Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

In a few minutes, my daughter will the hospital for a while. The next step hopefully will be a bone marrow transplant; at least that's what we're hoping. Chemo is such a drag. The bad news is that My wife's snowed in the neighborhood in Chesapeake and won't be coming to get me until at least Sunday. So I'll be going home with my daughter and her husband until then.

Had enough of daddy yet?

Hope all continues to go well with your daughter Tom ....
[my neighborhood FINALLY became driveable late this afternoon]

[badgoodDeb]

Great news! I'm glad Issybird was able to interpret the missing word "leave" the hospital. I'd have congratulated you earlier, if I had grokked that properly. Yay!!

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Planning out my day. I'm going to talk with different cooking schools and see which one can give me what I need. Although I've lived in Thailand for a total of almost 15 years, I really never bothered to learn to cook Thai foods. Why would I? For a dollar I can get a plate of just about anything from restaurants or vendors on every block. It's almost cheaper to eat out than cook at home. I'd cook Italian, Mexican, German, Greek, French, Chinese, etc., etc. foods at home, but for Thai, we'd always eat out. Well, that's changed! I've gotten the Thai cooking bug, inspired by the ubiquitous 'fresh markets' located all over Thailand. There are two within a 10-minute walk of my house, but one is only open from 5am-11am. The other remains open all day. I never really paid much attention to these markets, but lately... I don't know... something has grabbed me and I want to know more!

I feel like a kid with a new toy. If you can imagine a Farmer's Market on steroids...inside an open-sided building the size of a football field, crammed chock-a-block with vendors busy grilling chickens, ducks, fish, sausage... workmen carrying in loads of freshly cut produce....others piling up fruits of every color, veggies... some so odd I can't even recognize how they are used... fresh meats, poultry, seafood...as well as stalls selling bottles, boxes, cans... vats of prepared foods, vats of prepared curry pastes (there are dozens of different Thai curry pastes...) For someone who loves to cook (Me!) or someone who loves to eat (Me!) this is like an amusement park! But I don't 'know' what half the stuff is, or how to use it. So that's my new project. I'm going to learn all about it, how to recognize and use all the different veggies, how to recognize all the different prepared foods, what each and every bottle of 'stuff' does, and how to cook it all. Here I go.....


Stitchawl

PICTURES!!!!!!

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Hope all continues to go well with your daughter Tom ....
[my neighborhood FINALLY became driveable late this afternoon]

How long were you trapped?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Great news! I'm glad Issybird was able to interpret the missing word "leave" the hospital. I'd have congratulated you earlier, if I had grokked that properly. Yay!!

I Swyped that message out really quickly. I just now went back and edited it.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Planning out my day. I'm going to talk with different cooking schools and see which one can give me what I need. Although I've lived in Thailand for a total of almost 15 years, I really never bothered to learn to cook Thai foods. Why would I? For a dollar I can get a plate of just about anything from restaurants or vendors on every block. It's almost cheaper to eat out than cook at home. I'd cook Italian, Mexican, German, Greek, French, Chinese, etc., etc. foods at home, but for Thai, we'd always eat out. Well, that's changed! I've gotten the Thai cooking bug, inspired by the ubiquitous 'fresh markets' located all over Thailand. There are two within a 10-minute walk of my house, but one is only open from 5am-11am. The other remains open all day. I never really paid much attention to these markets, but lately... I don't know... something has grabbed me and I want to know more!

I feel like a kid with a new toy. If you can imagine a Farmer's Market on steroids...inside an open-sided building the size of a football field, crammed chock-a-block with vendors busy grilling chickens, ducks, fish, sausage... workmen carrying in loads of freshly cut produce....others piling up fruits of every color, veggies... some so odd I can't even recognize how they are used... fresh meats, poultry, seafood...as well as stalls selling bottles, boxes, cans... vats of prepared foods, vats of prepared curry pastes (there are dozens of different Thai curry pastes...) For someone who loves to cook (Me!) or someone who loves to eat (Me!) this is like an amusement park! But I don't 'know' what half the stuff is, or how to use it. So that's my new project. I'm going to learn all about it, how to recognize and use all the different veggies, how to recognize all the different prepared foods, what each and every bottle of 'stuff' does, and how to cook it all. Here I go.....


Stitchawl

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

PICTURES!!!!!!

I'm working on a video of the place right now. Should be finished in a day or two or three. I realized I was mistaken when I said it was the size of a football field... It's really the size of TWO football fields!

In each area of the market, there are half a dozen vendors selling 'almost' the same items, competing for customers. I haven't been there often enough to learn which is best to shop from, so I've been buying a bit of this from one, a bit of that from another... But in the meat area, I've been buying all my pork from one specific vendor and my chicken from another. I can't say how I decided on those, as all of the vendor's tables pretty much look alike.

I think a market like the typical Asian market would make the average American housewife afraid to buy... especially the prepared foods, meats and poultry. Nothing is wrapped. Nothing is under glass. Everything is out, exposed to the air. Exposed to people walking past. Nothing has the sterile, sanitized feel of a modern supermarket, where everything is pre-packaged.

We have plenty of modern supermarkets here, but the price difference is amazing. In the ta-lat (Thai market,) four thick slices of pork loin cost about one dollar. In the supermarket, the same amount would cost three. I bought a large bunch of Thai Sweet Basil, a large bunch of Thai Holy Basil, and a large bunch of Kafir Lime leaves. Together they filled a large plastic shopping bag. The cost was 15 baht... about 50 cents. In the supermarket a 'small' pack of Holy Basil alone costs 20 baht. The last three meals I've cooked, each a big plate of Thai-style food, cost less than $2 per person for each, shopped for at the ta-lat. If I bought the ingredients at the supermarket, it would have cost at least $5 per, and not been nearly as fresh! I really am having fun with all this, but now we have to buy a bigger refrigerator!


Stitchawl

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'm working on a video of the place right now. Should be finished in a day or two or three. I realized I was mistaken when I said it was the size of a football field... It's really the size of TWO football fields!

In each area of the market, there are half a dozen vendors selling 'almost' the same items, competing for customers. I haven't been there often enough to learn which is best to shop from, so I've been buying a bit of this from one, a bit of that from another... But in the meat area, I've been buying all my pork from one specific vendor and my chicken from another. I can't say how I decided on those, as all of the vendor's tables pretty much look alike.

I think a market like the typical Asian market would make the average American housewife afraid to buy... especially the prepared foods, meats and poultry. Nothing is wrapped. Nothing is under glass. Everything is out, exposed to the air. Exposed to people walking past. Nothing has the sterile, sanitized feel of a modern supermarket, where everything is pre-packaged.

We have plenty of modern supermarkets here, but the price difference is amazing. In the ta-lat (Thai market,) four thick slices of pork loin cost about one dollar. In the supermarket, the same amount would cost three. I bought a large bunch of Thai Sweet Basil, a large bunch of Thai Holy Basil, and a large bunch of Kafir Lime leaves. Together they filled a large plastic shopping bag. The cost was 15 baht... about 50 cents. In the supermarket a 'small' pack of Holy Basil alone costs 20 baht. The last three meals I've cooked, each a big plate of Thai-style food, cost less than $2 per person for each, shopped for at the ta-lat. If I bought the ingredients at the supermarket, it would have cost at least $5 per, and not been nearly as fresh! I really am having fun with all this, but now we have to buy a bigger refrigerator!


Stitchawl

I realized as I was reading this that I no longer even know any "average American housewives", lol. A lot of the people I'm in contact with right now are young urban students or couples, or older retired people. The younger people tend to eat out most of the time and do most of their shopping together, and the older ones tend more to the men doing the shopping (and cooking!) Just my experience at this point in my life, but I do live on the outskirts of a big city. We have quite a few (indoor) international markets, but they, at least in theory, still must meet health standards. I would love to visit a large market like that!

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I realized as I was reading this that I no longer even know any "average American housewives", lol.

I thought about that after I posted... In my mind I was picturing June Cleaver (Beaver's mother) standing at the sink in her dress, pearls, and high heel shoes...

We have quite a few (indoor) international markets, but they, at least in theory, still must meet health standards. I would love to visit a large market like that!

I can't wait until I can hire a teacher to let me know what I'm actually seeing!
When my son came to visit while we were living here the first time, he owned a deli/restaurant in the US. The one thing that stuck in his mind was the sign he's see in all the restaurants and markets; "We sell clean food!" There don't seem to be ANY standards required here, but oddly enough, there is very little food poisoning. We are careful to avoid vendors who look like they are dying, and avoid street food that has been 'stacked up,' requesting freshly made instead, and might get a case of the 'G.I. Blues' once every few years. No more often than I'd get it in the States.


Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

From military friends who lived in Thailand, one of my bits of information that always stuck with me was to always buy fresh uncooked meat that had flies on it. If it was fly free that meant it had been in a chemical dip. The other was be careful with pets. They had another American family that moved in next to them and within the first 24 hours their little foofoo dog went missing. All the house help along the street were gathered up and sent out to look for it. Sure enough about an hour later a very traumatized feefee dog was found hanging by her back legs and completely devoid of fur at a meat stall

[poohbear_nc]

It works! Finally! A remedy for driving a screaming cat to the vet scenario!

I occasionally watch the Animal Planet show "My Cat From Hell" - and noted that the host Jackson Galaxy was plugging his "Spirit Essence" drops for behavioral modification - esp. stress related behaviors. And I thought "Sure, right, sprinkle a few drops of herbal/pheromone stuff on a cat and Presto! Bound to be a rip-off. Especially at $25 for a 2 oz. bottle"

But, if you look at my posts in the last few years of Vent & Rant you'll see that my cats increasingly hate going to the vet (we go to a cat only vet whose docs & staff adore cats) - and yowl the entire time in the car and during the exam. Stressful for the cats AND for us!

So I did a lot of online research on these drops and found almost overwhelmingly positive reports - with at least some improvement in behaviors. So I ordered a bottle of Stress Stopper (http://www.abesmarket.com/natural-pr...opper-2oz.html). It was mailed in an extremely protective padded envelope and came with an eye dropper and a mister insert.

The stuff works! Last year Stella yowled the entire car trip to the vet. I had to dismantle the carrier to get her out. And she hid under a towel for the entire examination (we have a very understanding vet). And then yowled the entire trip home, and hid in a closet for the rest of the day.

Her appointment was for this morning. So I began putting 3-4 drops on her fur all this week. This morning I misted the carrier and its towel, before cramming Stella into it. She started yowling on the trip over, but NOT continuously (a major improvement). Once we got into an exam room, I was able to coax her out of the carrier onto my lap. I covered her with my coat, but she didn't need it and popped out from under it to sit on my lap like a normal cat. When the vet came in to do the exam and give her the rabies shot, Stella flopped onto her side and began "making biscuits" on the towel that covered the exam table. She was so relaxed that she was actually limp! And she was quiet the entire ride home.

This was a miracle! The vet was impressed too - she had seen the show but thought the drops were a gimmick - but after handling Stella she is going to order some to test out herself.

Anyone with a cat family knows that results can vary dramatically between cats, but I can whole heartedly recommend trying these drops for vet visits.
There are also lots of different formulas for different behavior problems on the web site, and may be well worth your while if you have a problem puddy tat in your family.

I've started using Happy Tummy drops on Goldie - she has periodic IBS symptoms (liquid diarrhea with drops of blood) that have lessened dramatically since she's had the drops.

Who knew?

[Stitchawl]

There really IS a God! I've been looking for a cooking school to attend... there are at least half a dozen here in Chiang Mai set up for the tourists, all offering one-day classes, and most run the same curricula. Start with a half hour at the local market learning about Thai ingredients, then back to the school to learn to make your choice of Thai curry paste, followed by instruction on making a Thai soup, appetizer, two or three main dishes, followed by a big feast eating what's been made. Here is a sample of the offerings, and you can choose one from each category.

But I have no desire to learn to make the curry pastes from scratch. I can buy freshly made curry pastes at the ta-laht. And I have no desire to make Thai desserts. I prefer fresh fruit. I want to spend more than just 30 minutes at the market. I have so many questions about things I've seen there that I really need an hour and a half to do it right... So these cooking classes don't really work for me... unless....

... unless it turns out that tomorrow people have signed up for the evening class with the school I chose, and as of this afternoon I'm the ONLY one signed up for the day class! If it stays that way, the teacher said we can customize the class to meet my needs. And... (it gets even better...) she will take me around THE SAME MARKET that I usually shop, so I can get an in depth understanding of my home turf! She'll pick me up at 08:30 and the adventure begins!


Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

It works! Finally! A remedy for driving a screaming cat to the vet scenario!

I occasionally watch the Animal Planet show "My Cat From Hell" - and noted that the host Jackson Galaxy was plugging his "Spirit Essence" drops for behavioral modification - esp. stress related behaviors. And I thought "Sure, right, sprinkle a few drops of herbal/pheromone stuff on a cat and Presto! Bound to be a rip-off. Especially at $25 for a 2 oz. bottle"

But, if you look at my posts in the last few years of Vent & Rant you'll see that my cats increasingly hate going to the vet (we go to a cat only vet whose docs & staff adore cats) - and yowl the entire time in the car and during the exam. Stressful for the cats AND for us!

So I did a lot of online research on these drops and found almost overwhelmingly positive reports - with at least some improvement in behaviors. So I ordered a bottle of Stress Stopper (http://www.abesmarket.com/natural-pr...opper-2oz.html). It was mailed in an extremely protective padded envelope and came with an eye dropper and a mister insert.

The stuff works! Last year Stella yowled the entire car trip to the vet. I had to dismantle the carrier to get her out. And she hid under a towel for the entire examination (we have a very understanding vet). And then yowled the entire trip home, and hid in a closet for the rest of the day.

Her appointment was for this morning. So I began putting 3-4 drops on her fur all this week. This morning I misted the carrier and its towel, before cramming Stella into it. She started yowling on the trip over, but NOT continuously (a major improvement). Once we got into an exam room, I was able to coax her out of the carrier onto my lap. I covered her with my coat, but she didn't need it and popped out from under it to sit on my lap like a normal cat. When the vet came in to do the exam and give her the rabies shot, Stella flopped onto her side and began "making biscuits" on the towel that covered the exam table. She was so relaxed that she was actually limp! And she was quiet the entire ride home.

This was a miracle! The vet was impressed too - she had seen the show but thought the drops were a gimmick - but after handling Stella she is going to order some to test out herself.

Anyone with a cat family knows that results can vary dramatically between cats, but I can whole heartedly recommend trying these drops for vet visits.
There are also lots of different formulas for different behavior problems on the web site, and may be well worth your while if you have a problem puddy tat in your family.

I've started using Happy Tummy drops on Goldie - she has periodic IBS symptoms (liquid diarrhea with drops of blood) that have lessened dramatically since she's had the drops.

Who knew?

I heart Jackson Galaxy. I think I've watched his shows from the beginning. I'm glad to know that his essences work!

in other news the klingon is still in major kling mode. I haven't taken a full day at work since having her back and today was probably the longest. In other related news she and Strider aren't exchanging such hostile messages when they pass or encounter each other

[badgoodDeb]

I'm glad you are getting some major loving out of Arwen, at least!! That's one good side effect. Hope she and Strider make up soon.

[Brazen_NL]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

She'll pick me up at 08:30 and the adventure begins!

Oooh, let us know how it goes. Pictures of the results would be appreciated, unless they look too good, and you'll only make us hungry and jealous ...

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I think a market like the typical Asian market would make the average American housewife afraid to buy... especially the prepared foods, meats and poultry. Nothing is wrapped. Nothing is under glass. Everything is out, exposed to the air. Exposed to people walking past. Nothing has the sterile, sanitized feel of a modern supermarket, where everything is pre-packaged.

That will depend on the housewife.

My SO does daily food shopping, and little of it comes from the supermarket. There's an open air farmer's market convenient to us in NYC, and she also shops weekly in Chinatown. The Chinese markets don't have the open space yours does, but are otherwise similar. Things are not wrapped, processed, preserved, pre-packaged or otherwise sterile.

Of course, my SO is a gourmet quality cook and multi-lingual - she's fluent in Spanish, and French if it involves food and cooking, and is picking up bits of Cantonese by osmosis from shopping in Chinatown. She's seen as simply another Chinese housewife shopping for the family with her folding cart, save that she doesn't happen to be Chinese. (And she's a capable Chinese style cook.)

Part of the incentive for her is that she enjoys that sort of shopping, and cooking with fresh ingredients. Another is health related - she has an assortment of allergies, and many preprocessed and preserved foods contain things she's allergic to. Stuff she buys at the farmer's and Chinese markets are things she knows she can prepare and eat.

She's currently considering a suggestion from farmer's market vendors that she buy unpasteurized raw milk and make her own cheese. I've been handed a book of dishes and asked to pick out stuff involving cheese that might interest me.

Dinner tonight is lamb stew. The lamb neck bones came from the supermarket. The rest is daily farmer's market produce.

One thing I've been pleased by over the decades is the gradual broadening of the American palate. My mother was an expatriate Brit, whose family emigrated to Canada when she was a child, and who met my father in the US during WWII. She was a superb baker, but mediocre cook, with a horror of spices. (She would cringe when I sprinkled pepper on something.) I didn't learn to properly appreciate many foods till I moved out own my own and learned to cook for myself.

Several decades ago, I worked for a major bank. One year during my tenure, the Finance (where I worked) and Marketing departments had a combined holiday party at a French event space, arranged by a French speaking secretary in Marketing. I found myself sitting at a table with the VP Finance Director, the AVP Accounting Manager, and the AVP Financial Controller (my boss.) Food came out to an at best guarded reception with me trying to explain.

"What's this?"

"That's a salad with Dijon mustard sauce! It's great!"

"And what's this?"

"That's a mushroom stuffed with crab meat. It's only one of the best things I've ever eaten!"

"I dunno. I'm kind of a meat and potatoes guy..."

I managed to not run screaming into the night, but it took some doing.

I'd expect rather better now.
______
Dennis

[Stitchawl]

I'm drinking a mug of "Prince of Wales" tea, as I review my notes from today's cooking class. What a perfect day! Two hours of strolling the market lanes with the teacher answering the 1,001 questions that I've been coming up with for the past week while shopping. Then it was back to the cooking school to learn to make six different dishes. I picked some ordinary meals that I usually order in restaurants, trying for a good variety in ingredients and method. While I miss the comradery that would have occurred had there been other students, I can appreciate the personal attention the teacher gave me, as well as a much more in-depth understanding of what is needed to balance the flavors in Thai cuisine. Had there been other students I wouldn't have felt comfortable hogging all the teachers time with my questions.

Stitchawl