Som Tam Thai

I made this popular Thai salad for the very first time.   It is a green papaya salad that comes from Northeastern Thailand.  Ingredients: green papaya, carrots, green long beans, cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic, chillies, dried shrimp, palm sugar, juicy limes, fish sauce and roasted peanuts.

In Thailand, you often eat Som Tam with slices of grilled pork neck and roasted chicken.  And you have to have sticky rice!

It's sour, spicy, sweet, salty and savory. 

 There's also a lot of fiber and vitamins, and it's low in calories, fats and carbs.

These peanuts came from South Alabama, where my husband is from.

Last June, we went to the restaurant Saibaiji in Bangkok.  Check out some of the Som Tams on their menu.

Ingredients can really vary: pickled crabs, fermented fish sauce,  Mama noodles, mixed fruit, sweet corn, green mango, salted eggs, guava, grilled pork, lotus roots, glass noodles, young coconut and mixed seafood.

Click here for more of our photos at Sabaijai.  The menu is unbelievable.

And click here for the ultimate guide to Som Tam.

For ingredients like green papaya, fish sauce and dried shrimp, I like YZ Asian Market in Asheville.

Homemade Kimchi

Takes at least two weeks to ferment if you leave it outside the refrigerator.  Here's recipe for a real Korean version of kimchi.  I did a healthier viersion of kimchi, using only these raw food ingredients: napa cabbage, scallions, carrots, daikon, ginger, crushed red pepper, garlic, celtic sea salt and paprika.

Honey Roasted Peanuts

I started with fresh peanuts we got in South Alabama.   I've roasted them, and they were good that way.  The honey roasted ones have been our favorite, though.  I will add the recipe later.

Nibbles

Mainly wanted to show off the charcuterie board.  See the bear?  We love all kinds of cheeses, nuts, fruits and honey.  We've also been enjoying some plant-based cheeses as well.  A set-up like this is good when friends come over for cocktails.  But sometimes we just like the nibbles just for ourselves.

Raspberry Champagne Cakes

King

plus Prince

add a Queen

and another King

a little charcuterie spread for a friend

a cocktail and entire cake for my friend's birthday

 

Fruits

My husband and our neighbor picked up some delicious fruits at the farmers market.

We got this citrus at Whole Foods.  To make cocktails, we try to keep around a supply of Meyer lemons, lemons, limes and oranges (not pictured).  We also enjoy just juicing oranges for some Vitamin C.  I also enjoy making fresh lemonade.

Fresh Orange Juice

"I Love You" Chocolate Pudding

recipe

 

Southern Style Boiled Custard

The weekend before Christmas, I made a small batch just to "shake off the rust."

Here's what I made for Christmas.  I made almost two gallons of boiled custard in all.  I used about 40 eggs:  25 egg yolks and 15 whole eggs.  Later, I will add the recipe I followed.

My husband is still drinking it.  Rich & delicious.

What the Heck is Boiled Custard?

Remembering the long-lost Appalachian holiday treat

By CAROLINE SANDERS

November 11, 2020