Thai Food and Great Dishes to Prepare

Do you love authentic Thai dishes as well as American Thai combos? If you do and you love to eat such food, you are not alone, in fact these types of foods are amongst my favorites too. So, let me recommend a most excellent cookbook for you, one I am sure you will enjoy and thank me for later. The cookbook to which I refer is:

"Tommy Tang's Modern Thai Cuisine" by Tommy Tang; Double Day Publishing, New York, NY; 1991.

Tommy Tang is a master chef and owner of fine Thai Restaurants in Los Angeles and New York. This book has over 90 Thai Recipes in it, much more than his menu and many of these recipes are illustrated. This cookbook is unique in that it has a glossary of all the ingredients in the front and if you buy all those for your kitchen you will be able to prepare any of the fine dishes in the book. This sure makes it easy to make great Thai food at home.

I think you will enjoy the Thai Chili Fish and Thai Pasta, of course, for me it is hard to decide which is better Tommy's Duck recipe or his special sushi. Tommy dedicated this book to his mom with a great poem and judging by his generosity in sharing all this with the world, I'd say Tommy is the real deal and I'll be happy to eat in any of his restaurants, if I do not cook his delicious dishes in my own custom kitchen. This book is a must for those who wish to cook Thai food at home.

Tommy has a unique way of mixing and matching cultures to find the best of everything, some of the dishes are pure Thai and others are modified to fit nearly anyone's taste buds. The juries in; Tommy Rocks.

Property and Benefit of Magnetized Water

Property and Benefit of Magnetized Water

1. Property: Microcluster. Magnetized water has a smaller group of molecule per water cluster than regular water. It has about 6 molecule while regular water has about 14-30. This water be called into different name namely; Structured Water, Hexagonal Water, Clustered Water, Nanoclustered Water, Magnetic Resonance Water, Ionized Water, Altered Water.

Benefit:

- It's easier to pass through cell membrane because of microcluster.

- Increase metabolism because it easier to transport nutrient and oxygen to cell and to carry out toxin and waste matter from cell.

- Easier to cure thirst because it pass through cell membrane faster.

2. Property: Less Surface Tension. Surface tension reduces from 75 dynes to 45 dynes or even 38 dynes because of microcluster. It also reduces blood viscosity.
Benefit: It's more effective solvent. It's easier and faster to dissolve nutrient and transport to cell and to dissolve waste matter and carry out from cell. This cause cell is healthy and increase immunity.

3. Property: Be slightly alkaline. Water Ionization, when water (H2O) is affected by electromagnetic vibration, some molecule of water wills separate to Ion that is Hydrogen Ion (H+) and Hydroxyl Ion (OH-). Some hydroxyl ion will combine with minerals such as calcium and become Calcium Bicarbonate which has alkaline property. Water has pH value about 7.6 - 8.5 because of this effect.

Benefit: All of human body except Stomach and Kidneys has pH value 7.4, which is alkaline. Water, which has pH value higher than 7.4, can eliminate acidic matter and acidic property in body. All human organs should be alkaline, but all digestion cause acidic matter. Having a lot of acidic property in blood, if there is no water that is alkaline, body will use (someone call "steal") minerals such as; calcium, magnesium, Potassium from another part of body such as; bone, teeth, muscle to eliminate acidic property, which cause by acidic waster matter or environmental pollution.

4. Property: Antioxidant. From above, some Hydroxyl Ion (OH) will combine together and become water (H2O) again and oxygen ion (O). This oxygen ion can stop free radical cycle because it is negative ion. Free radical is any molecule that has a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. This free radical will steal electron from body, and it doesn't want to steal again, but this will cause other molecules lose their electron. That molecule will steal electron from body, cause another free radical. This is called "Free Radical Cycle". The Free Radical Cycle will stop whenever it finds other free radical or antioxidant. The antioxidant can stop free radical cycle because it has one more electron, and it will give electron to free radical when they meet together.

Benefit: Free radical cause a lot of illness such as; aging, cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. So this antioxidant can prevent and reduce much illness.

5. Property: Have a lot of oxygen. From above, some Oxygen Ion will combine together and become Oxygen. This oxygen can dissolve immediately in that water. If we put that water (magnetized water) in closed bottle, there are small bubbles attach inside bottle. So we can say "Water, which has alkaline property, always has oxygen inside".

Benefit:

- Give energy to cell.

- Anaerobic Bacteria can't be born and stop to flourish in place that has oxygen and it will die.

- From Dr. Otto Warburg, the 1931Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, research, cancer can't grow in place that has oxygen. So by this theory, cancer shouldn't grow in organs that receive oxygen completely.

Life span of magnetized water

1. Antioxidant ability. It depends on life span of Hydroxyl Ion, which can stay in water for about 18 - 24 hours.

2. Alkaline property. This may last for 1 - 2 weeks.

3. Microcluster property. This may last for 1 - 3 mouths.

Life span of each property can be varies depend on an environment. It may last for two year if kept at room temperature. It may last unlimitedly if kept in refrigerator, be frozen or kept in a tight sealed grass bottle. Water has alkaline property because of Calcium Bicarbonate (Co2), but if put into plastic bottle, which Carbon Dioxide can pass through; Carbon Dioxide will make reaction with Calcium Bicarbonate and become Calcium Carbonate (CaCO2). Calcium Carbonate can't be dissolved in water. This will creates sediments and alkaline property will decrease gradually. So Water kept in grass bottle will last longer than kept in plastic bottle.

Preservation Magnetized Water

1. It is a good idea to keep in refrigerator. Water property may not change in a low temperature (it depend on other preservation too.)

2. It can be kept in any type of container except aluminum.

3. You can add other beverage such as; Vitamin C, Green Tea, Honey, into magnetized water without reduces or destroys its property.

So You've Got a Business Lunch?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the bad experiences I've had in business lunches throughout my career. I'm sure I'll get some comments on the bad, the ugly, and the nasty...

As always in business, it's very important to do some research when you have to meet a client for a business lunch. You need to know about the culture of the people your going to be meeting. Do they drink during lunch? What about dress code? Are they a shirt & tie bunch, or just a jeans and polo type of crowd?

It's always find to dress up a notch, but you don't want to be in a tux when they are wearing t-shirts & shorts. Nor do you want to be in the opposite position.

Back to research, now that you know the culture of the folks your meeting, you also have to do some recon. If you have to choose the place for the meeting, you'll need to follow some general rules:

Nothing too loud.
A general mix of food anyone will enjoy. (No, Everyone does NOT like Thai.)
Your cultural "background check" will tell you whether they need to serve alcohol.
Somewhere close to their office is typically a good choice.
If you've never been there before, make sure you have time to check it out in advance.

So you've picked out a great a place for your meeting with the whale? Great! Surely you set the time up for at least 30 minutes after the place opens? You'll need a few minutes to get in early and get yourself situated of course.

Arrive 15-20 minutes early. Like a professional always does.
Speak with the host and let them know who you are (by name), and who will be joining you (by name). You did call in advance to make sure adequate (good) seating would be available, right?

If you are meeting only one person, you should wait in the reception. If meeting multiple people, it's permissible to be seated once at least one other person has arrived. Make sure the host knows who to expect and that you are comfortable they will direct them properly.

If you don't know the person you are meeting by face, it's acceptable to ask the host to direct them to the table when they arrive. In this instance you can be seated by yourself. Of course you'll order nothing other than a drink before they arrive.

After your guests arrive and everyone is situated, has drinks, etc... It's important to order food which will help you hold the conversation. (A professional always controls the conversation, even if they are not talking). So a heavy meal is definitely not a good choice, also not a good choice to choose something that will make a mess. There is nothing more distracting that a host with a tomato stain over their pocket. You do want them to pay attention to what you're saying, right?

I always try to lead the conversation, but let my guests do most of the talking. If you can listen effectively then you have won the battle. I won't go into negotiation tactics in this topic, but it's important to keep control of the conversation.

Who pays? You pay! Ignore all this hogwash of who did the inviting, who has the expense account, who spent more money. You pay! Sometimes I don't end up paying, but I do put up a good fight. The times I don't pay, I do try to setup a time when I can pay. It's important for your networking goals to maintain a good relationship. Before you leave make certain that you decide when would be a good time to visit again.

Always be sure to show your appreciation to the staff that helped you pull off your lunch without any hitches. They will remember it the next time you come for sure.

Salad Bar

A client recently asked,

"When eating a salad with all fresh ingredients from Whole Foods is there any issue with portion size?"

While salads maintain platinum status among dieters, there are a few things to consider at the salad bar. Hopefully, this response will help others who've encountered buffet anxiety.

Regarding plain, raw fibrous vegetables...go to town! You can eat spinach, field greens, romaine, watercress, broccoli, peppers, snow peas, squash, zucchini, sugar snap peas, celery, cucumber, water chestnuts with abandon.

Top w/ some beans, black, red, edamame...sure, indulge, but don't put an entire can on. Let it complement the grilled chicken or salmon you put on top of the salad. You can have some almonds, sunflower seeds or other crunchy topper. 2tbsp to 1/4 cup is plenty! Look closely and go w/ unsalted whenever possible. Honey roasted peanuts are not the best choice. Unsalted almonds are your clear winner.

The stuff on the salad bar to acutely watch your portion control with is their premade salads - turkey, chicken, tofu, even all veggie-based ones seem to be loaded w/ mayo, heavy cream, salt and oils. Same deal with their soups. Fortunately, WF does label everything with their ingredients. Have some, but don't let these salads dominate the yummy veggies below.

Finally, you'll obviously want to watch the amount of dressing that you put on that salad. About half of one of those little plastic ramekins equals 2tbsp and is more than enough for flavor. Unfortunately, WF doesn't have a low-fat dressing, so get creative. Ever the inventor, I'm a fan of the Thai vinaigrette, and will mix a tbsp with an additional package of low sodium soy sauce and wasabi. You can also start with a tbsp of the balsamic vinaigrette and add extra straight balsamic, as they usually have a bottle there.

Favorite Beef Stew

I've been using this beef stew recipe since 1982 and have never found another to rival it. The timing of adding each type of vegetable is one of the things that make this beef stew special. Be sure to follow the recipe and don't add the ingredients all at once. If done correctly, the potatoes and peas will be perfectly cooked through and not the least bit mushy. The celery and carrots will be slightly crunchy for a pleasing blend of textures.

At my house, this recipe is affectionately called "Invisible Stew". When our son was a small child, my husband and I told him that he would turn invisible if he ate all of his stew. It worked like a charm! After he emptied his complete bowl of stew, we couldn't see him for at least 30 minutes. Those were fun times. More than twenty years later, he still comes around and asks me to make Invisible Stew.

Favorite Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cubes beef bouillon
4 cups water
4 cups potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 cups carrots, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 cup celery, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a 4 quart sauce pot or dutch oven. Add beef and brown lightly. Remove beef and set aside, making sure the oil remains in the pot.

2. Add garlic and onion to oil in the pot. Cook until the onion is clear.

3. Add flour and stir into the oil and onion mixture. Brown lightly.

4. Return beef to the pot. Add 1/2 cup water and stir until smooth. Add Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, salt, pepper and remaining 3 1/2 cups water. Stir and cook until the broth forms a thin gravy.

5. Reduce heat and simmer beef in gravy for 30 minutes.

6. Return pot to medium-low heat. Add potatoes and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

7. Add celery and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

8. Add frozen peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

Thai Dinner Party Ideas to Wow Your Guests

Thailand Inspired Dinner Party

Think Thailand and you imagine the ancient temples in Chiang Mai, the Chao Praya River reflecting the glow of the Wat Arum temple during warm evenings, white sandy beaches and blazing sunsets, Bangkok's chaotic traffic, graceful bamboos, and the history rich sacred city of Ayuthaya. The food is glorious too! Hot and sour soup with shrimp, sumptuous fried rice with crab, Thai summer rolls, and the heavenly mango ice-cream. You can bring Thailand to your home in your next dinner party.

Recreate the Culture

Dinner party ideas can be successfully executed if carefully planned; and if you have been giving dinner parties with the same food and party theme, it is about time to try something exciting to delight your guest or better yet, surprise them with a Thai dinner party.

An element essential to a captivating Thai themed dinner party is the setting. Do not plunk the food on serving dishes and convince your guest you are having a Thai dinner party this way. Your guests will surely go home unimpressed.

The Table

Dinner party ideas always bring focus to table preparation. For your Thai dinner party, use an embroidered (if available) green or red silk runner to give the table the exotic Asian look that echoes the mystic of the East. Bamboo placemats in their natural color will enhance the vibrant silk runner.

As a centerpiece, orchids floating in low celadon or jade green vases and scented candles arranged beautifully will perfectly perk up your table. You can also arrange shiny pebbles on or around the vases. For table napkins, use raffia tied with ribbon matching the color of your table runner. For music, find Thai traditional instrumental music to enhance the ambiance of the setting.

Lighting

The dining area should not be brightly lit but illuminated with soft lighting to dramatize the scent of incense and heighten the Thai inspired dinner. Setting and lighting makes the dining experience a delightful one.

Food and Drinks

Thai party dinner ideas for the festive fare is not complete without rice and Thailand's famous spices - curry, cayenne pepper, saffron, cilantro, and chili powder. Some Thai recipes can be easily prepared in advanced or brought in stores. You have several choices, pork, poultry, noodles, fish, and greens.

The flavors range from hot, sour, sweet, bitter or salty and the food is prepared with the freshest ingredients. When choosing the menu select ingredients available in Thai food specialty shops or order the more tricky recipes from Thai restaurants.

For the drinks, you can introduce Thai Iced Tea to the women, a sweet concoction of black tea, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, and tons of crushed ice. For the gentlemen, give them the full bodied Singha Beer and they'll get a kick out of it.

Use a Thai theme for your next dinner party and enjoy the compliments that are guaranteed to flow your way. It is easier than you think.

Kitchen Gadgets

Are you one of the many individuals who likes kitchen gadgets? Most people who cook are very fond of or even hooked on kitchen gadgets. Naturally, some kitchen gadgets are more useful than others and some are positively essential.Who could do without a cooker, a kettle or a coffee maker? Mixers and blenders are common items too and electric tin openers and knife sharpeners can be found in many kitchens. How much cooking would you be able to do if the electricity was cut off?

Cooks have always loved gadgets, the only thing that has altered is that the majority of the contemporary kitchen gadgets are electric these days. We had a water-driven potato peeler when I was a child. It was attached to the tap by a hose and the water drove a wheel which span an abrasive wheel which took the skin off a pound or two of potatoes.

We also had a manual apple corer and a garlic squeezer, but that was about it. On the other hand, our kitchen has quite a few electric gadgets, including a juicer, a rice cooker and a bread-making machine.

My wife's favourite kitchen device is the rice cooker, but then she is Thai and eats quite a bit of rice. In fact, the rice cooker is only switched off to wash and refill it. It leaves a beautiful sweet smell in the air which is not dissimilar to fresh bead, if you use Jasmin rice, which is Thailand's finest.

When I lived in Britain, my kitchen was full of labour-saving devices, but some of the things I used to use just once a month over there, I now see being used every day. For instance, I had a wok and a bamboo steamer which I used once in a while, now all my food is cooked either in a wok, in a bamboo steamer or on a barbecue.

Similarly, I had a pestle and mortar which looked good on the top of the cupboard. It gave the impression that I was a proper cook, but I never truly found a use for it. Now my wife uses a huge granite pestle and mortar to prepare every meal. It weighs about ten pounds and is large enough to mix a cake in; the broad end of the pestle will fill half an orange (I use that as a juicer, that is how I know).

My favourite kitchen gadget is the bread maker, but then I am European and am very partial to bread. Where I live though, in northern rural Thailand, the bread is quite sweet by Western standards and took me a few years to get accustomed to. Now I can bake my own and I love it, although obtaining strong flour is not so easy.

I like to put the ingredients in the bread machine before I go to bed and set the timer so that the bread is cooked when I wake up. You do not need an alarm clock with the smell of fresh bread wafting from the kitchen! Now all I miss is cheese, but I have not seen a cheese-maker yet.