Cooking with Poo

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First thing I did was, unfortunately, devalued it by testing out some of the recipes and marking all in it….dating and making my personal notes along side each one. I even had my son and his wife and kids sign their names next to one recipe we all tried together. They happened to stop by while I was cooking, so they had to taste test, too, and give it a grade. Hey, it’s just a book! All the cooking classes we had done before this one had been just that, a cooking class. This time it was much more of a cultural immersion experience. After being collected, we were taken to the Khlong Toei Wet Market, the biggest wet market in Bangkok, where we bought the ingredients we needed before heading to Poo’s home to make the food. In the eight years she’s run the school, Poo has seen the community change for the better. Now, she says, many students in “our family” go to university, and with the financial support, families are able to take weekends off and even have the occasional holiday from work. The twelve staff Poo employs are all neighbourhood friends. Since Poo trained them up they earn more money and rest time than they would otherwise. Because of this, I find what Poo is doing so enlightening. Not only is she providing opportunities, she is providing hope. She shows her community that opportunities can be created and that dreams can be realised with the right plan and support. And it is because of this that I think you should add Cooking with Poo to your next Bangkok trip! It was hands down the best thing we did whilst in the city! What to expect from this Thai Cooking Class About a square mile wide and home to around 100,000 people Klong Toey is a tough place to live and, in 2007, Poo was struggling.

9780977507078 - Cooking with Poo by Diwong, Saiyuud - AbeBooks

One thing about this cookbook is you will definitely need an Asian market near by for a lot of these ingredients. We happened to have one about 20 minutes away, across the Rainbow Bridge. We even planned a day together to go and get ingredients. We love shopping there. She just had no idea I was getting ingredients for their cookbook, which I will gift to them next weekend on Easter. Taste buds more than satisfied and Facebook posts prepared, we have time for a peruse of the Second Chance gift shop and the souvenir “I Cooked with Poo and I Liked It!” aprons. I finally hug Poo goodbye, and leave with a huge smile and great memories. To learn more or book a class, please visit www.cookingwithpoo.com.

Khun Poo’s Story

It’s also walking distance from Siam Paragon – the food hall of which is just incredible. I can spend hours in there. What to Read Next

with Poo in Bangkok!…And You Should Too I Cooked with Poo in Bangkok!…And You Should Too

Khlong Toei is one of the most authentic markets in Bangkok, selling very cheap raw meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit. Chances are, that wherever you eat in Bangkok, the produce will have been bought here. Visiting a wet market might be fascinating, but not necessarily enjoyable! You might be thinking, “Why are you recommending Cooking with Poo then? That takes place inside a slum”. You are right, but personally, I feel it is entirely different. Yes, we saw some of the slums, but there was no focus whatsoever on the slum. It was just where the cooking school was because that is where she lives. We got a glimpse into that lifestyle, but not once did I feel we were being asked to observe. The focus was on the cooking class and the market. Yes, we were given information relevant to the projects that Poo works on, but that is it. At no point did I feel I was part of “poverty tourism”. In fact, when we booked the tour, we booked it because of the name, nothing more!People started settling in Khlong Toei in the 50s after emigrating from the poorer regions in the North East in search of a better life. At the time cheap labour was in demand, and therefore Bangkok promised a plethora of opportunities. However, the average earnings for those living in the slum are only half of the national average and only a third of that of a Bangkok household. Basic amenities such as water and electricity are in short supply, and living standards are low. Serious crime, drug addiction, unmanaged waste, and unemployment have led to a crushing sense of doom. Social mobility is incredibly hard in these situations. We all need a bit of hope! If you wish to exercise any of your rights as specified in section “Right of Data Subject” as aforementioned, you can inform the Company of your intention to exercise such rights through the following channels of Company: I really, really enjoyed it. Poo is a natural entertainer – she’s really funny, tells brilliant stories and makes the process of cooking fun (something I never thought I’d ever say).