Gordon in Thailand

The "Land of Smiles" charmed Gordon Ramsey on the final leg of his "Great Escapes" culinary adventures in South East Asia, televised in the UK on Monday evening, even though on one occasion he exclaimed "I don't think they know who I am!"  No Gordon, why should they.  British chefs do not have the global reach you may expect and similarly we weren't to know Thailand's equivalent, Chef McDang, who has filled far more prime time television hours with his weekly show.  When challenged if he was a real chef or a TV chef, McDang confirmed he is the real version.  As luck would have it they tied in a draw with their cook-off, so both were happy.  Sparring aside this last programme in the series gave a wonderful insight to Thai food, even though Gordon only had a week to master the intricacies of the balance between salty; sweet; and sour - all combined in a base paste as the foundation to all dishes.  From trying to master handling slippery sausage casing with the Queen of the spicy sausage in Northern Thailand, to fishing for oysters off the Krabi coast in the south, Gordon did actually admit it was a "privilege for him to be there."  From having the chance to participate in a house blessing ceremony, to attempting to learn meditation skills from a Buddhist monk, Gordon experienced a side of Thailand which will provide much food for thought for a very long time to come.