Thai Cooking Class

The co-worker who would prefer to be called my favorite co-worker and her husband went with my to a Thai Cooking class at Supatra in St. Paul. I had never been to Supatra as a patron before but the class piqued my interest because it began with a tour of the St. Paul Farmers Market.

When class began, Supatra Johnson took us all across the street to visit the market. She pointed out all the Asian vegatables and helped explain a little about how they might be used. It made me feel a lot more comfortable about buying some of the more exotic vegetables and herbs that are available in the farmers market. I also found out that my favorite herb, Thai basil, is very easy to find if you are just looking in the right place, i.e. not Byerly's, Cub, Rainbow or Fresh & Natural.

Supatra then demonstrated how to make Thai Lettuce Wraps. They tasted great, but they were served with lettuce that was a poor choice for wrapping anything in. The poorly suited lettuce aside, the marinade for the meat & seafood and the tamarind dipping sauce were outstanding. The sauce seemed especially easy to make and had a lot of flavor. I wouldn't mind serving this at home, but would get a lettuce that was easier to roll up.

My favorite dish by far was the Som Tum or Green Papaya Salad. It was very easy to make and the flavors were a great blend of hot, salty and sweet. I've had Som Tum before I think, perhaps as a garnish to a larger dish, but I never knew what it was. I'm going to get the supplies to make this dish A.S.A.P. If you ask me to bring a salad to your next event this is likely what I'll bring.

It was a treat to not only learn some new cooking techniques but to have a great meal included. I enjoyed the class and I'll be back to check out the restaurant.