Cooking School - Baan Thai Cookery

One of the experiences we talked about doing in Chiang Mai when we first started planning was a chance to go to a Thai cooking school.

I did a little research ahead of time, but when we got to the Galare Guest House, the travel guide (lanna_travel@hotmail.com if you want to arrange anything in the future)!strongly recommended Baan Thak Cookery School.

The school had two options- half day and full day.  The half day is from 9:30-1:30 and you make a stir fry, soup, appetizer, and curry.  The full day is an additional two hours and you learn to make the curry paste and a dessert.  

We took the half day, since we were getting picked up to go to the tree house at 4:00.  It cost 800 baht ($25), while the full day course cost 1000 baht ($31). 

They picked us up exactly on time (9:00) and took us, with our fellow students to the school.

We ended up in a small eating room with two couples, one from France and the other Australia. Our teacher's name was Nok (like the bird).

We started by selecting our dishes for the day-- we picked pad thai, som tom, tom yum kung, and panang with pork.  They also gave us a recipe book with descriptions of different produce...

not sure if all include the technical names...

Then, she discussed rice cooking techniques, including sticky rice (yum) while somebody in back made the master shopping list for all the groups (there were two other rooms filled with people). 

After the rice was discussed and the list made, we walked to the market with baskets to learn how to select produce.  

Nok filled us in on a tons of specifics on different types of ginger, different types of limes, and different types of cilantro.  We smelled and touched-- helping dicipher which was the best to buy.

We also learned which curry paste to buy, although were encouraged that it tastes better if you make your own-- there is not always time.

After the market, we went back to the school and cooked!  I don't have a ton of pictures, since it is a good idea to pay attention if you are using a knife or fire, but I did get a few shots :)

We would make one course and eat--- cool and eat, cook and eat, cook and eat... It was all around an amazing experience!!!