In addition to my love of food, I take great pleasure in buying kitchen appliances, although I hardly use some of the gadgets I buy. It’s just nice to have around should the need ever arise for it. In my stash, you’ll find a pasta machine (used about twice), a decorating knife for creating wavy cuts (never used), suribachi (used once), mezzaluna (never used), and about a dozen other things, both practical and unnecessarily excessive.

I did manage to refrain from adding to my collection by telling myself I don’t have much time for cooking – and it worked…for a while anyway. Then a couple of months ago, the department store near my office had a huge Sanrio^® sale and being a fan of Sanrio^® products, I couldn’t resist stopping by during my lunch hour. An hour of browsing (and withstanding the urge to buy everything in sight) later, I fell in love with a Hello Kitty bento box set. Glancing at the price tag, logic kicked in and I dejectedly replaced the bento set on the shelf.

Casting one longing look at the bento set, I returned to my gloomy office, where piles of work awaited me. But who can concentrate on work when you had the whole afternoon to think about the lovely Kitty-print insulated carrying case with 4 candy-colored containers (2 with dividers!) and 2 non-toxic freezer packs that fitted snugly on top of the containers? Urgh, but I had no use for them…it’s not like I bring my own lunch to work, and I haven’t been on a picnic for…well, a long time.

My obsession didn’t leave me that evening and after work, I stopped by another department store in hopes of getting a cheaper substitute. I was truly shocked to discover that smaller bento box sets (with no insulated bags and freezer packs AND no Hello Kitty!) were double the price of the Hello Kitty one I saw. This was enough to justify buying the Kitty set and the next day, I gleefully set off on my mission during lunch hour.

I must’ve been secretly repressed during those months without shopping for kitchen supplies because once I got my hands on the magnificent Hello Kitty bento set, I went on a crazy shopping spree and spent the next few days buying bento accessories from Daiso. You can’t have a Japanese bento box set and not make onigiri, so I bought some handy onigiri molds…and some miniature furikake shakers, in case I didn’t have time to make onigiri. Oh, and I needed some mini sauce bottles for storing shoyu and sauces, and just look at those adorable vegetable-print mayonnaise case with a scooper! If I didn’t feel so guilty for making p’Kaew wait for me while I oohed and aahed over every fascinating item, I probably would’ve cleaned out the place. Despite all that, I am still missing a thermos, tiny reusable plastic picks for spearing food without dirtying your fingers, and OMG, utensils!!! Would anyone like to contribute those so I can finally go on my long-awaited picnic??

Categories: Miscellaneous
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Recently while I was telling my friends about the broccoli soup I made, one of them asked why I didn’t just use instant bouillon cubes. She added that making homemade stock is a labor of love. I suppose that’s true, although making stock really isn’t all that hard. It’s just a bit time consuming but the end result is so much more rewarding than what you would get from an instant broth powder.

Making your own stock for home cooking is not so typical in Thailand, and much of the population resort to using stock cubes. It’s just so much more convenient and you don’t have to spend hours slaving over the stove. On the other hand, you can try making homemade stock and taste a world of difference.

The great thing about making stock is, you can make a whole big batch in one go and freeze the leftovers to use for other occasions. I simply divide up my stock into 2-cup bags and keep them in the freezer until I need it again.

Chicken Stock
(Makes 6 cups)

• 2 (about 1 kg.) chicken carcasses
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (use only the ribs)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Wash the chicken carcasses and put into a large stockpot. Add cold water to cover the chicken carcass by about one inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a ladle to skim any foam or fat that rise to the surface.

Add the vegetables and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming the surface every now and then.

Remove the chicken carcasses and vegetable pieces from the stock. Discard them or set aside for other uses. (I usually mash up the vegetables and mix them with rice and the little bits of chicken meat removed from the bones and feed that to Bacon and Milo, my dogs.)

Line a sieve with cheesecloth over a large bowl and strain the stock. Discard whatever is left on the cheesecloth.

Let the stock cool off a bit before transferring to an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Once the fat rises to the surface and solidifies, skim off the fat layer and discard. The stock will keep for a few days in the fridge and for several months in the freezer.

To store, divide up the stock into preferred portions. I measure out 2 cups and store them in plastic bags in the freezer. Alternatively, you can freeze them in ice cube trays and store the frozen cubes in freezer bags so that you have smaller quantities to work with.

That’s all there is to making a simple chicken stock! And now you can sleep at night, knowing that the next time a recipe calls for chicken stock, you have homemade ones ready in your freezer!

Categories: Recipes
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It’s not very often that we have real “winter” in Thailand. By winter, I mean crisp winds that are cool enough to wear sweaters outside. While European countries may consider this type of climate “summer”, us Thais are excited about rummaging in our closet for the cardigan that we only got to wear once last year. After all, winter weather usually lasts for about 2 days in Bangkok.

This year, along with all the weird and wonderful things that have been occurring in Thailand, the lovely weather has actually hung around long enough for us to enjoy.

The temperatures are perfect for growing broccoli and in the northern provinces of Thailand, broccoli is now one of the crops grown. What better way to support local farmers than by making broccoli soup, which not only promotes the use of local produce but is also great for warming up your body in this chilly weather? Just a word of warning though – this recipe is high in fat so if you’re watching your weight…well, at least I warned you first!

Extra Rich and Chunky Broccoli Soup
(Makes 6 servings)

• 5 Tbsp. salted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 small heads or 1 big head (about 500 g.) broccoli
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the broccoli and cut into florets. Peel the stems and chop into little cubes. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and celery, and sauté until soft. Add chicken stock and whisk with the onions and celery until thoroughly mixed. Bring to a boil.

Add the broccoli stems to the soup and return to a boil. Add broccoli florets and bring to a boil once again. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

Using a whisk or a blender, whisk/blend the soup briefly until the broccoli pieces are in small chunks.

To make the roux, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour. Stir or whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of wet paste and the color turns a light caramel brown.

Add a ladle of broccoli soup to the roux and whisk until incorporated. Add another ladle of soup and continue to whisk if the mixture is still too thick. Once you have a smooth creamy mixture, transfer to the soup pot and stir well.

Whisk in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve piping hot with a piece of crusty bread.

Categories: Recipes
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