved to Farang Pub.

not farang restaurant? CMK: If your knowledge about food is as good as that of history i oblige your OP.

[chiangmaikelly]

Moved to Farang Pub.

not farang restaurant? CMK: If your knowledge about food is as good as that of history i oblige your OP.

I have managed restaurants inside and outside of Farangland. Not much difference except the language of the waitresses bickering changes.

[Dancealot]

I call that impressive!

[chiangmaikelly]

40 years ago I ran a restaurant in China. Three languages were spoken in the restaurant and English was not one of them. I asked my assistant what the waitresses were arguing about. He told me, "side work." Waitresses always complain about side work, grabby cooks and ex husbands. Yes, all waitresses have an ex husband it is part of the job description.

Cooking is not the hard part about managing a restaurant. Anyone can cook. Buy a cook book. It's not rocket science.

Thai food is easy to cook. If you want to cook good Thai food buy good ingredients. Thais will be shocked.

[krisb]

Ok Chef Kelly, Id like to try 1 of your favorite/best dishes, perhaps something yourself has created....only if you are willing to give away any secrets?

How about giving us a recipe that friends of yours have tried and found amazing?

Im not a great cook but I can follow a recipe and would like to try some of your worldly cuisine!

So what do you think?......ps, Im not vegetarian.

pps, NOT Thai food please, she makes the stuff everyday.

Edited December 6, 2012 by krisb

[chiangmaikelly]

Ok Chef Kelly, Id like to try 1 of your favorite/best dishes, perhaps something yourself has created....only if you are willing to give away any secrets?

How about giving us a recipe that friends of yours have tried and found amazing?

Im not a great cook but I can follow a recipe and would like to try some of your worldly cuisine!

So what do you think?......ps, Im not vegetarian.

Equipment is the first step. Get a turbo oven available anywhere Lotus or Big C or.......

Next a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Available again almost anywhere. Get the one with the most different kinds of rice listed on the water level on the cooking pan. I use two of them. Vegetable in one and rice or other starch in the second one and the meat in the turbo oven. Tip a little less water the fresher the rice.

All three are on timers so they go off automatically no danger of fire when you are gone.

I also have a two burner gas stove for the wok and saute pans.

I marinate all my meats and only rarely use beef. Thai pork and chicken are fine. You can marinate in anything I use mostly local ingredients; watered down soy sauce or lime juice instead of wine.

Marinate a chicken in something overnight that includes ground up fresh garlic and basil. Rub the chicken the next day with olive oil and the garlic and basil and slow cook it in a pan in the oven for a couple of hours till done 125-130 C. Degrease the pan drippings and make a sauce. Cook rice in one rice cooker and steam some vegetables in the second cooker. Serve the chicken sauced with the rice and vegetables with hot sauce available for your Thai guests. The above is more an idea than a recipe. Slow roast and marinade. It works fine with pork increase the cooking time. Marinade flavors and slow roasting makes it tender. Most Thai people don't know how to roast things but really like things that are roasted.

Fish is easier. Marinate for only an hour or so and cook in the turbo oven for 20 minutes. So there you go. Chicken, fish and pork easy to make and everyone will love it.

Edited December 6, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[krisb]

Ok, few questions.. Ive seen these turbo ovens.....I can get 1, are they much better than a normal fan forced oven?..and why?

second, a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Is that the brand name?...why are they different than any decent rice cooker and how so?

Marinating the chicken, is it the Italian style basil you recommend?

Lastly, Im not sure how to degrease the pan drippings?...I know how to flour to make a gravy, but not the degreasing part.

And yes, Thais love roasted meat!...My wife loves a juicy steak with prawns on top, roasted potatoes with a nice cheese sauce brocolli and cauliflower.

Ive found Thais also love charcoal bbq pork ribs when all I use is lemon juice and some salt (no pepper) as flavor once cooked. My MIL, had never thought of it, so simple but she loved it. MIL also loved spaghetti bog, she took it to work and they all wanted the recipe!...

[chiangmaikelly]

Ok, few questions.. Ive seen these turbo ovens.....I can get 1, are they much better than a normal fan forced oven?..and why?

second, a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Is that the brand name?...why are they different than any decent rice cooker and how so?

Marinating the chicken, is it the Italian style basil you recommend?

Lastly, Im not sure how to degrease the pan drippings?...I know how to flour to make a gravy, but not the degreasing part.

And yes, Thais love roasted meat!...My wife loves a juicy steak with prawns on top, roasted potatoes with a nice cheese sauce brocolli and cauliflower.

Ive found Thais also love charcoal bbq pork ribs when all I use is lemon juice and some salt (no pepper) as flavor once cooked. My MIL, had never thought of it, so simple but she loved it. MIL also loved spaghetti bog, she took it to work and they all wanted the recipe!...

Turbo oven. Ya, great for any kind of baking and toasting and very good for slow cooking (even heat blown around). Fuzzy logic rice cooker will vary the time depending on the amount of water remaining and they can also cook many other things besides rice; you can even bake a cake in them (I have used Hitachi and Philips) 4 different kinds of basil in Thailand all are fine to cook with.

Degrease with the cup thing or put in the fridge and the fat will harden and can be scraped off.

PS I rarely use flour to thicken. Normally I cook to reduce the amount of liquid. You can of course use corn starch or rice starch or any other thickening agent. Another secret. Get a blow torch to make creme brulee or a quick brown of the chicken or fish in spots missed by the oven.

Edited December 6, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[krisb]

Ok, I always thought rice cookers were rice cookers. Wrong it seems, and that Zojirushi model you have (just checked em out), seems high tech, is it easy to use? also does it cook sticky rice well like it claims? the version before sugar is added.

Those turbo roasters look nice, do you have one because you dont have an oven? or are they better?

BTW have you seen one of these? http://www.thermomix.com.au/

My brother got one, bloody good kitchen tool.

[chiangmaikelly]

Ok, I always thought rice cookers were rice cookers. Wrong it seems, and that Zojirushi model you have (just checked em out), seems high tech, is it easy to use? also does it cook sticky rice well like it claims? the version before sugar is added.

Those turbo roasters look nice, do you have one because you dont have an oven? or are they better?

BTW have you seen one of these? http://www.thermomix.com.au/

My brother got one, bloody good kitchen tool.

I have purchased the Hitachi iron pot one, twice. The first one broke. If it works right it is great. The Phillips one seems to work with fewer problems but is larger. I got the Hitachi so I could cook one cup (dry measurement) rice at a time. I bought the turbo oven because it works well, as good as a much more expensive slow cook or convection oven and it does a good job melting cheese on toast or just cooking toast in the morning. It is awkward though and I have burned myself a couple of times.

[Dancealot]

Ok, I always thought rice cookers were rice cookers. Wrong it seems, and that Zojirushi model you have (just checked em out), seems high tech, is it easy to use? also does it cook sticky rice well like it claims? the version before sugar is added.

Those turbo roasters look nice, do you have one because you dont have an oven? or are they better?

BTW have you seen one of these? http://www.thermomix.com.au/

My brother got one, bloody good kitchen tool.

I have purchased the Hitachi iron pot one, twice. The first one broke. If it works right it is great. The Phillips one seems to work with fewer problems but is larger. I got the Hitachi so I could cook one cup (dry measurement) rice at a time. I bought the turbo oven because it works well, as good as a much more expensive slow cook or convection oven and it does a good job melting cheese on toast or just cooking toast in the morning. It is awkward though and I have burned myself a couple of times.

Very interesting CMK thanks.

Can i ask you if you use syringes as well with marinating? I saw a dutch top chef do it lately but i was shocked by his methods..

Is it a good way to marinate?

[tutsiwarrior]

I always did liketa cook but it seems that I ain't got the strength no more...what with finding suitable ingredients and then gettin' away from internet porn and the vodka to make the effort in the kitchen...and it'sa mighty fine kitchen, gots me a full gas cooker, yassuh...

these days I'm workin' in saudi and food is included in my contract of employment and for lunch I got more hommous, baba ganoush and tabouli salad that I can shake a stick at, beats hell outta the western stuff on offer although they gots some mighty fine roast beef on occasion and baked hamour fish in nice sauces...I take in my plastic containers and take home some mezzeh and arabic bread and have it standin' over the kitchen sink while watchin' the Al Jazira news...

I was just at tescos yesterday and got a nice pork loin but I'm too goddam lazy to cook it...just been eatin' store bought roast chicken and salami sarnies...once ye get back home and drinkin' everything goes all t'hell...