Guest thaiworthy Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I recently took a course in Thai cooking when I was in Bangkok earlier this month. I am trying to acquire a taste for Thai food, so I figured I wouldn't be so afraid of it if I knew what went into making it. So, the bf and I went to BaiPai cooking school. ( http://www.baipai.com ) I learned a lot in the class. Thai cooking sometimes has more sugar in it than I thought. And I knew about the curries and hot and spicy-- and those red and green chilies. The bf likes a little bowl of them chopped up and swimming in a small dish of liquid that he gingerly spoons over his big, big scoop of white rice. It is a ritual. What is so damn appealing to the Thai people for this particular hot and spicy thing? Chilies are colorful, but you never want to bite into it. Or maybe you would. I really didn't understand the fascination until I read this at the ThaiPuan web site. I found a link by accident and thought it was interesting. Here are some revealing excerpts from a very well-written article and a link to the entire story. "Tasteless, colourless, odourless and painful, pure capsaicin is a curious substance. It does no lasting damage, but the body's natural response to even a modest dose is self defence, sweat pours, the pulse quickens, the tongue flinches, tears may roll. But then something else kicks in, pain relief. The blood stream floods with endorphins, the closest thing to morphine the body produces. The result is a high. And the more capsaicin you ingest, the bigger and better it gets. Which is why the diet of the rich world is heating up. Hot chilies, once the preserve of aficionados with exotic tastes for cuisine from places such as India , Thailand or Mexico , are now a staple ingredient in everything from ready made meals to cocktails. . . . The reason may be that capsaicin excites the trigeminal nerve, increasing the body's receptiveness to the flavour of other foods. Great news for both the gourmets and the poor, whose bland diet needs spicing up. Even a small quantity of capsaicin increases the perceived intensity of the other flavours in a dish. Humans are the only mammals to eat chilies. Other species apparently reckon that nasty tastes are a powerful evolutionary signal that something may be poisonous. That offers a clue to the way in which humans came to develop a chili habit. In the same way as young people may come to like alcohol, tobacco and coffee, all of which initially taste nasty, but deliver a pleasurable chemical kick, chili eating starts off as a social habit, bolstered by a benign masochism. The adrenalin kick plus the natural opiates form an unbeatable combination for thrill seekers. Just don't fondle your partner." Now I know. This might catch on worldwide. I can see it now: Starbuck's Chili Parlors, Inc. http://www.thaipuan.com/ Go to the bottom of the page. Quote
Gaybutton Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I figured I wouldn't be so afraid of it if I knew what went into making it. That never occurred to me. I often wonder just what I'm eating too. Now that you took the course, are you less afraid of it or did you end up even more afraid of it? I took a look at the BaiPai web site you you posted. That does seem like a good course and at a reasonable price. Quote
Guest thaiworthy Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I took a look at the BaiPai web site you you posted. That does seem like a good course and at a reasonable price. As restaurant critic it is your solemn duty. I will accompany you and we will sample chilies until our endorphins explode. I need someone to interpret the Thai menus and you're my man. The last time I tried to read Thai script from a menu by myself, I was found to have ordered "Closed On Sundays." Seriously, now that I have taken the course, I do want to take more courses. I liked about half of what I ate. But if you gave me a choice between lasagna and Pad Thai (which I learned at the school), I'm afraid I would pick the lasagna about 75% of the time. One must take baby steps with things like this. The curry was not as bad as I thought it would be. The red curry smelled like tomato paste. When I said that in the class, the teachers were aghast. So to answer your question, I am certainly less afraid of Thai food. I do want to understand what Thai cooking is all about. But I will never ever eat fermented eggs or durian. Never. But chilies are truly fascinating. Quote
Gaybutton Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I can't help you with the Thai menus. I can speak Thai fairly well, but I haven't even tried to learn to read it. I'll take the durian, but I'm with you on the fermented eggs. Forget it! I can't eat the chilies either, at least not yet. Burns the hell out of my mouth and then I can't even taste anything. Not exactly a pleasure for me. I have people tell me all the time why I should like the chilies. Maybe they like it, but so far it's not for me. But there are Thai foods I'd like to be able to make, especially some of the seafood. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I took several (10-12) Thai cooking classes in Oakland, California from a Thai woman from Bangkok. Her name is Kasma Loha-unchit and she won the Julia Child Best Cookbook Award in the international category for her first cookbook, IT RAINS FISHES. The book is much more than a collection of recipes, it explains ingredients and how to use them, most importantly, how to balance the flavors of sweet, salty, sour and hot. Most Thai dishes have these elements. I paid $30 per class, which was very reasonable and included a sit down meal of what we had cooked. The first time I cooked Thai food for a Thai he asked me what restaurant I had bought it from. I was very pleased with myself. I would recommend anyone in northern California who is interested in Thai food to take her classes. The Bai Pai school sounds very good for anyone in Bangkok area. Quote
Guest thaiworthy Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 The book and the cook both sound excellent. But the book costs $125 new. Must be some book! http://www.amazon.com/Rains-Fishes-Legends...g/dp/0876543565 If I did live in Calif. though, I would certainly take her course. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 The book and the cook both sound excellent. But the book costs $125 new. Must be some book! http://www.amazon.com/Rains-Fishes-Legends...g/dp/0876543565 If I did live in Calif. though, I would certainly take her course. WOW!!!! I bought it in 1995 for $24.95. That's really inflation. I see used ones are $78.33. Quote
