Daily Archives: May 26, 2005

Hoi Tod – Fried Mussels in Batter

I have told you before how to cook Pad Thai. This is otherwise known as Thai fried noodles and is a favourite of many foreign visitors. I buy it from the street hawker around the corner every two weeks or so. I think I mentioned before that I don’t buy street food that often as I usually cook for myself. Today I cooked red chicken curry, stir fried vegetables in oyster sauce and omlette. I like curries. I buy packets of green and red curry paste and cartons of coconut milk. I then experiment with different ingredients sometimes blending Thai tastes with Western ideas. However, I always like it hot and spicy. The curry paste is never enough and I always add more chilis. Most foriegn Thai cookbooks say take out the seeds. But, I always throw the lot in.

Anyway, whenever you see someone cooking “pad thai”, you should know straight away that the same street vendor also makes “hoi tod” (sometimes spelled “hoy thod”). This is basically made up from a batter mixed together with either mussles or oysters. This is then fried in a flat-bottomed pan for a while before an egg is added and scrambled. When it is cooked, a handful of beansprouts are sprinkled on top. It is served with a chili sauce made up with rice vinegar, sliced chillis and sugar.

Smokes during the day in school

“Ah so yummy and so full :), let’s go get some snack and give it to our code fresh girlies!,” said Bow asking friends to go to snack shop in the middle of the school after having lunch.

“Alright!,” eagerly replied friends.

We got lots of stuff for our code fresh men and also some for ourselves to sneak out eating during the class, JK!, I mean “after class” :P..We hurriedly walked up to where our juniors and freshmen were because the ring to get back to classes was on its way coming widespread to everyone even those in the toilets!

While, we were walking, my friend, Phung’s favourite teacher stared at us (He always does and say funny stuff which we call “Mook” refering to “Joke” -quite teenage slang) very steadily and once again, that made us laugh because his face was so funny. Then we were about to continue walking, I asked him where he was going. He answered “Catching some smoke makers:)”. He said he smelled lots of cigarrett’s smoke in his office which stands just in front of guys’ toilet.

It’s always like that both during the breaks and after school – guys go smoke in the toilet by sharing just one cigarrett and pass it to others in the boo. They sometimes get caught but they still keep doing it because it’s like their own daily routine.. they gotta do it, cannot really be away from it at all. Some even think teachers cannot do anything with it because they are school’s top atheletes, they bring back lots of fame for school and teachers would let them go but that ain’t true! Teachers always care about them, that’s why they go see them ~ catch them, never ever neglect. On the other hand, teachers don’t kick them outta school, too because most of them are addicted to smoking, they never meant to but somehow they tried and got addicted..teachers see it’s a problem friends and all teachers should help .. not to push them down more and more, instead, should offer them a warm hand. Most want to quit, they just don’t know how..also, they cannot force themselves not to..well, we’re still adolescents ~ still need back-up and someone to tell what is right and what is left, I mean wrong :p (though, someone deny that but for real, we really do need someone or something to hold on and guide us to illuminated roads.)

Days after days, school gets older .. you think students get addicted to smoke more and more everyday, right? That’s quite true. :p The number stays steadily but however those who used to be caught but already graduated.. are now quite successful. They can quit it at last or can reduce the amount of it at least. They can go to pretty good universities and can come back proudly to tell the teachers who used to catch them.

Anyway, they can’t go this far if they didn’t have teachers in those days.. if they didn’t have anyone..anyone else to understand and try to help them. I really appreciate what teachers have been doing for us, their beloved students. Whatever we act, do or say.. whether, we’re totally bad bad students ~ they just never lack of caring for us. That’s why I say we’re all their beloved students ~

This’ not the story declaring bad things in my school..I just want to show how thoughtful our second parents have for us..they treat us like their very own children.. So, guys, are we going to continue nibbling our parents’ hearts? Luckily, they still care for us now but what if one day they no longer care? what if one day, we really have noone left?! ~ Let’s think about it.. nation needs us for the coming future! Don’t ruin our own land, our own soceity, our own country and most importantly, our own home sweet home and anyone who love us’ hearts…

Bua- the Best Sea-food restaurant.

Bua used to be a large, open- air restaurant in Chaengwattana Road, near the present day Lotus Supermarket.

Amidst sylvan green, chairs and tables were placed at some distance from each other in groups. At the entrance in large aerated aquariums and small pools many varieties of fishes, squids and prawns were kept alive. The most attractive was the over-sized tiger prawn.

You could place your order by indicating your choice, and steaming food would be brought to you at no time. Though a sea-food restaurant, it was quite innovative in preparing chicken. One such dish was deep fried chicken marinated in fennel seed, wrapped in banana leaves. The dish was served with fried cashew nuts.

I went there recently to see that it now exists in a small covered room, and the old grandeur simply vanished.