Author: blogger

Thai cooking survival guide by a Thai soprano-wife-mother.

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Where is the real Thai taste?

I am Thai. A Thai who grew up in a modern household; yet, I had the fortunate opportunity to witness the greatness of the Thai past. I was the last generation of my family to see the real Thai way from within my very own teakwood fence.

I remember Bangkok in a calmer way than most people now. The coolness of fresh air with the faint sweet aroma of Thai flowers – DokJumpee, DokPuth, DokMali, DokKaew, and DokPiguln- in combination with the sound of brass bells from a wooded tram on which I would ride along Rajchadahmneun Avenue, was the Bangkok that I knew. My mother was the oldest daughter in a family of five children.

Back then, she and her eldest brother were the two who were married and had their own children. We lived in one of three houses on my maternal grandparents’ large property on the west side of the Grand Chaopraya, the river so deep that it supports not only domestic traffic but is also the path for international freight ships, making it the major blood vessel of the country.

My grandparents occupied the largest house, also the first house at the front of the property, which faced a major road but sat far enough back and was disguised by many large and shady fruit trees. My eldest uncle and his family lived in the second house in the middle, and our house was set farthest back on the property. I was very happy with my never-ending activity from playing with my playmates ‘from tree-to tree,’ and waiting every afternoon for a Chinese “Olieng,” or iced coffee, iced tea and sweet snack goodies, vendor to arrive in his boat in the canal- “klong-” that marked our property line and the neighbor’s in the back.

I had many playmates, and I vaguely remember they all lived with us on our property- as to where on the property, I wasn’t sure. A few years ago, I asked my mother about them and received confirmation that those were our- or, rather, my grandparents’- hired help and their families who had been there since my maternal great-grandmother’s day. I was surprised that I could remember back that far, since my mother said that they had moved out when I was very young. She also confirmed my memory of the tram but said that it stopped running soon after I was born. I don’t know if I’m dreaming, but I have flashes of memory of this wonderful time, here and there, throughout my life.

My great-grandmother- the mother of my maternal grandmother- represented the real Thai extended family. She was a Thai-Mon. (Mon – the nation that got swallowed up by Myanmar-Burma back then. The Mons relocated to Siam since the Golden Age of Ayuthaya.) The word “Thai” means freedom, and coming to Thailand meant to open the door of opportunity among the peaceful people and under the cool shade of the Great King.

My great-grandfather was a Chinese boy who came to Bangkok with his family. He grew up to be an inventor, an author, a scholar, and a businessman who owned and operated an international trading company with his old country, China. Along with a British physician, Dr. Bradley, they started the first English language newspaper in Thailand and also invented the first Thai typeset for the typewriter. Later, my great-grandfather was granted a title from the King.

Tips for grilling chicken

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One of the most preferred ways of eating any meat is by grilling it. Of all the meat options available, the most far reaching and delicious one has to be the chicken. Grilled chicken has many nutritional benefits, variety of flavors and can be cooked in a various ways. Chicken is easy to cook, doesnt require much prep, and if done right grilled chicken can be absolutely spectacular, making it a mouthwatering option! For this to happen though, you will need the best tips for grilling chicken! You cannot expect to just snap your fingers and your grilled chicken will just knock the socks off of your guests. Grilling chicken is just not that simple. Here are some tips for grilling spectacular grilled chicken.

Grilling chicken the right way!

Even though chicken is one of the most commonly cooked meat products, it is still very easy to go wrong while cooking it. Most people either end up overcooking the meat, making it stringy and tough or under cooking it and leaving it raw and smelly. Grilling chicken might not be a science but tips for grilling chicken, if followed correctly, will help you make the most delightfully cooked grilled chicken every single time.

Best Tips for Grilling Chicken

Buy FRESH ingredients! One of the all-time favorite tips for grilling chicken is to use the finest and most fresh ingredients! If you have the option to buy fresh chicken from the butcher or frozen chicken pieces from the cold storage, pick FRESH chicken every single time. There is nothing like a fresh chicken for a successful grilling experience. The taste and texture differ so much that you will feel like you are eating two different meats altogether.

POUND the chicken! If you are grilling boneless pieces of chicken as is mostly the case, an even thick slice of tender meat is what you are looking for. Pound the piece of chicken till it reaches a uniform thickness. One of the most important tips for grilling chicken is to cook the chicken all the way through without allowing the sides and ends of the piece to become dry and this is much easier to achieve if you follow the previous steps.

Use a MARINADE! Chicken pieces make for wonderful and marvelous grilling meats. One of the most supreme tips for grilling chicken is to use a marinade that will not allow the chicken to become dry and stringy which we already mentioned. Since chicken doesnt have any layers of fat it cooks fast and can easily become dry. While this makes it a healthy meat to eat, you might end up with dry bits and using tips for grilling chicken like making a marinade or brine which will reduce the chances of this occurring.

Prevent FLARE UPS & CHARRED chicken! Another tip for grilling chicken is to cook it fast on high heat! Trying to expedite the process by increasing the quantity and intensifying the quality of flames might lead to a flare up and nobody likes to eat scorched or charred chicken. Chicken will cook fast; this doesnt mean it needs high flames, just high temperature. Generally grill your chicken 3-4 minutes per side on high heat. If you want to add BBQ sauce waits until the last minute, if you add it too soon it will create a burnt skin that is unpleasant to eat.

The Different Cooking Configurations of the Big Green Egg

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The Big Green Egg ceramic grill is incredible because of its flexibility. You are able to set up your Egg up for direct cooking, similar to a regular grill, to barbecue chicken. With only one additional component you can set up your grill to become a slow smoker that is able to do smoking “low n slow” all day long! You can also use your Egg as an oven to cook up bread, pizza or even cookies.

The traditional grilling set up is commonly known as direct cooking, because you are cooking your food directly above the hot coals. Simply set your Stainless Steel or Cast Iron Grid right on top of the Fire Ring, and you are ready to grill direct. Many Eggheads can lift the level of their cooking surface with extenders or lower their cooking surface by taking out the Fire Ring to set the grid right on the Fire Box.Shifting the level of the cooking surface affords you more control over the style of heat your food will encounter; make the grill surface higher to avoid the flames for grilling vegetables, and drop the cooking surface to quickly sear pork chops. Direct grilling is commonly used for steaks, hamburgers, fish, pork tenderloin, and vegetables.

The Plate Setter Accessory is a heat barrier sold by the Big Green Egg manufacturer. If you possess a Plate Setter, you are able to use your Big Green Egg for indirect smoking. To configure your Big Green Egg for indirect barbecuing simply set the Plate Setter right on the Fire Ring with the legs facing up, rest a drip pan full of water on the Plate Setter, and then place your grid on top of the Plate Setter. If you are baking pizzas you can put your ceramic baking stone directly on the grid and you are ready to grill cook indirectly.The basic concept behind indirect smoking is that your meat is indirectly exposed to the fire, so it roasts via convection and radiant heat. This cooks the food slower than exposing it to direct heat, and is the only choice for true smoking. If you want to slow smoke brisket, pulled pork, or ribs you will need to do it via indirect grilling.

If “low and slow” isnt your thing, you can make use of the Plate Setter to change your smoker into an outdoor oven. Even though the fire is being blocked by the Plate Setter, the internal grill temperature can reach as high as 600F and allow you to cook out of this world brick-oven style pizzas. Contains about anything you could bake in a normal oven you can roast using the indirect cooking set up of the Big Green Egg.

Discovering Easy Cooking Recipes From Around The World

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There are many different areas that make every country around the world unique somehow. The language, traditions, beliefs, clothing and foods all make up these very individual cultures. It is possible to sample different countries through books, movies, language classes and easy cooking recipes without ever leaving your home or city. This is certainly something that you and your family can enjoy and experience together.

It may not be as simple a task as you thought to decide which easy cooking recipes to try. There are so many tasty ethnic foods to enrapture your taste buds with. You may never go back to the same old meatloaf and mashed potatoes again. It could be fun and educational to create theme nights around these newly found easy cooking recipes.

Give the Globe a Yummy Spin

Begin your food sojourn in beautiful and exotic Africa with an easy cooking recipe for Chicken Couscous. Just wait until you begin to smell the delicious aromas of chicken, sweet limejuice and zesty garlic, as it will be enough to make your mouth water buckets. Garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts and raisin couscous ensure this easy cooking recipe to be a definite favorite.

Next, head to the Far East and sample some of the oldest and healthiest easy cooking recipes. While you might be tempted to conjure up a batch of fried rice and spicy chicken that would make General Tso blow his top, your taste buds will have more fun with a sweet and sour stir fry or even a teriyaki cabbage stir fry. Many popular Asian recipes call for duck instead of chicken, which is still poultry, but a slightly tastier alternative.

A food trip around the world would not be complete without a night in Tuscany. Or even Rome. While spaghetti has been a family dinner favorite for many years, there are many more amazing Italian dishes that remain undiscovered treasures for your stomach. Give your family something really different on this night with an easy cooking recipe for Lamb Chops Scottadito. The succulent taste of lamb paired with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary will draw a chorus of praises.

Easy French cooking is as delicious as springtime in Paris. It is not all chocolates, croissants and red wine though. The French love food and love preparing it. Follow their lead with dishes that entwine eggplant, asparagus, potatoes and the tastiest herbs in the Western Hemisphere. Stew Provencale is rich and full of flavor, just like the French countryside where it was created and remains so very popular.

Cooking Tips on Shrimps and Cocoa

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Shrimps Cooking Tips

Boiling is the common method of cooking shrimp. In a large pot, add 4 cups of water for every pound of shrimp. You can add seasonings of choice to the water if you want. Bring the water to a boil before adding thawed shrimp. How long to cook shrimp depends on whether the shrimp are large or small. Shrimp are done cooking when the skin turns bright pink to red in color. The meat will be opaque, and the shrimp will float to the top of the water. Average cooking time is 1 to 3 minutes. When the shrimp are done cooking, remove from the pot and place on ice. Steam shrimp by filling a large pot with water and bringing it to a simmer. Turn the heat on low before adding a steamer basket filled with shrimp. Cover the pot and cook until the skin or shell of the shrimp turns bright pink and the meat turns opaque. Shelled shrimp can be deep-fried. Dip the shrimp into milk and then coat with flour or cornmeal. Fry in a deep fryer filled with peanut oil and heated to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove shrimp from the fryer once they are golden brown, usually after 2 to 4 minutes of deep-frying. Drain it and serve it hot and enjoy the taste.

Cocoa Tips

There are quite a lot of ways to cook meat. Pork should not be overcooked. Your cooking method determines how long the pork should be cooked. Broiling pork ribs in the broiler takes about 35 minutes for them to get done. Turn ribs frequently while broiling. Boneless center cut pork chops should be broiled for 5 or 6 minutes on each side. Thin cuts only need to be broiled for 2 minutes on each side. Pork chops can also be pan broiled over medium to high heat. Brush the bottom of the pan with some olive oil before broiling boneless center cuts for 3 minutes on each side. Center cut chops with the bone will need a slightly longer cooking time. Roast a pork loin 28 minutes for every pound. A center cut roast with the bone in needs additional cooking time and should be roasted for at least 35 minutes per pound of roast. Roast pork in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the meat in a shallow pan.