Fennel Salad, Thai Style

ingredients: garlic 2 cloves, red chilis 4, unsalted peanuts 2 tbsp, dried shrimp 1 tbsp, palm sugar 1/2 tbsp, lime juice 1, cherry tomatoes 6, fish sauce 11/2 tbsp, fennel 1 bulb, dried berries, coconut sugar

Dry roast the peanuts and set aside. Melt the palm sugar with a tbsp of water, so you have a thick syrup.
Take garlic, sliced chilli and crush them with pestle and mortar. Add the 2 tbsp of lime juice, sugar syrup and the fish sauce crush some more. Now add the thinly sliced fennel, use the mortar to gently bash the fennel, add the cherry tomatoes (cut in half) and bash a bit more. Add the shrimp mix well.
Empty the mortar on a plate and dress with the peanuts and dried berries. Sprinkle a bit of coconut sugar on top.
Use any dried berry you like.
A deep wooden pestle and mortar works best.

Feed me; Fern salad

A refreshing salad, deep fried egg tofu, tomato, onions, a little minced pork and fern (Pak kood). The dressing containing (probably) fish sauce, lime, chili and palm sugar. I had it on the way to Pua in the Nan province, Thailand.

Feed me; lazy afternoon at the restaurant

Lazy afternoon at Don Khon, one of the many Islands on the Mekong river in Laos. Ideal for a drink or an afternoon snack at a local restaurant. The area is known as Si Phan Don or 4000 Islands.

Fennel Soup

Ingredients; 2 medium sized bulbs of fennel, chicken stock 30 cl, coconut milk 15 cl, light soy sauce 1 tbsp, fish sauce 1 tbsp, kurkuma 3-4 tsp, palm sugar 2 tsp, juice of half a lemon, oil 2 tbsp, chili oil 1 tbsp, fresh ginger 2 cm (peeled, cut in big chunks), tom yam paste 2 tsp (or 1 tom yam stock cube).

Trim and slice the fennel, keep the top green for dressing. Heat a wok, add oil. Stir fry the fennel on low heat until almost soft (add a little water to keep it from burning). Add chicken stock, tom yam paste, ginger and coconut milk, bring to the boil. add soy sauce, fish sauce and kurkuma.
Add the lemon juice and sugar. Taste and add more lemon juice or sugar to your liking.
Serve and dress with the finely chopped green from the fennel and some chili oil.

I add a few shrimp dumpling a few minutes before serving.

Feed me; Steaming Sticky Rice.

Steaming sticky rice near Kantharalak bus station. Sticky rice is a great travel companion, you could buy it at most train and bus station, steamed in bamboo often mixed with black beans.
Easy enough to make at home, but you need to buy the right rice, Take 2 cups of rice and cover with 5 cm cold water, soak for 6 to 24 hours (room temperature). the longer it soaks the better it gets. Line the steamer with cheesecloth, drain the rice and steam for 15 to 20 minutes. You can boil it in a pot or use a rice cooker, but steamed the traditional way ( conical steamer basket and pot) is the best by far.
Another good way is by using a colander or pasta cooker, always line with cheesecloth.

Feed me; fermented stuff !

You love it or you hate it, fermented fish is a basic ingredient in a lot of Asian dishes. Fermentation is an old way of preserving food, and a side effect is a hefty, potent odor. It is a strong taste by all means, so be conservative in using it. If you are curious about fermented stuff, here is a list of fermented foods, you might have some on your daily menu...

Tofu & Eryngii on toast

Ingredients; for the dressing: Honey 1tbsp, dark soy sauce 1tsp, light soy sauce 1tsp, fish sauce 1/2 tsp, wasabi - recipe: tofu 150 gr, 2 or 3 big king brown mushrooms (eryngii), garlic 1 clove, fresh ginger 2 cm, pink Himalaya salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika powder, rice wine 1 tbsp, basil, sunflower oil 3 tbsp, sesame oil a few drops, toast to your liking

Slice the mushrooms lengthwise, 5mm thick. Chop garlic and ginger very fine. preheat the oven, we need about 200°. Toss the mushrooms in a baking tray, cover with 2 tbsp sunflower oil, add a bit of black pepper, a little salt, garlic and ginger. Cover the tray with aluminium foil. Put in the oven, after 15 to 20 minutes, open the lid and add 1 tbsp of rice wine. cover and leave in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Slice tofu into litle squares about 5 mm thick, dust wiyh cayenne pepper and paprika powder. Heath a frying pan, add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil. Fry tofu on medium heat, until nicely coloured. Place tofu on kitchen paper to absorb oil.
Dressing; Mix the honey, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and fish sauce in a small bowl.
Take a piece of toast (warm), put two slices of tofu as a base, add mushrooms (leave most of the garlic and ginger in the cooking tray). Dress with 1 tsp of the honey mixture, add a touch of black pepper and pink salt. Put the toast on a plate dress the plate with some wasabi and a few drops the honey mixture and sesame oil. finish with a little basil. You can use all kinds of toast, I used a soft Swedish toast.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, eliminate the fish sauce from the recipe.

Feed me; a refreshing drink !!

A great refreshing drink, known as 'air limau' by the Malaysians. Easy and quick to make.
Take a big glass, add a teaspoon of honey and 1/4 glass of hot water. Mix well before adding the juice of 2 or 3 calamansi limes and 1/2 glass of cold water. Stir, add ice, ready. I like to add the squeezed limes as well. You can use limes if you can't find calamansi limes.

Feed me; coffee and pastries

Coffee and puffy pastries, no place like Myanmar to get your daily dose.

Halloumi and Eggplant

Ingredients; Halloumi 200gr, eggplant 1, medium sized onion 1, red chili pepper 1, tomato pasata 200cc, pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, paprika powder, olive oil

Cut the eggplant into 5mm thick slices, do the same with the halloumi. Heat a frying pan, add olive oil. Add the eggplant and fry until golden brown. The eggplant will soak up quiet some olive oil, make sure there is enough in the frying pan. Once golden brown place the eggplant on a plate and put aside. Chop the onion and the chili pepper, and add to the frying pan. fry until soft and add the tomato pasata and a bit of water. Bring to the boil, add pepper, salt and a teaspoon of cumin powder (or crushed cumin seeds). Cook for about 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add 2 or 3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley.
Take a portion sized ovenproof dish, add a thin layer of the tomato sauce, a layer of eggplant and a layer of halloumi. Do it twice and finish with some paprika powder on top. Put in a preheated oven (medium height) for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice or even better with some naan bread.

Feed me; spiral mooncakes

Spiral mooncakes just look lovely. I think mooncakes originated in China, eaten at the mid-autumn festival. The Chinese ones look a bit different, but come with the same fillings. The multi layered outside comes in a variety of flavours and colours. Filled with Taro, lotus seed paste and red bean is most common. At a mooncake stand at the Khorat book show at least 20 flavours were on offer, tried about six I hadn't seen before. The purple and green mooncakes look the best though.

Feed me; cheesecake

Cheesecake and passion fruit sauce served by a nice Japanese lady in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She runs a lovely organic place at the Chiang Mai Art Museum's parking lot. A bit out of the town centre, but well worth a visit. Food and drinks are excellent. Easy enough to find once you are at the museum, on entering the parking lot it is on the far right hand side. Or ask at the museum's reception for 'Din Dee Mudhouse Cafe'.

Shrimp, Fennel and Star Anise

A variation on the 'Shrimp and Fennel' recipe.
Ingredients; shrimps 16, fennel bulb 1, chilli flakes 1 tsp, juice of 1 lemon, honey 1tbsp, sunflower oil 2tbsp, little nob of butter, black pepper, salt, fish sauce 1 tbsp, Star anise 4, Ouzo 2 tbsp, water 10cl.

Chop the fennel bulb into small bits. Chop some of the top green very fine (2 tbsp) and set aside.
Heat a frying pan, add 1 tbsp oil and butter. Add cleaned shrimp, season with black pepper and salt, fry one to two minutes each side. Set aside.
Heat a wok, add 1 tbsp oil and add the chopped fennel. Stir fry on medium heat until almost soft (with a bite) if necessary, add some water while stir frying. Add chili flakes, half of the lemon juice , honey, fish sauce, Ouzo and star anise. Fry for a minute and add the shrimp. Fry for 2 more minutes, taste and add more lemon or honey. Serve, dressed with the chopped green of the fennel.
You can serve it with noodles or steamed rice. I like it with some naan bread.

Feed me; an all-time favorite

An all-time favorite, chicken cashew nuts. Many Thai restaurants serve a kind of chicken cashew nuts, one better than the other, but most of them are just lovely. When done right, it is slightly sweet with a mild chili kick.

Feed me; Pink

The main square for a Chiang Mai event must be the one at the Tha Phae gate. Staying just opposite the square whenever visiting Chiang Mai, I've seen festivities from markets to sporting events, from the Kings birthday celebrations to Thai theater festivals and from body building shows to Miss ladyboy contests. One thing in common, serving food and snacks all night long.

sugar peas

Ingredients; sugar (snap) peas 200gr, cherry tomato 10, garlic cloves 2, 1 or 2 red chili peppers, oil 1 tbsp, oyster sauce 1 tbsp, water 1tbsp, sugar 1 tsp, fish sauce 1or 2 tsp (if you are vegan replace with light soy sauce).

Heat a wok, add oil. Add the chopped chili peppers. Stir fry for 1 or 2 minutes, add the sugar peas. Stir fry for another 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add fish sauce (light soy sauce), oyster sauce, water and chopped garlic. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add, fry for 3 minutes add sugar if needed.
You can add tofu if you like.

Feed me; Crepe Cake.

Preparing 'crepe cake' for the 2014 Xmas party. All over Thailand people are selling crepe cake, no taste or color is off limits, mostly served with a kind of fruit sauce. Nhee @ work, if you go to Nan you can find her coffee shop 'Coffee and More' across the Nan fire department on Thanon Mahayot.

 "Coffee and More"

Feed me; spicy salad dressing

Not for the faint-hearted, a spicy salad dressing. Fish sauce, garlic, a bit of sugar and loads and loads of fresh chili peppers.

Thousand year old eggs

Ingredients: thousand year old eggs 5, garlic cloves 5, chilis 5, minced pork 150 to 200 grams, holy basil leaves 2 coffee cups, light soy sauce 1/2 tbsp, fish sauce 2 tbsp, oyster sauce 1 tbsp, sugar 1 or 2 tsp, sunflower oil 5 tbsp, water

Peel the eggs carefully, place in the palm of your hand and slice in half with a thin cotton thread. Heat a wok, add 4 tbsp of oil. Fry the eggs for about 2 minutes (2 or 3 half eggs at a time).
place the fried eggs on some paper tissue. Get rid of the oil.
Heat the wok, then add 1 tbsp of oil. Add sliced chilis and garlic, fry for 1 minute. Add the minced meat, fry until it starts to get crispy. Now add fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. stir and fry for one more minute. If it is too dry, add 1 or 2 tbsp of water.
Add the roughly shreded basil leaves, stir and add the eggs. If you like spicy, dress with some bird shit chilis. Ready to serve.
Thanks to our friend Lak for the cooking lesson. Lak runs a great jewel shop on Etsy.

Feed me; Sunflower shoots

Something I hadn't tried before, sunflower shoots (sprouts). Soft and lovely taste ready in a jiffy. Didn't even know you could eat them. Raw, they are superb in your salad. They taste a bit like sunflower seeds, with a refreshing crunch.