Laos (Asia) — coming soon

Laos is located in the continent of Asia. It has China to the north, Vietnam to the north and east, Cambodia and Thailand to the south, Myanmar to the southwest and west.

The capital is Vientiane (Viangchan).

The official language is Lao.

The climate has the typical tropical monsoon, though the mountains provide some variations in temperature. Rainy season is from May to October, dry season is November to April and the cool months are December through February.

The staple foods are sticky rice, laab, green papaya salad, meat, fish, noodles and so much more (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_cuisine).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Laos

KHAO PIAK SEN (Authentic Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) (https://cookingwithlane.com/khao-piak-sen-lao-chicken-noodle-soup/):

Rice Noodle Dough:

• 1-1/2 C tapioca flour
• 1 C rice flour
• 2 C boiling water

1. Add together the rice flour and tapioca starch in the mixer bowl
2. Add the boiling water into the mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. If you are using an automatic mixer, set it on level 2 for about 2 minutes. Take care to not allow the batter to cool, or it will make the mixture difficult to handle.
3. Using your hands, roll the dough into softball sized spheres. Next, roll the spheres out into ¼ inch flat surface 
4. Flour the dough with the tapioca flour, and cut the noodles to your desired thickness (I recommend ¼ inch width) 
5. Once cut, sprinkle more flour on top of them and set in a rimmed sheet, dust with the tapioca flour to prevent sticking.
6. If you are making a large batch, cover it with a damp towel to keep the noodles from drying out.
7. Continue for the remaining dough.

Soup Stock:

• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 chicken breast
• 6 cilantro stems, leaves removed
• 1 onion, charred
• 6 slices of ginger medallions
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 lemongrass heads, smashed
• 4 chicken bullion
• 4 quarts of water
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1. Add the water to a pot and bring it to a boil
2. Meanwhile, peel the paper layer of the onion, and then char the onion on the stove. Make sure you stay watching it so it doesn’t catch fire.
3. Once the water boils, add the cilantro, onion, sliced ginger medallions, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, gangal, chicken bullion, chicken breast, and chicken thighs into the boiling water
4. Lower it to medium-high heat. While the water is simmering and stewing, you can begin making your noodles while ensuring that you skim any excess fat and froth from the chicken during the simmering process.
5. After an hour, remove the chicken from the broth, place it in a bowl, and allow it to cool in the refrigerator so you can easily shred it without burning your hands (30 minutes).
6. Shred the chicken by hand and set aside.

Mixing the noodles and the broth:

1. When the stock is ready, get out a separate smaller pot for the servings you are wanting to make.
2. Add the broth stock and bring it to a rolling boil.
3. Next, add the rice noodles directly into the chicken broth stock and allow it to cook for 2 minutes or until the noodles float to the top of the pot. (Note: Stir minimally as the noodles are brittle until they are cooked all the way through.)
4. Step 4 – Serving Khao Piak Sen
5. 1. Transfer the khao piak sen into a serving bowl.
   1. Garnish with fried shallots, cilantro, green onion, fried shallots, black pepper, and 2-3 dashes of soy sauce.
   1. You can add bean sprouts, fish sauce, chili oil, lime, and any additional herbs for a personalized flavor.

Garnishes:

• cilantro, chopped
• green onion, chopped
• fried shallots, to taste
• soy sauce, to taste
• fish sauce, to taste
• lime, wedged to taste
• oiled pepper, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

This was so easy to make and so delicious!!!

RED BEAN NAM WAN POPSICLES (https://craftstocrumbs.com/recipes/black-bean-popsicles/):

• 1 can (432g) black or red beans (boiled with water and strained)
• 1 can (460 ml) coconut milk
• 1/3 C (67g) sugar (or to taste)
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

1. Combine ingredients in small pot until coconut milk comes to a boil and sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Pour into popsicle molds (or into sandwich bags).
4. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until frozen.
5. Enjoy!

I used red beans since they are a little bit sweeter than black. This was surprisngly really good!!!