“Fabulous Lanna cooking class!!”  * * * * *

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I wanted to learn more about cooking northern food while I was in Chiang Mai, so I took Lin's private Lanna cooking class, and had a fabulous experience. Lin was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and fun to work with. First she took me to the morning market to shop for meat and produce. She answered tons of my questions about ingredients and recipes at the market, and helped me try a few vegetables, herbs, and spices that I was interested in. Then, we went to Lin's house, where she has a beautiful organic garden and an outdoor kitchen area for cooking and teaching. 

The cooking experience itself was wonderful. Lin and I cooked together, making a number of different Lanna dishes, including Sai Oua, Gaeng Hung Lay, Nam Phrik Noom, and Laab Muang. When Lin learned that I was interested in Nam Phrik and 
Laab, we even added a couple of dishes to our planned menu -- a raw version of the laab, and a second nam phrik with crab paste (nam phrik nam pu). We made everything from scratch -- pounding the curry pastes, dicing the meat, and grilling and simmering over coal fire. 

Lin is a terrific teacher, and guided me through preparing all the dishes and answered my many questions. We had a great time cooking together -- it was like cooking together at the home of a friend. 

After we had finished, we ate together with her daughter, sharing the food we had prepared, which was some of the best food I ate in Thailand. The class was everything I hoped for -- a great chance to learn more about the food and people of Chiang Mai. I would happily cook with Lin again, and hope I have the chance to do so the next time I return!

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"Eli”, USA  Visited July 12, 2019

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