Mini-Thailand series continued! Fruits and herbs not even available at 99Ranch??
"Never try, never know, honey!"(The motto of our Thai cooking instructor)
Ah, music to my ears, the motto I live by but couldn't articulate so clearly.
The variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs in the markets was beyond my imagination! I think I've seen a lot from exploring all the local Persian, Indian, Afghan, Mexican, Korean, and Japanese markets in addition to spending hours (cumulatively) browsing grocery store aisles in every country I visit. I've collected some random things like a 25 lb. bag of "the best" basmati rice and Portuguese salted cod, hoping to someday make some special dishes. They're still in the cupboard.
Of course there are disappointments that come with this "Never try, never know" motto. Some things I've learned:
- Orange Mocha Frappuccinos are terrible. Orange+Coffee should never be.
- Greek yogurt is NOT a suitable substitute for heavy cream in Chicken Tikka Masala.
- The leg-lengthening effect of high-rise pants does NOT justify the horse-butt effect.
- Street seafood in 80% humidity weather in Thailand WILL taste fishy.
- Layering oil-based paints over water-based paints works, but NOT vice versa.
- Painting WILL improve observational skills.
I often don't notice unique details about objects until I paint them. In this case the detail was the two-tone color, green at the stem shifting to light orange on the opposite end. Water-based Japanese pigments are the best for two-colored gradations!
With a handful of these freshly picked, our cooking instructor said to us, "never try, never know, honey!" They were delicious. They had a thin but tough skin like avocado, and the inside was jelly-like, similar to lychee, and very sweet.
Though there are some risks with constantly trying new things, the benefits have always exceeded the disappointments!
"Never try, never know, honey!" I'm grateful for these wise words.