There is a bunch of stuff to tell you about including trips we have planned and great books I am reading (thanks Tara) but we are about to watch a movie and dinner is done so they will have to wait until tomorrow.
Enjoy the shots!
Friday, June 09, 2006
More entertainment
Well, I got a lot of encouraging comments when I posted a bunch of pictures the other day. Well, maybe not "a lot" but "a few". I think Bara even asked if I had any more and, well, yes, I do, so I thought I would include a few more pictures that occurred when the teens took over.
There is a bunch of stuff to tell you about including trips we have planned and great books I am reading (thanks Tara) but we are about to watch a movie and dinner is done so they will have to wait until tomorrow.
Enjoy the shots!
There is a bunch of stuff to tell you about including trips we have planned and great books I am reading (thanks Tara) but we are about to watch a movie and dinner is done so they will have to wait until tomorrow.
Enjoy the shots!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Next appointment: June 14
When we got news that our first attempt at IVF failed, I was dissapointed to hear that we may not be able to meet with the doctor again until late July or possibly August. August was especially disheartening because JB would be gone, and I would have to go to the appointment myself and then fax him a release form (to release our embryos) that he could sign and return. I have never met with my RE doctor without John there. Not only is it helpful because JB can get a lot of his own questions answered, but he can explain a lot of things to me later that I don't understand. Sometimes the doctor and John start talking a mile a minute back and forth and will then remember that there is a novice among them!
As a quick recap, when I was referred to the RE (reproductive endocrinology) department at Mayo back in August of 2003, there was only one Dr. left. The RE department had had some "issues" (no need to get into them, and I don't know them all anyway) and as a result, the doctors were leaving one by one. By August of 2004, the one doctor that was left that had managed our seven attempts at clomid and IUIs was also gone, and they had to shut down the entire office for a year. They could manage questions and my medications to handle the annovulation, but that was it.
Fast forward to earlier this year when Dr. C was hired. (I love him and apparentlly I told him as much when the valium took over!) But, he was still just one doctor. Not only does this limit the number of patients that can be seen, but the number of residents and fellows that can work are limited therefore as well. This was the reason I had to wait soooo long for our fresh embryo retrieval and transfer. With only one doctor and the chance that these procedures could fall any day of the week, and the numbers had to be limited.
However, there are now two doctors and a third promised in the future. This has created double the number of appointments and women who can be seen each month which means that I got a call last week saying that there is a June 14th opening for us to go in and lay out our game plan! I am very happy about this. We will be able to get a lot of our questions answered and also figure out when in early September we can do our first FET (frozen embryo transfer.)
JB and I sat down at dinner the other night and discussed our thoughts -- thoughts we need to assimilate prior to meeting with Dr. C on June 14. As much as we would like to use all three of our remaining embryos at once, mainly for the increased odds of it working and also to eliminate an extra transfer, we do not feel peace about doing that. The odds say that we would not have triplets. However, the chance of having triplets is real enough to lead us to say that to use three would be an impulsive and unwise decision. Having triplets is not the concern. Having three healthy triplets is the concern. As JB mentioned in another post, the risk of infant mortality and illness is very real. To rush and have one or more children born with a disability -- a disability that would not have been present had we gone slower, is a real concern.
All these stories on the news about women having four, five, six, or seven babies has caused people to not understand the risks. First of all, when doing IVF, doctors that put this many embryos into a woman are careless and often more concerned about their pregnancy rates than the safety of the woman and her children.
Secondly, many of these women get pregnant with this many babies because they break the rules during IUI's. For instance, the doctor cancells a cycle due to having too many eggs and couples choose to try on their own. JB and I did this one time (Ssssh don't tell). We had five eggs and were told that they would not do the artificial insemination, however, we had the shot to release the eggs and try on our own. After careful discussion with the doctor and our good friends the Jones', we decided that this was a reasonable risk. In fact, while the doctor could not tell us to do this, he was basically doing just that as he and JB talked on the phone, drawing charts and graphs of the size of the follicles and our odds ratios. However, I did not get pregnant (obviously) during this attempt. Another time, they cancelled my cycle because I had 18 eggs. (I told JB I had 50 million, and he gently reminded me this was an exaggeration.) This time, we did not take the shot at home as we felt the risk was too high. However, women who do this anyway, can end up with these high numbers.
Another fact about high numbers is that if you get pregnant with more than three, you are often encouraged to do "selective reduction" or "abortion". Many women do this. However, many women do not. For all the women who make it to delivering seven babies, there are hundreds of women who did selective reduction from seven down to two or who miscarried all seven. In addition, if you look closely at these high order multiple children, you realize that many of them are far from healthy -- they are dealing with severe disibilities that they will have for life.
So, I just wanted to clear this up. Many people do not know this. JB and I know it because we are reminded every cycle of how dangerous it is too have more than two babies. We do not want to have to even consider selective reduction or to have to choose between my health and the lives of children we have wanted so badly.
I digressed a bit there and hope I didn't bore too many of you. Although, I suppose no one is making you read this. (Unless you are JB; I require him to read every entry by twisting his arm behind his back very hard.) However, I am very excited to go in on June 14th. We will get a plan, I will take another two and a half months off, and then we will try again.
How am I doing ... that is the question of the day. I am, quite honestly, dealing with grief. While our sticky babies were tiny embryos, they were alive, and we were able to see them dropped into my womb. To know they are no longer there is very difficult to wrap my mind around. To imagine doing this procedure again, taking the drugs, doing the shots, waiting two weeks, and taking that phone call again, is quite overwhelming. However, the possibility of a positive result greatly outweighs the fear of trying again.
I am still not really able to talk about this verbally unless the conversation is very much on the surface. I appreciate those of you who have sent cards or emails. It is currently the only way I feel comfortable communicating and this really hasn't changed. Writing is easy for me. I can digest my thoughts, choose my words, and take my time. Writing is such a healing activity for me and has been since I was a child. At church on Sunday someone asked me how it turned out, I had to confess that it didn't work, and I was left crying all the way through worship. If I could have written to them, I would have been fine!
As I said to JB today, if we found out today that one of our loved ones had passed away, we would be dealing with grief. I feel that this is what I am dealing with right now. It is a sadness for something we lost and a jealousy for people who have not had to travel this road. While I don't want any woman to feel the way I do, when I hear of one who gets pregnant right away or on her first attempt, there is a part of me that is so jealous for that ease. Some days I don't cry at all. Some days I cry a lot. And at the same time, I have a faith that carries me through and will never leave me.
I also have begun to have a peace that as dissapointed as I would be if I was never a mom (biolgoically or even through adoption), Jb and I are enough. I can honestly say that in the last 3 years our marriage went from very good prior to this diagnosis, to not very good during the early treatments, to absolutely fantastic now. The Lord has brought us to complete unison in this walk and that is an amazing feeling. JB and I will celebrate our eighth (gulp) wedding anniversary on June 20th, and I feel more in love with him right now than I ever have.
I wanted to share a song with you that Wes King wrote about infertility. It most perfectly captures what I am dealing with and can maybe help you understand how we are currently feeling.
Thought You'd Be Here
We thought you'd be here by now
But if you like dancing
We have a room just for you, upstairs
And if you like laughing
I never knew the silence
As a quick recap, when I was referred to the RE (reproductive endocrinology) department at Mayo back in August of 2003, there was only one Dr. left. The RE department had had some "issues" (no need to get into them, and I don't know them all anyway) and as a result, the doctors were leaving one by one. By August of 2004, the one doctor that was left that had managed our seven attempts at clomid and IUIs was also gone, and they had to shut down the entire office for a year. They could manage questions and my medications to handle the annovulation, but that was it.
Fast forward to earlier this year when Dr. C was hired. (I love him and apparentlly I told him as much when the valium took over!) But, he was still just one doctor. Not only does this limit the number of patients that can be seen, but the number of residents and fellows that can work are limited therefore as well. This was the reason I had to wait soooo long for our fresh embryo retrieval and transfer. With only one doctor and the chance that these procedures could fall any day of the week, and the numbers had to be limited.
However, there are now two doctors and a third promised in the future. This has created double the number of appointments and women who can be seen each month which means that I got a call last week saying that there is a June 14th opening for us to go in and lay out our game plan! I am very happy about this. We will be able to get a lot of our questions answered and also figure out when in early September we can do our first FET (frozen embryo transfer.)
JB and I sat down at dinner the other night and discussed our thoughts -- thoughts we need to assimilate prior to meeting with Dr. C on June 14. As much as we would like to use all three of our remaining embryos at once, mainly for the increased odds of it working and also to eliminate an extra transfer, we do not feel peace about doing that. The odds say that we would not have triplets. However, the chance of having triplets is real enough to lead us to say that to use three would be an impulsive and unwise decision. Having triplets is not the concern. Having three healthy triplets is the concern. As JB mentioned in another post, the risk of infant mortality and illness is very real. To rush and have one or more children born with a disability -- a disability that would not have been present had we gone slower, is a real concern.
All these stories on the news about women having four, five, six, or seven babies has caused people to not understand the risks. First of all, when doing IVF, doctors that put this many embryos into a woman are careless and often more concerned about their pregnancy rates than the safety of the woman and her children.
Secondly, many of these women get pregnant with this many babies because they break the rules during IUI's. For instance, the doctor cancells a cycle due to having too many eggs and couples choose to try on their own. JB and I did this one time (Ssssh don't tell). We had five eggs and were told that they would not do the artificial insemination, however, we had the shot to release the eggs and try on our own. After careful discussion with the doctor and our good friends the Jones', we decided that this was a reasonable risk. In fact, while the doctor could not tell us to do this, he was basically doing just that as he and JB talked on the phone, drawing charts and graphs of the size of the follicles and our odds ratios. However, I did not get pregnant (obviously) during this attempt. Another time, they cancelled my cycle because I had 18 eggs. (I told JB I had 50 million, and he gently reminded me this was an exaggeration.) This time, we did not take the shot at home as we felt the risk was too high. However, women who do this anyway, can end up with these high numbers.
Another fact about high numbers is that if you get pregnant with more than three, you are often encouraged to do "selective reduction" or "abortion". Many women do this. However, many women do not. For all the women who make it to delivering seven babies, there are hundreds of women who did selective reduction from seven down to two or who miscarried all seven. In addition, if you look closely at these high order multiple children, you realize that many of them are far from healthy -- they are dealing with severe disibilities that they will have for life.
So, I just wanted to clear this up. Many people do not know this. JB and I know it because we are reminded every cycle of how dangerous it is too have more than two babies. We do not want to have to even consider selective reduction or to have to choose between my health and the lives of children we have wanted so badly.
I digressed a bit there and hope I didn't bore too many of you. Although, I suppose no one is making you read this. (Unless you are JB; I require him to read every entry by twisting his arm behind his back very hard.) However, I am very excited to go in on June 14th. We will get a plan, I will take another two and a half months off, and then we will try again.
How am I doing ... that is the question of the day. I am, quite honestly, dealing with grief. While our sticky babies were tiny embryos, they were alive, and we were able to see them dropped into my womb. To know they are no longer there is very difficult to wrap my mind around. To imagine doing this procedure again, taking the drugs, doing the shots, waiting two weeks, and taking that phone call again, is quite overwhelming. However, the possibility of a positive result greatly outweighs the fear of trying again.
I am still not really able to talk about this verbally unless the conversation is very much on the surface. I appreciate those of you who have sent cards or emails. It is currently the only way I feel comfortable communicating and this really hasn't changed. Writing is easy for me. I can digest my thoughts, choose my words, and take my time. Writing is such a healing activity for me and has been since I was a child. At church on Sunday someone asked me how it turned out, I had to confess that it didn't work, and I was left crying all the way through worship. If I could have written to them, I would have been fine!
As I said to JB today, if we found out today that one of our loved ones had passed away, we would be dealing with grief. I feel that this is what I am dealing with right now. It is a sadness for something we lost and a jealousy for people who have not had to travel this road. While I don't want any woman to feel the way I do, when I hear of one who gets pregnant right away or on her first attempt, there is a part of me that is so jealous for that ease. Some days I don't cry at all. Some days I cry a lot. And at the same time, I have a faith that carries me through and will never leave me.
I also have begun to have a peace that as dissapointed as I would be if I was never a mom (biolgoically or even through adoption), Jb and I are enough. I can honestly say that in the last 3 years our marriage went from very good prior to this diagnosis, to not very good during the early treatments, to absolutely fantastic now. The Lord has brought us to complete unison in this walk and that is an amazing feeling. JB and I will celebrate our eighth (gulp) wedding anniversary on June 20th, and I feel more in love with him right now than I ever have.
I wanted to share a song with you that Wes King wrote about infertility. It most perfectly captures what I am dealing with and can maybe help you understand how we are currently feeling.
Thought You'd Be Here
We thought you'd be here by now
your Mother and I
We're praying through our tears that somehow
We might hear your sweet cry
Have we waited too long
It's getting harder to be strong
Is there something we've done wrong
But if you like dancing
I'll make it rain rhythm and rhyme
and melodies, child
And if you like dreaming
Your Mother will make your imagination run wild
Somehow, we thought you'd be here by now
We have a room just for you, upstairs
It's right down the hall
So we'll be close should you ever get scared
We'll come when you call
It's a room full of stories
Waiting to be told
Longing to behold
And if you like laughing
I'll paint you a circus of smiles
and ferris wheels, dear
And if you like living
Your Mother will fly you to
worlds both far and near
Somehow....
I never knew the silence
could make me so deaf
I never knew that I could miss
someone I never met
Miss someone I haven't met yet
We'll be waiting
We'll be waiting
Words and music by Wes king
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
What happens when you give teenagers your camera Part I
So yesterday, Tuesday, was the Wilsons last day here in Minnesota, and we all decided after work to go see Ronnie's church softball game and then go get Mexican food at a restaurant with a wrap around porch on the railroad tracks.
As usual, I gave my camera to Veronica, which got passed to Grace, and then I realized, four teenagers were completely in charge of what pictures were taken. This created an interesting display of photos.
Since photos should be able to speak for themselves, I will allow them to do that. Here is what the teenagers saw during the evening -- and one photo of what I saw as well.
Oh and this blog is in two parts. I think that blogger may limit how many photos I load ... so I have decided to fool blogger and do one post in two parts! Oh yeah!
As usual, I gave my camera to Veronica, which got passed to Grace, and then I realized, four teenagers were completely in charge of what pictures were taken. This created an interesting display of photos.
Since photos should be able to speak for themselves, I will allow them to do that. Here is what the teenagers saw during the evening -- and one photo of what I saw as well.
Oh and this blog is in two parts. I think that blogger may limit how many photos I load ... so I have decided to fool blogger and do one post in two parts! Oh yeah!
What happens when you give teenagers your camera Part II
Okay here's some more memories from a teenager's mind:
Okay, this last one wasn't taken by teenagers. It was taken by me. It is Jessie and JB playing Tetris late last night before they went home. I just loved this picture and loved seeing them play video games against each other and loved the trash talking that occurred between them. It was just a precious moment to me, and so I had to capture it. This is not from teenagers.
Okay, this last one wasn't taken by teenagers. It was taken by me. It is Jessie and JB playing Tetris late last night before they went home. I just loved this picture and loved seeing them play video games against each other and loved the trash talking that occurred between them. It was just a precious moment to me, and so I had to capture it. This is not from teenagers.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Recapping Monday
Yesterday I worked a full day at Mayo. If you haven't guessed it by now, my schedule is basically up in the air every week. Basically both jobs make any requests at the end of the previous week for times they could use me, and I make my schedule accordingly. I do 24 hours at Mayo and 16 hours at RLS (and no fewer than 12). I can also do 8 of those 16 hours from home which I do to give me some quiet writing time.
Last night, all seven kids (4 Ray kids and 3 Wilson kids) went over to the Rays and had pizza and played video games while all the adults (Wilsons, Rays, Kits, Ron & Ebby's Mom Jan and Uncle John, and Ebby's Mom "Bethmom") came over for JB's cooking. He made a great Indian meal with tons leftover to freeze for me to eat when he is on call. It was fantastic as usual. He ended it with some mango shakes. Those who were dangerous enough to try them, really liked them.
Before dinner, Ronnie went browsing through our friend Bara's blog, and we had some good laughs at old times. I tell Ronnie he should check our blogs daily but without internet capabilities, he doesn't really have the chance. Bara, he really cracked up about your writing about the women in Boston. He agreed that you are not designed to live in Florida or California. That would be a disaster.
It is now Tuesday morning. The Wilsons leave tomorrow morning and JB is on call tomorrow night so I am going to go from having a hundred pairs of shoes in the hallway to having none. We'll move from going through 3 gallons of milk in a week, to barely getting through a half gallon. I kind of got used to the noise and the action. It will be a little strange. It has been a wonderful visit and a great time to catch up. The kids have really grown, and I've enjoyed reconnecting with them again.
I will try to catch everyone else up on our lives after everyone is gone and I have sole control of my computer again! :)
Last night, all seven kids (4 Ray kids and 3 Wilson kids) went over to the Rays and had pizza and played video games while all the adults (Wilsons, Rays, Kits, Ron & Ebby's Mom Jan and Uncle John, and Ebby's Mom "Bethmom") came over for JB's cooking. He made a great Indian meal with tons leftover to freeze for me to eat when he is on call. It was fantastic as usual. He ended it with some mango shakes. Those who were dangerous enough to try them, really liked them.
Before dinner, Ronnie went browsing through our friend Bara's blog, and we had some good laughs at old times. I tell Ronnie he should check our blogs daily but without internet capabilities, he doesn't really have the chance. Bara, he really cracked up about your writing about the women in Boston. He agreed that you are not designed to live in Florida or California. That would be a disaster.
It is now Tuesday morning. The Wilsons leave tomorrow morning and JB is on call tomorrow night so I am going to go from having a hundred pairs of shoes in the hallway to having none. We'll move from going through 3 gallons of milk in a week, to barely getting through a half gallon. I kind of got used to the noise and the action. It will be a little strange. It has been a wonderful visit and a great time to catch up. The kids have really grown, and I've enjoyed reconnecting with them again.
I will try to catch everyone else up on our lives after everyone is gone and I have sole control of my computer again! :)
Monday, June 05, 2006
Sunday Sunshine
What a beautiful day Sunday was here in Minnesota yesterday. We went to the late service at church, caught some Chinese for lunch, and then JB and I took the three youngest munchkins (Hunter, Cole, and Jessie) to that free zoo we took Josh & Sarah and boys to the other day. Everyone else went to the graduation, but being as it was so hot and so crowded, we decided we would do something different. They were, of course, broken hearted they couldn't sit in a hot gymnasium, as were we (not!) But, congratulation English nonetheless!!!
We had a wonderful time. After looking at all the animals, we sat down under a tree. The three kids took turns trying to throw seed pods into JB's mouth. No one made it, but Hunter hit him in the eye about nine times. We just sat there and laughed and laughed.
On the way back to our house, we made a quick stop at the grocery store. JB is going to cook some Indian tomorrow night for everyone. (Wish you could be here mom and Gabbi -- cooking both of your favorites.) Then we came home, I made some green been casserole and brownies, and we returned to the Rays for dinner.
It is now Monday morning, and I am off to a full day at Mayo.
We had a wonderful time. After looking at all the animals, we sat down under a tree. The three kids took turns trying to throw seed pods into JB's mouth. No one made it, but Hunter hit him in the eye about nine times. We just sat there and laughed and laughed.
On the way back to our house, we made a quick stop at the grocery store. JB is going to cook some Indian tomorrow night for everyone. (Wish you could be here mom and Gabbi -- cooking both of your favorites.) Then we came home, I made some green been casserole and brownies, and we returned to the Rays for dinner.
It is now Monday morning, and I am off to a full day at Mayo.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
More fun times
Yesterday was a very fun day. JB was supposed to be in the hospital until 2:00, but he called around 9:00 saying he was done!!!! I was so excited. The whole gang went to Pannakooken and then back to our house to swim (while JB and I took a nap). Later that evening, JB and I took the three youngest kids (and Mike and Deanna) to our favorite nature preseve. JB educated us about spiders (and their external skeletons), Indian arrowheads, and tons of different birds. It was a wonderful day! Here are some pictures to share with you.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
English Brown's Open House
Here are some promised pictures from our day at the Rays. We had a wonderful evening. It was beautiful weather and a wonderful night of catching up. I have a few more but can't seem to get them to load so maybe I will do a separate entry with a few more pics later.
Sam (left) and Hunter, looking like they know they are guilty of something.
Sam (left) and Hunter, looking like they know they are guilty of something.
Veronica (far left), English, Beth Mom, and Ebby early in the evening.
Jessie monkeying around.
Veronica (aka Victoria) and Jessie in the tree.
Wow these kids have grown up fast -- Veronica, Grace, and Sam.
Mike and Deanna with Grace.
The graduation girl, English with cousin Grace.
Ronnie with his Uncle John. John is a very cool guy and the babies love him!
This is my babe and me. Have I told you how much I love this guy?
Chillin' after a very long evening.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Last night I watched David Letterman
Well late last night, Mike and Deanna Wilson and their kids arrived in Rochester, Minnesota. Actually, I think they arrived around 9:00 but after stopping at the Rays, it was midnight when they arrived.
While I waited (and dosed here and there), I watched a bit of TV. I watched the Scripps National Spelling Bee which was quite entertaining. Those kids are amazing! I seriously could not have spelled one of those words correctly and I taught English and am a writer! I watched a special with Diane Sawyer on foster children (which I feel, totally went against its mission of introducing these children to the world by introducing children who weren't even up for adoption), and I watched David Letterman.
I don't know if I have every actually watched David Letterman before. Maybe when I was very young, and I used to babysit. I don't think I have been up past 11:00 on a weeknight in years! Tom Cruise was on. Of course, the entire topic was on his new baby so maybe I would have done better watching something else.
Anyways, the Wilsons are here to celebrate English Brown's graduation. Her party is tonight so either later tonight or tomorrow morning I will try to post a few pictures. I'll bring my camera and as always, Veronica will volunteer to "use up all my digital pictures" as Ronnie explains it. I didn't want to interrupt his rebuking of his daughter to explain that you cannot really "use up" digital photos, but I felt like that would be undermining his authority (even though I know Veronica and I both were confused about what he was talking about.) I like when Veronica takes pictures for me. It saves me the hassle of doing it and then I can take all the credit later. Except for all the pictures of feet. Veronica, why do you take pictures of everyone's feet?
I'll be back later today or tomorrow. Have a great first weekend in June.
While I waited (and dosed here and there), I watched a bit of TV. I watched the Scripps National Spelling Bee which was quite entertaining. Those kids are amazing! I seriously could not have spelled one of those words correctly and I taught English and am a writer! I watched a special with Diane Sawyer on foster children (which I feel, totally went against its mission of introducing these children to the world by introducing children who weren't even up for adoption), and I watched David Letterman.
I don't know if I have every actually watched David Letterman before. Maybe when I was very young, and I used to babysit. I don't think I have been up past 11:00 on a weeknight in years! Tom Cruise was on. Of course, the entire topic was on his new baby so maybe I would have done better watching something else.
Anyways, the Wilsons are here to celebrate English Brown's graduation. Her party is tonight so either later tonight or tomorrow morning I will try to post a few pictures. I'll bring my camera and as always, Veronica will volunteer to "use up all my digital pictures" as Ronnie explains it. I didn't want to interrupt his rebuking of his daughter to explain that you cannot really "use up" digital photos, but I felt like that would be undermining his authority (even though I know Veronica and I both were confused about what he was talking about.) I like when Veronica takes pictures for me. It saves me the hassle of doing it and then I can take all the credit later. Except for all the pictures of feet. Veronica, why do you take pictures of everyone's feet?
I'll be back later today or tomorrow. Have a great first weekend in June.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
A Thai Meal
I understand that not everyone likes my posts, and I am completely okay with that. If I can teach just one person one thing, then I am happy. If you are not that one person, then rest assured that Wendi will be back tomorrow! :) Oh- and my other post, where I said I was a gourmand, I wasn't bragging - gourmand: a person who loves good food, and doesn't care who knows it.
So without further ado - here is the Thai food post.
Chicken Satay (satay leu)
Cucumber and Prawn Salad (yam dtaeng gwa)
Chicken and Galangal Soup (dtom khaa gai)
Thai Fried Rice (kao pat)
Red Curry (geng dtaeng)
Fried Bananas (gluay pao)
This is the menu. You can take try what you want, or try it all for the whole experience. There is a bit of prep work to this if you are going to make the whole meal, so it might be fun to get a couple of interested people to help until you are quicker at it. That is actually the traditional way of cooking, in groups.
So let me first explain a few things about traditional Thai cooking.
Traditional meals have no appetizers. They usually consist of a relish (known as nahm prik or lon), a salad (yam), a soup (geng juet), and a curry (geng ped). Each dish should be a balance of 4 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. And the meal as a whole should also reflect that.
Definition: Curry - any wet, savory dish enriched and thickened by a paste. These are almost always served with rice, and this definition is almost the same in Indian cuisine as well. There are NO special or specific spices or ingredients used to make them - although many are similar. So, if a person says, "I don't like curry." I know they probably had one kind that they weren't crazy about and have therefore decided they don't like all of them. It is kind of like an American saying, "I don't like soup (or casseroles or pasta)" - there are just too many ways to make it to rule them all out as a whole.
The Asian Market
This can be an overwhelming experience, or it can be a lot of fun. If you are like I was, going into an Asian market for the first time (or the first time to actually buy stuff for a meal), it can be intimidating. The first thing you can expect is a unique fragrance. It is a blend of exotic fruits and fish and bags of rice that have traveled from across the globe. I love it! But to be honest, it wasn't extremely pleasant the first time. It grows on you ... like coffee or a fine wine!
The second thing you will probably notice, is that you will probably stick out like a sore thumb. I am 6' 3", speak English, and am white. I don't blend. You may get some curious looks, but be confident ... and polite! Every store I have visited has been filled with genuinely nice employees and mostly kind shoppers. Yes, you are still in
The third thing is that you may get an answer that doesn't match your question. Many of the employees don't always speak English as fluently as you do. I asked one little lady if they had shallots, and she brought me to the rice with a big, hopeful smile on her face. I bought an extra bag of rice that day. You might end up buying one or two things you didn't have on your list, but you might find a new food that you love. The Asian food store can be a great place to learn.
Thai Ingredients
I am going to go through the ingredients from the recipes that are specific to southeast Asian cuisine. You will probably need to buy these at the Asian market. Now I know Super Target is stocking some of these things now, but some of them are like 5-10 times more expensive.
(Note that you can click on the image to see a larger version ... I think)
from fish or prawns and is very pungent in smell and taste, but when added to a dish, it adds a depth to the flavors that you just can't get elsewhere. It is usually found in clear glass bottles resembling a wine bottle with a plastic cap. I usually buy the 23-25 ounce bottle, but they have 7-10 ounce bottles available. There are MANY brands available, Golden Boy, Squid Brand, I currently have Three Crab, but I have not really found a noticeable flavor difference. I am not that advanced yet! (There is no substitution for fish sauce.)
The fruit looks like a lime with wrinkles, and the leaves look like 2 citrus leaves connected end to end. The leaves are usually sliced into very thin strips. (No substitution for lime leaves, but you can use "regular" lime juice instead of Kaffirs.)
second in heat only to the rare red habanero peppers. If you like it hot; these are for you. If I am making a meal for people with milder tastes, I either just put in an uncut, unbruised bird's eye, or I use serrano peppers to substitute - about 1 serrano in place of 2 bird's eye.
grate the fruit, and then extract the cream and milk, I recommend the canned variety. It is not as authentic, and probably tastes it, but it is a heck of a lot easier. It comes in cans resembling soup cans in many sizes. I usually just stock up on the 14 ounce size. There are a few brands to choose from but usually I see Aroy-D or Chaokoh. "Lite" versions exist that have less fat - authentic uses the real stuff, but lite is healthier. (No substitutions.)
flavor - can you get a better name? Look for bright green stalks, but a little yellowed or browned is still good. Most will have a little bit of dirt on them still, just wash it off. Remove the outer sheath and grassy top third before using. (no substitute)
garlic,
like a woodier, striped piece of ginger. It has an earthy, peppery smell and flavor. I like to buy it fresh, but I have seen it dehydrated or frozen. It is pretty solid, so make sure your knife is sharp and your cutting board is strong. (ginger can be used as a substitute in a pinch, but there is a definite difference in flavor)
well. I think the name comes from what they look like, not what they taste like. Unlike the button or portabella mushrooms, these guys grow right on top of each other. You may need to break them apart to wash and cut them. Look for bright white (with maybe a little yellow or brown hue), soft, fairly dry mushrooms. (Traditionally, straw mushrooms are used, but they are hard to find in the 
own. It is made from tiny planktonic shrimp that have been salted, fermented, and dried in the sun. It is bright red or purple-ish and is either packed in a small plastic tub or mixed with oil and placed in a glass jar. I use both, and I don't really have a preference. Once opened, it will stay in the fridge indefinately. There are many brands to choose from, and I haven't found one better than others. (there is no substitution).
than the more familiar Italian varieties. It can add a great flavor to curries and soups. Look for fresh, crisp leaves and try to avoid wilted or browned bunches. To use, pick the leaves off the stems and rinse under cold water - you can use the deep purple flowers and flower-buds as well! (lemon or Italian basil can be used, but it is just not the same. Holy Basil, another Thai variety, comes in either red or white forms, and these are used in stir fries)
great addition to curries and many other dishes. Many places sell them fresh, but they are still good canned, and you can stock up on on them. I prefer the more tender "tips" if you can find them, and I usually avoid the shredded just because I like the texture of sliced better. Many brands of canned are available, and most are good. Rinse them off, slice them length wise about a quarter inch thick or less, place them in a pot of cold, lightly salted, water, and bring them to a boil. Let boil for less then a minute and then drain them and let cool in cold water. If they are fresh, you may need to repeat this a few times until they are tender. (no substitute)
a granite mortar and pestle to do just this. It is a lot of work! But you have a lot more control over what ingredients and proportions you use - and this matters with different dishes. However... canned, generic pastes (red, green, yellow, massaman, panang, etc.) are great time savers. And for the person just learning and experimenting, they are a perfect way to be introduced to Thai cooking. They can come as either small, short cans - typically one can per dish, or they can come in larger, resealable plastic tubs for many meals - just keep it in the fridge. Since they come pre-mixed with chillies, know that the more you add, the spicer the dish. Mae Ploy and Maesri are great brands to use. (no substitute)
Thai for food and for rice. In fact, the greeting, "gin kao ruu yang", which is translated as "how are you?" literally means "have you eaten rice today?" Jasmine rice, a long-grained rice from the central plains for 
equipment! Traditionally a clay wok was used, but nowadays, the carbon steel wok is the best. They have aluminum, and stainless steel, and non-stick - I'll have none of that! Carbons steel is the best, and it is usually the cheapest you can buy! ($20-$30) They can come "unseasoned" and silver, or "seasoned" and blueish-black. Either way, carbon steel is a naturally non-stick surface that gets better with age. Perfect for Thai cooking. (if you do not have a wok, most meals can be made with a very large fry pan or a large pot)
Recipes
Finally, here are the recipes! I have put all these recipes into PDF format. All you have to do is click on the link, and download or open the file to print it. You may have to download the PDF reader first. Also, this link will be available for only 7 days, so if you are reading this later, email me. Have fun and enjoy.
Thai Receipes PDF
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)