laocook

I love “Carabineros”, also known as Scarlet Prawns. These giant prawns cost more than Lobsters in restaurants!

In their uncooked state, they are scarlet in colour, (unlike other raw prawns that become orange in colour when cooked), this colour is intensified when cooked. Apart from the incredible flavour, they are prized for their heads.

In Spain, these prawns are served “a la Plancha” (from the iron grill), and a hole is made in the side of the head so that the lovely juices can be eaten with a teaspoon.

I decided to serve ours split though the middle and flash grilled (under a Salamander, cut side up) for 50 seconds with a splash of Shallot Oil.

This way the prawns are not overcooked and still retain their inherent sweetness.

Cooking them very briefly gives them a translucent texture, not raw, yet not cooked.

Second only to the Sea Urchins, Scarlet Prawns are my favourite gift from the sea.

***

Rice Paper rolls are a delight to eat. Manly associated with Vietnam, these “fresh” spring rolls can be found all over SE Asia. Hard and wafer thin, they need to be soaked in warm water before you can use them. I normally use vegetables, and sometimes a thin omelette in the stuffing, and the rolls are served with a tangy sweet chilli dip, that is always accompanied with crushed peanuts.

We like to serve these rolls for group bookings, they are light and a welcome start to the meal.

Coriander, ready for use as a garnish.

To make them easier for our diners to eat, we serve the rolls on top of the sauce, as opposed to having the sauce in a dipping bowl (with large groups, you don’t have time to explain to everyone “how to eat” the dish).

We used Green Tea Soba noodles in the filling because Soba Noodles are best eaten cold, and it seemed a natural partnership. ;)

Using Jerez Vinegar (Sherry Vinegar) and Fish Sauce to cut the sweet sauce really gave it a boost. Refreshing, Crunchy (raw carrots and cucumber), Chewy (Rice paper and Soba Noodles), Tangy and Sweet (the sauce), what else can you ask for in a dish? (okay, we added copious amounts of chillies and garlic in the Staff dinner versions).

***

To finish the group dinner, we prepared Pastry Chef Akiyama´s Iced Vacherin (meringue crusted cream with red fruits).

The Red Fruit Sauce is made up of Wild Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackcurrents, Redcurrents and Cherries. A Reduction of Orange Juice added a sweet citrus kick to accompany the iced dessert.

When you are feeling down or tired, there are a few dishes that can perk you up, and make you feel warm and better.

“Khao Pe Ek” when translated means “Wet Rice”, and refers to a rice based soup. The starch content of the rice makes the soup naturally thicker than a regular broth, (Potatoes have the same effect in Country Soup).

When in Laos you can enjoy a traditional “Khao Pe Ek”, served with chopped Coriander, Roasted Chill Flakes and a whole array of other condiments. The dish is very wholesome and nourishing.

Then you have “Khao Pe Ek Sén“, when translated means “Wet Rice Noodles”. Akin to Japanese Udon Noodles, these are noodles made from a mixture of Rice Flour and Tapioc Starch, and can be found in the Morning Market, poached in a Chicken or Pork Stock.

These Noodles have a chewy yet giving texture and are served in a broth that has been thickened by the flour from the noodles (flour is used to keep them from sticking before being cooked).

Being miles from any street or market vendor in the Morning Market, we decided to make our own.

No, it is not a White Snake! ;)

After an amount of pulling, Sous Chef Khamsene rolls out the noodles to a thickness of about 5cm.

These will now be cut in to noodle/pasta like threads.

Now they only need a few minutes poaching in our stock, then they are ready to be served.

For our Amuse Bouche we used a lightly seasoned double cooked Chicken Stock, and shredded the chicken meat and added a tiny amount of Garlic Oil.

***

Khamsene is now getting ready for his holidays, a very welcome and deserved two months back home with his family.

One of our new additions to the menu is “Ping Gai”, which we serve with our Laotian Style Tomato Chutney, and Sticky Rice (how much more LAO can you get!) :)

Our diners marvel at the novelty of Sticky Rice, which they use to enthusiastically mop up the Tomato Chutney, much like Europeans use bread to “clean” the dish (we don´t serve bread at ASIA).

Using Chicken Thigh, we have a good ratio of fat to meat, which has been marinated in our special mix. The meat remains tender after enduring a fierce heat, and the Tomato Chutney gives it an added smokey aroma.

I guess that having “Ping Gai” on my fixed menu means a turn in direction of my “train of thought”. It is an old dish, much loved by the young and old Lao. For me it evokes memories of food served at family gatherings, especially for those living abroad, who seem to cook “street foods” at these events, and perhaps “miss home”.

***

The Laocook Team has always missed those who have passed through our doors, whether the person in question is a Cook or a member of the Service Team.

We have always been a “family”, and like most families, there are members that “fly away from the nest”.

So, it was great to see Megumi again. After leaving us in April 2006, she and her husband and now Head Chef Kenji have traveled the world and are now preparing for a life in Bangkok.

Megumi paid a special visit to the Laocook Team before she sets off for the far east again.

Once again, the entire Laocook Team wish her and Kenji the best.

Though Oysters are preferred during the latter quarter of the year, Spain has many types of Oysters that are available all year round.

These Oysters can have a stronger after-taste than their French counterparts. They come in all shapes and sizes (though the biggest I have seen during my travels are from Thailand, the size of my hand, though they have a much softer taste).

I was recently asked to come up with a Starter dish for a new cook book (well, the hotel produced 3 dishes, one Starter, by moi, one Main Course and Dessert by my fellow Chefs Miguel and Akiyama).

I chose Oysters because I am very fond of them, and will eat them whenever I get the chance. :)

Usually I just drip some Olive Oil, a pinch of Black Pepper and just a small amount of Lemon Juice on to them (I find the Shallot Vinaigrette normally served with Oysters a little too acid for my taste (a sign of the restaurant using cheap vinegar)).

My way of eating Oysters may seem weird at first, but when you try it, you´ll love it. :)

So here is the contradiction! :shock: Why have I added many different stronger flavours to my “Trilogy of Oyst3rs” (it´s not a “typo” Trilogy of “Osyt3rs” geddit). Well, the answer is because as said earlier, Spanish Oysters sometimes have a stronger taste, which some people love, but in my opinion need a little help (the Oysters, not the people).

A different characteristic for each mouthful, that is my aim. Being careful not to overpower their natural taste, but at the same time, “enhance” the taste that Mother Nature has given us. To paraphrase the great(est) Chef Marco Pierre White;

“Mother Nature is the True Artist, we are just the technicians”.

Part I. Salmon & Sturgeon.

A little Pure Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Pepper and Lemon Juice is mixed before being “brushed” on to the Oyster.

Salmon Roe and Beluga Caviar is delicately placed on top. As with entire the threesome, this morsel must be devoured in one go, that way all the flavours will “marry” on the palate.

Part II. Onion & Tangerine.

After the lucid taste of the fish eggs, now we have a more “Tangy” taste.

Tangerine Juice is reduced and perked up with some Lime Juice. Finely chopped Onion lends it a welcome pungent aroma. Caster Sugar plays an important role here, finely balancing the strong onion-taste without ridding it of the sour-sweet affection of the Tangerine and Lime.

Part III.”Nam Pla” Oysters.

I took the Laocook recipe of “New Style Goong Che Nam Pla” , and incorperated it with this final mouthful. Coriander Oil gives it it´s “Extra-Body”. This is the last and strongest of the trio, and perhaps my favorite (which means that I could eat it all day and night…. )

***

Meanwhile, the rest of the Team are in the main kitchen getting ready for Service.

Junior is getting his Stock ready.

Off cuts of Beef, Garlic and Herbs will be roasted at 190º then boiled for hours, then strained, then reduced and will form a part of our Sauce Bases. It takes quite a while, but patience is repaid by a fully flavoured Sauce Base.

Sous Chef, Khamsene gets our Beef ready for our Beef with Orange Vinegar.

Tender cuts of Beef Lomo (Sirloin) will be frozen for 45 minutes before being cut in to thin strips, then drenched in Corn Flour before being used in our Beef with Orange Vinegar.

Khamhoung is semi-braising our Pollitos (Baby Chicken) in a mixture of Soy Sauce, Sugar and Roasted Spices.

These will later be deboned, then deep-fried and used for a special “Volcano Chicken”, which will be served on a hot plate and flambéed (in the restaurant) with a mixture of Mirin, Jerez Brandy and Anise.

Kill it, Cook it, Eat it, is a programme by BBC Three.

Basically, the series is about the production of meats, the slaughter, cooking and eating of it. However, what sets it apart is that it is filmed around an Abattoir. Yes, thats right!. They built a TV studio around an Abattior, installed a kitchen, and an audience, who see the food moving on four legs, being killed, then prepared for eating. Lovely jubbly!

Having been witness to many “Larb Luert Phet”, yep, “Fresh Duck Blood Larb” :) I was intrigued by this programme.

Somebody had kindly sent me the episode featuring Suckling Pigs (a misnomer if I ever heard one, they should be called Sucking Pigs, c´mon BBC, get it together!).

I found the episode interesting, and will no doubt look for other episodes which, I am told feature Milk Fed Lamb, Kid Goat and Veal to name a few. (what a menu!) ;)

The show shows us how the pigs are looked after, scenes of the little ones playing around in the hay, to the reality of the Abattior. Each step is controlled by the appropriate authorities, to make sure that the animals are well cared for, unstressed and relaxed before they are dispatched to “Piggy Heaven”.

The audience is made up of various people, invitees, to stimulate conversation. To keep the audince at home glued to the TV, they also showed clips of girls crying at the sight of the pigs being “slit”. Should make them think twice about what they buy in the Supermarkets I guess.

Some of the scenes are graphic, in a sense that if you don´t want to see things being killed, look away (and no use renting Rambo I, II, III on DVD either, okay, if you are too young to know who Rambo was (is), just think of AVP).

The dinner in question is stunned before being killed.

Prongs to the side of the head, stun the animal . Then it is moved on to the Piggy Reaper himself.

I gather that this is the part that “people may find gruesome”. You see, the stunned animal is now dispatched, through the neck, and as the blood spills out, the animal keeps on twitching, almost like struggling.

The piglet is then placed in to hot water, so that the bristles will be easier to remove. Timing has to be right,they dont want to”cook” the animal in the hot water.

The innards are now removed. The knife work here is amazing to watch. Most of the innards are discarded (after being checked by the authorities to make sure that the animal was disease free (the whole process is watched by the relevant authorities, who could stop it at anytime they feel that something is not right).

Some of the samples are given to the in-house Butcher, who describes the various cuts etc… Very professional.

One of the samples was given to the in-house Chef. Whole Roast Piglet. Yummy! :)

After interviewing some members of the audience (whom had mixed feelings), the programme switched to a report from Segovia, the home of Spanish Cooked Sucking Pork.

“Cochinillo de Segovia” (Segovian Baby Pig) is renowned across Spain. The pork is much younger, hence more white (only having fed on its mothers milk). True Segovian Pork has a Quality Mark, and only a few restaurants have a licence sell “Authentic Sergovian Pork”. Even the recipe is controlled, only salt and water, before going in to a specially made oven and cooked for 3 to 4 hours.

***

On the whole, it was an interesting programme. Perhaps being a cook, I wasn’t put off by the slaughter, in fact it made me hungry. ;) (Though I don’t normally eat freshly killed animals (apart from fish))

However, I can see what the programme is trying to achieve. Every aspect of the process was handled professionally (I hope it wasn’t only because of the cameras present), and the views of the audience opened debate.

I am now looking forward to the other programmes. Bravo BBC! :)

I remember when I was younger (many moons ago), I used to visit one of the local Chinese Take Aways on the way home from school and order a portion of Prawn Crackers (Shrimp Crackers for our cousins across the Atlantic). Back in those times, for 50 pence you could get a greasy brown paper bag full of crunchy crisp Crackers.

Depending on what shop I visited, sometimes the Crackers came in a range of bright colours, however, they tasted all the same, but when you were younger and munching away on the road, you really didn´t mind. (Yes, it was the days of Moon-boots and when you knew the profound meaning of “Wax on, Wax off”) :)

A few years later (during a visit to a Chinatown shop) I actually got to see what they looked like in their uncooked status.

Round, almost transparent discs, when fried they would swell in size, become crunchy and quite addictive. The funniest thing was that the price of the 200g package was only 89 pence, and after cooking them at home, I realised that I could get about 7 or 8 “portions” from the Crackers from the dried discs. Seemed that our local Take Away shop was making a small fortune on these things.

A few more years later, when I had gone off (grown out of) the greasy bag of Crackers and started on the Marlboro´s (a bad day for me, but a good one for Philippe Morris :shock: ), I was invited to a Thai Restaurant by some college friends. On the table when we arrived was a wooden bowl of Prawn Crackers, though this time they looked different. They were a little more thick, and had a light spicy finish. These I would later learn where known as Thai Prawn Crackers (which cost a little bit more than their Chinese counterparts). It was funny to see how times had moved on, and that some places were “giving them away for free”.

(Saying that, it didn´t stop Mr. Chan from buying a Mercedes Benz with the Cracker Money).

Nowadays a lot of Asian restaurants give you the Crackers for free, something to nibble on whilst the cooks get your orders ready.

The humble discs have been demoted to free titbits. Their reputation for “something exotic” diminished due to popularity.

But what if I could make them? Perhaps something different? Who knows, perhaps I can buy a Lexus with my Cracker Money! (Okay, I´m kidding, slightly)

No, really. Back to the present (what Sam Becket always wanted). After reading on the side of a box of mass produced crackers, I saw that the Prawn content was seriously low, that made me wonder why they decided to call them “Prawn Crackers” in the first place (Let´s face it, they never really tasted of Prawns anyway).

After days and days of research, I found out that many cultures produce these Crackers, made from Fish, Crab and a whole host of other Seafoods. The fact that the Chinese were perhaps the first to mass produce them, doesn´t really mean that they invented them.

Through my research I found out that these Crackers have many names and origins. I wont bore you with the details, but after going through endless hours of reading, I decided to adopt the Malaysian origins (Keropok), and use that as a base for my version.

So, it was time to spend some quality time in the Laocook Kitchens and start the process.

Now, most commercial producers of Prawn Crackers use less than 5% of actual Prawns :shock: in their Crackers. The majority ingredient is Starch.

I knew that would have to rectify that if I wanted to make something worthwhile. I decided on an experiment using 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80% of Prawns. Then came the question of using Fresh, Frozen or Dry Prawns.

I knew that the starch would have to be Tapioca Flour, the majority of recipes I encountered called for it.

Some recipes also called for Prawn Heads and Shells to be boiled then added to the flour, but that seemed too time consuming for me.

I tried roasting the Shells, grinding them in to a fine powder, but that didn´t really make a difference (I think, though I may change my mind).

I tried various recipes, doctoring them, adding and removing ingredients.

It was one lunch time that the idea came to me. The rest of the team had arrived and we heated up some Sticky Rice and ate it with some Jéow Padek, yes, Fermented Fish, Laotian style. The intense flavour of the Padek was the key. You only needed a little of the Jéow to flavour the Sticky Rice.

I rushed to my Prawn and Flour Mix and added a dollop of Jéow. The end result was okay, perhaps I got the ratios wrong, it was a bit on the Spicy side, but that can be fixed. However, the Prawn flavour was more pronounced. Will I have to change the recipe and use Fish or continue with Prawns? Why has the Prawn flavour become more apparent with the addition of Fish?

As this is really a “work in progress”, I cannot give any answers right now.

One of the key factors is “drying” the Crackers. Sadly at the moment, the Sun is hiding, and I cannot wait until she decides to show herself, so I have been using our oven, set to 60º, then 70º, then 80º. (Actually I have a batch of about 20 Crackers-in-waiting, being dried with different temperatures, for 2, 3, 4, 5 hours, each cut to different thickness).

Three of the many different recipes waiting to be cooked (for different times). Each varies in the amount of ingredients. They are wrapped up in cling film to “hold the shape” of the finished product.

A first look at the Padek Crackers. Puffed up, they have the “crunch”. These are cut by hand, which makes them a little thicker, but at the same time, it gives them that “homemade look”.

These have been made using a 60-40% ratio of Prawns and Starch and a healthy 40g of Jéow Padek, they don´t look it, but they “pack a punch”, ideal to munch on with a cold beer.

Other ingredients that are up for consideration and testing are Lobster, Scarlet Prawns and Crab meat.

The process, like most of our “New” work will take some time, but I am determined to come up with “Padek Crackers“.

Have you ever seen those pictures or photos that are really Mosaics?

You know the ones, when you look (very) closely, you realise that the actual picture is made up of 100´s or 1000´s of smaller pictures.

Well, there is a nifty programme (Foto-Mosaik) by Germany based Steffen Schirmer that you can download for free that enables your PC to make such pictures. (Well, it´s almost free, all Steffen asks for the 820KB programme is that you mail him a postcard of your hometown) :)

It is really easy to use, you just have to tell Foto-Mosaik what photos or images it should use to make your Mosaic, then you choose a pic that you want to turn in to a mosaic, and your PC does all the rest.

The more images that you give it, the better it can arrange the colours, making the end result even more, well, better. There is also an option of using video footage, frame by frame, though that process can be quite time consuming.

You really have to play around with it, some of my Mosaics range from 25Mb to 253MB (dunno where I would be able to print those out!)

The Mosaic. Scaled down for posting here is actually made up from my 800 holiday photos. You can tell the programme how many times it can use a specific image, and how big the images should be, the smaller the size and more times you use the image, the better the end result (and larger file size).

The original. Beerlao, cool.

The staff at our restaurant organised a “New Year Dinner”, a chance for all of us to sit down and relax after the long festive season.

It not uncommon for people to have their “Company” dinner after the festivities, especially if they have to work through them.

It was nice to go out and unwind, and be on the receiving end of the kitchens. ;)

Seeing as we live in “Sherry Country”, our first drink of the evening was a fine Fino.

Eagerly waiting for the food… :)

Saki spends some quality time with his cigar.

It was a great evening, which went on in to the early hours. It was also a good time to spend with Saki and Sen before they head off to Thailand and Laos for their holidays.

The next day…back in the kitchens…

Shallots and Garlic just out of the oven.

Hot steam releasing the aroma of the roasted bulbs is truly inviting. The flavour completely changes when roasted, the strong flavours are toned down, and the natural sweetness is released.

Tomatoes are roasted to get the same effect.

When cool enough to handle, they will be added to the Shallots and Garlic and a few other ingredients and be turned in to our “Jéow Mhak Lhen”, or Tomato Chutney, which will be used as a garnish for one of our new additions to our menu. “Ping Gai”. :)

For our Amuse Bouche we decided to use Foie Gras, covered with a Smoked Duck Larb-Tartare. The Larb-Tartare is made with Home Smoked Duck Breast, so it is not raw. It is mixed with traditional Tartare ingredients (minus the raw yolk), plus some shredded Lime Leaves, Shallots, Coriander and Roasted Rice. Served on top of toast, it should be eaten in one mouthful, so that the ingredients get a chance to “get to know each other”.

We had previously served Frog Legs in “Amuse Bouche” form with a Quartet of Sauces (Sun Dried Cherry Tomato and Ginger, Peanut and Red Spice, Miso and Sesame and Yakitori sauces), or as a Main Course in the shape of an “Aw” or “Stew” as seen on LCTV.

For our latest Amuse Gueule, we decided to to use a simple creamy Avocado base.

Frog Legs with Coriander Gaucamole and “Siracha” Mayo.

As you know, Guacamole is of a South American decent. It is traditionally prepared in a Molcajete, which is very similar to our Pestle and Mortar.

What is important is that you use ripe Avocados. We buy ours a little unripe, leave them at room temperature and put them in the fridge when they have ripened enough to our liking (our Sushi cooks take care of that seeing as they use Avocados the most).

Some recipes call for Garlic, but we omit it because we think that raw Garlic is too strong. Instead we use Shallots, lots and lots of Coriander, Lime Juice, Maldon Salt, and Tomatoes.

It is served with 2 Frog Legs, cleaned (so they can be picked up buy the bone) and Battered twice, Tempura Style. The end result reminded us of “Popcorn”, and I am sure that we will continue this and produce a Frog Leg Popcorn soon… (It would be much easier to eat).

It is funny “how ideas come to you”. ;)

The “Siracha Mayo” is simply made with Homemade Mayonnaise with a dash of “Oro de Parma” Tomato Concentrate, and a healthy dollop of “Siracha Chilli Sauce”.

***

I often stare at wonder at the Asiatic restaurants that present their roasts in the shop-front windows, stalls or trailers. The hanging Ducks, Soy Steamed Chickens and Red Roast Pork always look inviting.

What I love the most is the Crispy Pork.

Good Crispy Pork should have a balanced amount of meat and fat, not too much of either. Too much fat and the pork taste too heavy, too much meat and the pork taste too dry.

What is important is the Crispiness. Hard enough to crunch, but not hard enough to break a tooth!

It should also be served at room temperature, on top of hot steamed Rice, or with a Tangy Chilli Dip. It should never be reheated, that would just make the fat run out and give the pork that “unnatural fatty after-taste”.

Khamhoung´s recipe was enjoyed by all, with loads of specially made “Extra Spicy Jéow Bong” which was kindly made by Suri´s mother. :)

I found it strange that ordering pork sausage casings would be difficult. I mean, how do all the Chorizo manufacturers get theirs?

We wanted to make some Laotian Style Sausages for our Amuse Bouche, and after realising that the “Natural Casing” was not arriving, we decided to roll up the our “mix” in Cling Film, re-roll that in Tin Foil and steam them, before finishing them off in a hot pan.

Semi Spicy Laotian Sausage, Blanched Cabbage and Dried Apricot.

There are many types of Sausage recipes, all calling for different herbs and spices. The Fat Ratio is important to us, because we don’t want our Sausages being too dry, or too greasy.

Sausages also have a reputation for using “left over meats” for the filling and being “quick and cheap food”, but if you make your own, you should choose a good quality cut, and not mince it too finely, the end results are well worth it.

We normally use Pork Neck, which has a good ratio of Fat to Meat, but you can use any type of meat. I have eaten Fish Sausages, in Fish Casing once in an elegant restaurant in London, wow, that must be hard work!.

***

I love Asparagus, and once tried (unsuccessfully) to grow it in my garden. The most common are the Green Spears, but there are also Wild (much thinner), Purple and White ones available.

White Asparagus is almost double the price of its Green brother. The reason for this is that it is harder to grow, take care of and harvest. Basically it is grown in the dark, or covered to deprive it of sunlight, without this light it cannot produce Chlorophyll, and in turn cannot turn green.

White Asparagus is widely available in jars, soaked in water, but these are nearly always overcooked and taste of, well, water.

When cooking any type of Asparagus, it is important not to overcook them, otherwise they will be stringy and mushy. We either Steam them or Blanch them, and always give them an Ice Bath, this not only stops them from further cooking, but also retains the vibrant colour (if using the Green Variety).

How long to Steam or Boil is up to you, I prefer our Spears to retain some “crunch”. Because not all spears are the same size, its best to take one out after while and taste it to how cooked it is (like testing pasta).

Fresh White Asparagus, Garden Peas and Coriander, Pine Kernals with Truffle Oil and Foaming Hollandaise.

If you like frying Asparagus, either in a Pan or Wok, a good trick is to blanch them beforehand and keep them chilled before you need them, this way they will still be crunchy and cook at the same time as your other vegetables.

***

Staff dinner is always a highlight. We usually eat after Service, everyone taking it in turns to cook something up.

Kuchi prepares one of our favourites, “Nhem”.

Crunchy Rice, Som Moo, Herb, Spices, Roasted Peanuts and Fried Dried Chillies. What else does a dish need?

We make Nhem every time someones sends us some “Puk E-lurt”, or as we call them “Puk Sao Lurt”

In a way I am glad that the festivities are over, however, I will miss the “Organised Panic” that comes with it, but we will get back to that. ;)

***

It has been raining for the past three days here (what a welcome to 2008!), the winds have been strong and the thunderstorms unrelenting!. :(

It has been less than a month that I have been back to work from a much missed holiday in Vientiane. A week ago, whilst we were boiling down a stock I immediately reminisced and thought about Phö (funny how the mind works eh!). ;)

When we get a good piece of whole Beef Tenderloin, we have to trim off all the “unwanted” chunks. Unwanted to most, but a main player in our kitchens. What for?, for Stock.

A good stock needs Bones. No matter from what animal the bones come from, stock is prepared according to how we will use it in our dish.

Chicken bones are boiled down to produce our Chicken Stock that helps flavour our poultry dishes, Beef for our main meat dishes and so on. We don’t use any of that pre-packaged powdered stuff.

Anyway, back to the Phö.

There was no need for Eggs and Bacon in Vientiane, our breakfast was always a nice steaming bowl of hot Phö.

I know a great and wonderful place that serves the most incredible Phö, using cuts of meat and bones that have been boiled throughout the night. I would love to tell you the name of the place, but if I did that, I would be letting you in to one of my best kept secrets. ;)

If you are lucky, and arrive around 10.00hrs, you can ask for a plate of Phö Bones.

The aroma that the bones give off is so wholesome, and you know that within these bones lie mouthwatering flavours.

They have been cooked to such an extent that the meat just drips off them. Most of the lovely Marrow has been infused in to the actual Phö, but the traces that remain are an ambrosia.

Luckily a straw is always available to help you get your “fix”. :)

***

Like every family, I have loads of cousins and relatives. Back in Vientiane (and London), I am always happy to see them again, and stare in awe at how much they have grown from “youngsters running around after toys” to growing up to become adults, “running after their dreams”.

Some of my younger cousins and one of my Aunties in Vientiane.

Some of my wonderful cousins in London.

***

Meanwhile, back in the Kitchens. (and the Organised Panic).

I hope that the change-over from 2007 to 2008 was a good time for all of you.

(We were running around all over the place).

Sen, Junior and Khamhoung take a short break from the hot kitchen where we were preparing dinner for 300 guests.

Our “Army” of Lobster and King Crab Won Ton´s waiting to be fried and served as Cocktail Aperitifs.

Fondly called “Dteen T´aw” or “Turtles Feet”, a name coined by my Mother, these morsels are blanched for only 10 seconds.

A soothing Bamboo and Mushroom Soup is helped along with Crispy Rice.

The “Cocktail Favourite”, “Squid Lollipops” make a welcome return.

:)