Yummy Thai Cooking Classes

I've taken the pad thai/fried rice/satay class and the curries class and they were both great. The classes are all about hands on not about theory. You dive right in on the stove. The food we made during class turned out great (better than most Thai restaurants who take many shortcuts) and the leftovers we took home in the provided containers lasted for a few lunches afterward.

Of course the true test is doing it again in your own home without expert supervision. Here we were 80% successful cooking the dishes for a group of friends recently - the food turned out great, everyone really liked it, but I thought the food we cooked in class was still a bit better tuned as far as taste and spices. For that reason you may want to take some brief notes during or immediately after class on any small nuances you notice so that you'll recall them later. You'll also need to make sure to properly scale the recipes when cooking larger amounts. And note to self, if the recipe says soak the rice noodles for 30 minutes soak them for 30 minutes not 75 minutes, even if you think you know better because what you didn't realize is they take on a lot more bulk while cooking.

Another thing to pay attention to - the ingredients. You may want to take a few notes on some of the brands and packages of items (or use your camera phone) especially regarding the curry powders, noodle packets, fish sauce and other bottled spices. It will help you when searching for them in Asian supermarkets (which is where you'll want to go shopping to find everything). And no, Thai Kitchen brand items from Safeway probably won't cut it.

On a final note, a papaya that is labeled "Red Papaya" but looks green is NOT green papaya. Keep asking the people in the store until they direct you to the real green papaya :).

If you're looking for something fun to do, this is a great class to take. This was my first cooking class and so I didn't know what to expect. However, Chef Saithong was warm, friendly and easy going. The classes are held at her home and last about 2 hours each. All the ingredients and supplies are provided. The best part is that you get to take home the delicious food you prepared! Her husband, who is kind of like her manager, is also very nice. They have a big dog, but he's friendly and doesn't bother anyone. They offer different kinds of classes which you can see on their website, including how to make salads, curries (the two most popular classes according to her husband), soups, desserts and a newly added class on pad thai! I've taken the salads and curries class and thoroughly enjoyed both. The cooking is simple, fresh and fun!

Saithong's cooking is different from regular Thai restaurant fare. Her food is healthy and authentic, with mostly homegrown spices. She is also very patient with explanation and instruction. She puts together a good selection of vegetarian options if asked.

I took my first class with Yummy Thai Cooking last week and I really enjoyed it! The atmosphere was great and by the end of the class it was like a group of friends who get together all the time to cook. The dishes were great and suprisingly easy to prepare, and I really enjoyed being able to taste my own dishes after each one was prepared. Thanks Saithong, I'll definitely be back to learn more!!