Cullinary highlights

Here are some standoutdishes that I've enjoyed since my arrival in Thailand.

- Pad Thai at Apple-Bee's in Kanchanaburi where the noodles are substituted with green papaya. It tastes great and adds a strange new texture to an old favorite of mine.

- Banana french toast which is just one of many breakfast delights at Rick's Cafe in Bangkok. The banana must have been mushed up and then either spread onto the bread before getting fried in batter or the it was mixed into the batter. I'll have to experiment oncewe have a kitchen again.

- Muesli, yoghurt and fruit at Rick's. A lot of fresh coconut flakes and liberal sprinklings of toasted sesame seeds were thrown into the mix. Extremely tasty!

- Masaman curry. I think masaman literally means Muslim. The curry is a specialty from the deep south of Thailand, which is predominantly Muslim and it is one of the best curries I've ever enjoyed. Sweet potato and peanuts are added o a red curry that is slightly sweet in taste. Making it quite ideal for breakfast at Roti Mataba in Bangkok. The pancake matabas we enjoyed with it was also fantastic. A kind of folded roti with fresh pancake inside, served with a dollop of condensed milk.

- Minced chicken and kale leaves at Ban Chiang in Bangkok. We had this on Alexander's first night at this lovely restaurant set in an old teak house. You put some of the chicken on a kale leave and then add some chopped red onion, green pepper corns, tiny bits of fresh lime and cashew nuts. Roll it all up and bite away. The flavors and textures are out of this world. Another dish I cannot wait to experiment with!

- Dragon fruit salad. On our first afternoon in Ayutthaya we had this salad at the Ban Krun guesthouses restaurant where stayed at. I loved the texture and taste of dragon fruit, but would never have though of using it in a salad combining shrimp, cellery leaves and fish sauce. To my surprise it was yet another great combination of textures and flavors that worked wonderfully.

Next week we are going to be taking a Thai cooking course and I am seriously looking forward to getting some insights into the way flavors are combined and prepared in making fabulous Thai dishes.