Sweets, sweets and sweets: 11 days of 'em!

Ahhh... The time of festivals!

Most festivities in the world last for about two or three days, but not these ones. The time of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' has come, where for eleven whole days, Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles, is worshipped. The Maratha community is exclusively known for its pompous and grand celebration of the festival, and most Hindu families from Maharashtra and neighboring states celebrate this festival with great vigor and pomp, for an odd number of days. The festival finally ends on the day of 'Anant Chaturdashi', on which all the families and temples with an idol of Ganesha, around the world, immerse the idol in a lake, river or the sea, marking the God's temporary departure from the world, and ask the Lord for his blessings, and beg him to come back the next year.


The 'puja' being performed

But enough of the facts. Coming to the most important part - Besides the prayers and the festive atmosphere, this festival is a food lover's delight. For eleven whole days, sweets and other amazing food is prepared continuously, and more and more food and sweets come in from visiting friends, and family.


The decorated altar in our house...

According to tradition, a new type of sweet is supposed to be prepared for and offered to the lord and the family, which absolutely AMAZING. Modaks, Namkeen, coconut and sugarcane everyday! In these eleven days, the Lord is remembered, good food is cooked, and diets are forgotten. With Ukadiche Modak (Sweet stuffed rice dumplings), Puran Poli (Sweetened legume flatbreads), Naan Khatai (Cookies) and Karanjis (Fried coconut dumplings), even thinking about diets and calorie counting is an abomination and absolutely impossible. How am I able to tell you this? Trust me, I know about this. Someone who gained four kilograms already, should know, and can tell you all this with conviction. That just proves the point that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in my house, are absolutely, positively wonderful. I really wish, that after this year's celebrations, the festival returns the following year, with double the fun, and double the sweets.


All the sweets...!

*Shudder* These festivities will make me spend countless hours in the gym. But who cares for now? Let's enjoy the festival, and all that the Lord gives us during this time!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया, पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या!
Ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya!
Oh, my lord Ganapati, come back to us the next year!

 

The festival celebrations in Mumbai!

The source of the image above:  http://www.smstalk.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ganesh-chaturthi-festival-in-mumbai.jpg

What I learnt from watching Chef Alton Brown's show Good Eats:

I can confidently say that apart from my food loving family, Chef Alton Brown has been my biggest inspiration to go and actually cook.


Let's go back a little, shall we? It was in 2011, when I actually discovered Good Eats on Food Network. I was just lazing around, changing the channels, when I came across a show of Good Eats being broadcasted on Food Network. I really don't know what happened then. I kept watching the show, and from that day, I was addicted to it. I would watch it on TV and on YouTube for hours and hours together, without a single break. In fact, I would finish about two seasons in a month, on an average.

Why, you ask?


Alton Brown...!

Chef Brown has a very unique way of teaching people how to cook. His series 'Good Eats' is humorous, goofy, entertaining, and very, very, informative. And the best part was, while other cooking shows taught you to make spice crusted sirloin with ancho chilly salsa (just made that up!), Alton Brown's show concentrated on a single technique and/or single ingredient, such as broccoli, and then used to dive into the history, geography, science, and culinary application of that food or technique, which used to make the show really interesting. And how can you miss his quirky, goofy, and funny way of presenting? That used to be like the icing on the cake! The sock-puppet yeast, the time-machine and the pressure lift, the lady of the refrigerator, Lactose man!, Sid and 'thing'! These characters, with the chef himself, made Good Eats what it is today - The best cooking show on the planet.

Good Eats!

From there did I actually learn the science and history behind common food. The way that Chef Brown explains it, anyone can learn the hardest concepts behind food and can look at food in a better, more deserving light. In totality, he gives food a new face, in a quirky, yet amazing way.



Chef Brown explaining the basics of bread with his sock puppet yeast - Episode: Roll Call

Thank you so much Alton Brown! You have been my biggest inspiration! My only wish, is that Good Eats be continued again, with new techniques and new ingredients, and I am absolutely, positively sure that Good Eats will be a hit among the people again.

Go AB! 

An array of International foods to try out

I love shopping.
Especially at the international food and produce section of the supermarket.

I believe, that at the supermarket, one should get out of that cycle of buying those common things that you need, and explore a little. May it be a specialty supermarket like Spinneys, or a normal supermarket like Carrefour, I believe, that we all should just take the time out, and just roam around the aisles of the market. I guarantee you, that out of a thousand products, you will find at least one product, that really appeals to you, if you just explore the market a little.

But even if we make it into that section, ambiguous labels, with no trace of English on them, deter us from taking anything, and the fear of not knowing what the ingredients are scares us. SERIOUSLY?? What's the worst that could even happen? It's not like you're going to consume bugs by any chance, now, is it? OK, maybe even I have an inner fear of labels only in Chinese or Japanese, but keeping that aside, thanks to my little adventure at the market today, it looks like I found a few foods that I really, really like.

Interesting Stuff!

To be really frank, I could have never imagined, that I would begin to love roasted, wasabi flavored, Thai seaweed (Top left). It is the perfect snack; it's spicy, it's crispy, and it has a very, interesting flavor, that will surprise you, and also keep you craving for more. Then come the Russian sodas (Top center). This is amazing stuff. Never in my entire life, had I seen or tasted a Eucalyptus-flavored soda (the brown bottle), and then imagined myself actually liking it. These sodas usually come in amazing flavors, like pear, tarragon, and even pine.

Lyle's golden syrup (Top right) was really nice and rich in taste, but I couldn't find any recipes that actually highlight the taste of the syrup, or actually emphasize on it as the main ingredient as of yet. The Tek Sut Turkish clotted cream was the only item among all of these that I did not really like. The taste was slightly off, unlike normal, good quality clotted cream, and the only things that actually liked the clotted cream, were green colored fungi, which completely took over the stuff. It met it's place in the bin, ultimately.

Try picturing jelly, and chocolate together. I realized that the combination wasn't so bad after all, after trying out the Polish Raspberry Jelly chocolates (Bottom centre). It wasn't absolutely amazing, but it wasn't that bad either. Dark chocolate does seem to work out with fruity, raspberry jelly! But the best of the lot, was the Korean AnSungTangMyun (Bottom left). You can prepare the  packaged noodles in any way you want, and you still get that authentic Korean taste. For me, AnSungTangMyun with egg and scallion is a win-win combination.

Fantastic!

We can wrap all this up by just re-iterating my point - International food can be one of the best things that has happened to you. It all depends on how adventurous you are, and how much you are willing to experiment with new foods. Try using this kind of stuff in combination to your own food, and who knows, you might just come up with an award winning combination! Cream of roasted wasabi seaweed soup, anyone?  ^_^
 

A family reunion in Mahabaleshwar!

We all know that family trips are exciting affairs. They're noisy, they are fun, they are exciting, and most of all, they bring a family together, giving each one a time to relax and connect with each other. A trip to the stunningly beautiful, scenic hill station in the state of Maharashtra, India, was just what all of us needed - a break from our daily affairs, to relax and rewind in the lush green, rainy, charming, and sophisticated little town of Mahabaleshwar.

A trip with all your family - Noisy, yet oddly peaceful.

It was just about 2 days ago when our whole family left from Pune city, in cramped little bus. Leaving the busy metropolis of Pune, the lovely, rainy weather, the absolutely scenic countryside, and the lush greenery of the Western Ghats were few of the perks of travelling to Mahabaleshwar by road. The best part was, that as we entered the town limits, the beauty of the surroundings seemed to double, to such an extent that even the road signs looked beautiful. As we went further into the city, he town market, near the pristine Venna lake was abuzz with excitement. It was full of tourists, who were getting a break from the heat of the Indian summer in the huge cities, as well as locals, who were just going about their daily business. The market was full of souvenirs, and fresh, organic produce, straight from the farm. Such was the quality of the produce, that the vegetables and fruits anywhere else would taste insipid compared to these.

Entering the town!

A description of this town would not be complete without a mention of the rain, and the greenery. I get excited on sight of a few drops of rain in Dubai. In Mahabaleshwar, there were three continuous days of rain. It was a relief from the burning 50 degrees Celsius in the UAE, trust me. The rainy season also tends to make every food taste twice as much delicious. There is nothing like eating freshly roasted, namak-nimbu wala sweetcorn, or having some onion pakoras with a sweet cup of milky tea, while it's raining. But, having a cup of Nescafe coffee with local strawberries with cream was an experience, best described as HEAVENLY.

 

Freshly fried onion fritters with sweet, milky tea. UNBEATABLE.

 

Roasted corn with lime and salt!

For the environment here, even a word like 'HEAVENLY ', falls short. Beautiful waterfalls, crystal-clear streams, the extensive flora and fauna and to top it all, hidden watering holes and river confluences make Mahabaleshwar one of the most beautiful destinations in India.

A hidden little water hole, covered by the trees.

 

The family that made this trip happen.

But, in reality, sharing this experience with my dad's entire family, including my grandparents and all my cousins, made the whole trip amazing. Playing football in the rain, pigging out on street food, and just being together as a family, are memories which will always be cherished.

Thank you, to all the Borles who made this trip, absolutely amazing.
We will be back, pakka!

My experience as a kitchen intern...

I've come to realize that the experience of a kitchen intern is very different from the experience of a office intern. The kitchen intern works harder, for more time, gets chided many times by the head chefs, and basically does all the menial jobs of the kitchen, which nobody likes to do. But that's if you're an adult, isn't it? Being an intern at 15 years of age was absolutely amazing. The chefs take extra care of you and go ahead to guide you, you're exempted from that extra work, and best of all, ALL THE GOOD FOOD YOU CAN EAT! (Without anyone saying anything. What's better than that? ^_^)

Good food was one of the perks of the work...

This year, from the 15th to the 20th of July, I had worked at the Crowne plaza hotel, Gurgaon, as an intern in their bakery. More than baking, I learnt about basic hotel kitchen operations, sanitation, and customer service, which is invaluable experience. The knowledge on baking complemented this and helped to make this experience into a very good one. I would sincerely like to thank Chef Mohd. Ayub Qureshi and his team of wonderful chefs for guiding me through the experience, and for giving me their knowledge and experience in their respective fields. It had been an unforgettable experience at Crowne Plaza, here at Gurgaon, and I really look forward to working with these chefs again.



Chef Jamyang giving the finishing touches on his cakes...



The whole team and I!

A Eulogy for Nani

If tears could build a stairway,
and memories a lane.
I would walk right up to Heaven
and bring you back again.

No farewell words were spoken,
No time to say "Goodbye".
You were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.

My heart still aches with sadness,
and secret tears still flow.
What it meant to love you -
No one can ever know.

But now I know you want me
to mourn for you no more;
To remember all the happy times
life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten,
I pledge to you today~
A hollowed place within my heart
is where you'll always stay.
-- Anonymous

 

Nani, or my maternal grandmother, was a remarkable person. She did not let her weaknesses overcome her, but took them in her stride. This may sound clichéd, but this was all very true. She was a woman whose husband had passed away when she was young, and raised three children on her own, not but once letting that feeling of giving up consume her. Maybe that's the reason that God had blessed her with a long life. She was 80, when she stopped aging and become immortal in our hearts. My grandmother had the spirit of a fighter in her. Her extremely gentle, humorous, always-smiling and sociable personality also housed a fierce and brave warrior, who never gave up and endured all the tests that it was put in. 

Nani with her great-grandkids!

                 

She survived three fatal cardiac strokes, a horrible fall that could have taken away her leg, and also so many difficult tests of old age with that tough inner being. But that being also made sure that she never missed a day, without smiling, and thanking the lord for the many things he had given to her. Sadly, there also come a time where God cannot wait any longer and calls a person to his domain. It was at that time, when the warrior could not take it anymore and succumbed to the trouble that diseases had put her through. It all had to happen today. The person, who had loved me so much, right from the time I was born, had to leave me suddenly, without even a last goodbye.

 

But I will not go on anymore. No amount of words in the universe will help me encompass all of her dynamic and bubbly, as well as soft and gentle personality in a short space. Try as we may, the pain her passing is intense and unbearable. But to cry while remembering her would give her the greatest pain, more that any malady had ever given her. I choose to remember Nani by remembering all the happy times I spent with her. The memory of her delicious food, whose taste no chef in the world could beat, the memory of the hugs and kisses she showered upon me, the laughs we shared together, as well as those study sessions, in which I was usually rebuked for using incorrect grammar, and the memory of her gentle, smiling face, her benevolent eyes with glasses on them, and the 'thuk-thuk-thuk' sound of her walking stick, will sustain me, and keep me from crying. It will be hard no doubt, to not cry, remembering her death, but the thought, that she is in heaven, smiling and seeing us, and showering her blessings upon us. With her love, guidance, and support from above, I'm sure that we will make it through without ever crying, only remembering the lovely time Nani spent with us, here on earth.

                

Rest in peace, Nani! You have carved a huge place in our hearts for yourself, you will never be forgotten!

~ Amay

Elegance and Sophistication at Okku!

食べ物はおいしかった！
(Tabemono wa Oishikatta)

A sentence, so simple, yet so meaningful, best describes the food and ambience of Okku, at the H hotel, Dubai. A new style of Japanese cuisine, served in the traditional low seating, low table setting as well as the ubiquitous paper walls all around us only enhanced our experience, not to forget the not-so-bright lighting, which added a lovely sense of anticipation and mystery to our dining experience. 



 

The menu was filled with many choices of simple, and elegant dishes. Everything did look amazing, but here's what I think about what I tried: The chilli garlic edamame - perfect for a quick starter, and also the beginning of journey of absolute gustatory pleasure.The 'O' style Hotate - the scallops in the black truffle sauce were absolutely amazing; the texture of the scallops was just perfect and the creamy truffle sauce (with a hint of miso, I think) really completed the natural flavor of the scallops. The Horenso Namul - The spinach in Garlic Soy sauce was also great as a starter - the spinach, perfectly poached, with a creamy, soy garlic sauce, and with its soft texture, pleased my taste buds A LOT, and how can I forget to mention the Yasai Moriwase - The selection of vegetarian tempura, with veggies like shiso leaves, carrots, shiitake musrooms, etc. were fried to perfection, and were love at first sight for fried-food lovers like us, with their paper-thin, extremely crispy exteriors, and the soft, and flavorful interiors.





The scallops with the truffle sauce...mmmm!
 

 Next, the entrées: The Truffle Chahan: Ohh...This was absolutely wonderful. The rice with truffles, and black sesame seeds really stole the show. Such wonderfulness cannot be described in words. The Yasai Bibimbap: This Korean dish was also great. The rice, spinach, carrots, courgettes, married to the creamy yolk of the poached egg, and the sesame chilli pesto was one of the best combos, and served in the traditional Korean cast iron pot. The Yuzu Saikyo Miso Black Cod was also excellent, all the traditional Japanese flavors coming together with freshness of the cod was a truly remarkable experience.

And finally, the desserts! The lychee sorbet and The Wasabi ice-cream: UNBELIEVABLE. Who would have thought the combination of wasabi, and ice-cream is so beautiful? The molten chocolate cake with ice-cream? Not a Japanese dessert at all, but it was absolutely fabulous! Everyone knows that the combo of molten chocolate, and frozen ice-cream is always the best.



Ahh...The bitter enemy of the weighing scale.

(Source of the cake photo: www.foodspotting.com)

A final review: おいしい! (Delicious!) The ambience, food, and service at Okku are all so very good, and the subtleness of the food can surely take you to the land of the rising sun. A word on the price though: Yes, Okku is a bit pricey (OK, quite pricey!), but DO NOT be deterred by the price, the food is absolutely worth it!

Go visit Okku! You will love it.


Hey, more details are here: ~~>

Okku - The H Dubai Trade Centre Area, Dubai, UAE address

The H Hotel Dubai, Level 1, Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai, UAE

‪Book at: +971 4 501 8777‬

 

The map:

 


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Okku/@25.2300519,55.2871409,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3e5f42e8ad799fe1:0x470888ec6c5ded62

 

The joys of an apartment kitchen garden...

You know, there is no better feeling you get when you eat freshly picked, home-grown produce, however little or small may it be. These jewels of the earth add a completely new dimension to our cooking, giving the food what the French call goût de terroir, or taste of the earth. We all know how much that 'organic' tag on a handful of neatly wrapped veggies or fruits rips us off, so why don't we resolve that problem, and grow our own.

Yes, residents of Dubai (or any other place for that matter), you heard me, grow your own. Of course, that's no big problem for people living in villas or in houses with gardens. But for us people residing in apartments, there is slight issue. We don't have space. We usually have small balconies half-occupied by clothes-drying-stands and mops, and so on. So what? No one's telling you to have a farm ready, right? All that is being said is that we all should have a few pots with essential herbs, and vegetables, which will ultimately save money on basics, will make your balcony look greener and better, and give your food the taste of the earth which kick your food up a notch.


Fresh Mint, A Ginger Sprout (Extereme right)




Two very Indian herbs: The tall one is a curry leaf plant, while the shrub is the holy basil (tulsi) plant.

I can confidently swear that a kitchen garden makes such a difference to your life... you suddenly find yourself with more knowledge on plants and gardening, your food seems much more fresher, your house looks greener, and finally, you end up saving some of your food budget, which would previously be spent on these basics! And thinking of it, even the disadvantages are hidden boons. If the plant ends up wilting and dies, the decomposing plant will become compost and will make the pot soil even more fertile! Don't we all love things with multiple benefits and no disadvantages? The only cost would be buying the saplings of herbs like mint, coriander, basil, and curry leaves which are slightly difficult to grow from seed, but otherwise, all your growing supplies are at home! For example, planting of chillies can be done from the dried chillies we use at home! Just cut open one of the dried ones and collect the small, disc like yellowish seeds. All you need to do now is wet some soil, rake it, and scatter the seeds! Easy as pie.

Coming back to the subject, we can plant a variety of plants in the apartment environment, but over here practicality and being sensible is key. All of us need to plant stuff that we actually use everyday. For example, we planted stuff like coriander, chillies, lemons, curry leaves, tulsi, basil, mint, tomatoes and onions, which we actually use most of the times. Once these basics are established, then the leftover balcony space is your playground.

Get some pots and soil and experiment with different seeds! See if they grow or not. If they do, well, congrats! If they don't, just rake the soil a little and put some other seeds in the pot. Try growing veggies, fruits, herbs, and even miniature trees. We tried growing passion fruit, watermelon, fennel, eggplant, beans and gourds in the balcony. The first four grew well, but the last two just sprouted and withered. That was a good experiment though.

 

Fiery Indian chillies, all home grown.

There's a nice, fat, juicy eggplant... yum.

A kitchen garden, to sum it all up, is not a tiresome bore, which you have to constantly watch and take care of. It is in fact, an investment of time and care. Ultimately, the plants will be the fruit of your effort, patience, and TLC (Tender Loving Care). The best part is, that when the plants start giving you what you want, they usually never stop. It's like they're repaying you for all the effort you put into them. (BTW, that was my philosophical side. I bet you're bored right? Don't worry, even I'm tired of writing about plants now. *cracking of knuckles and sigh of relief* )

 

A quote as the icing on the cake:

 

"A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust."

--Gertrude Jekyll

 

Lemons on our tree!

Atleast three lemons this summer. Nice.

 

Culinary find-outs #1: Lotus root and Green Chickpeas

You know, there comes a time when we see an an ingredient, that looks different (or should I say, weird), but is so mysteriously attractive that we want to take it home immediately? Or, there are ingredients, that you have been hunting for days, you find it one fine day, and you have the urge to take it back home? These two ingredients match both the criteria. They look groovy, they taste lovely, and are also quite nutritious. They are *dramatic drum-roll* - Lotus root and green chickpeas!

Green chickpeas still in their pods. They look nice though, but I could not get out much out of the pods.

Are there any other names?
Yes, there are. In India, specifically in Hindi, we call lotus root as Bhein or Kamal-Kakdi, and green chickpeas, of the Indian (desi) variety, are called Chholia or Hara Chana. Alternatively, for Lotus root, we can use the name Renkon, which is Japanese.

What exactly are they?
The lotus root is what it sounds to be, it is actually the rhizome of the beautiful lotus flower, while the green chickpeas are not a variety of chickpeas, but are actually immature chickpeas, available with or without its pod.

Availability and selection?
I usually buy mine from a store here in Dubai, that specifically sells Indian and Pakistani products, where I get the lotus root whole, and green chickpeas still in their pods. Otherwise if there is an attack of laziness, then I hop over to the nearby Japanese/Asian store, where I get Lotus root packaged packaged; peeled, sliced and in brine. Green chickpeas are also available shelled and packaged. On the advice of my mother, grandmother and aunt, I select lotus roots which are medium sized, are not too dirty from inside, and which are evenly brown from outside. Green chickpeas, to be honest, are much better shelled, as the grocer has already thrown the bad ones out, and has saved you the labor. Please avoid the pod if you can!

Sliced, packaged, and frozen lotus root. Ah, the dolce vita for the lazy!

How do I store them?
Lotus root needs to be thoroughly, squeaky clean before being washed, peeled, cut into manageable lengths, dried (of excess water) and finally being tightly wrapped, or being put into water and refrigerated. You must, must remove all of the dirt and silt. As for the green chickpeas, don't worry! The grocer must have already cleaned them. Just put them in a large box and chill. Both can be stored for around 3-4 days.

Health benefits?
Loads. Lotus root is a good source of calories, providing about 74 Kcal per 100g. It is an excellent souce of dietary fibre, vitamin C (44 mg/ 100g), minerals like iron and copper, and also calcium. Green chickpeas provide 364 calories per 1/2 cup, but are packed with dietary fibre, 19.3g of protein, B-Vitamins, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, and also a lot of calcium. 
 (Source: http://woman.thenest.com/nutrients-green-chickpeas-3524.html, http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/lotus-root.html, http://www.livestrong.com/article/536408-nutrition-in-lotus-root/)

How do I cook them?
Now use your imagination! A good way to make green chickpeas is to stew them with potatoes, roast them the Indian way, with onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, salt and ginger, or even make a soup, or add them to salads after boiling them! Lotus root is also very versatile. It has the texture of jicama, but you always have to cook it before you eat it. It can be steamed to a tender, crunchy state with salt, and can be added to salads, or to soups, or can even be pickled, or can be directly added to stir fries, and can also be deep-fried into tempura, chips, or pakodas (Indian fritters with a gram flour batter). They can eve be candied the Korean way! It's your choice.

Happy cooking!

Photo Post: Ko Samui

Where in the world did we go to this time? THAILAND! A place that is so vibrant and so colorful cannot be described by words, though pictures do the job just right.

This was the first time I saw an airport which looked more like a garden.

Fruits. EVERYWHERE. *drool*

I fell in love with the sea once I saw this. Beautiful.

Positive motivation on sugar sachets. How sweet!

Tried Taro flavored ice-cream. It tasted ... different, I guess.

Raw Mangoes! The sour, mildly sweet, greenish yeloow goodness inside...YUM.

At a Buddhist shrine in Ko Samui.

The incense, the prayers, the offerings... It truly does make you feel nice.

A sobering message for people in the world.

Ice cream again! I dot know what this was, but tasted like sweet corn and beans. (In a good way, of course.)

Interesting, catchy name.

The streets of Samui!

I absolutely loved this movable food-trolley-hybrid thingy (Invented the name myself) concept. Amazing!

Fruit. This time on the food-trolley-hybrid-thingy.

At the Samui Institute of Culinary Arts. Here, the director, Roongfah Sringam, was telling us about basic Thai Ingredients.

Day 1 in the class.

This picture I took makes me hungry. *Getting up* - I'm going to ravage the fridge.

Ready to ruthlessly and brutally grind a paste for a delicate, subtle, soup.

The Thai Ronald McDonald. Nice.

Taro pie at McDonald's. Can't beat the apple pie.

Fruits. Again. This time on a stationary food-trolley-hybrid-thingy.

Believe me, I can confidently say that these were the best pancakes I had in my life.

From this little stall with everything fried, thus began the epic journey through Lamai street food market.

Squid on a stick. I didn't have the guts to eat it... just look at those poor eyes!

The market at its peak hours.

This was a small pizza stall run by two Milanese chefs from Italy. Never did I have a more better pizza after tasting these. 

This food-trolley-hybrid-thingy had a spicy peanut-green bean salad, which hooked me onto it for the rest of the trip!

Day 2 at the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts. Chefs Roongfah and Nangsudah taking over the class.

A lovely, warm, coconutty pork-ball and pumpkin soup.  

Feeding a tiny baby elephant calf!

Elephants sitting on elephants.

The lovely, rocky coastline.

Fruits again!  This time with nuts and confections, all owned by lady who had just blown her fuse.

These were the sweetest sapodillas I had in a long time. We tried marion plums too!

At the Giant Buddha shrine in Ko Samui.

 The Prayer of the Faithful.

Absolutely lovely Thai young coconuts... I am SO going to miss them!

Poor old me in action. Thank goodness I didn't start off the smoke alarm!

A drinks vendor. He was selling sugary juices made of raw mango, lychee, and mangosteen.

Raw mango juice... my last street food in Samui! (╥﹏╥)

Bye-Bye Thailand!