Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School

I've always been curious as to how the other Le Cordon Bleu schools look like aside from London and Paris.  I finished my Cuisine Diploma in London which at that time, was situated in Marylebone Lane.  They've recently moved to Bloomsbury Square.  I mentioned a few thoughts about my alma matter here when I started this blog.  Some day, I'll share a few stories.

How did the Bangkok campus compare?  It definitely was a smaller version of what we had then in Marylebone lane.  Though the Dusit facility is smaller, the practical kitchens seemed wider and more spacious.  

I noticed a slight variation on the cooking countertops and wider room for each student.  I also noticed that there's enough room for 3 students in each side, whereas in London, there were 4.

Everything is as neat as it should be and to some extent, I felt that the Dusit facility had a more relaxed vibe.  

During my time, there was 1 instructor for a maximum of 8 students per class.  We started with 5 sections during Basic Cuisine and as we progressed to Intermediate, the drop out rate was quite high.  By the time we reached Superior Cuisine, we were down to 3 sections with less than 8 to a class.  

Things always seem different in the pastry department, where all things nice and sweet were churned.

As I walked down memory lane, I chanced upon the marks of current students.

The highest mark you can obtain is 50 and judging according to the figures above, these students are having a really tough time.  Somehow, they'll eventually manage to pick up their pace and learn their craft.

And yes, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  These Superior Pastry students are definitely having a sweet time.

And, as if luck would have it, there was a free demonstration being conducted during my visit.  There were about 60 guests, which I found a bit different from the London facility (Marylebone), which could only accommodate a maximum of 30 in the lecture room.  Also, I don't have any recollection of free classes/demonstrations then.

To set themselves apart, Le Cordon Bleu Dusit has the Professional Thai Cuisine Program led by the ever-so engaging Chef Rapeepat Boriboon.  The classic cycles are taught here by  European chefs.

Chef Boriboon shared recipes for Sakoo Saimoo, Ma Haw, and Kratong Thong in less than 2 hours; all of which, tasted very good.  

This is on my definite must-go-to schools for learning Thai cooking.  Now all I need is time.

Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School

946 The Dusit Thani Building

1st Floor, Rama IV Road

Silom, Bangrak; Bangkok 10500

+662-237-8877

Mangosteens

Thai mangosteens are as visually arresting as its sweet taste!  We're currently loving these over the holidays.  My posts keep getting shorter and shorter since all we've been doing is busying ourselves with the New Year's festivities.  I'll be back to regular programming next year...

Kalabasa Chips

I love this supermarket called Villa in Bangkok.  I can't help but visit this place at least once a week to get some hard-to-find ingredients.  The Young Tongue pointed at something by the snack corner and chose these Kalabasa Chips.  


Paper thin, sweet and savory, and oh did I mention it's speckled with sesame seeds -- it was inevitable to love these.  No wonder there are quite a variety of ready-to-eat vegetable and fruit chips in that particular section as most of them may have this all-too-familiar but I-didn't-know-that-could-work-out sort of uniqueness!  We're probably braving the Durian chips soon, albeit polarizing to a few.  


Try to introduce healthy snacks with your young tongue before they turn into junkies!

Here's a photo of The Young Tongue with a dubious look.  When she heard me eat it with gusto, that sort of curbed her fear for the healthy variety!  Ha ha!

Thai Iced Tea - Cha Yen

I really miss Mother Teresa.  That's my code name for one of my best friends.  We used to do everything together, every single day.  She's not only the god mother of The Young Tongue, she was and still is my confidante.  We've laughed and cried together, bought pets, started a business, traveled places, and she is my "go-to-Mom" whenever I have those "you-don't-want-to-ask-your-pedia-because-you'll-sound-stupid-and-you-should-know-this-by-now" kind of questions.  And in so many levels, our background and outlook in life are similar.  I don't even have to explain anything, she just gets me.  How often can you find that?!

One of her favorite drinks is Cha-Yen, or simply put, Thai Iced Tea.  When I lived in Manila, we would trek Dusit Hotel to get this as authentic as possible.  The quality after all, was trustworthy.  Over sips of this drink and several dishes, we would sit there in Dusit Thani, sharing our life stories.  We would also exchange parenting tips.  I really admire her for her devotion to her growing family.  She is a super mom! 

So here's how to prepare her favorite drink:

You'll have to start with a Thai Tea Mix.  They widely use the NUMBER ONE BRAND here.  It comes in this packaging, with a "thumbs up" sign.  I searched high and low for this in Bangkok and just when I was about to give up, I befriended a Thai Iced Tea hawker guy in front of our office, and asked if I could just buy a few packs from his inventory.  And he so kindly obliged.  He also told me that this brand is readily available in local stores.  Apparently, I was looking at the wrong places.  I guess when he said "local," he meant as local as you can get - not the big names like Tesco's or Big C (previously Carrefour) and definitely not Villa Supermarket.

Steep 2-3 teaspoons of this tea mix per cup of boiling water for a few minutes.  Here you can see me use my ever-dependable, Bodum tea infuser (how I got this in Sweden is another story all together which I'll probably share someday when I cook something Scandinavian).  Right, back to the tea...  Strain and combine with 3 teaspoons (or more if you want it sweeter) of condensed milk.  Pour into a glass with lots of ice.  And for that indulgent (or shall I say naughty) flavor, drizzle with evaporated milk.  Most people question the addition of this last ingredient since they feel the condensed milk gives it the right sweetness already.  In my opinion, the evaporated milk gives a more creamy flavor and well-balanced note, so this last step is ever-so important.  Do not compromise and don't just settle without.

Refreshing and uniquely Thai! Do you know that saying "once on the lips, forever on the hips?"  Drink in moderation I guess.  But quite frankly, I drink a tall glass every lunch time.  And that's because it's "aroi maak maak!"

So cheers to you Mother Teresa!  I miss you heaps.  And I can't wait to see you here in the City of Angels.  

Chicken with Basil Leaves - Gai Pad Bai Graphao

Marinate your chicken pieces in fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and basil leaves for an hour.  In a hot wok with oil, add some garlic until fragrant.  Add the chicken mix and stir-fry until done.  Add a few more basil leaves and Thai chillies.  Serve hot!

This ends our Thai cookery course from Chiangmai.

Tom Yum

Two widely used versions of Tom Yum are present in Thailand.  One is cooked with coconut milk and the other one, a lighter version, uses water.  Depending on what you'd like to use, the procedure is quiet the same.

In a hot wok, bring some coconut milk or water to a boil then simmer with galangal and lemon grass.  Stir every so often so that the flavors infuse well.  Add prawns, straw mushrooms, thick coconut cream, tom yum paste, and lime leaves.  If you want this to be extra hot and spicy, add Thai chillies.  Continue to simmer until the straw mushrooms are tender.

Add fish sauce and lime juice to taste.  Garnish with coriander leaves.

Cat Fish Salad - Yam Pla Duk Foo

Who doesn't love Crispy Catfish Salad?!  The interplay of flavors -- tart, sweet, salty, sour, umami, and kokumi is what makes this salad so interestingly and uniquely Thai!

You'll need:

1 Catfish, grilled, skin-on

Cooking oil, for deep-frying

1 Thai Green Mango

6 Shallots, sliced ever so thinly

1 Tomato, sliced

Lettuce leaves, washed

Peanuts

Sauce:

Lime juice

Fish Sauce

Coconut Sugar

Garlic, chopped

1-2 Thai Chillies

1.  Shred the grilled cat fish flesh into small pieces, removing the skin and bones.

2.  In a hot wok with cooking oil, deep-fry the catfish until you can form the shape of the fish back, by folding it.

3.  Remove the catfish and drain off the excess oil.

4.  In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce, to taste.

5.  Garnish your plate with the lettuce leaves, tomatoes, and top with the catfish, mango, shallots, and peanuts.  Drizzle with the sauce.

Pandan Water

Insanely refreshing and tasty, this is a good alternative to cold caffeinated tea drinks.  All you need to do is tie the pandan leaves together into a knot.  Place in a pot with water.  Bring to a boil then simmer until the leaves and water change color.  Like so...

Then add coconut sugar to taste.  Strain and serve in a glass with ice cubes.  It was so good, I forgot to take a photo.

iPhone photos.  Bear with me please.

Green Chicken Curry, Thai-style

By far one of my favorite Thai dishes, this dish is so easy to prepare.  This is best served with Jasmine Rice.


You will need:
3/4 cup Coconut Cream
1-2 Tablespoon Green Curry Paste
250 grams Chicken, cut into cubes or strips
2 cups thin Coconut Milk
4 Thai Eggplants / Aubergines
3 Kaffir Lime leaves, sliced into thin strips
1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
Fish Sauce, to taste
1 Red Thai Chilli
25 leaves Sweet Thai Basil

In a hot wok, place the coconut cream and once it boils, add the green curry paste, mixing well.  Do not cover with a lid.  This will make the coconut cream or milk curdle.

 Add the chicken and turn to medium heat.  Continue to fry the chicken pieces until it changes color.

Add the thin coconut milk, eggplants, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and kaffir lime leaves.  Bring to a boil then simmer.

 Once the chicken pieces are tender, add the red chilli and basil leaves.  Serve hot.

Green Curry Paste

Each Thai family takes pride in their own recipe for curry paste/s.  Flavors are built on several layers of ingredients and with almost anything that is cooked, a proper balance of ingredients is key.  Some use anywhere between 8 to 18 ingredients for their paste.

You will be needing:

Equal amounts of Cumin seeds and Coriander seeds, that has been dry-roasted in a wok (this means, no oil, for about 2-3 minutes until aromas are released).

Equal amounts of lemongrass root, galangal, and kaffir lime rind.

2 teaspoons Shallots

7 cloves Garlic, skin removed

Turmeric

8 cm Ginza, skin removed (you can substitute this with dried ginger)

7 Sweet Thai Basil leaves

2 Red Thai Chillies

10 Green Thai Chillies

Salt, to taste

2 teaspoons Shrimp Paste

Simply put, place all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle.  Pound away until you can't tell one ingredient from the other.

Lazy intentions?  You can keep this paste in the refrigerator for a week or 3 months in the freezer.  Just remember, store portion-controlled quantities so you need not thaw the entire batch.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts

Thus far, the most unappetizing photo in my blog, don't be fooled.  I had to endure taking photos with my iPhone for a week.  Uncool I know.  But the flavors made up for it, big time.


You'll be needing:

Soya bean oil, for cooking
5 to 6 Garlic cloves, crushed and chopped with the skin on (yes, skin on!)
300 grams Chicken fillets, sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1.5 Tablespoons Soya Sauce, the saltier, the better
1 teaspoon White Sugar, or add as needed
1 Onion, sliced
5 Spring Onions, cut into strips
3 large Sun-dried Thai Chilies, cut into strips
20 Cashew Nuts, roasted


In a hot wok with soya bean oil, saute the garlic.  Once fragrant, add the chicken pieces and once cooked, add all the ingredients except the cashew nuts, which will be added right before serving.  Season to taste.  Serve with Jasmine rice.

Masaman Curry Chicken

First things first, stomach the iPhone photography.  I have yet to find the perfect camera for traveling (Leica or Lumix are on my wish list this christmas!).


Right.  Massaman curry.  This comes from the South where most of the muslims in Thailand live, so it's rare to see this cooked with Pork.  You'll need:

Soya Bean Oil, for cooking
1 to 2 Tablespoon Masaman Curry Paste (click here)
250 grams Chicken fillets (or duck, lamb, beef)
2 Potatoes, cubed
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup Coconut cream
Salt, to taste
Coconut Sugar, to taste
Fish Sauce, to taste
5 Tablespoons, Peanuts, ground and roasted
1-2 cups Coconut Milk
3 Tablespoons Tamarind Paste


What's the difference with coconut cream and coconut milk?  The first press is cream and the second press, usually mixed with water, is the coconut milk.

In a hot wok with soya bean oil, fry the curry paste until fragrant.  Add the chicken, potatoes, and onions.  Then pour the coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut sugar, fish sauce, peanuts, and salt.  Bring to a boil then simmer until chicken pieces are tender.

Then add the tamarind paste.  Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so.  Serve with rice.


It might be good to note, that there is a proper way of eating curries here in Thailand.  You must place the rice in the middle of the plate.  The curry can be placed on one side, and the other stir-fired dish on the other side.  The rice acts as a barrier, keeping the flavors intact.  Like so...

Massaman Curry Paste

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Built with several flavors inspired by Indian and Thai curries, this Southern Thai dish should be a staple for cool weather.  It can be very spicy, as most red curries are, so incorporating the right amount is usually done trial by error.  


You'll need:

Black Peppercorns

Cumin Seeds

Coriander Seeds

Cloves

Cinnamon

Cardamon

Salt

3 sun-dried Thai chillies, soaked in water, seeds removed

1/2 teaspoon Ginza (or dried ginger), skin removed, sliced thinly

Lemongrass, sliced

Garlic, peeled and chopped

Shallots, chopped finely

Coriander root, chopped

Shrimp Paste

Roast dry ingredients in a hot pan or wok for a few minutes.  This will release all the flavors you'll need.  Remember, that massaman curry is built by layers of flavors, so allow the spices to take enough time in the pan or wok.  This usually takes 2 to 4 minutes.  Switch off the heat once the aromas are released.

Then place all the dry ingredients in a mortar and pestle.  Pound along with all the other ingredients.

Lazy intentions?  You can make a bigger batch and store in an air-tight container, submerged in soya bean oil.  Don't refrigerate as this will make the flavors dull and lessen it's intensity.  This will keep for about 2 months.