Kang Hed Top (Mushroom Soup)

As the rainy season approaches, numerous local vegetables starts blossoming, especially the puffball mushroom aka hed top which is now an agricultural product exported worldwide. To Chiang Mai people, this mushroom is regarded as a rare and expensive ingredient, used in several dishes. One of them includes hed top soup with mamao leaves (Lyonia Ovalifolia), a type of sour local plant widely purchased in the markets. Here's the recipe of this awesome seasonal dish.

Wash the mushrooms. Crush a pinch of shallots, garlic and dried chili, add 1 tablespoon of Thai shrimp paste, then mix them together. Add the paste and mushrooms into the pot with boiling water. Leave them for approx. 20 minutes and add the mamao leaves. Season with fish sauce or soy sauce and serve.

Spicing up New Year 2008

Happy New Year 2008

May your days in the Year 2008 be filled with...

Lots of Love, Joy, and Happiness. And may all your dreams and wishes come true.

It's never to be late to give your the cocktail recipes. Well, the party always makes me feel good. The first thing to do so is lets get the party ideas flowing with the list of your closed and familiars. Now that the idea about to get the bar together. If you know what your friends like to drink, it's easy to keep the bottles lined up and let everyone help themselves. This can be rather boring, though.

My recommend is to have two or three punch bowls and let guys pitch in while you make them. There are a couple of really brilliantly, and then some more. Try them all. Also keep plenty of ice, disposable glasses, plates and cutlery handy!

Today Punch -- Lets get brooze!

Ascot Day

Glass: Champagne flute

Ingredients:

• 30 ml fresh Strawberry puree or 15 ml Monin Strawberry syrup
• Chilled Champagne or Sparkling wine to top

Garnish: Spring of Mint leaves, Slice of Lime or Fresh Strawberry!

Method: Put Strawberry puree or syrup into glass. Top with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine. Drop in the Mint leaves.

Devil's Chocolate

"Closer to a Dessert than a Hot Drink"

Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil. Well! ... How do you like your hot chocolate? Whatever your preference, be it kicked up with a shot of your favorite liqueur or thick and decadent.

Mine is thick hot chocolate, creamy but not too sweet ... Ummm!!

Today I had join my friend birthday party at Sweet Sin Cafe. The notable hot drink (for me) is Devil's Chocolate that the waitress gave me a detail as it'd be my favorite "Thick Chocolate" ahhh! it just (hot) chocolate ... lukewarm, light and too sweet. Also cakes are not taste like others recommended.

Let's look at my real "Thick Chocolate", might be your favorite as well.

... the taste is very creamy and rich with chocolate but that is certainly not an everyday drink. Unlike coffee, chocolate has to be served steaming hot, never lukewarm. I had this hot chocolate when I was in Leeds, UK and it was the thickest, smoothest hot chocolate drink I have had anywhere. This is highly recommended!

• 2 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups milk

Place water and chocolate in heavy medium saucepan; cook on low heat until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Add sugar; mix well. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Boil 3 min., stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with wire whisk until well blended.

Stir this until it is a smooth paste. Heat this mixture continually stirring with a whisk while pouring in milk. Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes (stirring often).
When the mix thickens to the consistency of unset pudding it is ready.

Pour into mugs and enjoy!

Le Cordon Bleu

LE CORDON BLEU WORLDWIDE LEADER IN CULINARY EDUCATION

Le Cordon Bleu’s role as an educational leader at the forefront of the hospitality industry. Founded in Paris in 1895, today the presence of Le Cordon Bleu encompasses 26 international schools in 15 countries, attended by more than 18,000 students every year. The origin of the expression “Cordon Bleu” comes from the 1578 foundation of the Order of Knights of the Holy Spirit. The members of the order wore a medal suspended on a blue ribbon and their spectacular feasts became legendary.

In less than nine months, it is possible to obtain Le Grand Diploma Le Cordon Bleu, which is recognized worldwide by culinary professionals; the international passport to a great career. Most recently Le Cordon Bleu International has launched Associate Degree and Diploma courses in Restaurant and Hospitality Business that are accredited in North and South America, and in Australia the Bachelor and MBA degrees in International Hotel and Resort Management and Master of Arts in Gastronomy.

Today I come to tell the cooking and baking lovers in Thailand that ...

"Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Thailand has been opened now at Dusit Dhani Hotel, Bangkok"

Original Ceasar Salad

Ceasar Salad Recipes

Ingredients:
Romain lettucecroutonsparmesan cheese
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive or other salad oil1 clove garlic(crushed)1 egg1/2 can anchovies or anchovie paste to taste(optional)1 tsp worcestershire sauce1 tsp lemon juice1 tsp vinegar(regular or flavored)

Gently wash wash a few leaves of lettuce in a bowl of cold water. Dry the lettuce. Then gently break the leaves into slightly larger than bite-size pieces and put into bowl.

In a mixing bowl add the dressing ingredients and mix with a whisk or electric mixer.

Add parmesan cheese and croutons to the lettuce and gently toss. Add dressing just before serving.

Add dressing sparingly, gently tossing salad until the leaves are barely coated.

There are lots of add-ons you can add to ceasar salad recipes to make them into full meals.
Sliced/cubed chicken or steak is quite popular. Shrimp, prawns, crab, lobster and scallops are also the favorite.

Bon Appitize!

Thai Iced Tea: Nice creamy drink "cha-yen"

Thai tea (also known as Thai iced tea) or "cha-yen"

In Thailand, my favorite drink is “Cha-yen” (Thai Iced Tea) made from strongly-brewed powdered red tea (a Combination of China Black tea dust, Thailand own grown red tea leaf, natural flavor -- not to be confused with rooibos, known as "red tea" in the West). Other ingredients in the powder vary. This tea is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and served chilled. Evaporated or whole milk is generally poured over the tea and ice before serving--it is never mixed prior to serving--to add taste and creamy appearance. Locally, it is served in a traditional tall glass and when ordered take-out, it is poured over the crushed ice in a clear (or translucent) plastic bag.

Thai iced tea must look orange and has the aroma of the red tea. Thai tea is reddish orange color that because a kind of tea you use (as mentioned above). If you’ve ever been to Thailand or even Thai restaurant, you know this delicious orange beverage. It is very strong, very sweet, and very good. Here is my recipe (combination from many sources, Thanks!) for this tasty iced tea, which is the perfect complement to a hot day.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Thai tea leave (blend): Lipton tea will not give the true character of Thai tea (aroma, and orange color)
• 1 2/3 cup Water
• ½ cup sugar
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Evaporated Milk

Equipment:

• Big pot for boiling water
• Big, fine strainer or sieve, or a traditional tea sock, if you can find at the asian market
• Heat-resistant pitcher

These are the ingredients for 2 glasses of tea. Scale up if you desire. My Susan, British friend, often make a huge batch of the sweetened tea, save it in the fridge, and then break it out whenever she wants, adding evaporated milk at the time of serving.For the Thai tea leaves, go to your local Asian food store (in the market) and look for “Thai Seasoning Mix” or “Thai Tea Dust”. It usually looks like dark brown shredded tea leaves.

Bring your water to a boil in a pot with some head space (you need space for the tea leaves.) When the water begins to boil, remove the pot from the heat to stop the boiling, and then add the tea leaves to the pot, stirring until the leaves look swollen. Don't boil the tea! It will be bitter! Just let it sit in the hot water approximately 4 minutes, and wait.Then carefully strain the tea into your heat resistant pitcher through a tea sock / sieve. Pour slowly, letting the sieve catch most of the tea leaves.

When the tea is in the pitcher, add your sweetener, and stir to dissolve. You have to add the sweetener when the tea is hot, otherwise you'll never get it to dissolve fully.

Serve with iced in tall glass with long spoon, so guests can swirl the mixture themselves.

Welcome Little Chef

Hi Everyone

I've finally started up my first Cooking blog.
I've dream to do this kind of webpage for ages ... So, at this moment I just hope that I'll be able to keep this page updated as often as I can.

Any Recipes to share please leave your comment.

Cheers!