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So our first day in Chiang Mai and we have decided to do a cooking course, a Thai cooking course, they just call it a cooking course though. They collected us at half nine in what I have just learned is called a songthaews (taxi jeep thing) and went around the other hostels to collect the other six people doing the course. We went off to the market then to collect the ingredients and got to smell all the various herbs and spices and things we would be using. Lemongrass, Thai Basil, Holy Basil, Tumeric, and lots lots more. After the market we went to the house we would be cooking in. It is pretty much the people who run the courses' house and we get in and pick what we want to cook. There are seven courses and a choice of 4-6 dishes in each course, and we get to eat all seven of them :)
First off we cooked up some soup and some stir fry vegetables. I made a spicy thai basil soup and Regina made coconut soup and for the stir fry, I did chicken and cashews and Regina did Sweet and Sour. After we went in and ate these we came back out and cooked up our appetizers and salads. Regina made up some spring rolls while I did Pad Thai. For the salad I made a papaya salad and Regina made a spicy chicken salad. We then ate these, this brought us up to about twelve o'clock.... Regina is already fit to burst, I am just warming up!!! The cooking was great, when we did the stir fry we heated up the oil til it was smoking, put some water and chicken in our laddle and then dunked them into the oil setting the whole thing off in a blaze, it was class, however I am still slightly shuck from the experience of stirring up a wok of flames!!!!
After a bit of a rest, we went out to the seats outside and we were given a demonstration and tried our hands at some carrot carving. We made little flowers out of the carrots and there as no blood to be seen anywhere, result!!! Then it was nap time and following that curry paste time!!! I went for a panang curry and Regina went for a Red curry with Pineapple. We mashed up everything in our pestal and mortar, hard work that, and then fried it all up on the wok again. Dont worry, we have receipes for everything, although it all happened so quickly I am not sure I really learned any skills, but it was great craic. The group was really sound too, and the instructor was very funny.... good days eating too!!!
Back at the hostel now, some left over curry in the fridge for dinner later.... nice!!! Anyone planning at trip to Thailand would be well advised to do a cooking course, for the fun and for the food, and of course for the massive knives and playing with fire........
Tomorrow we explore Chiang Mai, and then maybe the next day we become Mahoots
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