u/fruiTbat1066

turned out all right I reckon

l-r:

yum Jin gai-laap spiced Thai chicken soup

gaeng hang leh-pork belly ginger pickled garlic and tamarind curry

jin som mok khai-fermented pork and egg

laap gai- northern style chicken laap

gaeng mathua-snake bean curry

with fresh veg, herb and sticky rice

yes I know there are other versions. this is where I lived so this is what I like. it is not like the Laos version

This one was about 75% there

I wish I could get some of the green things here in melb like bai koson (croton leaves.) we do have them here in Australia but I don't think they're the same type because everything points to our ones being poisonous which is not ideal

there are plenty of recipes out there.

the first photo is our table, it's wild and loose and appears like a lot of greenery but if you compare it to the two following photos, both home meals in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai. you may notice that even though the quantity of food is much greater (we are catering for 12-14 pax) the ratio of bowls to veg, although presented differently, is not too disimilar

steamed and fresh vegetables are the actually the mainstay of many Thai dishes as they are eaten in Thailand. in the north and south of Thailand this is especially common.

steamed rice in the south and sticky rice in the North is served with a variety of dips and proteins and then there is a vast array of veggies to a company them. the vegetables are either eaten on their own or used as a dipping tool or a spoon.

we in the west are so used to eating in courses and so used to having Thai restaurants conform to the way we eat...in thailand as well, that I suppose it can be hard to fathom that the actual way of eating is quite different.

I'm not having a go at anyone, I just find it interesting that the assumption is often that what I do in regards to presentation of the food is strange. its actually very similar in content to what you would actually find on a thai table. just fancied up a bit. Our home version is quite lush and, although the vegetables are very similar to what would be served with a meal, we present a far wilder, looser format like a jungle, whereas a thai style would be very tidy and ordered...

I hope that answers some already asked, and future, questions

front to back

aep of flathead: fish fillets, curry paste grilled in banana layer

sai oua: northern Thai style herbal pork sausage (there are other versions of this from different regions but this is the northern version)

moo yaang, saam chan and lai: grilled pork belly and shoulder

jin som mok Khai: fermented pork and egg grilled in banana leaf