Thailand is situated in South East Asia, lying south of China and bordered by Burma, Laos and Kampuchea from west to east, with Malaysia to the south. The South China Sea is to the east and the Indian Ocean to the west.
Thai food has been influenced over time by its Chinese, Malaysian and Indian neighbours and has evolved into a very distinctive style of its own.
The contrasting flavours of hot, sweet, salty and sour and the unusual combinations of fruit, chicken, meat and fish or seafood make this a truly fascinating cuisine.
A normal meal for a family of reasonable income will consist of rice, which is the country's staple food, together with a soup or similar, a stir-fried dish and a salad, all served at the same time. In the north of Thailand, pork and strong curries are popular, with the meat cooked in large pieces, whereas gentler coconut milk flavours the southern curries and the meat is chopped quite small.
In curries, traditional Indian ingredients such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves are used in very small quantities but many of the flavourings and spices differ considerably from those found in Indian and Chinese cuisine. The most commonly used of these are:
Galangal - A root or rhizome which looks similar to ginger, but with a flavour all of its own. It can be bought fresh, powdered or dried in slices but fresh is best.
Lemon grass - As its name suggests, this has a lemony flavour but it looks somewhat like a fresh bamboo shoot. The outer leaves are very tough and should be peeled away, but even the inner core is fairly hard and needs to be sliced very finely for cooking or even grinding.
Kaffir lime leaves - These are the leaves of a Far Eastern lime, similar to a Western one but with a knobbly skin. The rind is also used in Thai cookery.
Fish sauce - This is called Nam Pla in Thailand and is made from salted fish or prawns. It is a pale brown liquid used much as soy sauce is in Chinese cookery.
Shrimp paste - Made from fermented shrimp, this can be bought in small pots. Use sparingly as it has a very strong flavour.
Chilli paste - A combination of chillies and fried shallots mixed with sugar and tamarind, it can be bought in jars and may be hot, medium or mild in flavour.
Other, more well known, flavourings commonly used in Thai cookery are fresh mint, basil and coriander, unsalted peanuts, fresh chillies, both green and red as well as chilli powder, lime and lemon juice and garlic.
Noodles of differing types are often added to flavoured broths with vegetables such as bean sprouts or green beans and chicken or prawns, making a flavoursome soup for lunch.
Dipping sauces are a popular condiment to accompany a Thai meal, particularly a deep-fried dish, and usually contain any combination of tamarind, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, finely chopped chilli, garlic and spring onion.
A Thai meal will usually end with an array of prepared fresh fruit such as mango, pineapple and papaya. Desserts are only served on very special occasions or at banquets.
About The Author
Liz Canham: As well as a love of Asian cooking as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery website, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz website.
http://lizebiz.com/
Thai Cookery in a Nutshell
The Best Nutrition To Lower Cholesterol
There is a saying that goes. "We are what we eat." This is so true as the food being consumed may affect the cholesterol levels inside the person’s system. This makes this makes the person prone to high blood pressure or heart disease through age, which could leave the patient, paralyzed or dead.
The only thing to do before it is too late is to make some changes in the individual's diet. While many of the good stuff that people love to eat have high concentrations of LDL better known as bad cholesterol, this can all change by consuming those that have HDL or good cholesterol. Here are a few examples.
A good way to start a healthy diet is to have a breakfast. Instead of eating bread, the individual can consume oatmeal instead. Studies have shown this can lower the cholesterol in the body by more than 20. This can be purchased at the supermarket and eaten during anytime of the day such as dessert after a light meal or as a snack.
During lunch or dinner, the person must have some vegetables in the meal. Those who order can have fish or poultry instead of eating red meat. Such dishes are not high in saturated fats, which are healthier.
Those who love to cook at home can try mixing some healthy things ingredients in the meal. One example is garlic that has natural properties that can declog the arteries and again lower the odds of succumbing to heart disease.
Having a can of pork and beans is also good for the diet. This is because it contains soluble fibers that can combat the bad cholesterol in the person's body. There are not that many people who will do this but those who are able to eat even a half an onion daily will be able to increase the HDL and lower the LDL.
People are often told that fats are not good for the diet. This isn’t entirely true because this comes in many forms. There are fats that are healthy such as unsaturated ones and omega 3 fatty acids.
Monosaturated and Polysaturated ones are also effective since these are usually found in cooking oils. This means food preparation also plays a big factor in reducing lowering one’s cholesterol levels.
The individual should read the label at the supermarket and read the ingredients to find out if this is healthy for cooking.
Being a bit overweight or noticing a lot of bulges in the body is one way of knowing that the person is potentially at risk for succumbing to disease to high levels of cholesterol in the system.
If the individual is unable to make a proper dietary plan, a specialist can help make one so all the person has to do is follow it.
About The Author
Stewwart levison is the Anti-aging expert who consistantly provide useful resources to helping people. http://anti-agingsecrets.com/nutrition
Jackpot Pie
2 pounds ground beef
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans tomato soup
3 cups water
8 ounces egg noodles
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sliced stuffed olives
2 cans(20 ounces each)cream style corn
1 cup grated cheese(any kind)
Recipe:
Brown ground beef and remove from pan. Add butter and saute onion until tender. Add to meat along with soup, water and salt and pepper to taste. Add uncooked noodles and simmer for 10 minutes. Add worcestershire sauce, olives, corn and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes in a 3 quart cassorole dish.
Source: The Church Supper Cookbook
Rice Pudding
1/2 cup uncooked rice
3 cups boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt
One 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine rice, boiling water and salt into top of double boiler. Cook over rapidly boiling water until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in sweetened condensed milk, butter and raisins. Cook, stirring frequently, over boiling water until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Source: Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics
Italian Chicken Sticks
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Pinch of ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips
Marinara sauce or honey mustard for dipping
Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a plate or platter, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder and red pepper.
Dip the chicken strips in the melted butter, then dredge in the bread crumb mixture. Place the chicken strips in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken strips hot with marinara sauce or serve hot or cold with honey mustard.
Source: Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics