I love Thai food and I love to cook, but for some reason the two passions never quite got along in my kitchen. So during my last vacation, I decided to take a little time to remedy that problem and signed up for a day's instruction. And what better place to learn than in Thailand?
Off to culinary boot camp
I headed to Ao Nang on the seashore in Krabi province, an area of tremendous natural beauty whose popularity rivals that of the resort destination Phuket. A pickup truck with benches along the inside of the box gathered us students from our hotels like soldiers off to culinary boot camp. The driver stopped several times -- "Wait, please!" -- and ducked into a roadside store to emerge moments later with a bag of vegetables or a freshly butchered chicken. The ride ended just outside of town at Krabi Thai Cookery School, an open-air pavilion off the back of a residence with wide work tables, sinks and two banks of gas stoves.
Meet Mrs. Ya
Chonlaya Laothong -- "Mrs. Ya" -- is the owner and instructor, and she welcomed us with a smile and gave us aprons. Her professional career began back in 1983, and in 1998, after many years as a chef in hotels in Bangkok and Europe, she opened this school. "I grew up in Eastern Thailand but my father sent me to Bangkok because he was worried I was too much of a tomboy," she explained.
She handed us cookbooks that would also serve as our diplomas, and then gathered our likes and dislikes, "Chicken?" Show of hands. "Hmmm. Any vegetarians? Hmmm. Do you like spicy?" Against all better judgment I said, "Yes."
She walked us through the ingredients all neatly gathered in bowls like in a TV cooking show. In Thai cuisine, the ingredients, of course, make the meal. You can substitute the tanginess of tamarind with vinegar, and galanga bears a resemblance to ginger ("Same same, but different!" says Mrs. Ya), but the less swapping out you do, the better your results.
Joop, joop. Bang, bang!
Mrs. Ya uses some catch phrases in her instruction and shouts them encouragingly like a fitness instructor. "Joop, joop" means two tablespoons -- but unmeasured; it's just two good shakes of the fish sauce or oil bottle. "Bang, bang" means you need to open the garlic, shallots, and galanga before putting them in the mix.
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