photos from Bangkok

more on Bangkok

Bangkok is a huge, hectic city. The subways are expensive and don't really go anywhere near the old city or where most of the guesthouses are located, including ours. Taxis are cheap when they use the meter, but getting one willing to do so can be difficult. The Thai language and lack of street signs can be a bit of a challenge when walking, but all in all it isn't difficult to walk around in.

In retrospect, going out of town for the weekend and coming back on Monday and getting the visa would have made more sense, but it worked out fine, and we had plenty of time to get a feel for Bangkok, since we did a lot of walking and checking out the city. The street food is fantastic, our best meal was had on a little fold-out table on the street, where we ate green curry chicken, chili paste squid, and thick rice noodles with chicken & vegetables, plus a big beer and a soda, all for about $5. So good! The guesthouse we stayed in also took us on a market tour and we tried a ton of different items, mostly desserts & sweet snacks which was wonderful, since I have very little experience with Thai sweets. My favorites were a coconut custard that is made in little bowls and is both sweet and a little salty, and some tiny mochi-like rice balls filled with a coconut shrimp paste, sweet pork, or fish. Too many things to list, but everything was very tasty.

On Saturday we decided to go to the weekend market, which is gigantic. It seems like everything in the world ends up here, from plastic jigsaw lamps (very cool, I want) to used T-shirts (I saw a Pizza My Heart Capitola shirt, I've been to the San Jose Pizza My Heart more than once - it was odd to see it on a rack here on the other side of the world). Fashionable new clothes, housewares, crappy souveniers; it's all there. Lots of good street food too; we had excellent fried chicken with yellow rice and sweet chili sauce ( meal for two with drinks cost $3.50) & green apple popcicles. Lots of fun. We basically spent the entire day wandering the market & snacking! That night, we got excellent Thai massages to sooth our aching bones!

We finally decided to do some sightseeing, and on the way to the Grand Palace we got taken in by a scam, our first tourist tax, but it only cost us 45 minutes of our time & no money, so if that's the worst we do on this trip I guess we are pretty well off. It was pretty funny since all of the guidebooks warn about the "attraction is closed" scam and we both knew about it, but fell for it all the same! We got shunted off into a tuk tuk and dropped off at a bunch of shops, which pay the driver and tout a comission for the tourists they bring in. Simple, but apparently effective. It's a numbers game for them.

After that, we were feeling a bit touristed out, so decided to wait until the next morning to visit the palace and Wat Bo. We headed back to the market and took a boat tour of the river, followed by dinner and some Chang beer.

Next morning, we made it to the Grand Palace without any pitfalls. It is beautiful and gaudy at the same time; lots of gold leaf and colored mirrors on the buildings. It is a pretty large complex, with the major buildings crammed together, so it took a fair bit of time and wandering to go through. We then went to Wat Bo, and saw the famous reclining Budda there. The massage school on the grounds is famous, butit was also 3x more expensive than other places in town, so we decided aganst trying it. These sights took up most of the day, so we grabbed dinner and had a relaxing evening, easing our aching feet.

The next day, we picked up our visas for Vietnam and did some shopping. We wanted to go back to the good little streetside place, but it was closed. We tried a backpacker place close by, which was awful & left both of us not feeling well. At this point, I was pretty ready to get out of Bangkok, which is not one of my favorite cities. It was interesting to visit, once, but I can't see spening more time there, at least as a tourist. Next stop: Hanoi!

Arrival in Bangkok

Flying into most Southeast Asian countries from the US means you get in late at night, and Bangkok was no exception; my flight got in at 11pm. The airport was pretty empty but very efficient, and I was met by the driver from the hotel with no problems. I was most excited to see my boyfriend after a month apart!

Our guesthouse/hotel is adorable and very peaceful with a lovely garden on the ground level, and nice, basic rooms with comfortable beds, air con, and private bath with warm shower. They have an organic vegetable garden that supplies the kitchen, especially the tasty vegetarian breakfasts. My first meal in Thailand was simple vegetable soup, pineapple fried rice with egg, amazing sweet, fresh pineapple, and pineapple/carrot juice, with a good cup of Thai tea. Oh, did I mention it is pineapple season?

We didn't stress ourselves out today, taking a liesurely lunch (enforced by a torrential downpour) of fried fish with papaya salad and chicken larb, washed down with Chang beer. Went to the Vietnamese embassy to apply for our visas (planning on flying to Hanoi on Oct 20th), sampled a street food festival, and then escaped another massive thunderstorm by watching a movie. We walked through the streets, got lost, then found our way and walked some more.

First impressions; wow, it smells like fish sauce (and some better things, and some worse things). There is a street vendor every 2 feet or so. After the rain stopped, water was pooled in the streets and pouring off rooftops and overhangs. Reminded me a lot of Blade Runner, without all the neon (and androids, grin), but filled with the aroma of charcoal and cooking food. Awesome. I'm having so much fun, and I've only been here 24 hours.

We worked out a rough itinerary today. We're going to fly to Hanoi on October 20, spend a couple of days there, take a 2 night tour to Halong Bay, then take a bus tour down the coast, through Hue & Nha Trang and ending in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon). From there, we will head to Cambodia, going through Phenom Phen and a river boat up to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor for 3-4 days. Then it will be back to Thailand for 10 days on the beaches!

Petit Chocolate Torte

I love this recipe. It is a perfect size for a small gathering or party, looks fantastic and tastes amazing. You can make 1 day ahead. The recipe doubles easily if you want a larger cake; just cut each cake into 2 pieces instead of four. It is very rich.


Petit Chocolate Torte
Makes 10 to 12 servings.

CAKE
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts, ground

FILLING
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

GLAZE
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light or dark corn syrup
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Large chocolate shards or curls (from 1- to 2-inch-thick 8-ounce piece bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)

FOR CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9x1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper; butter parchment. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until chocolate and butter melt. Remove bowl from over water; stir in salt (mixture will be grainy).

Beat eggs and 2 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until pale, about 6 minutes; fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in flour, then hazelnuts. Spread batter evenly on baking sheet (you might not fill the entire length of the pan, I usually leave 2-3 inces bare). Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 13 minutes (cake will be thin). Transfer pan to rack. Cool cake completely.

FOR FILLING:
Combine chocolates in medium metal bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan; pour cream over chocolates and let stand 1 minute. Stir until melted and smooth. Chill mixture until firm, about 2 hours.

Place bowl with chilled chocolate mixture over saucepan of barely simmering water until mixture is partially melted (do not stir), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water; add butter to bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until filling is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Using clean dry beaters, beat 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream in another medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into filling.

Cover 9x5-inch cardboard rectangle with foil. Invert cake onto work surface; remove parchment. Cut cake lengthwise in half, and then each half in half again (should end up with 4 evenly sized pieces). Place 1 cake layer on foil-covered cardboard. Spread 1/4 of the chocolate filling over. Top with second cake half. Top with filling, then repeat until the last layer of cake is places. Top with the remaining filling, then smooth top. Chill until filling is firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. You can trim the cake sides to make smooth, or leave for a rustic feel.

FOR GLAZE:
Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add butter; stir until melted. Let stand until barely lukewarm but still pourable, about 20 minutes.

Place cardboard base with cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing glaze to run down sides. Using offset spatula, smooth glaze over sides. Mound chocolate shards or curls over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

Grandma’s No-Fail Pie Crust

This really is a no-fail pie crust, and is wonderfully flaky to boot. As a bonus, it makes 4 crusts, which you can freeze and use later. It is very forgiving and adjustable - I've made it with all butter, a mix of butter and shortening, and all shortening. You can also use 2 cups of whole wheat white flour and 2 cups all-purpose if you want a little more robust and slightly more health-conscious crust. I recommend using a good brand of unbleached all-purpose flour; I have had some trouble with store brand flours not having enough gluten and turning the dough into something resembling library paste.

Grandma’s No-Fail Pie Crust
Makes 4 9-inch pie crusts

4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 ¾ cup cold Crisco or unsalted butter, or a combination, cut into pieces
½ cup cold water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 large egg

Stir flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut fat into dry ingredients. Beat together water, vinegar, and egg and add in batches to the dry ingredients - you may not use all of the liquid. Dough should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky. Divide into 4 pieces, the bake a ball out of each piece. Flatten the balls into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

Crusts can be wrapped in plastic wrap and then a freezer Ziploc bag and frozen. Defrost in refrigerator before using.

Beef and Guinness Pie

I decided to make this for a friend's birthday dinner, since the weather has turned cooler and she wanted something meaty. The original recipe called for using puff pastry as the crust, but I'm a pie lovin' girl, so I made an all-butter pie crust to top it with. I think it makes it better, but it is prefectly acceptable with store-bought puff pastry. Do me a favor and don't even think about buying some disgusting Pillsbury pie crust at the store, please. Stick to puff pastry if you don't want to tackle homemade pie crust. And that's an order!

Beef and Guinness Pie
Serves 4-6

Stew (without pastry) can be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using. Is also good served as stew without the pastry.

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons water
1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Guinness or other Irish stout
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
Pastry for a 2-crust 9" pie, or 1 sheet puff pastry dough

Stir together 2 tablespoons of the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef peices, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transferring to a bowl.

Add onion, garlic, and water to pot and cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot and stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add three tablespoons of flour and stir to combine. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the beef broth and stir to combine, then quickly stir in beef with accumulated juices, the rest of the broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until beef is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 ½ hours. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes. Discard bay leavesand cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked pastry top.)

Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place to stew in an a deep 9x13 baking dish or ovenproof casserole dish. Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into the shape of the dish with a 2-inch edge. Invert the pastry over the dish, evenly on all sides/ Fold the dough edges under inside, and press against the interior walls of the dish, making sute to seal the crust to the sides. Prick the top with a fork to allow venting.

Bake pie in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar

I'm not a huge fan of grapes. Therefore, the black grapes I've gotten fairly consistently in my CSA box this summer/fall have proven to be a bit of a challenge. I've made a grape and cardamom vodka cocktail, eaten way to many in fruit salads, etc. I'm not feeling well (a bit of a cold), so I didn't feel up to making anything challenging, but the grapes were sitting there, mocking me. So, I decided to try to recreate a dimly remembered dish from the 7o's - chicken with grapes. I used sweet, seedless black grapes in this dish, and it turned out really delicious! I served it over brown rice with a side dish of sauteed zucchini, red bell peppers, and corn.


Chicken with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar
Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
generous grind of fresh pepper
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cups seedless black or red grapes

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add grapes broth, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves and agave nectar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the grapes are softened and the skins are loosened. Remove the bay leaves, check for seasonings, and serve.

Bacon Jam

This was adapted from a recipe on Top Chef! It is really tasty, I served it with cornbread at a housewarming party.

Bacon Jam
Makes 1 to 1 ½ cups

12 ounces bacon, cut into 2” X 1” X 1/2” pieces
1 cup yellow onions, julienned
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 cups chicken stock
Piment d'Espelette or sweet paprika, to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat a large, heavy metal sauté pan over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon fat begins to render out. Place the pan in 400°F oven until bacon is crispy and all of the fat has been rendered. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, keeping the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook until they are dark golden colored. Add the brown sugar and stir to coat, then add about half of the chicken stock and place the pan back in the oven to simmer. Reduce the mixture until thick, and almost dry (approx 5-15 minutes). Watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn. When thickened, add all but ½ cup of the remaining stock and reduce again.

Add the remaining ½ cup stock and remove pan from the oven. Season with salt, pepper, and espelette to taste. Carefully pour the pan contents into a blender, add the reserved bacon and puree until smooth (be very careful and follow procedures for pureeing hot liquids in a blender).

Pour the pureed contents back into sauté pan and stir in the maple syrup.

Put the pan back into oven and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens to a jam-like consistency. Check seasoning. You may need to puree again if the bacon fat has separated. Allow to cool to warm temperature before serving.

Lime Cake with Rhubarb, Lime Curd and Caramel Frosting

Mithra loves rhubarb, so I wanted to come up with some sort of rhubarb-filled cake for his birthday. My original thought was rhubarb and ginger, but the idea never really went anywhere. When he mentioned how much he likes lime, something clicked and I thought of combining a lime cake with lime curd and rhubarb. The caramel frosting I used was actually meant to be a ginger buttercream, but a thermometer mishap turned the sugar syrup into caramel, and a happy accident it was. I am pretty proud of how awesome this turned out - and I received a lot of compliments on it as well!

Lime Cake with Rhubarb, Lime Curd and Caramel Frosting
Makes 10 to 12 servings

Lime Cake
3 1/3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) grated lime peel
4 large eggs
1 cups plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until very fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in lime juice and zest, then eggs 1 at a time, continue to beat until well incorporated. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Pour the batter equally into each cake pan. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.

Lime Curd
Makes 2 cups

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 limes, zested and juiced (1/3 cup juice)
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Add enough water to a double boiler to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of the double boiler (or a metal bowl that fits into the saucepan) and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup lime juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and thickly coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks. Curd should be very thick.

Caramel Italian Buttercream Frosting

1/3 cup egg whites (about 3 large)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
12 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the butter until it is smooth. Keep at room temperature while preparing the meringue.

Place the egg whites in a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer with a whip attachment. Start mixing on low and then increase speed to high. Whip until the whites are fluffy and firm, with stiff peaks. Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites. Let stand while you prepare the sugar syrup.

Combine ½ cup of the sugar and the water in a saucepan and stir until dissolved. Let the mixture come to a boil over high heat until the temperature reaches 230° on a candy thermometer. Brush down the sides with water to prevent sugar crystals from sticking to the sides. Turn the mixer with the egg whites on low. Watch the sugar mixture carefully – when it begins to turn golden brown & caramelize, quickly remove it from heat and slowly pour into the whipped egg whites. Be careful to pour between the whip and the side of the bowl so you don’t splatter the liquid sugar. When all of the sugar syrup has been added, turn mixer to high speed and whip 10-15 minutes, until mixture is cooled and shiny.

Add the whipped butter by the tablespoon, whipping until each tablespoon in incorporated. If the mixture looks curdled, increase the speed until it is smooth and then add more butter until it is all incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the bowl from time to time while mixing. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate. Let stand at room temperature until ready to frost the cake.

Spiced Rhubarb

3 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar (approximately)
1 star anise
1 3-inch piece stick cinnamon
¼ cup cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water until smooth

Place the rhubarb and sugar into a sauce pan and add enough water to barely cover the rhubarb. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and bring to a simmer. After about 1 minute, remove the star anise. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon, and puree in a blender or with a hand mixer until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and taste for sweetness; adding more sugar if needed (it should still be fairly tart). Whisk in the cornstarch mixture until smooth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat and chill for at least 1 hour before using.

Assemble the cake:
Pace one layer of the cake on a flat surface. Spread the lime curd in an even layer over the cake layer. Top with the second layer. , dome side down. Frost the sides with the caramel buttercream. Pipe a decorative edge of frosting around the top rim of the cake. Spread the rhubarb over the top of the cake, up to the edges of the piping. Smooth out the rhubarb and gently fill in any gaps between the piped frosting and the edge of the rhubarb. Cake keeps up to one day in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature before serving.

Paella-Style Pasta with Charred Cherry Tomatoes & Saffron

This dish is super flexible - use shellfish, fish, chicken, or a mix of all three like I did for the party. It also works very well as a vegetarian dish – use eggplant instead of the meat and vegetable stock instead of chicken. For the eggplant: Take 1 eggplant and cube, then coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some ras al hanout (or chili powder) and roast in the oven with the other vegetables. Let cool and add the cooked eggplant to the sauce with the cherry tomatoes. I added 1-2 tablespoons of cream to add some richness to the sauce, but that is totally optional.


Paella-Style Pasta with Charred Cherry Tomatoes & Saffron
Serves 6

4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 ripe tomatoes
1 fennel bulb, quartered
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
½ teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon harissa, or chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed, cut into 2” chunks
4 white fish filets, chopped
12 large raw prawns
1 pound spaghetti

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with foil.

Rub a little olive oil on one sheet and place the three tomatoes and the fennel on it. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and add to the baking sheet. Place the cherry tomatoes on the other sheet. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes, until the tomato skins begins to blacken and split. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Set aside the cherry tomatoes. Core, peel and chop the three large tomatoes. Chop the fennel. Mince the roasted garlic into a paste.

Place the saffron in a small container and add 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté onion until soft. Add roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, fennel, saffron, harissa and stock and bring to a boil. Cook at a low boil until reduced by about half, approximately 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rest of the sauce is ready (can be done 1 day ahead, bring to a simmer before proceeding).

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook the chicken until it is fully cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp and cook until the shrimp just turn pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat and fish to the sauce; leaving the juices in the pan. Add the charred tomatoes to the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until they are warmed through.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook according to directions until al dente, then drain. Place in a large serving dish and top with the sauce.