Some Like It Hot Hot

In Chiang Mai, we spent a day learning Thai cooking from a premier cooking school run by these totally smoking and ridiculously stylish women, who were also wicked funny. Sadly, they won't be joining the us for the last hurrah in Bangkok on August 31. But the movie star will definitely be rocking the house with us. We learned to make six very different dishes with surprisingly similar preparations. Most everything you eat here or in Thai restaurants in the states has the same foundation of fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar, coconut milk (or water), and tons of hot peppers. The varying ratios of each ingredient controls the balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and sour. A lot of dishes balance all four elemental flavors and can be cooked to taste. Put the chillies in earlier for an extra kick. Throw in some tapioca flour to thicken a sauce. Make sure the lime juice and herbs go in at the end to preserve the fresh flavor. Use contrasting colors of veggies, and garnish the hell out of dishes so you can get away with charging more in your Thai restaurant.

The Iron Chefs:

Papaya Salad:

River Fish with Red Curry: