@Setanta,
Quote:I need some lunch . . . what's good today?
Well, how about some Thai cuisine?
Today is the first day of Songkran, the Thai New Year celebration, and Wassau would like us to be able to partake of the festivities--at least by enjoying some good Thai food.
Quote:The Songkran festival (Thai: สงกรานต์ (Pronunciation), Khmer: សង្រ្កាន្ត; from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, or literally "astrological passage") is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 16 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.
The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.
Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries, and is believed to have been adapted from an Indian festival. It is now observed nationwide, even in the far south. However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture....
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks. The songkran festival is counted as a new life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran_(Thailand)
Wassau has asked that we skip the water dousing of each other, unless we go outside on the patio, but he has prepared some delicious Thai food today to help us join in the New Year celebration.
The dishes above include “Steamed Green Mussels, “Baked Mussels”, “Pad Thai Noodles”, “Thai Green Curry”, “Hamhock over Rice”, “Fish Cakes in Curry Sauce”, “Spicy Catfish”, “Tom Yum Fish”.
And Wassau is bringing out still more from the kitchen...
Major YUM!
