Learning How to Cook Thai

Pictured to the left is my new teacher, Khruu At. She is doing a great job teaching Rhianna (our teammate who just arrived the end of May) and me Thai. I am studying a module to do with kitchen stuff but mostly with how to make Thai dishes and the names of the ingredients in those dishes. So, last week I asked Paa At (she has asked us to call her Paa becuase it means "auntie") if one day she could teach me how to make some Thai dishes. Today was the day we decided on and instead of PJ, Calvin and I going to Rhianna's, Rhianna and her daughter Emmy came here.
I went out yesterday morning and bought the vegetables and spices I needed from the truck that comes thru our neighborhood at 7AM. I misunderstood our neighbors (by the way). The truck doesn't sell the actual soups but you can buy the stuff to make the dishes from the truck. They even sell meat! It's great. But, I have digressed yet again.
So, we decided to make Tom Khaa Kai, Fried Rice and Cashew Chicken. Tom Khaa Kai is a very yummy soup made with chicken, lemongrass, coconut milk and several other ingredients that I don't have an English word for! It was delicious! The meal was so filling and even though I was full I could've continued eating! In the picture to the left you see to the far left the fried rice, then on the plate in the front is cashew chicken. In the small bowl is the Tom Khaa Kai and in the large pot is jasmine rice. (We had a whole soup pot full of the Tom Khaa Kai). There was a lot of food leftover, so you know what we will be eating for supper! I also sent some home with Rhianna.
Pictured to the left is our teacher with Rhianna. Rhianna is due to have her second child the end of August.
I am hoping to get some of these recipes perfected before long. They are so good and simple to make (and much cheaper than eating farang food) BUT the difficulty comes in knowing how much of x and y to throw in the pot. The Thais just know and so I hope that someday (not too far from now) I will just "know" too!