February 2023 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

I do not know if there is a more comforting place to hang one’s hat in this wide world of ours. Between the numerous temples, the massage school, the sedating, sweltering heat and perhaps, most notably, the incredible cuisine, I did not find myself feeling but a moment of stress the entire time I was in Chiang Mai. Khao Soi is the perfect foil for the weather. It is eaten almost exclusively at lunch time, often at restaurants with big communal tables. The first bowl of Khao Soi I ate absolutely blew me away. It became my favorite food, and has remained a favorite to this day. Preparing this meal has brought me back to that time, my honeymoon with Katie, only a few months before our daughter was born. I hope you enjoy!

what we have prepared for you for this month:

Khao Soi

This is the signature dish of Chiang Mai. It is a rich, pungent yellow curry noodle dish in chicken broth with braised chicken and finished with pickled mustard greens and our housemade chile bomba. We have made a long flat egg noodle to serve with the dish, pretty tradish. Contains gluten, coconut, capsaicin. Best 4 days if refrigerated or 1 month, if frozen.

Sweet potato Khao Soi (VEG)

This is the signature dish of Chiang Mai. It is a rich, pungent yellow curry in a lemongrass coconut broth. Contains gluten, coconut, capsaicin. Best 4 days if refrigerated or 1 month, if frozen

Pork Ragu Boat Noodles

Curly edged egg noodles, slow roasted pork ragu, an oil slick of black garlic oil and crispy shallots to finish. Contains allium, coconut, capsaicin. Best before 4 days, refrigerated.

Maitake Mushroom Boat Noodles (VEG)

Curly edged egg noodles, Oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms ragu, an oil slick of black garlic oil and crispy shallots to finish. Contains allium, coconut, capsaicin. Best before 4 days, refrigerated.

Pomelo Salad

This is one of the most fun dishes I ate in Thailand. The plump, ripe pomelo supremes are marinated in our house made colatura(fish sauce), shrimp paste, fried coconut and peanuts, then finished with a crispy and sweet coconut nam nam condiment, napa cabbage and a lemongrass vinaigrette. Contains allium, nuts, gluten. Best in 3 days, refrigerated.

Pumpkin in Coconut Milk

Is this an appetizer, a side dish or a dessert? I’ve eaten in all contexts and it’s great all the time. We are using acorn squash here, slowly cooked down in coconut milk and palm sugar. Contains allium, coconut & gluten. Best in 3 days, refrigerated.

Cooking instructions

Here are some recipes for this meal. I would like to note though that these ingredients are absolutely for you to experiment with. Feel free to add on to them, or even just use the ingredients one by one in your own cooking!

Khao Soi (both the chicken version & the VEG version)

Plan for 6 minutes

Boil 6qts water with a few big pinches of salt
Warm your broth in a small pot.
Divide your warmed broth between serving bowls
Cook flat noodles for 3 minutes. then drain and divide into serving bowls and stir into broth.
Top each portion with pickled mustard greens, cilantro and chile bomba

Boat Noodles (both the pork ragu & the VEG ragu)

Plan for 7 min preparation

Boil 6qts water with a few big pinches of salt
Pour ragu into a pot, bring to a simmer.
Boil noodles for 3 minutes.
Drain noodles and toss into ragu. Add half of the black garlic oil to this and toss
Divide between serving bowls.
Garnish with more of the black garlic oil, crispy shallots

Pomelo Salad

Plan for 3 min preparation