👨‍🍳 Celebrating David Thompson + Join Us for Thai Cooking This February 📚

6 February 2026 · ckbk newsletter

A classic guide to Thai cooking from David Thompson

“Classic Thai Cuisine is where it all began—a snapshot in time when the western world was just discovering authentic Thai food and a primer on the essentials of traditional Thai cuisine. Every cook can find inspiration in its pages.” Roberta Muir

To celebrate the arrival on ckbk this week of Classic Thai Cuisine: The Top 100 Classic Thai Dishes—a seminal book on the subject by globally celebrated chef and advocate of Thai cuisine David Thompson—we bring you our new Author Profile: David Thompson by fellow Australian and long-term friend Roberta Muir.

When Roberta Muir first met David Thompson in 1997, he was already over a decade into his love affair with Thailand and its unique culinary culture. He was cooking Thai food in central Sydney, the likes of which Australians had not seen before, and had published Classic Thai Cuisine in 1993.

Over the next almost three decades she has watched her friend become globally renowned and venerated for his championship of Thai food through his restaurants and cookbooks. In her feature she details that journey, from his earliest discovery of the food that was to change his life, on a holiday in Bangkok, to his unique status today—including receipt of the inaugural Michelin Guide Mentor Chef Award in 2025.

A cuisine we all now know and love—in no small part thanks to David’s intelligent and passionate advocacy—the two discuss the particular balance and harmony at the heart of Thai food, What are its golden principles, where is there room for creativity and flexibility, and understanding the overarching importance of rice.

For more Thai culinary inspiration explore our Thai Bookshelf.

Read Roberta Muir's Author Profile of David Thompson

Pictured above: Clams with Chilli Jam from Classic Thai Cuisine by David Thompson

Cookbook of the month is Classic Thai Cuisine

It is not every day we are able to bring you a foundational book on a subject, and in Classic Thai Cuisine we have the book that launched David’s Thompson’s introduction of Thai cooking to an international audience. For that, and for the 100 flavor-packed dishes it brings, we are cooking from it as our Cookbook of the Month for February.

Just a reminder, if you haven’t taken part before, of how to join in with our #ckbkclub Cookbook of The Month. It is your invitation to enjoy celebrating this great new addition to your ckbk bookshelves, and cook up a Thai feast.

All you have to do is join us on Facebook at ckbk, and post your photos and comments.

Find all the recipes you would expect in Classic Thai Cuisine, and more. Dishes such as Green Paw Paw Salad, or Green Curry (here made with pork) are universally known, and it is both fascinating to read David’s anecdotes and notes around each dish, and also worth making your own—these are the kind of recipes that come alive when you adapt them to your own palate. The book is also rich in regional dishes and the less well known—find this method for Siamese Watercress with Yellow Beans and Garlic from the provincial capital Phitsanulok.

Happy cooking, and don’t forget to post on Facebook. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Join our Faceebook #ckbkclub

Ingredient focus: venison

Venison is the term used for the meat of deer, and occasionally meat of the deer family, such as elk, or moose—it was historically the term used for all furred game. Although venison is farmed to an extent, the vast majority of venison in the UK comes from wild deer, helping to manage deer numbers which would otherwise spiral out of control, and making venison a very sustainable meat. Dark, and full-flavored, venison is very lean so larding can be a good option when roasting or grilling, to avoid dryness.

It suits a wide range of different cooking methods, including slow-cooking, and its robust flavor stands up to many ingredient pairings, bringing a unique and fine quality to dishes.

Explore The Versatility of Venison with the recipes in our collection. Try BBQ’d Venison Loin Chops, a Smoked Venison, Feta and Melon Salad, or this take on a classic; Venison Bourguignon with Dark Chocolate & Star Anise (pictured above).

6 of the best sporting snacks

Are you planning a get-together for Superbowl Sunday? Or is rugby more your thing? Whatever your sport is, what do you want to snack on, and serve your friends, when the game starts? Here are a few ideas to the get your sports party started—including a couple of vegan and gluten-free options—a team needs good fuel!

👨‍🍳 Celebrating David Thompson + Join Us for Thai Cooking This February 📚

A classic guide to Thai cooking from David Thompson

Cookbook of the month is Classic Thai Cuisine

Ingredient focus: venison

6 of the best sporting snacks

Cajun-Spiced Potato Chips

Corn Dogs

Vegan roti John

Wasabi Dog

Lingcod Sliders with napa cabbage–apple slaw

Smashed Pub Sliders