I am happy to report that chef Nabnian is not only alive and well, but also a great teacher, entertainer and superb vegetable and fruit carver.  I was one of twelve acolytes to gather in his outdoor kitchen (under cover of course) this morning.  It is a large U shaped area with the chef at the end of the U.  He demonstrates how to prepare the dish and we attempt to emulate his actions.  Monkey see monkey do. 

He actually picked up the students this morning.  I had the double good fortune to sit in the cab with him as he drove.  I say double because, one, I could ask him about fusion cooking and two, it was an air conditioned ride preferable to sitting on a bench in the bed in the back. 

I should explain that the common conveyance for attractions here is a pickup truck which has sort of a shell that sits on its bed.  It is a hard shell purpose built for the transport of people.  The sides have openings and there is a railing overhead to hang on to.  The entrance is at the rear.

The chef was rather silent on the topic of fusion cooking.  On the trip back after school we talked about the history of Thai cuisine.  I started out the conversation saying it was fortunate that Thailand was never colonized and therefore did not have an external influence of other cultures on its cuisine.  Look at Laos, for example, colonized by the French.  You can buy a baguette on the street corner.

My impression is that you can divide Thai chefs into two camps.  One camp is ‘if it’s been cooked that way for a couple hundred years (green curry for example) why change it.  I think it is one way of maintaining a cultural identity.  The other camp is the one who says, hey why not try putting spaghetti in green curry and see what it tastes like.  For my take, the next time you eat Pad Thai at my table, you may find a bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. 

Speaking of Pad Thai I learned another way of preparing it today.  Instead of cooking the egg and chopping it up and then mixing it with the noodles, bean sprouts, etc.,  you move those ingredients to one side of the wok, spread the scrambled egg starting in a line high on the side of the wok and let the egg run in  large sheet to the bottom of the wok.  After the egg cooks move the rest of the ingredients to the center of the egg and fold it over to make a package.  Flip it in the wok once for good measure and plate it.  My first attempt at this version turned out quite well.

To digress, I learned a great deal in the market this morning where the class started out.  Jasmine rice, for example.  The older the rice the more jasmine flavor.  It seems the more you pay for the rice the more jasmine flavor it will have (at least here).

Small eggs come from younger hens and have more good stuff in them.  And here I’ve been buying nothing but large.

Sticky rice is different from regular rice and is soaked for at least 4 hours before steaming

Lime – roll it in your hand.  If it is soft it is juicy.  Hard, no juice.

The three lemon grass stalks tied together have a slice of galangal, turmeric, and several kafir lime leaves.  That forms the basis for soup.

The yellow mango has a much smaller seed.  Thai cooks use it for mango and sticky rice.

So what did I prepare today?

1.      - Chicken in coconut milk soup

2.       -Sweet and sour vegetables (really yummy)

3.       -Sticky rice with mango. (always yummy) 

4.       -Spring roll.  (Here are some notes on how to make a tight well, formed spring roll- Put the mixture, on the spring roll and shape it into log.  Fold the paper over the mixture to about half way.  Hold the end of the sheet down with fingers of one hand draw the folded sheet covering the mixture back tightly.  Roll once.  Place the fingers of one hand on either end of the mixture and with the other hand fold over the sides of sheet onto the roll.  Continue to roll tightly.  At the very end moisten with egg white and press for ten seconds to seal.  Alternatively, if you are making vegetarian spring rolls rub a cut banana on the flap and close to seal.  This may sound confusing.  However, demonstrations will gladly be given gratis at chez Greenbrier.

5.      Pad Thai (it was really neat making it omlette style with the ingredients wrapped up in a packet.

6.       Penang curry paste/penang curry

7.       Papaya salad (I never liked this before on other trips to Thailand, but it is growing on me.)

My time in Northern Thailand is drawing to a close.  Tomorrow I fly to Luang Prabang Laos.  I’ll be there for five days and have already sent in a request for a  reservation for three days cooking at the Tamarind School ..