Pad Thai Cooking Class

My Thoughts On The Attack At The Capitol:

Hello everyone! Before I get into this blog post, I would like to briefly express my thoughts about the events that occurred at the Capitol a couple of weeks ago. As you may already know, on Wednesday January 6th 2021, the United States Capitol was attacked by a group of mostly White Trump supporters who were angry about the results of the 2020 election. This attack was a direct result of a speech that Trump had given prior and was an assault on the American democratic principles as right when they were beginning their attack, Congress was voting to certify the 2020 election results. This is not even the part that bothers me the most about this attack. The part that bothers me the most is the lack of transparency and authority that police have based on the events that occur. During this event, police were actively seen taking photos with the protesters and basically let them into the American Capitol which is supposed to be “secure”. On the contrary, the police in Washington D.C. during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer were wearing riot gear and were actively trying to promote violence during a peaceful protest.

Police cannot have two faces and just show the one they want when they think it is convenient. This event showcased to me why policing in America needs to be significantly changed or go completely. We can no longer have a justice and policing system in America that is blatantly biased based on race. If those Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol had all been Black Americans, we would have witnessed a massacre. The fact that these White supremacists got away with violence, looting and assaulting our democracy and that our police acted like nothing had happened showcases what needs to change in America. So, while some may call just for Donald Trump to be impeached and charged, I am also calling for justice and fairness. I want all the people who were involved to be charged to the full extent of the law and I want changes to our policing so that Black Americans can feel safe in their home. these events were absolutely horrible and showcased to me that we have a long way to go in America if we want justice for all.

With all that being said, I am struggling to write this blog post normally right now as I want change. But I know that I need to keep writing and advocating, so I will continue on.

Pad Thai Cooking With Joyce Jue:

Two weekends ago, I had the honor of attending another cooking class with Joyce Jue. Through this cooking class, I was able to cook a Pad Thai that Joyce learned to cook from a street vendor in Bangkok. This Pad Thai combines chicken, shrimp, fresh vegetables and lime juice to make for the perfect dish. Furthermore, between the peanuts and bean sprouts, this dish has so many different textures and flavors which makes it very fun. Unfortunately, I used the wrong noodles for the dish but other than that my Pad Thai turned out very similar to Joyce’s version which is great.

If you would like to learn more about Joyce or sign up for one of her cooking classes, please read my other blog post titled, Cooking With Joyce Jue, which is located under the cooking tab on my main blog page.

Note: This recipe is not good when you double it. I learned during the class with Joyce that if you try to double the recipe, the wok will get too full and not stir fry things as well. If you are looking to feed a lot of people with this dish, you may want to consider cooking the recipe in two batches.

Pad Thai Ingredients:

• 1 box thin S shaped noodles
• 1 inch piece of tamarind pulp or tamarind paste- I used the paste as that is what I found at my local grocery store
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp- cut off the tails and cut in half lengthwise
• 4 cloves garlic chopped- not minced as you want that bite from it being chopped
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice- thats roughly the juice of 2 limes
• 1 lime cut into quarters- to use as a garnish and to put on top of the Pad Thai
• 1/2 pound fresh bean sprouts- washed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chilies
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts- chopped
• 1 bunch of green onion- finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth or water

Optional Ingredients: If you can find them or if you have an Asian market near you

• 1 tablespoon dried radish- coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon small dried shrimp

Steps I took To Cook This Pad Thai:

• Put the noodles into a big bowl and cover with hot water for roughly 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the noodles and set aside. If the noodles start to get a little firm over time, douse them in cold water for a few seconds.
• If you are using tamarind pulp– here is an excerpt from Joyce’s recipe for you to follow and prep the tamarind accordingly:

“Cover tamarind pulp with ½ cup hot water. With a fork, break up the pulp to help it dissolve; let it sit for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a fine strainer set over a bowl. With the back of a spoon press pulp through sieve set over a bowl to catch the liquid. This is called tamarind water. Set aside.”

• Now that you noodles and possibly tamarind are prepped, it is time to start stir frying. Start your wok over a medium high heat. While you are waiting for it to heat, make sure all of your ingredients are ready to go, pre measured and sitting next to you as things will go really fast and you do not want to overcook anything. Once you think your wok is hot, test it by adding a drop of water to it. If the water sizzles and dissolves you are good to go. Proceed to add about half of your vegetable oil to the pan.
• Once you oil is in the pan, add the chicken. Cook for about one minute, flipping and tossing throughout. After one minute, add your shrimp and then cook for about one to two minutes more or until both the chicken and shrimp are fully cooked. Once your proteins are done, take them out of the wok and set them aside in a bowl.
• After pulling out your shrimp and chicken, proceed to add the remaining oil to the wok and let it heat up again. Once you wok is hot, add the garlic and shallots. Let those cook together for about a minute, stirring frequently.
• After one minute has passed, crack the two eggs into the wok. Proceed to stir the egg mixture around but do not scramble it. Basically, use the tip of your spatula or spoon to break up the eggs. Let the egg cook for about one minute until the whites start to set.

• Now that your eggs are cooked and combined with the shallots and garlic, it is time to add your noodles to the pan. Proceed to add your noodles, sugar, fish sauce, tamarind (water or paste), chili flakes, half the bean sprouts and peanuts, lime juice, green onions and chicken broth to the pan. Let cook together for about 15 seconds.
• While you are waiting the 15 seconds, grab a pair of tongs that you can use to toss your ingredients together in the wok. After 15 seconds are up, begin to toss your noodles and ingredients in the pan together like you would a salad. Repeat this process frequently for one to three minutes until your noodles are fully cooked and your ingredients are well combined.

• If your noodles are looking a bit dry during this time, add a bit more chicken broth or water to your pan. Once you think your noodles are done, proceed to add your chicken and shrimp back to the wok and taste your dish for seasoning. If any seasoning is off, season it accordingly. While cooking mine, I added more fish sauce and tamarind but it can definitely vary based on what you want your Pad Thai to taste like.
• Once you have added all of your ingredients, it is time to serve! Put some noodles and the toppings into a bowl. Garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Enjoy!!

Closing Thoughts:

Wow. This has been a tough month and start to the year. A raging pandemic. An assault on our democratic principles. The killings of innocent Black Americans at the hands of police. But, there are many positives of this time too. More time spent with family. the Biden Inauguration and presidency. Racial justice. The Covid vaccine. Finally, I have had the chance to make some amazing food and share the recipes with everyone here which has been a huge bright spot for me. So while this time has been tough, let’s look to the positives and enjoy life through food, cooking and family. Thank you Joyce for another great cooking class! The Pad Thai was amazing and not too hard to make! I will definitely be doing another cooking class soon. Thank you to everyone who read this blog post and I hope an authentic Pad Thai is in your future. Stay strong and continue the fight for justice.