Hi everybody,

 

We’re back!

 

We’ve actually never gone away, although we have not hosted public classes since the end of November. Since then, though, we have hosted many private classes and still continue doing so.

 

We have a very special private class coming up on Sunday afternoon, February 23 — and the hosts are hoping to find more people to join them for a Thai Classic Favourites class. In case you didn’t know, that is our all-time most popular class, with all the treats everyone loves: Thai Spring Rolls, Phad Thai Noodles, Coconut Soup, Red Curry and Stir-Fry Mixed Vegetables.

Our guests for February 23 are Out-of-Towners Joshua and Melissa McClintock from Seattle and Blaine and Pat Whitteker from Saskatchewan. Both couples will be visiting Vancouver Island for the same few days during late February, and both wanted to enjoy one of my private classes. So, I introduced them to each other and arranged a convenient date for them to attend together.

Since then, we have been seeking other people to join them. So far, three other people have joined the group, but that leaves five spaces remaining to make up a private class of 12 people.If you'd like to join our visitors, they'd be pleased to have you! Simply respond to this email or call us at 250-656-1227 to book your place. And, if you'd like to find out a little more about them, please continue reading down the page.

Writes Blaine: “Both Pat and I are semi-retired, I after 25 years in building maintenance with Public Schools and Pat after 35 years in Health Care. Now it’s a bit slower pace with me at a Private Golf Club and Pat works two days in a mental health office.

“We did manage to get in a bit of travel before we decided that Canada has a great deal to offer and now we try to spend at least a couple of months in the winter out in Victoria. We both enjoy taking all sorts of cooking classes and having the chance to pretend what great cooks we are even though it is short-lived. LOL!

“We both believe life is way too short to not do the things that make you happy and try to keep life pretty simple. Both of us have grown up out here in the Prairies and for some reason are too stubborn to leave so here we stay.

“When we are in Victoria Pat enjoys her yoga classes and making sure that I get to the Y at least 3 times a week. Rest of the time I get to people watch with coffee in hand (and maybe a little treat). We love a wide variety of cuisine but are drawn to Thai. Spice is nice and sometimes a little heat is better.

“Coming out to Victoria is something we both look forward to each year, gives us a chance to charge the batteries. Looking forward to taking your class and hopefully when it’s my turn to make supper at home, we won’t have to order out.”

Writes Joshua: “We both grew up in Spokane, on the east side of Washington State. At 19, I moved to Seattle and asked Melissa to marry me about a year later; we eloped on April 30th, 1999.

“Growing up inland, we weren't exposed to many foods outside of European tradition. However, once in Seattle, that all changed.  Interestingly enough, Michael and Louis, the two witnesses at our elopement with whom I also worked at the time, were both originally from Asia and proved to be influential to this historically picky and overly insular eater.  

 

“While Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, or Pad See Ew are what you'd find me mostly ordering today, it was actually Tup Tim Thai's Pork Fried Rice that I settled on the first time I ate ‘Thai Food’ — and again on subsequent lunch visits, much to Michael and Louis' chagrin!  

 

“Sometimes, to liven it up, I'd even have shrimp added. If I was really daring? Add 1 star. I can hear Louis' guffaw and see him rolling his eyes now.  Michael and Louis would go on to introduce me to Dim Sum and Pho.  When we'd go as a family, Melissa was always a bit more adventurous than I, which helped to broaden my horizons.

 

“Both Melissa and I (and our at-the-time 7-month-old son) rode the Victoria Clipper sometime in 2001 to visit Victoria.  I remember seeing The Empress from the water as we drew near and haven't forgotten the Butchart Gardens.

 

“Melissa fancies herself a bit of an Anglophile and I have to say I'm not far behind.  Whether it's Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennett, Frodo and Sam, Adele and Led Zeppelin, The Magna Carta, Fascinators and The Queen, John Candy and Jim Carrey, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, Celine Dion and Bryan Adams, or High Tea at the Empress, we've a great appreciation for British and Canadian culture.

 

“After the Dot Bomb crash and a job switch, lightning struck sometime in 2003. I started noticing co-workers eating a noodle dish in a take-out box that looked and smelled amazing. The Noodle Ranch (long since defunct) in the Belltown area served the Pad Thai (with zucchini) I would first eat.  I couldn't believe how good it was, a joyous harmony of tastes.  A noodle dish for the ages. Tup Tim Thai was actually most well known for their Pad Thai which I would eventually eat, but would find myself most enjoying that dish from The Golden Singha, not that far from The Space Needle.

 

“Today, the Thai restaurant we live closest to and enjoy is Benjarong in Monroe, Washington, which we can both recommend for its great service and food.  Melissa mostly enjoys chili sauce and curry-based dishes these days.  

 

“I was doing a search for Thai cooking classes in Victoria and came across Kallayanee's Kitchen.  To my dismay there weren't any classes during the time we'd be there, so I decided to email and ask if there were anyway we could do a private lesson and to my surprise they said they would try to set one up.

 

“We'll be there February 22nd and 23rd, the only reservation I have to plan around is High Tea at the Empress.

 

“As Carson from Downton Abby said, ‘The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end, that's all there is.’  Would anyone out there be willing to come and cook with us to make a quorum and some memories?”

Joining the class are Neil Carfra and his girlfriend, Janice, and Brian Ho-Yee. We did not ask them to provide biographical details, although maybe we should have done. You’ll need to meet them in person to learn more!

 

Well, this has been a much longer newsletter than I usually send out, but I thought you might enjoy learning more about visitors from beyond our provincial borders.

 

Again, the class is on Sunday, February 23, and starts at 2:30 p.m. If you’d like to join us, please call 250-656-1227 or respond to this message.

 

If you can't make this class you might want to plan attending one of my public classes that start on Tuesday, March 17. Please click here to view my Spring 2020 schedule with all my scheduled dates and classes.

 

I hope to see you soon!
Kallayanee