Leaving India was hard, not the least because we love Indian food and were spoiled by the ubiquity of amazing vegetarian options. (Okay, we also were spoiled by having a really good cook.)
However, I’ve been surprised by just how much I’ve been enjoying Thai food as well – and after two cooking classes, how competent I feel at cooking several Thai meals at home.
During the first cooking class, at May Kaidee‘s Chiang Mai location, one of my favorite tips was to focus on finding specific flavors when tasting: a selection of spicy, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, depending on the specific dish. After a taste, we’d add ingredients as needed to get the right mix. (Though, as the instructor stressed, “right” is going to depend on your preferences.) This first class was entirely vegetarian, which is practical for us. Even though we’ve been eating meat about once a month while traveling to taste local specialties, we buy and cook vegetarian food.
The second cooking class, with Cooking@home, included a visit to a local market before heading off to the instructor’s home/cooking school just outside of Chiang Mai. Some of the recipes were similar to the first course, but there were definite differences in approach and ingredients. It was clear that the instructor is passionate about using fresh, quality ingredients, and it showed in the resulting dishes.
I learned a bunch at both courses and (unsurprisingly) ate a bunch too! I may or may not make it through the rest of the month without signing up for a third class. 😉
