It’s always sad to board a plane leaving Samui and wave the island goodbye. For us, it usually means going somewhere a lot less friendly and not very warm. As we readjust to wearing the uniform of the real world (socks, trousers, coats…*sigh*), we miss Samui’s food the most. Call it not culture shock, but curry shock.

Our household bible through these dark days is bright pink dissected with a lime green ribbon. Creatively named “Thai Food,” this is the Thai cookbook for any home-based Samui Rehabilitation Project. Its author, chef David Thompson, teaches Thai culinary history to Thai students and his expertise resonates throughout the book.

Unlike other Thai cookbooks we’ve read, this one holds our farang (foreign) hands and helps us prepare dishes that taste, to us, exactly as they should. You’ll really surprise yourself as you work through Chef Thompson’s many curry and soup dishes, snacks, fish courses and the obligatory Pad Thai.

The book is a tome. Honestly, we can barely lift it. Yet it could sit alternately on your kitchen counter or coffee table; pages of gorgeous food photography and a complete Thai history complete a fascinating book.

To prepare for your new life as a Thai food glutton, pick up some of the following while on Samui.

• Curry paste packets: red, green, massaman, penang…
• Palm sugar
• Fish sauce (nam pla)

Phrase to know: อร่อยมาก, aroi mak mak (really, really delicious)

Buy at Amazon.

With love,
  Koh Samui Sunset

Filed under: (Food) What & where to eat by admin