Taking Breaks and Catching Up ~~ Thai love forever~~

Now it is summer vacation.  I decided to wait until Summer to do Thai cooking.  Thai food is my favorite.  I have a fear of cooking with chilies and hot peppers.  I am learning it is ok to let go of that fear, the peppers are not as hot as I think they are, especially when they get cooked.  I picked up a Thai recipe book a while ago- it describes recipes rather than just listing them, it describes what the "authentic" ingredients are vs. the usual substitutions.  I have made some Thai dishes before.  I learned that palm sugar is an important flavor in sweet sticky rice.  I also learned that Kaffir lime leaves smell like fruit loops and what Galangal is & how Tamarind paste is made... Thai cooking has a definite philosophy.  I love it when a country has a cooking philosophy.  They believe in balancing and hitting 5 different taste centers with each dish.  Balancing acidity and creating a nice texture are also important.  I find their cooking style so connected to the Eastern Medical/Religious ideologies.  They talk about elements and balance and it is almost as if preparing food was a spiritually motivated practice- as we say in the west, "Good food comes from the heart."  How divine: to cook from the soul, with passion and understanding and respect for ingredients.  I honestly feel like I'm a fool in the kitchen- haphazardly putting foods together and hoping for the best.  To cook with a real understanding of ingredients, their flavor and acidity and what magic they might infuse into a dish when balanced appropriately... that's my goal. I have found Thai food is the most philosophical food I have met, and therefore, it is also probably the best place for me to find the love and respect for ingredients that I have been seeking.  I suppose cooking is like many other hobbies, to really get into it, you have to go in through your favorite door.  Anyways, enough love poetry to Thai cuisine.  I hope Thai month unlocks my inner cooking genius.  Bring on the coconuts, lime, lemongrass, Thai chilies, fish sauce, and jasmine rice!