Page 58 - FINAL San Diego Woman interactive

Food

researched further, and I luk. “My family thought I so emotional to me, since
found out that it is such a was nuts, but they knew I put everything I had
big deal in Thailand, that me, and I have a history into learning the skill and
they even teach it in the of following my passions. perfecting it.”
schools. Similar to how I found a wonderful artist Now Laura wants to
we used to have shop in Bangkok who was pass on the art to San
classes in our schools considered one of the Diegans. She has taught
Photos Courtesy of Laura Lynn Thailand Fruit Carving is a was not a short process years and on the Adult Ed
where we learned wood-
the art of Kae sa luk at the
best, if not the best! The
only problem was that it
Mesa College campus for
working and cooking, in
common course.
level in San Dieguito and
to become adept at this
Encinitas school districts.
Kae sa luk is the name
art form. Because of obli-
of the centuries-old Thai
gations at home, I could
Now Laura is teaching
tradition of transforming
some garnishing classes
only spend a few months
at Oasis for Lifelong
in Thailand. So, I had
fruits and vegetables
into things of beauty. It
is believed that the tradi-
year’s worth of study into
vary from culinary arts
tion started in the court
professionals, to those
a few months. Basically,
of King Phra Ruang. The to find a way to cram a Learning. Her students
I bought out all of her
concept was that food time for the length of my
LAURA LYNN was not only supposed stay, and essentially in my
hotel room we just carved
to please the palate but
should be a joy to the all day long, the whole
Thai Style Fruit and Vegetable eyes. time I was there. Aside
from some short breaks
Carving Expert for meals, we carved all
day long. It was complete
immersion.”
When you hear stories bread. Ice is sculpted into Laura learned so
about artists and ask swans or other objects much in those months
what inspired them to of beauty and Fruits and and came back to the
create the things of beau- vegetables are almost states and carved non-
ty that they create, rarely unrecognizable as they stop. The epitome of her who are in awe of the art
will you hear someone appear as birds and flow- career was when she won and want to learn it to
say, “I was inspired on a ers, a backdrop adorning the American Culinary share it with family and
cruise at the midnight the endless trays of food. Federation Presidential friends.
buffet.” This was exactly “That is where I first Award. “That was sort Thank you, Laura
where inspiration began saw what I learned later of like my Holy grail. I Lynn, for bringing this
for Laura Lynn. was Thai style fruit and accomplished what I beautiful art form to San
vegetable carvings. It had hoped to one day. Diego.
took me a while to figure Mentioning it now is still
that out though, because
when I saw it, I instantly There are specialized
fell in love. I knew I had tools that are used to To see the artist at work, go to the video below on
“How to Make A Thanksgiving Platter Garnish”
to learn how to replicate make intricate incisions https://youtu.be/HvmJkKsZmm8
the beauty I experienced. and excisions by food
When I got home, I start- artisans, which in the day Watch Laura’s wing carving video at
https://www.facebook.com/407128716046688/
ed looking for an expert of the court of King Phra videos/2017153898352165/
in the field who could Ruang were either palace
For anyone who has teach me the art. I looked chefs or the daughters of If you have interest in registering for one of Laura’s
never seen what a mid- everywhere throughout aristocrats who learned upcoming class at The Oasis Center for Lifelong
Learning Click on the link below.
night buffet looks like, let the country and I couldn't this art as part of their
me elaborate. The foun- find anyone who was legacy. https://www.oasisnet.org/
dation of these buffets teaching this technique. So, for many this
are immense amounts of What I learned was that would be the end of
food from varied nations the art is from Thailand the story, but not for
around the world, but it is and that kind of made Laura Lynn, she was
the art that is created out sense because the cruise determined to learn this
of food that is why not ship staff is not usually time-honored art form.
only do people circulate from the states.” Laura decided that if she
the buffet with plates in It is a time-honored wanted to learn from
hand, but with cameras art in Thailand that gets the best, to become the
as well. Breads are carved passed on from gener- best, she needed to go to
into baskets, loaded with ation to generation. I Thailand to study Kae sa
58