Thailand Chronicles: Chiang Mai Cooking Farm

"Good for your man." Just typing it won't do it justice. Without the tone and energy with which "MB"'s tagline phrase was sung multiple times during our day-long cooking adventure at the Thai Farm Cooking School, the phrase (or melody) leaves a lot to be desired. But for my sister, Carlo, the other guests and myself who spent our day with MB, the phrase brings a smile to our face and laughter thinking of our Thai chef and host who spent the day teaching and instructing us at the market and leading us through the cooking of 5 different Thai dishes. The quote originated during a tour of the garden when MB gave us a plant to taste and stated it left your breath smelling so foul, if you gave it to your man, no one would talk to him (thus ensuring he couldn't cheat on you). So basically, a plant for halitosis. Nice. I took a small nibble. My sister booked our day-long cooking adventure off the recommendation of a good friend who had done it about a week earlier when visiting Chiang Mai. She also advised us to request MB, a local Thai woman with the personality and energy of Minny Mouse. on crack. Carlo kept calling her "mental," but we quickly grew to love her energy and enthusiasm and remarked that for a woman who works 7 days a week doing the same cooking class every. single. day, her love and passion for her work is refreshing, inspiring, and contagious.

MB cracking herself up, most likely after just saying, "Light my fire! Light my fire! No really, LIGHT MY FIRE!"

Over the course of the day, we created and enjoyed 5 different dishes: Thai vegetable soup, green curry chicken, stir-friend chicken and cashews, fried veggie spring rolls, and sticky rice with mango for dessert. For each dish, MB taught us what ingredients to use, how to carefully concoct the right mix of spicy and sweet and celebrated each accomplishment with us. By the end of the day, we were STUFFED. Though I wouldn't call myself a Thai food connoisseur, I have developed a new appreciation for the craft of preparing Thai dishes and loved having the opportunity to don a Thai chef hat for the day.

Chef Boyardee Natalie!