ITECC – The closest thing to a Chain style grocery store I think I will find

We drove by our house, or what will be our house whenever we can move in to it, and checked out the nearby attractions and stores.
The most obvious store in the area is called Lao ITECC. I am sure it is some sort of acronym but I have absolutely NO idea what it stands for. If anyone can tell me I will be happy to update. It stands for Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Center. EDIT: Thanks to the CLO for telling me what ITECC means

The reason this store is my favorite is that it has SOO many Asian products. Yes, I know I live in Asia so it should be everywhere. There are really no big stores to carry it all in one place like in the states. (except for this one)
The only other option is to luck out and find some of the items at the local markets. Along the streets there are little shops that sometimes have food products but there is no logical order or stocking. So for the sheer overwhelming number of Asian products, ITECC is the place. It has only one down side. It is really far away from where I am at now. When I move it will literally be right next door, but that will take some time.
I did find some pretty cool things to take with me. In the first picture is a hollowed out coconut shell filled with some shaved coconut and from what I can tell, a rice gelatin. please correct me if you know what it is)

I had tried this brand before, but never this flavor. (The other flavor I tried being Grass Jelly Drink, quite delicious) It was essentially basil seeds inside of little gelatin-like pods in a simple-syrup. I won’t drink it again, because I don’t need so much sugar and the flavor was nothing exceptional.

MMMM Yellow curry paste! This packet was about 6x5 inches and it was the smallest. There were huge gallon containers of this stuff!

 

I bought myself a new cleaver here. The knives in the hotel are so flimsy that when I was cutting a carrot I ended up making one large crescent. That is simply unacceptable. I know that a cleaver is not a normal knife for everyday cutting. Let me explain. At the Chinese restaurant cleavers were the only knives we had and as a result, it is the knife I am the most comfortable using. More safety is required, but once you are comfortable enough using it then it is no different than any other knife.

In my opinion it is more important to use a tool you are familiar and comfortable with using that works than to use the technically correct one.

I may ruffle some feathers with that one but I have always had and favored a  minimalist kitchen. I even made scones this morning using my rice cooker as a bowl and a soup spoon for all of my measuring, for cups and teaspoons. (I would normally use a bowl but we don’t have any in the hotel. Go minimalism!) I don’t even have an oven, but I wanted scones so badly that I made it work with a microwave. Even though scones are not Asian I will write about them.

Indian food with our community sponsors

On a side note I just finished my class finals so I am DONE! Well, at least until January. OK, now to the food part, YAY!
This was my first time venturing near the Mekong River. I will definitely walk out this way again.
I tried an Indian restaurant that is right along the Mekong. I am not sure if I will visit the restaurant again.  The food seemed hit and miss to me. They had EXCELLENT naan bread. The chicken tikka I ordered (pictured) looked AMAZING but the meat had little flavor and was dry. I would normally leave something like that out, but I think this looked too beautiful to pass up a post!

This is the delicious Naan bread I mentioned earlier. It was so good

Korean Restarant Number Nine

UPDATE: My meal name was bibimbap.

There is a really neat Korean restaurant that is very close to the hotel. I think this is the most authentic Korean restaurant I have ever been to. Of course, I have never been to Korea, so my confirmation will have to wait until I go to Korea.

As soon as I sat down they brought over some yummy barley tea. Now, barley tea is not so amazing by itself. It is a traditional Korean drink that I had for the first time at a Korean restaurant in Oklahoma. (Oklahoma, really? Yeah.) I love the flavor and it's very good for your digestion. I wish I could get some outside of going to to Korean restaurants. ( I guess I could toast some barley and then brew my own) In the meantime, I drink mulberry tea, a popular, locally made tea. It has a similar flavor, in my opinion, to barley tea.

The menu itself was not organized into logical categories like I am used to, but it was in English. Counting my blessings... The item I ordered had a name too long to recount, but the food was EXCELLENT! My main dish (First pic) was served in an extremely hot bowl. It was still being cooked/searing in the bottom of the bowl. It was served with a spicy sauce which you are supposed to mix with the contents of the bowl.

Most of the kimchi served was ok. The cabbage kimchi (pictured) was delicious. Probably some of the best kimchi I have ever had.

The gimbap (sort of like a veggie roll) was pretty standard for gimbap. They are commonly bland in flavor and I usually need some sort of sauce with them. The next day for breakfast I broke them up and made some fried rice with them.

Along with the barley tea I had some of this Tiger beer. I liked it. It honestly tastes better than Beer Lao. SHHH Keep that one quiet. I don't think I will post too much more about the beer. I am still trying to be healthy and I don't need so much beer for that.

Hot chile Oil, but be careful...

I decided that with all of my fresh ingredients I could make a nice infused oil. It was pretty fun but there is a dangerous side to it. Look at the end for some safety tips to follow.

My first step was to make the hot chile part of the hot chile oil.
Back when I worked at the Chinese restaurant in the states we had to get some crushed red peppers ready for use  in the Kung Pao Chicken. We pretty much made chunky hot chile oil.

To do this set aside some red pepper flakes. Let's say about a cup or so. Put them into a container that can handle the high heat of the oil. Something Pyrex or metal. Next to a pot/pan/whatever add about twice the amount of oil as you had flakes and heat. If you are watching carefully I would say put it up to high.

I don't worry too much about exact measurements or guidelines (unless it is regarding safety) so don't worry if things are a bit off.

You want the oil to be more fluid, just like water. I used chopsticks to move the oil around and could easily see when the oil had reached that consistency. I am sure this matches some temperature but I don't have a food thermometer. (I haven't ever needed a thermometer except when I needed to monitor for safety while doing some seafood) As soon as it has reached this consistency add it to the chile flakes.

The oil is cooking the chile and extracting some capsaicin and flavor.

It will bubble up around the chile the same as if you put anything into a deep fryer. This is EXACTLY what we want. Set this aside for now and be aware that the container will still be hot so exercise caution.

Add more oil to the pan and add the other ingredients and heat. Once your oil and ingredients reach the liquid consistency strain out the additives and bottle. You could also wait until the oil in the pan cools then strain and bottle. I would personally choose to keep the oil with the ingredients a bit longer.

Now back to the chunky chile oil we created earlier. The safest way to proceed is to strain the flakes out and pour the oil into the container with the rest of the oil. I put it all in the bottle but won't keep it for very long. Place in the fridge and you are finished.

In my oil I used just a tiny half-handful of these ingredients: garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, galangal, sweet basil, lemon basil, dill, chile flakes Please be sure to read my safety tips below.

Some tips:

1. Ensure that all containers and utensils are sanitized by boiling in water. Any container/utensil/lid that cannot withstand boiling should not be used. Period.

2. Make only small amounts that can be used within one month. Some people recommend only for ten days, but this website recommends 3-7 days with a MAXIMUM freezer life of 6 months: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/106252-post6.html

For best safety you can simply make only enough that you need for one day and make it that day.

Any infusion kept for over one day MUST be refrigerated or kept in the freezer.

3. If you couldn't tell from #2 Discard after that time SERIOUSLY

4. Make sure that the container you are using can be sealed. I would recommend something that seals tightly such as a twist off lid or an old style beer bottle like this one:
http://admin.hartspartyhire.com.au/images/productimages/76704d952f45.jpg

This bottle is unacceptable:
http://ceuco.elementality.biz/Olive-oil-bottle-sm.jpg

And so is this one :
http://www.recipetips.com/images/glossary/o/oliveOilDisenser.jpg

Specific health information:

Botulinum organisms can grow in food sources containing even trace amounts of water and cause botulism
Leaving garlic in your infusion increases the risk of Botulism. Yes, the same stuff from when cans are bulging out. Bad, yes.

So now on to how to make some of your very own oil:

Combine the herbs/spices with oil in a saucepan and heat over low-medium heat to about 180F. I would always choose a lower temperature if given a range on a recipe. What I want is to "open the pores" of the ingredients, not to cook them. (Sorry if I made anybody cringe with the use of the pore analogy) Higher temperatures tend to give the oil a "cooked" taste and may caramelize or scorch the flavorings.

Strain and seal into your sterilized container and allow to cool. After the oil has reached room temperature, refrigerate it. The oil can become cloudy in the refrigerator. This does not effect the flavor and goes away once heated sort of like how butter is opaque when cold but clear when heated. Maybe exactly like butter...

You may be reading this and think, "Oh, my favorite restaurant has the same bottle of oil for a LONG time and it has garlic and chiles too, I don't need to worry." WRONG! These restaurants are probably using heat stabilized oils purchased from and FDA approved vendor (if in the United States) or they are using oils that are citric acid or phosphorus supported. (Or so we can only hope...)

A good site that offers more information and how much spices to use for different flavors: http://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_articles/Cooking_Oils_-_Flavored_Oils/125-How_To_Make_Flavored_Oils.html

Food safety with oil infusion is discussed here: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/13025-infused-oils-safety-question.html

I want to emphasize the importance of this safety information. A great beginner project to work on without having to worry about so many safety requirements would be making an infused vinegar.
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/infusedmixes

Another day, another market... I think this was a local only market

Today I wandered over to a market. I suspiciously think that only locals go to this market. Here is the entrance to said market!

 

These were the first two people I saw in this market. I thought their presentation of the rice was so amazing! I managed to ask them if I could take their photo long with the rice. They seemed so happy when I asked, they even posed together for me.

 

 I love the presentation of this rice.

I bought some lemon basil from this vendor. It smells LOVELY and tastes even better. I had heard of lemon basil before but I never knew how much it actually tasted like lemon!

 Next time I go I am DEFINITELY buying some of those baby bok choy.

 

 This is the Thai sweet basil i bought from a vendor who was technically in the fish/seafood market. I didn't stay long in that area. The smell wasn't bad, but the woman I bought the basil from was super grumpy at me. I need to get her picture next time. She's already grumpy, so why not?

 

 This was my first time trying rambutan. They are really good. They taste like a grape and lychee love-child. The fruit inside is pretty juicy too and surrounds a hard stone-like pit that you have to eat around.

 

Yes, I know it has nothing to do with the food, but it was on one side of the market and I really like the look of it.

 

Dragon-fruit...Unleashed!

I promised that I would dissect the dragon-fruit I purchased from the market so here I am, delivering as promised. I am not embarrassed to say that I had absolutely NO idea how to handle this fruit. I didn't recognize it on sight. I actually Googled "Asian Fruits" and went to images. From there it was easy to click the picture of what I had to determine the name. I used the Thai food section of About.com to understand a bit more about the fruit and learn how to make it edible.

 Well, our first step is to cut it open. Cut it right down the middle. The skin is soft and the fruit inside is even softer and juicier so make sure you have paper towels or something to catch all the liquid. At least don't have anything important nearby...

 After the fruit has been split, shallowly slide a spoon in-between the skin and the fruit and move it all the way around. You can then squeeze both sides from the outside and it should slide out. If it does not, you can repeat the spoon method, going deeper into the fruit

The suggested serving method was to cube the fruit. I couldn't really think of any other way to do it, but I am sure it is up to imagination. The flavor was extremely delicate. The fruit itself had a very soft mouth-feel and was incredibly moist inside.

Actually went to the store this time and also, I'm slightly cheeky about my พริก

Last time I posted about going to a store, I never actually went to it.

Now I have proof that I went to one. Wait. There are no pictures of me in the store. WHOOPS, need to fix that!

There is a store catering mostly to expats called Phimphone Market. Some of the items are local and inexpensive but some of the foreign products are a bit pricey. If anyone has ever been to a commissary on an American embassy you will understand. I only want to show of some of the less ordinary items today.

Those chiles are SUPER SPICY!! I use about one with seeds and other spicy things. A good rule of thumb for the chiles. If you like it mildly spicy remove the stem and seeds from the inside. With seeds is pretty hot and adding more chiles will obviously increase your burn.

I've had a bit of debate on whether or not the word is chilies or chiles (or anything else for that matter) and which would be more accurate for my posting. According to About.com chilis is the American way to write it and chiles is correct from the Spanish point of view. To avoid any confusion at all I could begin to use the Thai word for them: พริก. Feel free to correct my ending on that one 

This is a beautiful Dragon-fruit. I will dissect it in a later post. I am sure it will be lovely.

 

This would be Galangal root. It has an interesting flavor. It is like ginger root but it's quite a bit spicier and tastes cleaner to me. I will have to do some more research on this to be sure.

 

This is some Thai fish sauce, or Nam Pa in Lao. This brand is pronounced

Ngan Pyar Yay.

 

This soy sauce is also Thai. Most of the locals use Thai products, the Isan region of Thailand could be considered culturally Lao.

Got some sleep, now bring me some FOOD!

So I slept OK the first night. I think having been on planes for as many hours as I had been made it all so easy.. I went to to a place called Kop Chai Deu for lunch today. I LOVE this place. even though it's one of the two places I've been, I think it's my favorite.

This is the "Lao Beef." Now, to me, it just tasted like steak so I guess it must be local beef. Very tender and juicy. Best steak I'd had in a while

I was very much in a beef mood today so I kept it going with the beef fried rice. Delish! Great texture too.

For dessert, a simple fruit plate. Absolutely beautiful!! There is watermelon, banana and a tangerine. (Please let me know if I have misidentified the fruit)

 

While I was walking home I found some very beautiful architecture at one of the nearby wats.

Trip to the Huang Market

Unfortunately I was unable to make it to this trip but I did get some goodies. Laos used to be a French colony. Because of this there are still a lot of things written in French and of course, MANY French influenced items in stores, restaurants, there are also French bakeries and restaurants on nearly every corner. The bread here is phenomenal! This bread that I got was a slightly sweet croissant coated with black sesame seeds. The only thing I can't figure out is how they were able to get the croissants sliced so evenly Any suggestions?

This region has some interesting flavors for the potato chips. Some of them are pretty out there (fish sauce flavor perhaps...) but there are also some that are slightly more familiar if not found in the states. I got the sweet Thai basil flavor, with chiles!! MMM! I don't usually eat potato chips, they get all stuck in my teeth and it's not that fab. These chips were incredibly worth it soooo good. (almost nommy)

Saving the best for last, I introduce: orange-flavored M&M's. I have already had a request for these from one of my stateside friends. Order is shipping out this week Along with some Lao coffee.(apparently it's the good stuff)

Now if anyone wants any of the things that I've found or any other souvenir requests, let me know, I'll do what I can!

First Meal in Laos

Our very first meal was at one of the American's houses here. Their Mabon (word translates to house mother) made a DELICIOUS Lao meal for us. There were some appetizers (fried spring rolls with a peanut sauce) but I didn't get any photos of them. We had just finished a whole lot of flying so I think I get a tiny break there ;) Laos also has this really great beer called Beer Lao. It's smooth and cheap (That's price not quality!) it is usually around a dollar.

 

  The next day for lunch we went to the "Château du Lao," a great Lao restaurant across the street from the embassy.The food there is so delicious. I will have to go back to get the actual names of the dishes. (Oh I definitely will go back!) Three of us ate there at a later date for about 80,000 kip ($9.42) I was so shocked as the breakfast at my hotel cost 70000 kip for one person. (I didn't know the price the first time we went because we were treated to lunch.)

 

I had a chicken stir fry dish

I also had this long bean salad. It was WAY too spicy to finish

 

Right on the middle of the area that Château du Lao and the US Embassy are at is the That Dam (pronounced Tawt Dahm) or Black Stupa. Not sure if That Dam means Black Stupa or not. . Legend says that a dragon (a  seven-headed Naga, actually) lives inside. Also I was told that this Stupa was once covered in gold and when Siam (now Thailand) invaded Laos they stripped the gold off and carted it back to their home.

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