In most countries, food scraps left over from preparing meals is thrown in the trash, although convenient, it is not very wise. One, it is considered wet trash and slows down a incinerators burn level, two, it is free compost!!!

I have done this when I lived in Chalong, Phuket, and in a gated community. Dig a hole about 1 meter by 1/2 meter and about 1/3 of a meter deep. That is your compost pit, see, easy. There is no smell, it is kitchen scraps only, no bones or left over meats, just vegetable matter.

Now, when you have ends from onions, vegetable skins, orange peels, tops from vegetables, egg shells, even coffee grounds, grass clippings, you get the point, throw into the compost pit. Once a week, pour in a bucket of water. Just repeat this. Every few months go out and move it around with a hoe. As this rots down, it produces a rich fertilizer. This is after all, how top soil is made.

Not only are you saving the wet trash from the local incinerator, you are making a product to fertilize your plants with for free, whether you are growing vegetables or flowers, this compost will fertilize them.

Me, I love cast iron pans, the non-stick ability is second to none. I have used a pan that came with my house that was 40+ years old, even took it with me in the Navy and used it for another 21 years. My parents have a cast iron pan that I grew up with, I could use it when I could hold it, they still have that pan as well.

If you are looking for cast iron pans in Thailand (or throughout Asia, they are available through Lazada.

Now once you have a pan, or you found that humidity is rusting the pan, here is how to season a pan to keep a good non-stick coating on it.

First thing, heat your oven to the highest setting. Scrub off any rust you see, for rust on the inside, pour in some vinegar and add some salt, yes, salt. This will dissolve any rust. Rinse the pan well when free of any rust then dry with a paper towel. Coat the entire pan with lard, shortening, vegetable oil of your choosing, once coated, put in the heated oven upside down for one hour. After 1 hour, turn off heat and allow pan to cool while in the oven.

To clean a cast iron pan, never use soap, after cooking, while the pan is hot, add hot water and and lightly scrub with a rubber spatula, pour out water, and place on a low burner and use a paper towel to get any water out, turn burner off and lightly oil, done.

I am not talking about 7-11’s or Family Mart’s, I am talking mom and pop minimarts. Not only do they have day to day items you may need, some can be quite surprising with what they offer.

When you get settled into where you are living, go out and check the local minimarts. Nearly all have the basics; cooking oil, sardines, eggs, soap, shampoo, evaporated milk, and coffee (and beer). Depending how rural you are, you may be able to walk to many minimarts or may need to ride a scooter to the ones 1-2 kms away, check them out, it is worth it.

I like to use several minimarts for common items, you are helping each of the families. On a clear day, I will ride my scooter for 1 km to get beer, soap, shampoo, even eggs, but they do not have evaporated milk. So at the minimart right across the road, I get milk, evaporated milk, yogurt (used is many recipes I cook), plus sugar, salt, and the common items when it is raining.

I found one minimart, that is almost on par with a 7-11, flour, baking powder, several types of cooking oil, plastic-ware for storage containers, etc. Any items in the minimarts is just a few baht more than what you would pay for in a Tesco, so use the local minimarts and save yourself a trip to town or to a Tesco. The few baht extra would cost you that in petrol, traffic, time, and on the plus side, you are helping the locals, not a corporation.