About Siri Vichainchay

Food is a large part of my life. I learned to appreciate good food at a very early age. Growing up in Thailand, delicious food was all around me all the time. In Thailand it seems like every street has multiple restaurants, every corner has a food hawker, and every home has at least one amateur chef. Food is not just a large part of my life, but it is indeed a large part of Thai culture in general.

While I am not a classically trained chef, I have been cooking as far back as I can remember. As a kid I always tried to help my mom, my aunt, or my grandfather when they were in the kitchen, which was almost every day. Now even as an adult, I find that I still continue to get a great deal of joy and satisfaction when I am in the kitchen. For me, it's not just about "cooking", rather it is about creating and perfecting flavors in an artful way. Being in the kitchen isn't just what I do or what I enjoy, it is part of who I am as a person. It's what I love.

Whether I am in the US or in Thailand, I always try to buy my produce and meat at local farmer's markets. I believe in supporting local growers and owners. You can click on any of the pictures on this website to see them in full size.

I was born and raised in Bang Tabun, Thailand, a small fishing village about two hours south of Bangkok. Growing up on a river delta, I enjoyed fresh fish, crab, clams, shrimp, oysters, and sea food of every kind for as long as I can remember. I still have ties to my family owned and operated shrimp and oyster farms in Bang Tabun. The picture below (fishermen going to work) was taken from my front yard of my home in Thailand. These are the sort of views that I woke up to every morning as a kid, and seen all around me every day. River life is slower than city life, people tend to talk slower, move a little slower, and to take the time to enjoy each others company. You know your neighbors, and they know you.

As a kid growing up in Bang Tabun, there were not very many dirt roads, and there were no paved roads at all. Growing up on the river meant that getting from one part of town to another usually involved a ride in a boat. Homes in the area are all built on stilts so they will be above the water line, and wont flood when the tide comes in. Bang Tabun has since grown up a little, and there are many paved roads now, but you still need a boat to get to some areas, to the best areas.

Thank you :-)
http://www.spoonforkheart.com/about-siri-vichainchay/