We're going to the Chiang Mai Night Market on June 5

 

Chiang Mai is considered by many as the cultural center of Thailand. Located in the northern highlands of Thailand, the city is known for its many festivals and amazing food. Although it's on TripAdvisor's top 25 international destinations, foreign tourists are still only a small minority compared to the number of Thai visitors who visit Chiang Mai every year. Daytime temperatures in Thailand can often exceed 100°F, but the evenings are much milder. So it's no wonder that the locals prefer to come out every night to go to the night market. From fishmongers to souvenir stands to hundreds of street food vendors, everyone is jammed right next to each other, and the choices are endless. Tonight's hands-on cooking class is inspired by the aroma and festivities of this Thai night market.

Featured on tonight's menu will be a steamed whole fish as typically prepared by night market street vendors. We'll top the fish with a chili garlic sauce that's sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. What kind of fish? Well, whatever is the freshest catch of the day from our local fish market (that would be our new H-Mart, of course). But we'll start the evening with a lemongrass-infused Tom Yum soup and a raw green papaya salad. And when the fish is ready, we'll share it family-style over traditional Thai sticky rice.

To prepare for this foodie adventure, you can rewatch Anthony Bourdain's 2003 Chiang Mai episode. Or you can browse the travel picture album from my 2011 Chiang Mai visit.

Registration is now open for all summer Urbana Park District classes. Aliya Dosmanbetova's Kazakh cuisine class on July 10 is sold out already, but seats are still available for Darlene Anderson's Vegan Soul class, which will feature her secret Kentucky Fried Tofu Nugget recipe. The cost is $40 per class for residents. These intimate hands-on cooking classes only have 12 seats, so reserve early. Full menu and details are here: www.cooking-with-paul.com/upd-2025-summer.html
 

More information about my cooking classes and pop-up events can always be found on my website, where you'll also find over 200 recipes from my classes (no ads!). You can also subscribe to my email newsletter or follow me on Instagram or Facebook and like my posts. Bon appétit!