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In my search of the internet to see if there was anyone else that had done some degree of food tourism around culinary arts, gastronomy and food innovation research like I am doing, I came across this. I look forward to bring back my knowledge of Indian and Thailand food products and cooking techniques and see where I can incorporate them in my work.

This article should appeal to my scientist and academia friends and teachers. My friends Linda and Nayab in Kerala, India who I have been working with to develop a culinary tourism program I think will be most interested.

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International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science –  Author: Watson Baldwin

Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, 12F South Block, 133 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

Chefs have long looked to various aspects of food, culinary trends, restaurants and their peers for inspiration. So
much that they take time away from the line to go deep into culinary cultures across the globe as spectators,
diners, tourists and even as line cooks to find the inspiration behind their new dishes or menu items. The premise
of a chef’s sabbatical is not a new theory or trend, but rather a new explanation of a rite of passage in the culinary
world via culinary tourism. At the start of a chef’s career, they are encouraged to work and gather experience
from a number of restaurants before becoming an Executive Chef. However, when they do become an Executive
Chef, it is difficult to take on multiple tasks or work at different restaurants to further their knowledge outside
the kitchen. This is where the chef’s sabbatical premise is put forward.

This is the full article in pdf file – Click here to read article in full …
Chef’s sabbatical: An analysis of chef’s gastronomic research through culinary tourism

I know some of you are probably tired of listening to my rants of spirituality and love and Buddhist dharma. So I thought I’d take a break from that, if only temporarily, so I can send you some of my latest cooking fun.

I have spent about the last 3 weeks immersed into Thailand culture, cooking and eating together with the family. It has been a rich and incredible experience that I could have never imagined nor planned ahead of time. It’s amazing what happens when you let go and not try to steer the ship all the time. Even though I fulfilled my sabbatical obligation to the college I work for by living in India for two months and learning about their cultural cuisine, I decided to take that intention into Thailand and onward into my further travel as well. This adventure has been so fulfilling for me, its hard to put into words sometimes.

As the date of expiration of my 60-day Thailand visa get s closer, I am observing the full range of emotions and feelings inside of me as it’s time to move along to Cambodia and Vietnam before I head to Indonesia in the spring. I have developed beautiful caring, loving friendships that it’s sad to leave them. It’s hard to believe I’ve been away from home since September 2018 and it just turned February. I am going to write about this and I just wanted to mention it here briefly.

In the meantime, I want to share a couple of my favorite dishes and their recipes for you, as I did when I was in India. One of my favorite Thai dishes in Pad-Thai. I can’t tell you how may times I ate those noodles from street vendors. Some were definitely better than others. And then I made them with Kay… and those were the best I ever had. I’m giving you the recipes. I hope you enjoy!

Pad Thai – Thai Fried Noodles

The next dish I had was absolutely incredible. It has all the palate sensations that I talk about in my classes. Sweet, sour, salty, spicy, crunchy and chewy. I didn’t make this myself, but I watched it be put together at the end. Kay is an incredibly talented cook with a well-developed sense of taste and I hope everyone gets the chance to learn from her in the kitchen and listen to her spiritual wisdom.

Mee Krob Chao Wang – Royal Crispy Vermicelli

There are so many egg dishes here in Thailand using chicken, duck and quail eggs. And I’m not talking omelets, though the Thai style omelet is pretty incredible. Since Kay is of Chinese descent, I wanted to share this one with you.

Moo Palo Recipe, Eggs and Pork Fragrant Stew –

สูตรทำไข่พะโล้หมูสามชั้นเห็ดหอม ; khai phalo muu saam chan het haawm- Serves: 8

An all-time classic and a favorite Thai stew, this easy-to-prepare, tasty and fragrant dish was introduced into Thai cuisine by Chinese immigrants.

Ingredients:
400gr pork belly (sliced bacon), cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
300gr pork shoulder or tenderloin, cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes
7 large eggs
300gr firm bean curd, cut into 2cm (1″) cubes
Neutral taste cooking oil for deep frying
10-20 (25gr) dry shiitake mushrooms
1/3 cup (125gr) palm sugar
3 star anise fruits
3 pieces of cassia tree bark, 5cm (2″) each
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (phalo powder)
1/4 cup fish sauce
8 cups water
2 tablespoons dark sweet sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Garlic coriander paste:
3 medium coriander roots (about 10gr), scraped, washed and finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic (about 20gr), finely chopped
2 teaspoons black peppercorns (about 5gr)
1 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes.
2. When re-hydrated, strain. Save both the water and the mushrooms and set aside. Remove and discard the hard stalks.
3. Gently place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to prevent the eggs from cracking. Bring to boil, and let it boil for one minute on medium heat. Then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a cold water bath, and let them cool down. Peel and dry. Set aside.
4. Cut the bean curd into 2cm (1″) cubes
5. Deep fry the bean curd on medium-low heat until the cubes are golden.
6. Remove the bean curd from the oil. Soak the cubes in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes, then strain and set aside.
7. Thoroughly clean the skin side of the pork belly, and cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes. Cut the pork tenderloin into cubes of the same size.
8. In a hot wok, without oil, roast the pork belly pieces. The heat will render out the fat.
9. When the pork starts to brown, and there is liquid fat in the wok, then add the pork tenderloin cubes. Sear together until the meat is browned from all sides.
10. Set aside.
11. In a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander roots, the garlic and the peppercorns with a teaspoon of salt as an abrasive. The paste does not need to be very fine. Set aside.
12. In a wok on a low heat, melt the palm sugar. Slowly caramelize it to a deep amber color, being careful not to burn it! You may add a tablespoon of water here and there, to control the rate of caramelization. Now the sugar is nice and brown.
13. Add the garlic-coriander paste, the cinnamon sticks, star anise and the Chinese five-spice powder. Mix well
14. Add the garlic-coriander paste, the cinnamon sticks, star anise and the Chinese five-spice powder. Mix well
15. Add the pork and eggs to the sugar sauce. Mix well.
16. Transfer the pork and eggs to a pot, and cover with a lid.
17. Add the re-hydrated mushrooms and their water.
18. Add fried bean curd.
19. Fill the pot with 4 cups of water.
20. Add the sweet black soy sauce, the fish sauce, the light soy sauce and the oyster sauce
21. Cover, and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour until the pork is soft and the eggs are a nice deep brown color. Skim any oil that floats to the top.
22. Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.