Favorite culinary book: A book that influenced me greatly when I was training to become a chef was Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page's Culinary Artistry. It focuses on how flavors go together, spanning many different cuisines. ... We call it Lord Beaverbrook after a hotel in Canada that made it for us, and it's been a family staple ever since. You need toasted English muffins, steamed asparagus, smoked salmon, poached eggs, and a hollandaise sauce. ...
Thailand Beaches
Thailand's beaches are well established, have warm water and weather,friendly relaxed people, comfortable accommodation and they're cheap Around $30/£20 a day should get you an excellent double room with aircon, breakfast and maybe even a swimming pool- incredibly cheap when compared to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean or Pacific island paradises.
These beaches do have a clear best/worst time to visit - see Thailand Beaches Information to help you there. They also have less apparent regional flaws that you can see exposed in the different sections of the Beach Pictures gallery.
However, Thailand's roads are generally excellent and transport is comfortable and reliable, so a flight to Bangkok - and anyone with a grain of world curiosity has to see this wacky city - followed by a bus/minibus to the beach of your choice is no hardship.
