Feed me; the remains of a meal.

What's left of another excellent Thai meal. Mainly lemongrass.

Vodka and berries

Ingredients; vodka 1 bottle (75cl), berries 500 gr, sugar 175 gr.

Rinse the berries, remove the stalks. Fill a jar with the berries, sugar and vodka, as simple as that. Make sure to use a jar with an airtight lid. Store in a cool dark place, stir once every few weeks until the sugar is dissolved. Store for at least 6 months, you can easily leave it for up to a year. When you decide on drinking it, strain through a metal colander. Store in a glass bottle with a tight cap.
Best served cool.
You can use almost any berry (strawberries don't work for me). Add a little more sugar when using sour berries, about 50 gr.
For a little kick. Infuse your vodka with a chili pepper. Just add a red chili pepper to your vodka the day before, and remove it when you fill the jar!

Feed me; a Vietnamese setting.

    Great colors at a restaurant in Northern Vietnam.
    From left to right:
     - the toilet roll holder in light blue, used as a napkin replacement.
     - little sugar pot
     - in the back, chopsticks, spoons and forks
     - a bottle of light soy sauce
     - and no longer allowed over here the ass tree
    You just got to love the wall and table-cloth colors, smashing!

Feed me; an excellent business!

Another flat tire on Lao gravel roads. There is always a repair/noodle shop near by. An excellent idea, Have some noodle soup or a beer and crackers while waiting. Ban Dong Daeng, Laos.

Pad kra pao...

Ingredients: shallots 2, red chili peppers 2, garlic cloves 3 to 4, fish sauce 1 tbsp, light soy sauce 1 tbsp,  a little sugar 1 tsp, minced meat (pork or beef) 250 gr., holy basil (or bai kaphrao), bird's eye chilies 10, sunflower oil 2 tbsp

  

Chop the shallots and chili peppers finely. Heat a frying pan, add the oil. Fry the shallots and chilies for 1 to 2 minutes. add the smashed garlic cloves , fry for 1 more minute. Now add the minced meat and fry while breaking it up into small parts with a fork or spoon. When almost ready add the fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce. mix well, add the chopped basil and turn off the heat. Serve with steamed rice and the sliced bird's eye chillies (if you like it hot).
Pad Kra Pao chicken; use little strips of chicken instead of minced meat.
You can make a vegetarian pad Kra Pao using soy meat.

Feed me; sugar and fish sauce.

On every table and in every soup you're bound to find sugar and fish sauce. A pungent smell at first, the fish sauce but unmistakably Asian. You get used to it fast and it is a very nice condiment. The picture is taken at a lovely restaurant where Thanon Phra Athit turns into Thanon Phra Sumen (close to Phra Sumen Fort). Careful with that sugar, probably already added.

Feed me; Chicken feet

  

Chickens at an Asian market. The feet still attached and well presented, as they are a delicacy in most Asian countries. The chicken feet make a delicious gelatinous stock and a fine soup. Not very fond of the chicken feet salad though.

Beef, lime & peppers

Ingredients; 2 banana peppers, 2 cherry bomb peppers, 1 red sweet pepper, bean sprouts 100gr, steak 150 gr, fresh ginger 1 cm, fish sauce 1 tbsp, oyster sauce 1 tbsp, sesame oil, 1 garlic clove, sunflower oil 4 tbsp, 2 limes, water, sugar 1 tbsp, potato starch 1 tsp.

Wash the lime. Keep zest from half a lime. Peel the other lime and slice into thin parts.  Bring the juice of 1 lime, 3tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of sugar to the boil. Add 1 tsp potato starch to 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Add to the boiling lime juice and stir. Turn down the heat and add the lime slices. set aside.

Bring water to the boil in a cooking pot. Turn off the fire and add the bean sprouts. leave for a couple of minutes and drain. Set aside.
Cut the beef into thin slices (About 5 mm). Heat a wok add 2 tbsp of oil and fry the beef. Just half a minute on each side, on high heat. Set the beef aside.  Add a little more oil to the wok. Fry the sliced peppers for 1 to 2 min. Add the diced sweet pepper and ginger. Fry for 3 more minutes.
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce and chopped garlic.Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Now add the bean sprouts and the beef (juice and all). Heat, then add the lime sauce and lime parts, stir well. Add a few drops of sesame oil and serve.

Feed me; Cat Ba nights.

Cat Ba Island at he southeastern edge of Ha Long Bay in Northern Vietnam. Late night coffee at the promenade. Not that much to do but very relaxing, ain't it fun.

Feed me; floating market style...

Fruit vendors at Halong Bay, Vietnam. Coming from a local market, these mainly sell to tourist boats. You need to bargain hard though.

beans, beans....and cheese

Ingredients: bread, cheese, canned beans, butter and sambal

A quick snack or meal. You can use white or brown bread, it's up to you. 2 slices of bread in between cheese to your liking. You can use cheddar cheese, gouda... any cheese that melts nicely when grilled. Heat your grill (you can bake it in a non stick pan with some butter). meanwhile heat your beans. Heat a little butter in a frying pan add the sambal. fry for a minute add the beans. stir while heating. Put the bread on the grill and grill until the cheese melts. serve with the beans.

Feed me; market preparations

Imagine, all these products and every single person in this picture packed in the back of an old Toyota 1600 cc pick up. When we dropped them after a 250 km ride, still left with 4 people and luggage to continue the journey to Ban Donkon. Doing this on a daily basis, selling their products on the local markets.

Feed me; ready to serve...

Ready to serve the evening crowd. Daret's close to Tha Pae Gate, Chiang Mai. The setting has changed a little since this picture (2007). Certainly changed since our first visit in 1996. No need to eat, you can enjoy a cold beer or a nice shake as well.

Cherries in syrup

Ingredients; sour cherries 1 kg. for the syrup; water 1 L, white sugar 100 gr, raw cane sugar 175 gr, juice of one lemon, dry white wine 10cl. Empty jars.

Bring water to the boil add the sugar, white wine and half the lemon juice. Boil for 5 to10 minutes and add more lemon juice if you like.
Wash the cherries and remove the stalks. Fill the jars with cherries and fill up with syrup. Close the jars. Take a large cooking pot add a few cm of water. Place the jars in the cooking pot close the lid. Bring to the boil, and cook for 8 minutes. Take the jars out of the cooking pot. Let them cool down up side down. Store in a cool dark place.

Feed me; Meat market.

Morning market, the meat section. For a good choice you need to be an early bird.

Feed me; Don Det.

Late night dining at Don Det, Laos. Once a little paradise in the middle of the mighty Mekong river, close to the Cambodian border. This is only one of the Si Phan Don islands. As Don Khon, Don Det is well travelled by now.

Feed me; Sapa market lunch!

 

Lunchtime at the Sapa market, Northern Vietnam. Doesn't look like much, but they have some nice pho (phô) places.

Asparagus with pork

Ingredients; pork, (tenderloin) 250gr, green asparagus 12, garlic cloves 2, sambal 1 tsp, 100 gr bean sprouts, oyster sauce 2 tbsp, fish sauce 1 tbsp, rice wine 2 tbsp, pepper, salt, butter

Boil the asparagus in salted water. (There must still be a bite to them). Drain and keep a little cooking fluid. Boil water, turn of theheat and add bean sprouts. After 2 to 3 minutes drain the bean sprouts.
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan and add the butter. Once the butter starts turning brown add sambal. Fry for a minute and add pork and smashed garlic. fry pork 5 to 7 minutes each side (it needs to be pink inside). Remove the pork, set aside to rest.
De-glaze the frying pan with rice wine. Add 10 cl of cooking fluids (asparagus), oyster sauce and fish sauce. After 1 minute add Slice asparagus, fry for one more minute. Now add the bean sprouts.
Slice the pork. Add the juice from the meat to the frying pan. turn of the heat.
Serve over steamed rice or noodles.

Feed me; spoon and fork.

A spoon and a fork, ready to dig in.

Feed me; Winter restaurant in Myanmar!

Winter restaurant, serving Western, Italian, Chinese and Myanmar food. In the Nyaung-U village on the road to Bagan archaeological zone.

Feed me; daifuku.

 

Daifuku made by a friend. A strange sensation in your mouth when first tried. A sweet filling stuffed inside a round glutinous rice cake. I like it a lot! Daifuku and one more cup of coffee, please?

Mushroom soup

Ingredients; 1 small onion, fresh ginger 2 cm, dried shiitake 25 gr, oyster mushrooms 150 gr, champignon mushrooms 150 gr, fish sauce 2 tbsp, 2 red chili's, light soy sauce 2 tbsp, lemon grass 2 stalks, garlic cloves 2, juice of 1 lime, sunflower oil 2 tbsp, palm sugar 1 tsp, 3 to 5 lime leaves, vegetable stock 25 cl, noodles 100 gr.

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water (about 20cl), about 30 minutes.
Chop the onion, chili's and ginger finely. Heat a wok, add oil then the onion, chili and ginger. Fry for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Poor the dried mushrooms and the liquid into the wok. Add vegetable stock, garlic, fish sauce and soy sauce. Bring to the boil. Squash the lemon grass, add lemon grass, half the lime juice and the sugar to the soup. Boil for a few more minutes and taste. Add more lime juice if needed. Now add the noodles. Boil until the noodles are soft. Turn of the heat and add the shredded lime leaves. Ready to serve.
If you want vegan forget about the fish sauce or replace with mushroom sauce.

Feed me; lemon chicken.

Marvelous! Lemon & lime chicken at a Mae Sot restaurant, Thailand. Served with fried kale and sticky rice.

Feed me; red pork and wontons

Delicious red pork & won ton soup in Chiang Rai. A light lunch or even as a late night snack.

Beef teriyaki fusion style!

Ingredients; big mushrooms 8, spring onions 8, potatoes 6, rump-steak 4 (100 gr each), salt, dark soy sauce 3 tbsp, mirin 3 tbsp, rice wine 3 tbsp, teriyaki sauce 1 tbsp, garlic 2 cloves, fresh ginger 2 cm, sunflower oil 4 tbsp

Boil the potatoes in salted water until done.
Mix the soy sauce, mirin, rice wine and teriyaki sauce in a cup. Add sliced ginger and finely cut garlic.
Make a cross like incision on top of the mushrooms. chop the spring onions in to 5 cm pieces. Cut the boiled potatoes in quarters.
Heat a wok and add 2 tbsp of oil. Add the mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly and add a splash of water if necessary. Put the mushrooms in a bowl. Fry the spring onion for 1 min., and put them in the bowl. Fry the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and add them to the bowl.
Make sure the wok is very hot, and add 2 tbsp oil. Fry the rump-steak 1 min. each side. Fry them one at the time. Put aside. Add the bowl of vegetables to the wok, add the sauce mixture. Once it is cooking add the steak. Cook for to more minutes.
If the sauce is to thin for your liking; mix a tsp of potato flower with 2 tbsp of water. Add to the cooking food while mixing well for 1 minute.

Feed me; shrimp and beer, nice!

Crispy battered shrimp and beer, lovely. Served with sweet chili sauce, even better.

Feed me; we just love markets

Sihanoukville, day market.

Phsar Leu market. It's a typical Khmer market. Mostly selling fresh seafood and fruit on one side, and everything else on the other. From tailor made wedding dresses to flashlights and fake sunglasses. Some nice little restaurants are located at the far right hand side of the main entrance.

Shrimp, tomato and garlic

Ingredients: olive oil 2tbsp, olive butter 1tbsp, 12 large peeled shrimp, 2 tomatos, 1 red chili pepper, 1 shallot, 3 garlic cloves, black pepper, salt, 10 cl white wine, chopped parsley 2 tbsp, shrimp paste 1 tsp

Heat a non stick frying pan. Add olive butter 1 tbsp. Add the finely shopped shallot and chili pepper. Fry until the shallot turns glazy. Add the wine and after a few minutes add the diced tomatoes and finely chopped garlic. Add the shrimp paste, ground black pepper and salt. Simmer on a low fire until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the shrimp and cook until they are done. Now add olive oil and parsley. Let it simmer for 1 more minute, stir and serve with sliced baguette.

Feed me; Muang Khua

Before rush hour. Little restaurant in Muang Khua, Laos. Only a few dishes, and lovely coffee with sweet milk.

Feed me; Ice, ice baby

Vanilla ice cream at Aroon Rai's.

Feed me; crispy wontons.

Sunset and Crispy wontons at Victory beach, Sihanoukville.

Meatballs and mushrooms

Ingredients
- meatballs: minced beef 200gr, 1 egg, breadcrumbs 75gr, fish sauce 2 tbsp, pepper, salt, paprika powder 1 tsp, chili flakes 3 tsp, sunflower oil 2 tbsp
- dish: mushrooms 200gr, 1 medium sized onion, fresh ginger 2cm, 1 red chili pepper, fish sauce 2 tbsp, garlic 2 cloves, coconut milk 25cl, turmeric 2tsp, 1 lime, sunflower oil 2 tbsp, beef or vegetable stock 15cl
- Vegetarian: vegetarian meatballs

Meatballs; mix all ingredients well. Make small meatballs. Heath a frying pan add oil. Fry the meatballs until they are almost ready.
Take a large frying pan. Heath add oil and finely chopped onion, chili and ginger. Fry for a few minutes and add the sliced mushrooms. De-glaze the frying pan with the stock. After about 5 minutes add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Cook for a few minutes and add your chopped garlic, fish sauce and turmeric. Add the meatballs. Turn down the heat and let it simmer on a low fire until it thickens. Add some lime juice to your taste.
Serve with rice or naan bread.
For a vegetarian meal, use vegetarian meatballs and -stock.

Feed me; squid!!

Fresh squid , Sibu fish market. Sarawak, Malaysia.

Feed me; Crepe cake!!

Crepe cake with strawberry sauce. In the background Orange cake and banana with chocolate sauce. Love the cake at "In Nan".

Feed me; Nan, walking street.

Nan, walking street. Always entertaining. Nan, Thailand 2002. I think.

Endive stalks, cheese and tagliatelle

Ingredients; tagliatelle 200 gr, endive stalks 3, finely cut Parsley 2 tbsp, 1 egg, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, olive oil 3 tbsp, Padano 50 gr.

Non vegetarians; cured bacon 150 gr

Vegetarians; smoked tofu 100 gr

Boil tagliatelle in plenty of salted water. Slice endive stalks lengthwise in small strips. Heath oil in a large frying pan and add endive. Add salt and pepper. Fry until soft and a bit browned.
Meanwhile beat one egg with some salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Fry the bacon / tofu lightly in a non stick pan.
Set aside some cooking fluid from the tagliatelle before rinsing. Add the tagliatelle to the endive. Add parsley and mix well. Take the frying pan of the fire and add a few tablespoons from the cooking fluid. Add the beaten egg and mix quickly.
Serve and dress with bacon / tofu and some roughly grated Padano cheese. You can use Parmesan cheese or mature cheddar instead.

Feed me; waitress please...

The little village of Kin Pun near Golden Rock, Myanmar. Hard to get somebodies attention.

Feed me: homemade seafood

Homemade seafood at our friends place in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Feed me; Pig snout.

Serving pig snout. Evening market Sibu, Malaysia.

couscous chicken or vegetarian

Ingredients:
Couscous; couscous 170 gr, water 220 ml, stock cube,  olive oil, butter, tomato puree 1tbsp
Non vegetarian; chicken 250 gr, cherry tomatoes 10, 1 red onion, 2 red chili peppers, pepper, salt, garlic 1 clove, red sweet pepper 1/2, ground cumin 1tsp, mushrooms 100 gr
Vegetarian; butternut squash 1/2, paprika powder, olive oil

Bring water to the boil. Add stock cube and tomato puree. Take off the fire and add couscous.

Non-vegetarian: Slice the chili peppers, onion, sweet pepper and mushrooms. Heat a frying pan add olive oil and chili peppers. After a minute add onion and sweet pepper. Try for 5 minutes. add diced chicken. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes before adding mushrooms, pepper and salt. Add a few tbsp of water, finely chopped garlic and cumin.
Loosen the couscous with a fork. Put the couscous in a tajine end dress with the fry chicken and vegetables. You can serve it now. But even better, put the tajine in an oven foe 30 minutes at 180°c.

Vegetarian; Slice butternut in big cubes. Peel off the skin. Pre heat the oven (220°c). Pour plenty of olive on the butternut. Put on an oven tray and add pepper, salt, paprika powder and a little cumin on top. Place in the oven until soft. Slice the chili peppers, onion, sweet pepper and mushrooms. Heat a frying pan add olive oil and chili peppers. After a minute add onion and sweet pepper. Fry for 5 minutes. add mushrooms, pepper and salt. Add a few tbsp of water, finely chopped garlic and cumin.
Loosen the couscous with a fork. Put the couscous in a tajine end dress with the butternut and vegetables. You can serve it now. But even better, put the tajine in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°c.

Feed me; Kantharalak.

Two bills from a Khantharalak based restaurant. In Bath. Drinks on top, four dishes, and rice last. 

Feed me; Som tam.

I just love som tam. Listed no 46 of world's most delicious foods! It should be higher. Potato chips, marzipan and donuts shouldn't be anywhere near this list. This list is even better, som tam on no 6!

recipes: Fish, lime and Belgian endive.

Ingredients: palm sugar 1 tbsp, 1 little red onion, 4 red chili peppers, 2 green chili peppers, coconut milk 30 cl, lemon juice 3 tbsp, lime juice 1 tbsp, 300 gr white fish (cod, ..), fish sauce 2 tbsp, massaman curry paste 2 tbsp, sunflower oil.
For the vegetables: ginger 4 cm, endive stalks 3, salt and black pepper, sunflower oil.

Slice the chili peppers. Heat a deep frying pan add oil and fry the peppers for a few minutes. Add finely sliced onion after 2 to 3 minutes add coconut milk and curry paste. When the curry paste is dissolved add lemon juice, lime juice and palm sugar. Cook for 5 minutes and add fish sauce. Taste, add more juice or sugar if needed. Cut the fish into2 parts. Lower heat and add the fish. Cook gently until ready.

Slice the ginger into thin long strips. Heat a frying pan add oil and fry the ginger for 2 to 3 minutes.
Slice the endive stalks length wise into strips and add. Fry on medium heat. Add salt and black pepper. Fry until soft, you might have to add a few tablespoons of water while frying.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Feed me; Lal Ghat restaurant.

Lal Ghat retaurant ,Udaipur India. No date on the 199... note, by then it was already 2000.

Feed me; Aroon Rai.

 Before!

 After!

Another excellent meal at Aroon Rai, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Has to come with sticky rice and a large Chang classic.

Recipes: Beef and mushroom

Ingredients: dark soy sauce 3 tbsp, mirin 2 tbsp, sake 1 tbsp, teriyaki sauce 1 tbsp, ginger 1,5 cm, garlic 1 clove, palm-sugar 2 tsp, lemon juice 2 tbsp, sesame seeds 2 tbsp, 4 chili peppers, 1 onion, 8 big mushrooms, sunflower oil, beef 250 gr (steak)

 

Mix soy sauce, mirin, sake and teriyaki sauce in a bowl. Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic and mix well. Slice the chili peppers and onion. Dissolve the sugar in a little water. Add oil to a hot frying wok and fry the chili peppers for a minute. Set a side. Fry the onions for about 5 to 6 minutes and set a side. Add some more oil in de wok and fry the whole mushrooms. Once they start coloring add a little water. Continue until they are soft and set a side. Cut up the beef in small strips and fry them for a minute on each side. Set a side.

Pour the sugar mixture in the wok. When it cooks add the lemon juice. After a minute add the soy mixture. Cook on a high temperature for 2 to 3 minutes add onions and mushrooms cook for 1 minute more and add the Beef.

Dress a plate with the beef and vegetables, and add some chili and roasted sesame seats. Serve with rice.

Feed me; fast food

A Cambodian "fast food" stand. Have a quick baguette, Siem Reap.

Feed me; take away chicken

Take away chicken! Sibu, Sarawak Malaysia.

recipe; Hungarian goulash, more or less.

Ingredients: 500gr stew beef, 1 big onion, 1 yellow sweet pepper, 1 red sweet pepper, 200gr mushrooms, about 8 garlic cloves , 5 red tomatoes, 5 bay leaves, pepper, salt, 5 chili peppers, paprika powder, thyme, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, fish sauce, butter or oil.

Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and fry in hot butter or oil until brown. Use a deep frying pan. Slice the chili peppers and add them. Cut up the onion and sweet peppers, big chunks will do. After frying the chili peppers for two minutes, add the onion and sweet peppers. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add about 10 cl of water, the finely chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.
Now add the mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, pepper and salt.
Close the lit and let it simmer, about 30 min. Have a taste and add a little thyme, paprika powder, chili flakes and fish sauce. Let it simmer until the meat is very tender. (about 1 hour).
Taste and add more fish sauce, herbs and spices if needed.
Serve hot with dark bread. You can top it with some cheese.
You don't have to add fish sauce, but Asian friends love it in their stew.