Showing 1 - 10 of 21
Reading the leaves
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 09/12/2018
» For desserts and other food to taste great, it's not only about the flavour. The smell is another important factor in making food all the more tasty. A lot of Thai food relies on smell, which mostly comes from leaves. Try imagining Thai food without kaffir lime leaves, basil, tamarind leaves or cha-om leaves. Now what would everything taste like?
The costs of eating free
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 03/06/2018
» In the Kapoe district of Ranong province, one can find the charming Baan Rai I Arun -- a small, cottage-style resort built from lumber and bamboo directly harvested from the area. Inside, the resort is fitted with a classy array of rustic furniture. Outside, it is surrounded by a garden with mountains in the background, making it feel pleasantly faraway from life beyond the resort.
The fish that makes a great catch
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 12/03/2017
» I'm sure that there are many people who have the same relationship with catfish dishes that I do. When they think of a particular favourite -- grilled catfish with boiled neem flowers and the sweet-spicy sauce called nam plaa waan, or the fish deep-fried with spicy seasonings and crisp-fried basil leaves scattered on top -- they crave to eat some right then and there.
The noodle superpower
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 06/12/2015
» A couple of weeks ago I wrote that Thailand was full of shops and vendors offering grilled chicken, and that this dish will remain a favourite with Thais for a long time to come.
The search for the real phat Thai
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 29/11/2015
» Anyone who makes phat Thai for sale and can’t produce a tasty version of the dish probably shouldn’t try to cook anything else, because preparing this favourite properly is no great feat. The ingredients needed to make it are all easy to get hold of: kuay tio sen lek (thin rice noodles), shallots, tofu, peanuts, small dried shrimp, chopped salted Chinese radish, eggs, bean sprouts, kui chaai (garlic chives), vinegar or sour tamarind water, palm sugar, nam plaa, ground dried chillies and fresh vegetables to eat with the noodles — banana flower, spring onion or bai bua boke (leaves of the Asian pennywort plant).
A heads-up on a tasty treat
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 11/10/2015
» There is an old Chinese saying that advises “if you want to be happy for a day, eat some pork. If you want to be happy for three months, get married. But if you want to be happy for life, go fishing.”
Rooted in culture
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 21/06/2015
» The coconut tree: there are not many more familiar sights in Thailand. It bears fruit with juice that is good to drink and meat that can be used in cooking. It is an emblem of the seaside and grown in extensive groves by farmers. The taller the coconut trees, the older the community in which the grove is located. And the versatility of the plant is something to marvel at.
Getting down to brass tacks
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 12/04/2015
» Look back at the metal kitchen tools and utensils that people used to use daily in Thailand before modern replacements came onto the scene, and you’ll get a glimpse of the lifestyle of which they were such an important part. But you will also notice that some of them have survived into the present, with very little change.
A cool time to eat crab
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 25/01/2015
» In Thailand, the cool season lasts for three or four months, but during that time there are only a couple of weeks when it really gets cold. To make the most of it, many people head to the North or to Isan to experience the chilly weather at its most extreme. Those are the parts of the country where the temperature takes the biggest plunge, and where they will be able to wear the cold-weather clothing that has been hanging in the closet all year.
Watching the chef at work
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 07/12/2014
» Here in Bangkok there is a small restaurant — there is just one long table with seating for 12 — where the prices are well into the high-end range. There are just enough seats to accommodate an executive group. The layout is unusual, with a spacious kitchen in the same space as the dining area, so customers can view a cooking system that is orderly, clean and modern. The decor and lighting are attractively contemporary.