The Art of Thai Cooking

 

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2

Garry W.

Alameda, CA

Kasma's was the first cooking class of any kind I ever took, and it is standard against which all others are judged. It was =excellent=. I took the class 14 years ago and I have been using what I learned there to this day. Making myself popular with friends forever since.

The cardinal virtues of the class:
  - She almost never measures. Instead, she teaches you how to observe and =taste= what you're creating, as you create it.
  - You make mistakes, she shows and teaches you how to =fix= your cooking mistakes. Ooh!
  - She demonstrates =and= then she has you participate in the demonstration =and= then you get to do it yourself. After enough of this it actually sinks in, even for a neophyte like I was.
  - Her house is (was?) a lovely and well-equipped venue.
  - =Everybody= practices doing  =everything=. Yeah, weird.
 
Three thumbs up.

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Elite '08

20

218

Hanson Q.

Kensington, CA

Kasma's classes are just awesome!  I took a week-long intensive class from her many moons ago.  We were prepping and cooking from about 9am until about 3pm.  I was so beat at the end of the day, but very inspired.  People came from all over the country to learn from her.  As other reviewers have mentioned, it is difficult to go to Thai restaurants after having learned from Kasma.  Taking what you have in the fridge and transforming it into something amazing by using basic Thai flavors (curry pastes, garlic, galanga, lemon grass, Thai basil, etc.) is a great skill that you'll pick up as well, because much tasting and adjusting is done based on the Thai principles of balancing between salty, sweet, bitter, sour and spicy.

An added benefit was that Kasma introduced me to places like the Weston A. Price foundation, which has done much research on natural health and the effects of processed foods, only to mention a few.

Although I am of somewhat a weak constitution when it comes to spicy food, having gotten to class early each morning, but sitting in my car drinking straight out of a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in preparation for the day's consumption, I have such fond memories of my experience here.  I hope to some day take her tour of Thailand, where you basically eat your way through the country!

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Elite '08

113

364

Derrick V.

Newark, CA

Awesome.  This Thai cooking class transformed my cooking.  I learned so much invaluable information from Kasma.  She introduces you to all the different ingredients in Thai cooking, and her tasting breaks allowed us to discover what each ingredient does to the overall flavor of a dish.  My favorite part of the class was when we sat down and ate everything we cooked, adding as many thai chilies as you want!  Phet mak mak!

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6

85

Elsa L.

Oakland, CA

The classes are a lot of fun and you learn more than reading a recipe.  Kasma takes the time to teach you taste and how flavors change the dish.  You help prepare a 5-6 course meal with 12 other classmates.  In the beginning of class, she will go over recipes, ingredients, sources, history of dishes and preparation.  Then everyone pitches in.   My only complaint is that you are preparing one part or section of the meal, so sometimes when you go home, you might have a hard time reproducing things.  However, Kasma will answer email questions to help you with your cooking.   I also highly recommend her cookbooks, if you can not take her classes, her cookbooks really give you a flavor into Thai cooking.

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26

73

Michelle M.

San Francisco, CA

A couple of years back I took this wonderful 4 week Thai cooking class with  Kasma Loha-unchit.  The classes take place in her Oakland home and are limited to 13 students.  The class was very reasonable - I think the 4 session series was only $160.  The classes are completely hands-on and the last hour of the class we spent eating our creations.  There was even a weekend shopping trip to the Oakland Farmers Market.  Plus Kasma tells you where you can buy all the hard to find Thai ingredients and the right brands to look for.  I am definitely a beginner cook and felt comfortable in the class but it also attracts many seasoned cooks.  FYI:  if you are interested the classes are popular so be sure to book way in advance.

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1

4

Chris B.

Oakland, CA

The worst thing that I can say about Kasma's classes is that they will make it difficult for you to eat Thai food in a restaurant again. Now that I know what home-cooked Thai food tastes like (and can make it myself), restaurant food just seems bland.

Kasma starts off each class introducing the ingredients you will be cooking with that night, including their history and where to buy them. You also may be exposed to some Thai cultural history or a lecture on the evils of soy. You then cook a meal, stopping along the way to taste how adding an ingredient will change the balance of flavors - did you know that adding sweet will make spicy food spicier? Finally, you sit down to this wonderful feast with your twelve new friends and eat.

Not for the timid - the spiciest food I've ever eaten in my life was found at Kasma's kitchen table and I LOVE spicy food.

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42

228

anita c.

San Francisco, CA

I've been taking cooking classes with Kasma for years, and I love them. She makes Thai cooking accessible without dumbing it down. I love that I can make Thai food that's equal to (or sometimes better than) what I can get at local restaurants -- something that never seems to happen with other ethnic foods I try to make, no matter how authentic the recipes.

Kasma is a patient teacher, and the setup of the classes allows for plenty of hands-on work... and a delicious dinner!

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5

14

chris t.

Berkeley, CA

Hands down the best place to learn thai cooking in the bay area and I have to admit better than the class I took in Pai, Thailand(which I enjoyed almost as much). Her hands on taste and experience approach is far better than the usual watch and learn style at places like sur la table. She goes over what ingredients to use, where to get them, how to prep, what things should look, smell and taste like. The extra information is invaluable. It is  4 sessions, once a week, 4 hours each time. You go over the recipes and ingredients, you prep, the class cooks together in the beggining sections, in groups in intermediate, after you clean up together.  I am taking the intermediate, and loving it. The other students are always very friendly and the way the class is presented you usually get to know the others before it's over. Plan early she can be booked solid up to a year in advance. I highly recommend this class!

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