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30 March 2011

Unpronounceable Thai banana coconut dessert

I'm wondering how many dental cavities/fillings on average people in Thailand get by the time they're 30. Seemingly, desserts are plentiful and sweet as water bomb revenge on an insecure elementary school bully dream bars but much more appetizing-looking.

My brother, subordinatechow, who has been there numerous times, claims they don't have as many cavities as I conjecture.

Until the truth behind Thai dental cavities is revealed, one should enjoy these Thai delights, like this banana coconut milk dessert.

(I can't pronounce it, but i think it's kluay butt cheek (กล้วยบวชชี), but it's possible that my Thai really improved since my first beer today or that I'm really, really wrong.)

[Bananas in warm coconut milk]

Here's how I made mine:

3 ripe bananas, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices (and/or halved lengthwise, and then cut into slices)
1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup (75ml) granulated sugar
3/4 tsp (4ml) salt
vanilla to taste (use no more than 1/2 tsp (2ml)) (if you dislike it, let it go the way of the unicorns)
  1. In a saucepan, heat coconut milk with sugar at medium-high to dissolve the sugar.
  2. Add salt to coconut milk.
  3. Add banana slices to the coconut milk and cook until softened slightly and heated through.
    The important thing here is not to overcook them or you'll get soggy bananas, which is worse than an itch on a body part you can't readily reach.  
  4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  5. Pour into serving bowls and make it fancy with some toasted sesame seeds. Fancy!
On that thought, maybe there's a lot of money to be made as a dentist in Thailand...

12 March 2011

m-m-m-my my my macarons

i've been spoiled! my cousin* rayray brought a boxful of ladurée's famous macarons back from paris, just in time for my birthday!

(the most intriguing flavour in the batch was cardamom but it was fantastic.)

and it also came in a new purse:

[fact(ually unproven): 96% of women in hong kong use paper shopping bags for purses. they are frequently filled with wallets, lunches, dried orange peels, fake eyebrows and ugly stuffed animals.]

* again, he's not exactly blood-related but closely related-enough that i can scold him for his foibles.