Pranee's Thai Kitchen

My Dream Kitchen

Last summer I had an amazing journey and discovery. It was not an actual trip in that I never left Seattle, but nonetheless it was a journey of many miles of driving, all to find my dream kitchen. I loved my old kitchen in its forest setting, a small and snuggled place on the hillside with a view of the bamboo plants—a place where I connect with Thailand. I have written over a thousand recipes there and have made memories with friends and family I will always cherish. But on the 15th anniversary of my Thai culinary profession, I realized that I had outgrown it. For the past few years, I had dreamed of a bigger kitchen, one where I could work on bigger projects and that would provide easy access for my friends and students. With commitment, persistence, hard-work, and good support from friends and family, my real estate agent and I found my dream kitchen by the end of August – Pranee’s Thai Kitchen.

I slowly moved into the new kitchen in September. I now treasure the memory of the stunning Seattle weather in the summer of 2014 when I found My Dream Kitchen.

Pranee’s Thai Kitchen Studio

The brand new modern kitchen is in my favorite colors—all shades of blue and white with orange-gold accents—and it is perfect for a test kitchen, a cooking party kitchen, a kitchen studio, and most importantly, for my own down-time with a culinary escape.

The Table

My first experience with decorating it has been a joy as I sought to create a modern theme that is in harmony with and embraces my Thai village and its culinary culture. My dining table, from Tirto Furniture, illustrates this theme. It is made from the wall of a torn down house in Indonesia, and sets just the right mood for a Thai village and Thai street food. Many thanks to my friend Jennifer. She and I agreed on the spot that this was the table I was looking for.

Matoom, Bael Fruit

I have recreated many drinks from my Thai village that I will soon serve on regular basis at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen. The picture above shows dried bael fruit from Thailand. I steep it into a delicious, fragrant tea—a favorite drink served cold or warm in Thai villages. I will soon write this recipe to share with you.

Phad Thai Goong and Bael Fruit Tea

For a while now, the pursuit of my dream kitchen had been taking all my time, energy, frustration and joy. Looking back, I value the process and the result of finding my dream kitchen, and now Pranee’s Thai Kitchen is ready to welcome friends and students.

And for my blog fans from near and far, I am excited to share my Bael Fruit Tea recipe in my next post for us to celebrate together from your kitchen.

Prob Khan Mai — see you soon.

Pranee