Project Food Blog: "The Classics"

Drop the beat!

The first round of the PFB Competition is now done

Thanks to everyone who helped me make it past round one

Now here we go again with another rhyme

I promise you I won't be wasting your time

Don't worry, I won't rhyme throughout the whole post

I just want to make a simple toast

Congrats to everyone else that made it this far

But, you all should know I'll be raising the bar 

For the second round we have to make a classic dish

Choose what you want, it can even be fish

Make a dish from a different cuisine outside your comfort zone

Something more challenging than a simple ice cream cone

For the first time I will be posting something savory on my blog

In this special event, you definitely know it won't be a hot dog

By now you should be asking, "What are you making dude?"

For this special event, let's make some Thai Food!

With that being said, this rhyme is complete

It's now time to get serious and compete! :D

Since I made it past the first round of the PFB competition, I think it's now time to bring a little asian persuasion to this competition. ha. Thai Food is a cuisine that I am obsessed with, particularly the noodle dishes. I've even been known to eat at least two Thai meals a week. (And I'm not even Thai! Talk about dedication!) The great balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy, without either one overpowering one another, takes real skill. Let's get ready to tackle the, ever so famous, extremely iconic, most desired, Pad Thai!

The Mise En Place

Pad Thai, is defined as "Stir-fried rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, shrimp, peanuts and seasonings". Define it how you will, to me it's good eating! lol. For a well made Pad Thai, it either requires you to be either A. Thai or B. Eat at a delicious Thai Restaurant. Now, I've had my share of bad Pad Thai, (Hint: The Pad Thais that use ketchup...) but it wasn't until I ate Pad Thai that was Tamarind Based, two years ago, that I fell in love with it. Having a Tamarind Base, it has a distinct flavor. You can taste every single layer of flavor in the dish. The tender rice noodles that have soaked up this sweet, sour, salty, spicy, garlic-y tamarind based sauce, mixed with eggs, chicken and tofu, or whatever protein you desire, to give body to the dish, bean sprouts for crunch, peanuts for more added crunch and nuttyness and green onions for that onion-y bite. Then to top it all off, when the steaming hot noodle dish is served to you, you take that wedge of lime, squeeze it right on top for the added tang. YUM! Am I making your mouth water yet? I am, huh? Talk about heaven in a bowl! Mmmmm, I can taste it now. Literally. ha.

Adding Eggs To The Cooked Noodles, Chicken And Tofu

Surprisingly, Pad Thai is not as hard to make as many would think. The sauce does take time but it only involves reducing the sauce. Labor intensive? I think not. Also, you do end up with quite a bit of sauce left at the end but that just means you can make Pad Thai any time you want! :D If the thought of having multiple Pad Thai nights doesn't persuade you, I don't know what will. ha. Just throw all your ingredients into the wok or pan, add some sauce and BAM! you have yourself some Pad Thai. (I just had to release my inner Emeril "BAM!"). I believe the key to Pad Thai is to NOT substitute ingredients!! It's the only way to have the right flavor. To stay true to the cuisine and dish, stay true to the recipe.

Pad Thai Anyone?

Now, what are you waiting for? Go out and make yourself some Pad Thai! You know you want to.  Your stomach is waiting! hehe.

Don't forget to vote again from September 27 to 30. 

Just go to my PFB Profile HERE during those dates. 

Thanks for the support! :)

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

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