Wedding Dreams in the Sand

By P M Carter

Have you ever dreamed about having your wedding on a tropical island beach? The sensation of the warm afternoon sand between your toes; the natural harmony of the sea as it gently caresses the shoreline; standing hand-in-hand, with the one you love, committing to one another completely. Sound like a romantic dream? As you will discover on Koh Samui, dreams can come true...

But why opt for this island paradise as your dream wedding destination? In case you need a little extra encouragement, here are a few considerations.

* Welcome to "The Land of Smiles". As you enter Samui's tropical and most unquestionably unique open-walled airport, you will immediately feel the warmth and hospitality 'Amazing Thailand' is famous for; with an obvious infusion of a relaxed island lifestyle. The friendly character of the locals is absolutely contagious - you will soon find yourself smiling at the mention of the word Samui.

* The Alluring Soft Sandy Beaches. Feel the warmth and splendor of the sand beneath your feet while you live out your wedding dreams under the afternoon sky, shaded by the abundant coconut palm trees, on a tranquil Samui beach. Shoes are entirely optional.

* The Warm, Inviting Blue Waters of the Gulf of Thailand. What could make a more magnificent backdrop to your wedding memories than Samui Archipelago? Go for a sail around the island, snorkel in the shallow waters, and for the adventurous couples who want to start their marriage with a little "depth"; there are enchanting underwater wedding ceremonies available.

* Give Your Family & Friends A Reason To Take A Holiday! Sometimes we all need a little enticement to escape our daily lives; a reminder that if we don't take the time to enjoy the opportunities before us, we may never get the same chances again. Koh Samui is the perfect getaway destination for the whole family; young and old alike. Even getting to Thailand's third largest island has never been easier and simply arriving makes any long-distance expedition worth all the effort. Everyone will thank you for years to come.

* REAL Thai Food Is Absolutely Some Of The Best Food In The World! Think you've had good Thai food before? Koh Samui boasts some of Thailand's finest Chef's available anywhere in the world; where you can indulge in delicious international delights and authentic Thai cuisine. But don't pass over those small restaurants you will notice with only a few tables; you may be missing out on the greatest Thai cooking in the world. And if you find you can't get enough before you go, Samui has many Thai cooking classes to try your own hand at preparing an amazing meal back home.

* More RELAXING and STRESS-FREE Than Having Your Wedding At Home. In today's global society, Thailand is often neutral ground for many families who reside on different continents. Trying to please everyone but yourselves can lead to disaster; I know you've heard the horror stories before. Your wedding day should be about you and your partner's happiness, commitment to each other and the joining of two families together. Let the naturally calm ambiance of Koh Samui heighten your wedding joy and allow everyone present to relax and remember why they are all here - to be together in celebration.

* Not Just for Weddings. Is your anniversary approaching? Surprise your partner and say "I do" all over again with an afternoon vow renewal, champagne in hand, watching the sunset in each other's arms. If you want to express your love for your partner in a truly romantic setting; Commitment Ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular and are ideal for many modern couples.

* If we don't make something special - nothing ever is. Getting married is supposed to be one of the most special days of your life. The uniqueness of saying your nuptials on the beach will make any plans you have for your wedding day that much more unforgettable. Women will feel the timeless romance of the classic fairy tale; men have the benefit of the casual atmosphere, even if they are dressed to the Nine's. It is the perfect choice for your special day - charm and romance naturally included. Don't just let your wedding day "happen". Make the choice to make it special.

There are many more reasons that you will discover, to make Koh Samui home to your wedding dreams. And it doesn't matter whether you want a large wedding, surrounded by your family and close friends, or if you are seeking a small intimate ceremony, standing across from the one you desire most; your wedding dreams begin with you...

PM Carter, formerly from California, USA, is a Wedding Officiant (and avid Scuba Diver) and has performed hundreds of weddings for couples from all over the world. A long-time resident of Koh Samui with his wife and children, Carter, as he is commonly known, is co-owner of A Beach Affaire (http://www.abeachaffaire.com); a Wedding Planning & Coordination company based on Koh Samui. Email: info@abeachaffaire.com to make an appointment for a FREE consultation or quote.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=P_M_Carter

Tips For Cooking Authentic Thai Food

By Napatr Lindsley

Like Thai Food? Love to cook? Perhaps your first attempt did not turn out like in the picture or taste like at the restaurant. Well, do not give up on cooking Thai food. Some Thai dishes may seem difficult because of a long list of ingredients and instructions. Thai cooking is all about ingredients and preparation.

In Thailand, frozen or canned food is not very common. Thais love fresh ingredients. Thailand is one of the lucky countries in the world that has abundant vegetables, exotic fruit, seafood, etc. There is a well-known verse in Thailand describing abundant food resources: "Nai Nam Mee Pla Nai Na Mee Khao" which means "In river, there is fish, in the field, there is rice." This article will start with some general tips and then move in to specific tips for each food category.

Ingredients

Ingredients are the most important part of authentic Thai cooking. If you live in Thailand or in Southeast Asia, finding fresh Thai ingredients is easy. But if you live somewhere else, finding fresh ingredients can be difficult or troublesome especially for those who do not live in a city. If you decide to make Thai dishes, first invest a little of your time getting to know the ingredients.

Then find the nearest Asian grocery store. If you like, call to see if they carry ingredients you are looking for. For instance, if you are looking for "Winter Melon", not all Asian grocery stores carry it. If you prefer, buying online can safe you driving time. If you cannot find fresh ingredients, try frozen and canned foods. In my opinion, most frozen products are the next best thing to fresh food.

For instance, stir-fried shredded ginger with pork has two main ingredients: shredded ginger and pork. Shredded ginger? Sounds like lots of work to use fresh ginger. One might try a jar or can, but the taste and aroma of the ginger are not the same as the fresh version. It is not difficult to make shredded ginger if you have the right peeler. Try your best to find fresh produce, as it will be a good start to cooking authentic Thai dishes.

Equipment

Thais use a wok and pot in most dishes with the exception of desserts. For desserts, it is not required but it is recommended to use a bronze wok (Ka Ta Thong Lueng). Other common equipment includes a mortar and pestle. In Thailand, gas stoves are the most commonly used.

Electric stoves are uncommon and not very popular because heat may not be distributed evenly.

Regarding the mortar and pestle, it depends on one's desire. If you are going to cook Thai dishes very often, a mortar and pestle can become handy in your kitchen. Otherwise, using typical kitchen tools like a knife and cutting board can accomplish the same goal. Food processors or blenders are another option when it comes to making pastes.

Preparation

Preparation is also one of the keys to authentic Thai cooking. As mentioned above, Thai food focuses largely on ingredients and preparation. Preparation in particular is essential to authentic Thai food. You may spend more time preparing ingredients than you actually spend cooking. For instance, it may take about 30 minutes to prepare all ingredients for Tom Kha Gai but you only spend about 15 minutes cooking. A typical Thai dinner consists of 4-5 communal dishes. It may take up to 2 hours to prepare all ingredients, but only 1 hour to make.

A few reasons follow regarding why Thais spend more time on preparation. Thais like their meat in bite size pieces. Fresh vegetables require time to wash, cut and maybe pad dry. Pounding spices and fresh herbs is also common for many dishes. Some desserts like Ta Go (sweet on the bottom layer with salty coconut topping in a pandanus basket) require lots of time in preparation starting from cleaning and cutting leaves and then making baskets. Depending on the amount of Ta Go you are making, it can take up to hours just to make those tiny baskets. Don't be discouraged by this because after preparation, the wonderful dishes are right around the corner!

Cooking to Your Taste

The art of Thai cooking has placed emphasis on the harmonious blending of various ingredients, particularly as the individual ingredients can vary by freshness and so on. Without harmony the taste and the dish fall short. The five elements of taste in Thai food are: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter. When cooking Thai dishes, one may follow a recipe, but use it as a guideline when it comes to taste.

Taste varies for each individual, sometimes in response to variables such as ingredient quality or occasion, and thus the tastes of the recipe author may or may not reflect one's own taste. Following a recipe is a good idea, but when it comes to taste follow your own preference. Know your ingredients and start adding flavorful items in small amounts. For instance, when it comes to curry pastes and fish sauce, some brands are saltier than others. Most Thai dishes can be fixed to some extent. If it is too sweet, adding a little bit of fish sauce will fix the problem and vice versa. If it is too sour, add a little bit of water; sugar or fish sauce will help.

Coconut Milk

Thai food and coconut milk almost always go together. Many dishes require Hua Ka Ti (first pressed coconut milk or creamy coconut milk) and/or Hang Ka Ti (second or third pressed milk or water-like coconut milk). To make fresh coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is still steeped in warm water, not hot water. It is then squeezed until dry. The white fluid from the first press is called "Hua Ka Ti". Warm water is then added again to make the second and third pressed coconut milk, which is called "Hang Ka Ti". Finely grated coconut meat is generally used about 3 times and then discarded. Freshly pressed coconut milk has a better taste and aroma than commercial coconut milk in a can.

If you use canned coconut milk, you will need to have a can at a cold temperature because cold temperatures help separate the creamy coconut part and the water-like part. The creamy coconut milk will float to the top of the can. During hot weather, you may want to leave a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Fried Rice

Good fried rice is not difficult to make. The most important part is the steamed rice. The rice should be cooked but firm, not mushy and soft. If steamed rice is soft and mushy, when it is stir-fried it will all stick together. Good rice in fried rice should be easy to break up and the grains should stay intact.

So to make the steamed rice, make sure you use a little less water than normal so that the rice is dryer than normal. Keeping rice in a refrigerator for 2-3 days is another alternative, but if your rice is mushy and soft after those 2-3 days, the fried rice will also still clump together.

Other keys to making good fried rice are using a wok and high heat. Heat must be evenly distributed and consistently hot all thel time. A wok is recommended for making fried rice but not required.

Curry

There are two main types of Thai curries: coconut-based and non-coconut based. Those which use coconut milk mostly have similar initial steps which include separating the coconut oil and mixing curry paste into coconut milk.

These first 2 steps are keys to perfecting your curry dishes. For instance, if you are making green curry, red curry, matsaman, or kaeng kari, the very first step is bringing Hua Ka Ti (first pressed milk or creamy coconut milk) to a boil until the oil starts to separate.

You do not want to boil too long because you will break Hua Ka Ti and it will look like little white balls. After adding curry paste into the coconut milk, stir until the green or red oil separates and floats to the top. Frequently stirring curry paste is required because you do not want to burn the paste.

Curry paste may stick to a cooking spoon, so make sure to remove it from the spoon. During this process, if Hua Ka Ti is getting dry, add 3-4 tablespoons of Hua Ka Ti at a time to keep the curry paste from burning. After adding vegetables, do not overcook them.

Stir-fried

Most stir-fried dishes take a short time to cook, especially stir-fried vegetables. The main key to most stir-fired dishes is heat. Heat must be evenly distributed throughout the wok or pan. Most recipes will suggest to heat up vegetable oil. In this step, one must make sure that the oil is hot and spread all over the wok (up to the side) or pan. In some dishes, after adding meat and/or vegetables, the pan or wok starts to get drier, so one may add a little bit of water so that the food won't get burned. For vegetables, make sure they are not overcooked.

Desserts

Thai desserts are not too difficult to make. Some may be easier than others. Some require more patience and time than others. Many Thai desserts require one to use the same ingredients, and substitutes are not recommended.

For instance, if Khanom Ta Go asks for mung bean flour, other flour substitutes usually won't work well.

Khanom Bua Loy requires sticky rice flour, and one may not use multipurpose flour or tapioca flour or some other types of flour. In some desserts like potato in ginger syrup, one can use mixed types of potatoes.

Khanom Kaeng Buat can consist of taro, potato and/or pumpkin. When making Thai desserts, read instructions carefully.

Ingredients and preparation are the keys to cooking authentic Thai food. Some of the first few dishes in particular may require patience. However, once you have gotten to know Thai ingredients more and more, you will find how easy it is to cook authentic Thai food.

As for Thai desserts, some are very simple and easy to make and you can perfect them the first time you try. Some desserts may take practice and time to develop certain skills. Do not be discouraged by recipe directions or how beautiful a picture of a dish might be. When you decide to cook authentic Thai food, gather up some friends and enjoy your cooking. Have fun!
Get authentic Thai recipes at http://thaicookinghouse.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Napatr_Lindsley

Fruits From Thailand

By Pauline Go

It is said that Thailand is a real paradise for fruit lovers and one can find an incredible variety of fruits all over Thailand. Thailand is abundant in fruits and it serves as one of the most important revenue generators for the country. A great number of fruits can be easily found at the numerous fruit shops, supermarkets and market places. The fruits that are available here are much cheaper when compared to other countries. Sometimes fruit sellers end up offering tourists fruits to taste for free. This practice is more prevalent on beaches where the tourists spend most of their holidays.

Traditionally, the Thais finish a meal with fruits. Sweeter Thai desserts are kept for snacking in between meals. A Thai breakfast normally comprises of variety of fresh fruits and traditional sweets. Besides being delicious and healthy, eating fresh fruits after a Thai meal is sure way of putting off the burning sensation in the mouth after eating spicy Thai food.

In Thailand, fruits are generally sweet including those which are suppose to be sour. One of the best fruit producing places in Thailand is Phuket Island. It is noted for its pineapple. Pineapples grown here are famous throughout Thailand and are particularly sweet and crunchy. They are also a major export product. Fruits like Rambutan, Bananas, Papaya, Durian, Guava and Mangoes are also grown in Thailand. Recently, several temperate fruits like Apples, Strawberries and Peaches are being grown successfully in the mountain areas of Thailand. The farmers always concentrate on growing more fruits using new methods of cultivation. This ensures that Thailand never faces a shortage of fruits in any season of the year.

Check Out More Articles:
List of Fast Food Restaurants Location, 10 Top Tourist Attractions, Italian & Spaghetti & Pasta Restaurants Location,
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go

Discover the Tasty Thai Food, Cuisine and Cooking

By Pinky Mcbanon

Thai cuisine is a very popular cuisine known all over the world. Apparently influenced by Chinese and Indian cooking, Thai cuisine is a mixture of the best and the most delicious dishes. Thais have a certain unique way of presenting their dishes with beautiful food arrangements. Thai foods are great not only for its taste but also with its attractive looks.

Rice is the staple food of the Thais. It is served, or boiled. The typical Thai meal consists of a large platter with different food dishes, together with the rice. Thai cuisine is a mixture of vegetables, fish, and other meat with lots of spices such as, chili, garlic, lemongrass, coconut milk, tamarind, ginger, basil, peanuts and many others. Thai food is frequently hot and spicy. One of the famous Thai dishes is Tom Yum Kung, which is a spicy soup with shrimp and the Pad -Thai; a kind of noodle fried mixed with meat and vegetable.

Thai cuisine also has a large variety of desserts and snacks dishes. Thai desserts are mainly made with sugar, egg, and coconut milk. The Kanom Buang, is a batter folded over and filled with scraped coconut meat, added with egg yolk and green onion; a well known dessert dish in Thailand.

Visitors can enjoy Thai desserts in all restaurants and even along the sidewalks. Thailand also abounds with lots of tropical fruits. A variety of different kinds of fruits can be seen throughout the year. Well known Thai fruits are the durian, rambutant, mangosteen, mangoes, banana, papaya and lots more.

Most of Thai dishes are tastes salty, sweet, and a little spicy. But even so, the spiciness of the food is just smooth, where in people wouldn't have difficulty trying it. Thais use a variety of spices for their cooking which made their cuisine famous. Thai cuisines are being cooked around the world. Cooking schools consider Thai cuisine as one of their major dishes. Thai foods consist of large amount of sea foods and vegetables.

Thai cuisine is mostly liked be the Chinese because it almost tastes like Chinese cuisines. People from around the world also love to try Thai meals and other foreigners even consider it their favorite.

Thailand is a country full of wonderful things. Starting from the country itself, to its native cuisines will surely reveal why this country is so loved, both local and even abroad.
Ms. Pinky is a mom of 3 school children. She is a Systems Engineer, a Technology Researcher and an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. She and her family is well-traveled all over the world!

Her blogs and websites focuses on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home, build homebased business http://www.mommyisworkingathome.com.
Visit her Interesting Site on Asian Travels and Destinations. Discover Asia's Culture and Great Food at: http://www.goingplacesinasia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pinky_Mcbanon

The Other Side of Stressed is Desserts

By Jb Yeoh

If you read or spell backward the word STRESSED, it is actually DESSERTS! That's right, when we are stressed, try to eat dessert, you will feel better. Whether you experienced it or not, the next time you are stressed, eat a piece of cake, or drink a cup of cocktail juice, you will see wonders!

Try this: after a hard day work, take a chilled drink, sit down and have a sip, you will feel at ease, as if all the body cells are relaxing now! In Japan, the first thing after work is not eat dinner but drinking a glass of chilled beer. In every Chinese wedding dinner, the last dish is always dessert, being it hot or cold, just to make sure all the guests bring back the good memories.
Top 10 Desserts in Asia that help to Stress Out are:

1. Tropical Fruits

Situated in tropical regions, Asia has various delicious tropical fruits that serve as daily desserts such as papaya, banana, pineapple, guava. Seasonal fruits such as "Durian", "Rambutan" and jack fruit are also popular.

2. Chinese Yam Paste

Peeled the yam, cut into small pieces, then steam it, after cooked, smashed it like mashed potato and cook it again with sugar until thicken; a very unique dessert in its own way.

3. Chinese "Longan" & "Lycee"

One of the favourite desserts of all time.

4. Thai "Thap Deem Cop"

A Thai dessert with coconut juice, water chest nut and jack fruit. Have it with ice.

5. Japanese Green Tea Ice Cream

My favourite of all ice cream. Make sure you taste the original green tea ice cream.

6. Indian Mango "Lassi" (yogurt drink)

"Lassi" is an Indian drink made from yogurt; though there are strawberry flavour, i like mango "lassi " the most.

7. Indonesian "Nagasari" Dumpling

A soft and fragrance dumpling made from coconut juice, fragrant leaves and special recipes.

8. Malaysian "Chendoi"

A famous dessert with red bean, spaghetti-strip made from fragrant leaves, immersed in coconut juice with ice.

9. Taiwanese Peanut Soup and "Wo Peng" (Wok Biscuit)

Peanut soup is hot, it is best savoured together with "Wo Peng ".

10. Home-made Cheese Cakes

Whether it is baked cheese cake, chilled cheese cake or mousse cheese cake, it is a must for any
happy occasions.
JB Yeohhttp://www.asianfoodguides.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jb_Yeoh