A common question people ask is how long can leftovers be kept for. Well, as I go along I’ll pass on my personal experience on this, with a couple of caveats.

Recent dishes I have refrigerated and eaten are;

Frozen

Pork Vindaloo (from 2 weeks ago, still have 2 portions frozen)

Malaysian Beef Curry (from 4 weeks ago)

Braised Pork Shoulder (last week)

Refrigerated

Spare Ribs and Watercress Soup (eaten on the third day)

I re-heated all by microwaving. 

In all cases, keeping quality was fine. I did very slightly overdo the microwaving for the pork vindaloo, so there were some dry spots on the meat.

For the soup, the flavours matured somewhat, which was very nice. But with mature flavours, saltiness does become more apparent, so if you will refrigerate anything, go easy on the salt. That said, we do use very little salt at home and we are thus pretty sensitive to salty tastes.

Now the food safety part.

Caveats

1) I observe strict hygiene, so I wash my hands very often during food prep and cooking, and take care to avoid cross-contamination, ie knives, boards, plates etc used for raw foods do not come in contact with cooked food. Contaminated food is unsafe to keep.

2) Leftovers are promptly put into clean covered containers and as soon as cool enough, usually in 1 - 2 hours max, are put in the fridge or freezer as appropriate. They never ever sit out for longer than 4 hours (this is a very common limit on exposure at room temperature, unless you are an Eskimo at the North Pole), and if I forget to refrigerate and find them out the next morning, I discard without even sniffing the food.

All dishes mentioned are on my website - just go into the recipe page, enter the recipe name in the Search Box on the upper right corner and hit enter or click search. Easy as that.

Be economical, and be safe! 

Well, I finally got around to grilling the great cuts of pork that I bought a while back.

As promised, you can see the photograph in the latest article, Cooking Methods and Cuts - Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken.

Now, I can think of Moo Ping and other great uses for it.

Looking for good quality cookware can be a thankless task in Bangkok, and possibly other South-East Asian capitals. Forget about smaller towns, probably no hope at all.I still recall visiting literally dozens of department stores, supermarkets and any place selling cookware in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in a fruitless search for a heat diffuser or flame tamer. The quest only ended when my buddy went to the States and returned with 3 of them, which he apparently found with little difficulty.

My latest search has been for bakeware, roasting pans and the like. I had 3 non-stick pans of an imported brand commonly found in Bangkok, but they were not heavy duty and warped alarmingly when placed right under the broiler. Aside from putting some of the food closer to the broiler than the rest of it, it also meant any oil or juices pooled in one corner - not ideal.

The final straw came when I roasted tomatoes for soup, and when I was chopping them after roasting, I noticed a fleck of something grey coloured mixed in with them. I had to switch from my cooking glasses to my reading glasses to identify it, but it was just as well I did because it turned out to be a bit of the non-stick coating that had flaked off.

I know that there are no health warnings about non-stick cookware (apart from dangers to birds if over-heated when empty of food), but I am fairly certain this does not extend to eating the non-stick material.

I tossed the lot out and relied on Pyrex for a bit. OK for baking but I have read warnings about tempered glass cracking when right under a broiler at high heat, and did not feel like risking my Pyrex. It would serve me very well for other things.

I tried sourcing good metal bakeware from a couple of the Central Department Stores, a Tesco Lotus and Paragon Department Store, without any luck. Quite by chance, I popped into the Emporium Department Store, and in the cookware section found a stack of Master Class Heavy Duty Non-Stick Bakeware, all sizes and descriptions. Imported from the UK, they had a 20 year warranty.

I’m not too crazy about warranties in Thailand, after a backpack I bought with a lifetime warranty opened at the seams. I took that back to the department store where I bought it, together with the warranty card and proof of purchase, only to be told the distributor had ceased dealing with that brand, and I would have to send it back to the manufacturer at my own expense etc etc.

But at least if Master Class offer a 20year warranty, that would hold good in the UK, and could be taken as an indication of the confidence they have in their products. Plus, it did have a really solid feel to it, and a very nice finish.

I wound up buying 3 of varying sizes. I steered clear of the largest one as it would only fit in my wider rotisserie oven, not the smaller unit that gets the most frequent use. And the clincher was when my wife, usually very indulgent of my passion for all things food related, remarked that it was so large we would probably never see any real use for it. That was true enough, it could hold a huge turkey easily, and I doubt I’d ever be cooking one for a dozen people.

So, I am pleased with my find. Time will tell if it holds up to use, and I am extremely light-handed with my cookware.

My only disappointment is I still cannot find wire racks that fit in my Pyrex ware and these new roasting pans. The ones I see are either way too large, perhaps designed for a barbeque, or hideous high sided things that look more like they are meant to lower French fries into a deep fryer, rather than be used in a roasting pan.

Still, I’ll keep looking - might get lucky someday.

I’ve checked and Amazon UK sells Master Class bakeware. Amazon in the States has other brands, including Calphalon which is certainly worth checking out. I have some of their cookware which I find to be quite good. 
 

When I was a kid, lean pork was definitely an oxymoron. Had I even said it in school, there would have been shrieks of derision at the stupid kid. About as intelligent as saying giraffes have short necks.

As a kid, pork meant fat. In fact my father would ask for the cuts with a ‘decent’ amount of fat because he liked eating it. If you wanted lean meat, you bought beef.

For me as an 8 year old (pre-historic times, I know) fat meant this chunk of rubbery meat that did not break up no matter how long I chewed on it. Having not yet learnt the trick of a tissue to the mouth, I would finally stop chewing and try and swallow the damned thing. Gag! Face turning pale, quick sip of water to steady the gag reflexes. Deep breath, then a big swig of water to wash it down in one swallow. Phew, that was close. Damn pigs!

So, as soon as I was old enough to assert my independence, pork disappeared from my vocabulary. Well into my adult life, I hated pork, to the point where people would enquire whether my aversion was for religious reasons.

The only pork I would eat was char siew, and woe betide the vendor if there was too much fat despite my explicit request for lean meat. Actually, woe betide me, because I just did not eat it, preferring to leave the table still hungry rather than eat the stuff.

Fast forward, and somewhere in recent times, lean pigs became a reality. (What next, short-necked giraffes?)

Anyway, the kid in me said “Great, now I can use pork in all sorts of dishes I cook”; except slow-cooking for example. Forget the blarney about slow, moist heat and succulent meat. Lean pork in a slow-cooker comes out too dry for my liking. OK if you like meat well done I guess.
And grilling? I could fall off the chair laughing if you suggested it.

So imagine my surprise when I was shopping in the Villa Market on Soi Thong Lo and I saw these individually packed cuts of pork marked “Pork for Grilling”. Unmistakable from a distance were the streaks of fat. Fat as in marbling that is, not yukky chunks on the side. Beautiful, even, fine streaks, like a meteor shower………pinch me, I must be dreaming.

I picked up a pack, looking at it like it was manna from heaven, or like a South Seas islander would look at a pig he was about to cook maybe?

Seriously though, these were things of beauty. I picked two of fairly similar size and popped them in the cart, not quite believing my eyes.

I really should have taken a photograph before sticking them in the freezer, but I will make up for it when I thaw them out.

What am I going to cook with them? Haven’t a clue yet, though I’m sure I’ll come up with some appropriate recipe and a bottle of wine to go with them.

Lean pigs indeed. Sez who?

You like salt in your food, she doesn’t. You like real spice in the dish (not the toned down versions touristy joints are noted for), she cannot take that.

Well, if you are doing the cooking and your joy is in seeing her enjoy the food, doing it your way just takes all the joy out of it. So, knowing how to work in compromises is the key here. I’m still learning, to be honest.

Serve It On The Side

If something can be served on the side, then that is an easy one. Salt obviously can be added at the table, though some will argue that it is not quite the same as adding it at a precise point in preparation or cooking.

Ah, perfection – where would we be if we could not slip your grasp? In a quiet and lonely place I would suppose, eating the perfect food we cook that only we like.

Hold the lime! Yes, she does not care much for lime or vinegar either. No problem, slices of lime can be passed on the side.

Temper It.

And the spice? Cloves and cinnamon can’t be passed on the side, they have to go into the dish at the appropriate time, and that is not a nod to perfection, just reality. But, chilled slices of cucumber and tomato on the side will temper the spice and heat of any dish.

In South-East Asian cooking, especially the one-dish meals, cucumber and tomato slices are very commonly included. Think chicken rice or fried rice for example, or mamak fried noodles. No, the chef was not lazy or unimaginative. There is usually chilli on the side, if not in the dish, and these vegetables help when your tongue is burning - from the chillies that you mistakenly or otherwise, tucked into with gusto.

Reduce It or Mask It

Some people dislike gamey tastes, as in oxtail, lamb shanks and duck. If cooking oxtail soup, an initial boiling and discarding of the water helps.

Lamb shanks lose their gamey taste with an appropriate choice of spices in the masala. Herbs can have the same effect.

But be warned, if you are taking the ’spice route’, that freezing leftovers moderates the spice effect, and the dish will be gamey when re-heated. This one I found out the hard way - she loved the original, could hardly eat the re-heated dish.

It’s all about recognizing that tastes and tolerances differ, and finding a way to accommodate everyone that you cook for.

It can’t be done successfully all the time, but to me it is worth a try. And that is why, with cooking, as with the rest of life, we live and learn.

Last night I cooked my usual Pork Vindaloo, but thought I’d give it a bit of a tweak for a change.

Nothing dramatic, just cut back on the dried chillies from 20 to 12, and added 1 heaped teaspoon of Garam Masala.

It turned out quite nicely, mellower due to the reduction of the chillies and with a deeper flavour due to the addition of the Garam Masala.

 It will be interesting to see how it freezes (I froze 4 portions), as typically the chilli heat diminishes in the freezer and a richer flavour develops.

Time will tell.

Last Monday we decided to make a trip to Chatuchak Market to look for some plates and props for photographing the dishes for my weekly articles.

We took a taxi there as we were late and wanted to maximise our time at the place billed as the largest market of its type in the world.

Well, when we got there the place was closed. The sign said “Chatuchak Weekend Market”, and I guess they meant it. Whilst some stalls may open during the week (I’m guessing), Monday was probably the worst day to try, coming immediately after the hectic weekend.

So we walked up the road to see what was there on the periphery. We came to a similar looking area, which we were told is Chatuchak Plaza. A lot of the stalls were closed, but there were enough open to occupy us for a couple of hours, and it did make the trip worthwhile at least.

Most stalls were selling gifts, artworks, antiques (or replicas, I’m no expert), soft furnishings, home decorations, brassware, furniture, and stoneware, plus a gardening and pets section.

Bargaining was definitely required, although in at least one instance the price quoted was so ridiculous we just walked away.

We first bought a Wooden Sauce Caddy for 150 baht (under $5). At the price, it really seemed good value for money, and the colour and finish match our dining table perfectly.

 We next went to an area where there were about 3 shops selling soft furnishings open. We bought 3 covers for the throw cushions on our sofa. At 500 baht (about $15) for 16″ x 16″ size, they were definitely more expensive than the last lot, but the difference was these were Thai Silk. There were many designs and colours; left is an example of the design we picked.

Next door to that shop was another that had a beautiful table runner on display.

I have always wanted one for our dining table, and when I saw the striking design and colour, I fell in love with it immediately.

Below you can see the detail in close-up.

For 200 baht (about $6), I thought it was just excellent value for money.

The last stop was a shop selling stoneware. We wanted to get plates for the food photographs from there.

In any event we found a circular plate that was quite striking. We browsed a few other items there. We did see a very unusual noodle bowl but unfortunately this one did not have a base plate to go with it, unlike all the others.

We did however see a nice rectangular plate, which we bought. We paid 580 baht for the 2 (about $17).

Done with the shopping, and still early, we decided to go to the Villa Supermarket in Thong Lo. We took the MRT (subway) to Sukhumvit. I must say that after the heat and sweat of Chatuchak Plaza, the cold subway cars were a real shock to the system. It took me a while to adjust and feel comfortable.

From Sukhumvit we took the BTS Skytrain to Thong Lo station, then a cab to the supermarket. We bought the ingredients needed for Garithes Yiouvetsi, which we had for dinner that night.

You can see the rectangular plate in use in this weeks article “Garithes Yiouvetsi - Greek Baked Prawns”. I am not terribly good at visualising things in use, unfortunately, so I must say I was pleased with how this plate looked with the prawns and garlic bread on it.

All told, a rather good day. 

Usually on weeknights, I have a soft spot for quick and easy recipes. Not too many ingredients, not too much prep, easy cooking. Usually.

Since I cook because of the freedom of choice it gives me in terms of culinary indulgence, from time to time I get overwhelmed by that urge to cook purely for taste, never mind the effort.

So this week has seen me do somewhat long recipes on two days straight.

Monday, I cooked Lamb Shanks in Indian spices. If you have cooked Raan, North Indian Moghul style Roast Leg of Lamb, you will know the sort of dish.

This one started with an impulse buy in the supermarket – I saw a pack of 2 New Zealand lamb shanks and immediately thought of using them in this dish.

So, a lot of trimming of the shanks, preparation of marinade, frying the whole spices and masala, adding in the shanks, then transferring all to a casserole just large enough to hold the shanks.

I would have liked to have done 3 hours in the oven at 110°C / 230°F, but I started late because it was a busy day, and settled for 150°C / 300°F for 2 hours. Plus 10 minutes under the broiler.

This is not one of those stick it in the oven and leave it dishes. Since there is very little masala, it is fairly dry and does not even qualify as a braise. So, the shanks had to be turned after 45 minutes, 90 minutes, 2 hours then again after 5 minutes under the broiler, each time spooning some masala over the shanks.

It turned out well, served with rice, an Indian style tomato soup and a very un-Indian French beans sautéed in butter.

Tuesday, I decided to cook an Indonesian ox-tail soup. This one is a joy – it took much experimenting before I finally created a recipe I was happy with.

It does however have a number of steps that are there purely for taste and quality, at the expense of expediency. I first slowly bring the ox-tails to a boil in plain water, removing scum as it rises. Then that water gets discarded and the pot scrubbed off to remove any scum sticking to it.

I then start over, frying spices etc, until the water goes in again, then simmer for 2 hours. This too is not a leave it sort of dish. It does require periodic monitoring that it is at no more than a simmer. If you boil it with all the fat still there, it will become an oily emulsion, ie. ruined.

After 2 hours simmering, in go the vegetables, then simmer for another 30 minutes. Put the pot into a basin of water to cool it down. After 3 changes of water, it is cool enough to go in the fridge. That will allow the flavours to mature and the fat to solidify on the surface.

Today, Wednesday, I will de-fat the soup, re-heat it, season, garnish, and we will have it for dinner.

Quite a week. I also took all the requisite photos, and will be publishing the articles and recipes on my site in due course.

And was it all worth it? I reckon so. Easy stuff gets boring after a while.

I wrote in my post of 16th June, 2008 that freezing the cloud ear fungus (mushrooms) seemed to give them a slightly powdery texture.I since cooked a larger batch, and as noted, prepared more gravy so that the mushrooms could be submerged in gravy when frozen.

This has done the trick - texture was normal, so obviously any deterioration was due to freezer damage from exposure, albeit in an airtight container.

Cooking with Cloud Ear Fungus

Sometimes in your travels, you come across a great dish that you cannot forget. Trying to re-create it at home can be a challenge, but it is worth the effort.I first came across the dish on one of my regular business trips to Jakarta. Staying at a hotel that was popular with the locals and not tourists meant that the food there was pretty authentic. I quickly developed a selection of favourite dishes from the menu that became dinner must-haves.

One trip, I noticed the menu had changed and on it was Ikan Bakar Colo Colo. I decided to try it, and was struck by how simple it was and the great taste. They used a nice thick seabass fillet in that hotel, though they did say that restaurants outside would grill whole fish, rather than a single portion fillet. One of the things that made it special was the colo colo sauce, some call it a sambal, which because it was served in a small quantity, did not overwhelm the fish.

So, the dish went onto my list of must-haves. Some trips it was not so good, I suspect because the chef who got it onto the menu was the expert and if he was off, then another chefs efforts did not quite measure up.

Re-Creating The Recipe.

When I got back to Thailand, I searched the net and downloaded a recipe. I tried it as is, and it was a veritable disaster.

So, I had to content myself with having the dish whenever business took me to Jakarta. One day, waiting for a flight at an airport out in the provinces, I came across a cookbook at the airport bookstore. In it was a recipe for Ikan Bakar Colo Colo, so I bought the book on the spot.

Soon after, I tried the recipe as is. It was good, but not exactly what I had in the hotel. So, the next trip when I got to eat the dish, I made a careful comparison of ingredients and taste, to the best that one can tell by looking at and tasting the finished dish.

The difference came from the green chillies, which have a unique taste, addition of bird chillies which give a ‘kick’ to it, a little garlic and I believe the Indonesian kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce, which has a taste rather different from Chinese Sweet Soy Sauce.

And so, all set, I cooked the dish back in Thailand. It was wonderful!

As I no longer travel to Indonesia on business, I cannot readily get kecap manis, but I do intend to ask anyone who travels there to bring back a bottle.

Article / Recipe