Honeymoon in Phuket, Thailand Pt 1

As I mentioned, Sam and I recently got married…and then we went on the best honeymoon ever!

Having traveled extensively for work, I had a gazillion miles on my United account, which led to us purchasing tickets to Phuket, Thailand– paradise!

Since this is a food blog, I’ll start with the food aspect of the trip, I hope you all enjoy! (and get a chance to visit one day)

Our first layover (I know, sounds crazy!) was in Narita Airport in Japan- since it was a bit of a wait, we opted for a mid-night snack of some veggie sushi.

Our second layover was in Bangkok, Thailand.  We landed at 11:30pm there, and it was a 12 hour difference from DC.  So this delicious Spicy Beef Noodle Soup was either an early lunch, or an amazing midnight snack!  After that we got to spend a fun 4 hours on very hard benches- the joys of international travel?

Part of our flight itinerary was on Thai Airways– which we loved!  This was breakfast- small and delicious (food even on a 1 hour flight- crazy!).  On the return flights we got to experience lunch and dinner, and we were given real silverware, so I guess not all airlines use plastic!

Of course the first night we got to our hotel, I had to have Thai Curry.  It is my absolute favorite dish in any Thai restaurant- so I had to have the authentic version.  It was delicious!  The dish was light, but had all the flavors of curry, coconut and seared vegetables.

One day we visited the city of Phuket, and wanted some lunch- we found this diner, and loved the food!  I ordered some curry tofu, fried spinach, rice and a fried egg.  It was simple, but light and tasty.

Sam ordered Beef and Lettuce.  We thought it’d be more like lettuce wraps, but it was chopped lettuce, cabbage and carrots- with the beef on top.  Cilantro garnished this dish.

This was actually the appetizer, but it got there at the end- veggie spring rolls!

As we meandered the streets of Phuket, we came across a bar (this is a story in itself), and also tried a new beer which we had never seen sold in the US.  Thai beers are typically lagers- the oldest and most known is Singha, and recently Chang has become more well known.  A local beer was Phuket– it had a slight sweet honey flavor.

There was a breakfast buffet in our hotel which we indulged in every morning.  One of our favorite ways to finish breakfast was with passion fruit.  We had first tried it on a trip to Dominican Republic about 2 years ago- there it was tart, the Thai version was slightly sweet.

Walking distance from our hotel, there were some smaller huts which sold food.  Towards the end of our trip we wanted to remember the real Thai cooking: Spicy Vegetable and Shrimp (red Thai peppers, onion, green onions, shrimp, bok choy).

I had to have one last curry dish (they were so great!).  This was a Yellow Curry with onions, green peppers and basil.

    We spent one day biking in the villages of Thailand, but when we stopped for lunch we had this amazing Shrimp Laksa.  Our bike tour guide told us how this is definitely a favorite with the locals, especially when it’s extra spicy!

And this is us- happy married, flying back to the U.S. via Bangkok.  Although at this point we only made it 6 out of the 24 hours of travel time, we had an amazing stay in Phuket!

I’d love to tell you all more about our trip, what would you like to hear?  I will have a post about the Thai Market we visited, and our scuba diving adventures!  Anything else?

Blackberry Coconut Tart

I realize it’s a busy holiday weekend- between Easter and Passover, there is a lot of food involved.  And I’m sure that many of your menus have already been planned and prepared.  But if there is any room on your dining room table, please make this tart.

I’m pretty sure every food blogger has browsed Heidi Swanson’s blog- 101 Cookbooks.  If you haven’t, then take the next 5 minutes to look through her beautiful pictures and recipes.  Last April she published an amazing book- Super Natural Every Day.  Heidi has a number of delicious recipes on her blog, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted a copy of the book.  But I kept seeing her book recipes on other blogs, so I bought a copy to add to our cookbook collection.  It’s amazing, and I wish I had thought to do this sooner.

I really didn’t know which recipe to start off with.  Every single one looks and sounds delicious.  I had been craving something a little sweet and indulgent- and Easter brunch just seemed too far away.  I know berries are not in season just yet, but I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some.  In the end I chose this tart, this way I could decorate it with some blackberries.

This dessert, that can easily be eaten for breakfast, is delicious.  There is a slightly sweet coconut flavor, but not too overwhelming.  The crust is crunchy, but the middle of this tart is soft.  I loved the berries on this, since they added a touch of tartness that I had been craving.

I took the last bite of this tart about an hour ago, and I’m already thinking of when I could make another.  This would be perfect for any brunch you may go to, or are hosting.  Make it tonight, it’ll be even tastier the next day.

Blackberry Coconut Tart
Slightly adapted from: Super Natural Every Day

Heidi had used a 8×11 inch tart pan, while I used a 9 1/2 inch round pan- I think both work well.  I did not have finely shredded coconut, and I like slightly bigger chunks of coconut in my baked goods, see what you have in your pantry.  In the recipe write-up, Heidi mentions that other fruit will also work, such as: cherries, plums or huckleberries.  If it’s possible make this tart a couple of days in advance, it was even better the next day, especially right out of the fridge.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
2 cups blackberries
10-15 pistachios, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Butter the sides and bottom of a tart pan.

To make the crust combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Mix the ingredients well, and then add the butter.  Mix the dough together until it is a solid ball, and not dusty.  Press the mixture into the bottom of the tart pan.  Bake this for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing together the coconut, sugar and egg whites.  Mix the ingredients until they are well combined.  Evenly, pour the filling into the tart, over the crust.  Then push the blackberries into the filling  throughout the tart (feel free to use more fruit).

Bake the tart for 25 minutes, or until the filling is turning a golden color.  Once the tart cools, sprinkle the top with the crushed pistachios.  Cut into slices or squares.