laocook

Its not all serious stuff in our kitchens. ;)

In this LCTV presentation, you can see some of the light hearted moments of the past few months.

If you don’t get the last clip, it was born from an English class provided by the hotel, and taken by some members of the A-Team.

Teacher: Hello, what is your name?
Kit: My name is Kit
Teacher: Hello Kit. How are you?
Kit: I come from Thailand…..

Last week saw the release in Spain of Apple´s new version of their iPod, called the Ipod Touch or iTouch.

Having pre-ordered mine, I was happy to see it delivered on the release date. It is nifty and has loads of great applications, at the moment I use it in the kitchen, blasting away music whilst we cook. :)

Another great thing about the Ipod Touch is its ability to connect to WiFi networks. Seems like the technology these days is moving so quickly. I still remember my first games console, the Atari 2600 (now I am showing my age!) ;) (and have fond memories of blisters!)

Anyway, whilst listening to some Mor Lam work continues in the kitchen.

One of our new Amuse Bouche, using Pork, Water Chestnuts, Nori and Tempura Batter.

The seasoned Pork mixture is mixed with Herbs, Water Chestnuts and Vermicelli Strands, much similar to a Won Ton mix. It is then rolled “Maki Style” in Nori Sheets before being dipped in Tempura Batter and deep fried. It is crunchy on the outside and the Water Chestnuts also remain crunchy on the inside.

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Smoked Tuna with Spicy Sauce.

The parts of the Tuna that are not suitable for Sushi are dry marinated then smoked over Olive Wood. It is served with chopped Pickles and a Spicy Dipping Sauce, a kind of Salty, Sour and Spicy appetizer.

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Red Pork wrapped in Pho Noodles.

Chinese style Red Pork is wrapped in blanched Pho Noodles, served on Snow Peas with Coriander and Basil Oil.

The sweetness of the Pork goes well with the chewiness of the Noodles, and is a favorite “nibble” of the cooks. To stop the Pork and Noodles from drying out during the evening, we keep them under film in our oven which has been set at 50ºC (122ºF).

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Below is one of our mini Desserts created by our Pastry Chef, Akiyama.

Mascarpone Cream with Basil and Raspberry Panna Cotta. Yummy!

We are lucky to be able to get hold of a variety of Mushrooms. Whilst we enjoy a great “Jéow Mak Het” (Mushroom Chutney), with sticky rice, the best pieces are reserved for our guests.

We use them in Soups, Purees, Sauces and Royales, but perhaps the best known is in combination with Chicken. There is something “homely” in this partnership, whether it is a Pie, Soup, Burger or Stir Fry.

Chicken and Wild Mushroom in the making.

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It is amazing how many dishes you can come up with using our next ingredient, and as the title of this post states, it is indeed a…

Pig Cheeks are common on most menus, as well as Ears (Crispy Pig Ears are one of our favourite nibbles).

Some people may shy away at looking at the complete head, but when prepared well, the various bits if meat, fat and skin make remarkable dishes.

With our sample, the ears will be reserved to be added to our next batch of “Som Pak Calumbee” (Soured or Fermented Cabbage), other parts will make it in to our “Dtom Khem”, and some parts will be enjoyed by the cooks. ;)

The hardest part about preparing any of the dishes is getting the head split, that was a job for Saki and a cleaver.

It is best to turn the head upside down, it makes it easier to cut, and as Saki says “I don’t want him looking at me”.

Once split in half, the head will be soaked in many changes of cold water, then in to a Brine for a few days, before having the meat removed and separated for the individual recipes.

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If you think that you cannot stomach the pig head dishes, be sure not to look at Michael´s blog!. :shock:

Michael says:

“Some foods are taboo, some are forbidden, some are considered inedible — depending on the culture. Why does one human refuse to eat dog, and another refuse to eat pig? Why does one culture eat haggis, another one delight in slimy fermented soy beans? Do we only refuse some foods when we know what they are? Why?”

After our week long culinary travel, it seemed only fitting that King´s last holiday dinner should be at our restaurant. The decor of the dining room hasn’t changed much since King was behind the Teppanyaki Tables. King and his guests opted for our “Aharn Menu”, which is basically our Tasting Menu, served in small manageable portions.

The Aharn Menu is always changing, and is dictated by the ingredients available and the whim of the cooks…. or Chef :)

Of the 11 dishes, below are the favourites, as chosen by King.

Our new version of Duck, Liver and Mango.

All the ingredients remain the same as in our previous version.

Our new version allows you to actually see the Foie Gras, which was hidden beneath the Duck in its original interpretation.

Oyster and Sesame Scrambled Egg.

There is something soothing about a good Scrambled Egg, which is creamy and not overcooked or rubbery. When making the Eggs, you need patience and constant stirring and heat control. The addition of Cream and Butter give the Eggs a nice shine and full flavour. Sesame Sauce is added at the final moment to give the dish its “nutty” aroma.

The Oysters are removed from their shells and poached in their own juices before being wrapped in a Spinach leaf (which has also been poached in the same juices). This dish needs to be served (and eaten) immediately. :)

Beef Feet Salad.

There is no hiding the fact that this small salad is made from Calf´s Foot. It is basically a “Yum”, the gelatinous texture of the Foot is wonderful. :)

Our version of “Surf & Turf”.

A combination of Seafood and Meat, in our case Shark and Beef Tenderloin, both cooked “rare”. Yes, I said Shark!

Hmmm, cant wait to get my teeth stuck in to that!

Now for something “more down to Earth”.

Laotian Style Grilled Chicken, aka Ping Gai.

We have used boned wings for our dish, which wouldn’t be complete without some Papaya Salad!

Our last dish is simply called….

“Thinking about Green Curry”.

I´ll let you work it out…..

King, my brother, took a few days off his hectic schedule in London to enjoy a week or so back in sunny Spain (well, it rained for the first two days) :(

Anyway, that didn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves, especially on the food front. :)

Seeing as Oyster season is well and truly here, we couldn’t resist a dozen or more of our favourite mollusks.

When the sun showed up, we headed immediately to the beach.

IMHO, the best time to hit the beaches in southern Spain are late September and early October, they are empty and the weather is still great to get a tan!.

From the beach we moved inland and headed to Ronda, one of my favourite towns, that is also home to one of my favourite restaurants, Tragabuches.

Rose, me and King, at the beginning of a fabulous “Menú Degustación” (Tasting Menu).

I would spoil the surprise of this menu if I posted all of the dishes that we had, but I wanted to post two of my favourites.

“Royale” of Ceps and Mushrooms with Almond Foam.

Everyone complained that this dish was TOO SMALL!

Benito, the Chef is a friend of mine, and he prepared a few extra dishes, that were not on the menu for us. :)

Jellied Large Clams with Gazpacho.

The Clams are set in jelly (made with their own juices). A cool Gazpacho (cold Spanish soup) was then poured over them (not pictured).

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Back in our town, and we headed off for dinner at a local restaurant, where Brava Beef is cooked on a hot stone. Taking advantage of the hunting season, that night we opted for some Venison Fillet. And it was King´s turn to cook.

As is customary with all Laocooks, a night on the town is mandatory.

Junior, King and Suri, at the beginning of a long night…burp… ;)

Away from the hot kitchens, some of us have been enjoying ourselves. ;)

Kuchi and Khamhoung met up in Laos for a few days during their recent holidays.

Kuchi crossed over from Nongkai and spent a few nights in Vientiane before visiting the former Capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang.

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Snakebite is a name that is normally associated with a cocktail drink (50% Lager Beer and 50% Cider). But the photos below bring a whole new meaning to the word.

If Snake is not your tipple, how about Giant Centipede?

:)

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Meanwhile, back in Spain and the Kitchens, work continues.

Nuts About You, was the name given to one of our new Amuse Bouche. Cashew Nuts are dry roasted before being fried with Garlic, Shallots, Chillies and Herbs. They make a great accompaniment to a cold beer or a Snakebite ( ).

Sushi Dragon Rolls make a welcome appearance. The velvety softness of the Avocado followed by the crunchiness of the King Prawns that have firstly been deep fried in Panko Crumbs.

This dish also includes Amadraba Tuna Sashimi, which has a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.

Finally, a preview of one of our new dishes which evolved from our New Style “Goong Che Nam Pla”.

This small dish is being tested for our 7 Course Gala New Year Menu, and will no doubt go through some changes before being served at the last dinner of 2007.