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Friday, December 30, 2011

Green Curry recipe (serves 1-2)

Green Paste:
2 small green thai chillies
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tsp chopped galangal
1 tsp chopped kaffir lime rind
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped lemon grass
1 tbsp thai ginseng "krachai"
1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds
1.4 tsp roasted coriander seeds
1/4 tsp salt

Confused about the ingredients? I found a great site with pictures:
http://www.thaijing.com/Thai_Ingredients_and_Healthy_Eating

Hopefully you have a good asian grocery store to find it fresh!
If not, buy a pre-made mix and add about 1/4 cup of it. You maybe want to test with less or more depending on how salty the pre-made mix is.

Curry:
1 cup veggies chopped (eggplant, potato, broccoli, etc)
1/3 cup sliced onion
handful of chicken (or tofu, seafood, or any meat)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce or soya sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 stems sweet thai basil
1 cup coconut milk (read labels! avoid guar gum and go for high fat. When you open a can and see a thick        layer of the coconut cream, thats a GOOD sign)
1 cup water

1) Mash all the curry paste ingredients in mortar for a good 5 minutes till really becomes a paste (or blender).
2) Pour coconut milk in a pot and when simmering, add curry paste and meat till almost cooked. Add vegetables, water, sugar, sauce and seasonings.
When cooked, add sweet basil and lime leaves.
Serve with rice.

**note: for veggies that take long to cook such as potato, pumpkin, etc, precook them and add when instructed.

A meal i'll never forget

After searching around to the cheapest eats on the sunset island (in the 4000 islands area in the southern tip of Laos), we found this place.
I ordered vegetable, squash and pumpkin curry with sticky rice. This curry finally brought me back to the taste buds of Thailand, making it incredible. Sweet rich coconut and kaffir lime flavours are always welcomed by me. 
Cost? 1$
A long waiting time, but obviously worth it since i came back several times for the same dish. 


Don't know about kaffir lime? For curry, the leaves are infused (like bay leaves).
http://www.cookasianfood.com/spice-and-herb/kaffir-lime-leaves-kaffir-lime-citrus-hystrix/

Check out on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffir_lime

Check out my next post for green curry recipe

4000 islands
Laos

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Silkworm snacks anyone?

Luang Prabang was great for finding a local market. Every day there was a early morning food market, and later on, a great evening market for locals to sell their crafts. I saw all kind of unusual things, such as edible bananas the size of my pinky, to insects, scary animal parts and more. 
Silkworms, which were still moving


poor guy


rice noodle heaven!

Luang Prabang 
Laos

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I am in love with sticky rice

I would say this rice is the staple of Laos. 
It's not sushi rice, but labeled as "glutinous sticky rice" or "sweet glutinous rice" in asian markets (has no gluten in it). Locals keep it in these adorable bamboo cases to stay fresh and moist. I can eat mountains of it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's also the same kind of rice used all over South East Asia, like in Thailand's famous mango and sticky rice dessert. 

lady at 5am selling sticky rice for offerings to local monks

So great for dipping due to its stickiness. 
It sticks together if you squish it into a ball, but not to your hands!
Bamboo cases come in all shapes and sizes!

Luang Prabang
Laos

My first meal in Laos

Crossing the border from Vietnam (Hanoi) to Laos (18 hour overnight bus ride), my bag of peanuts and bottled water did not suffice, so at the border crossing for Laos, this was the only appealing option.
Dried pork jerky with glutinous sticky rice. The rice is simple, filling and easy to eat by hand, and the jerky is actually pretty darn delicious. I wish Americans could learn the proper way to make this stuff!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Laos

Laos is a beautiful, calm, relax country that is not over touristy yet, which is why many backpackers become a fan. The food is a mix of everything around it from Vietnamese style pho soups, to stir fry, som tam thailand style salad, meat skewers, and more. 
Also, just like the surrounding countries, the further you travel north, the more beautiful the scenery becomes. But one must rough out the terrible endless bus rides through the peaky mountains to get there. This is also the famous place of drunken tubing down a lazy river, stopping at riverside bars along the way, where sadly many young people die from just those combinations. That wasn't for me. 

Local Monks collecting food offerings, (mostly sticky rice) from the locals, which happens every day at 5am. This happens in Luang Prabang, northern Laos. 

Women waiting with their sticky rice offerings



I feel not many people know about, or know where is Laos
Here is a map:
http://www.psywarrior.com/LaosPSYOP.html

Saturday, December 24, 2011

What is Christmas?

I attended a Christmas party last night with my most favourite people. Wine, charades, food, more food, and more.

Why is this a special time to all come together and just share the lovin?

Well I believe God IS love.
the creator of love,
and love is the base of all things.

And also, tis His birthday!

I read this passage today and it felt fitting:

Acts 17:24-34
Paul is in Athens, in the meeting of Areopagus


“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]
 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

To read on : http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17&version=NIV


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Cao lầu

Cao Lau is Hoi An's famous dish / the cheapest on every menu.
It is simple, but scrumptious. 
Nice thick local rice noodles, sliced pork, sprouts, lettuce, and in this picture, nice fried rice chips. 

Saturday, December 10, 2011

My best night in Vietnam

This ice cream was sent from God Himself.
A chocolate wafer, roasted caramelized almonds, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, chocolate ice cream, a fudge brownie, almond ice cream, macadamia nut ice cream, and lastly a warm shot of mmmm expresso at the bottom. +Dan's company 
= a taste of heaven. 
for $3.50

Saigon
Vietnam

Friday, December 9, 2011

My 24th in Nha Trang

This is the card I finally got to open after carrying it for 3 months! I decided that on my day, I would treat myself to a full on snorkelling trip. I love snorkelling, and I couldn't celebrate alone!

We ate like kings!
 Fish, noodles, veggies, eggs, spring rolls, spinach, chicken, and it goes on and on!
I dig drinks that come in a jar.


Nha Trang
Vietnam

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Danang specialty

After walking ages in empty Danang city, on low blood sugar, we just went for the fancy looking place and ignored the prices.
I chose the cheapest thing on the menu, which turned out to be awesome and a local specialty: Quang pork and shrimp with flat noodles. The pork was nice and caramelized, I got ONE shrimp, haha, half an egg, sesame crackers, coriander, lettuce, and peanuts. 
Price: 1.50$

Danang
Vietnam

Dalat delights

The best dessert in the world, which I normally find in China town! It is a crunchy glutinous rice ball with a sweet red bean paste filling, and best right out of the fryer!

When I get married, screw a wedding cake,
 I want a mountain of these things. 

Also, each for only 25 cents!!

pastry with potato filling


mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Dalat
Vietnam

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Sapa Market part 2- Video

A little taste of the ambiance at Sapa market.
My breakfast lunch and dinner hot spot.




Sapa village experience video

Monday, December 5, 2011

Sapa village experience

After making some friends with the slightly stalkerish village ladies in town, we agreed to come with them/walk 3-4 hours through the rice terraces and mountains to their village and stay there for the night. This includes beautiful scenery, free home cooked meals, a cute little bed and blanket, and special rice wine!
Whats the catch? in exchange they request for us to buy some of their handmade trinkets... which turned out to be pretty expensive, but compared to America it was peanuts. 
Shot from inside the hut
What did we eat for breakfast lunch and dinner? Rice, Tofu, fresh bamboo and local kinds of spinach/greens. Sometimes instant noodles. 

They pretty much were... trying to get us drunk?


Women decked me out in the village gear!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Sapa, the best place in the world

Up in northern Vietnam, close to China, is this beautiful rice paddy heaven mountains place called Sapa. I fell in Love. 

The market place was amazing, cheap, and was my breakfast lunch and dinner.

Gotta love sharing tables!


A classic Pho with so much fresh bamboo...
So incredible

Sapa
Vietnam

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Snake, scorpion, bird (black crow), hell in a bottle, Wine anyone??

I also saw this wine in China, which is where it originates from.
This wine infuses whole funky critters into rice wine or grain alcohol. Apparently its preferable to use venomous snakes, to get the best 'essence', but no worries, the poison is taken care of by the ethanol, so you won't die!

Tastes like intense whiskey... a hint of vanilla maybe?
2 sips and I had enough!



P.s from researching online, the medicinal value includes helping farsightedness, hair loss, and even increase sexual performance...
Oh the Chinese, haha!

Mekong Delta tour
Vietnam

So why does garlic sometimes turn green or blue?

Apparently, garlic turns green when it is not ripe or dried properly, and is exposed to sunlight, heat, or acidic foods.


Who wudda known!
How to pick the right garlic? 
Get it from the right store, make sure its huge, plump, and no mold underneath. 


Benefits?
Natural antibiotic, lowers cholesterol. 
Eat it raw raw raw!



Monday, November 28, 2011

I pick: the food stall in the middle of the road... literally.

Starving and wandering around Hanoi backpacker area, I see a woman with her huge stock pot, 4 little plastic chairs, and 1 was empty.
I took my seat, and pointed to the soup.
It was fantastic!
Brown noodles, sliced I have no idea what that she rehydrates in the broth, bean sprouts, crispy fried shallots, greens and tlc


What it looks like she added: salt, honey, crispy shallots, some weird paste. 

Hanoi
Vietnam

Sunday, November 27, 2011

I love fresh street fruit!




Best pineapple eveerrrr! 
only 50 cents for hand cut street styles. 

Dalat
Vietnam

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The search for Che Thai

After searching the streets of Saigon for some Che thai, we finally found this place and hoped for the best considering it was jam packed.




Coconut milky, bean, funky jelly chunks, drink... I could see the potential.. but oh how I hate durian!

 My fantastic guides
So sadly I did not enjoy the durian part of the drink, or the part where the waiter accidentally dropped an entire bucket of ice all over me was even better...

Oh good times with Dan!