Kaeng Muu Phrik Thai Orn (Pork Curry with Thai Eggplant)

I'll start by saying "My lips are on fire and I love it".

Literally meaning "Curry with pork and green peppercorns," this dish is supposed to contain an ingredient not easy to come by around here... green peppercorns. Neither the shop in SLO nor the one in Atascadero carry the green so I decided to use 1/4 the amount called for in black peppercorn. This may or may not have been a big mistake.

It's easy enough. Red curry paste, pork, Thai eggplant, coconut milk and (green peppercorns). Cook, serve with rice and enjoy. As I eat it I can make out the various flavors captured within but without a doubt the decision to use black peppercorns was a fatal one. The pepper outweighs the other flavors at times but I can think of at least one person that wouldn't care in the least. Given that green peppercorns are supposed to be a bit sour, I definitely got this one wrong.

Oh well, no harm no foul. I'm still happily eating it, just sifting out the corns.

The Food of Thailand: A journey for food lovers). My notes can be followed in italic.

Put 1/4 cup of coconut cream in a wok and simmer over medium heat for about 5 mins, or until the cream separates and a layer of oil forms on the surface. Stir the cream if it starts to brown around the edges. *My wok heats things up real fast so I don't wait 5 mins. The cream begins to reduce early so I've learned to give it about 1 min or less before moving on.

Add 2 tbps of red curry paste, stir well to combine and cook until fragrant. This is hard to determine as the stuff is fragrant right out of the can. After a bit of practice using pastes I've come to know when "fragrant" happens.

Add 3 tbsp of fish sauce and 1 1/2 tbsp of palm sugar and cook for another 2 mins or until the mixture begins to darken. The fish sauce will darken it automatically. Be patient and you'll notice a gradual darkening over time.

Add the pork and stir for 5 to 7 minutes. Make sure the pork is cooked thoroughly or you'll have some serious Thai Revenge later.

Add 440ml of coconut milk (one can) and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 10oz of Thai eggplant, cut in quarters, and then 3oz fresh green peppercorns and cook for another 5 minutes. My guy down the street carries Thai eggplant from time to time. If you can't find it then you can use a regular eggplant cut into cubes.

When done throw in about 7 makrut, torn in half, for flavoring. Stir them in real good then remove from heat.

Garnish with red chilies, seeded and finely sliced.

Tom Khaa Kai

The objective with my cooking is not only to cook well (healthy can just be a part of it) but to be able to share it. Holly and Rich have both been the beneficiaries of my explorations into Thai cooking and I gotta say, when I nail it... I nail it.

Today it was Tom Khaa Kai for lunch. Translated it works out to "Soup with coconut and chicken" but the name doesn't do it justice. Coconut milk, fresh tomato, *galangal root, button mushroom, shallots, chicken and a mess of other flavors. Although it contains about 6 bird's eye chilies (seeded) the fish sauce mellowed out the spice real nicely and the palm sugar jazzed it up just enough to make this an amazing quasi-creamy sweet and sour soup. I was in love.

I could tell Rich liked it because he just kept looking down at it and back up at me with a smirk that portrayed all it needed to.

*The first time I had galangal was at a Thai restaurant up in Atascadero. Holly didn't remember liking it much when she was in Thailand but I lapped up that Tom Yum like I'd been starved for galangal all my life. So delicious. It's related to ginger and looks quite similar but doesn't have the snap flavor of its cousin. I don't how to describe it. Sour, tough, aromatic and just amazing. Lots of Thai recipes call for it and I'm glad I can get it frozen or jarred in brine from Bob down the street at the Oriental Market.

I wonder how this would taste with prawns...

Getting older and cooking a TON

No reason to not start this up again.

This getting older sucks. My dna doesn't necessarily age well apparently. My doctor, a guy I like quite a bit, finally decided to get me proactive (and admittedly, somewhat reactive) about my cholesterol levels. After checking in at an unwelcome 256 he put me on a statin drug that is supposed to help my liver reduce cholesterol. I don't like the idea of taking medications every day of my life... that's for people with real problems I don't want. So I made him a deal: he gives me the lowest dose possible and I start eating much healthier.

Cue Pete Seeger singing "Where have all the pizzas gone? Long time passing."

So in that vane I'm reinventing this blog to include something I've always enjoyed doing, cooking. Enjoy.