Paris Hilton fan or not, if you haven’t watched Cooking with Paris on Netflix yet, put it on your Watch List. Light-hearted and downright ridiculous, it is the mental escape many of us need during this time — and there’s a little bit of cooking inspo in there, too.
Cooking with Paris follows the world-famous Hilton heiress through six episodes with six famous friends, tackling a different recipe in each 20-minute episode. Each chapter begins with Paris all dolled up and masked up at the grocery store (bet you never thought you’d have something in common with Paris Hilton) before proceeding to follow a recipe and cook up the meal of the day in her own kitchen.
[Hero and Featured Image Credit: Cooking with Paris via Netflix]
Whilst it isn’t advisable at all to watch this show for the culinary knowledge, there’s no denying that Cooking with Paris has become an instant hit since its release. There’s something very lovable about the unbothered, almost ironic nature of the show, even if its central character does things like ask Siri what a “zest lemon” is.
As we’re locked down into our homes at this time, and only dress up for the grocery store too, we decided to try to find some actual cooking inspiration within Cooking with Paris. Here, we’ve adapted each episode onto our local scene, because we don’t really eat turkey (or celebrate Thanksgiving, for that matter), and have our own beloved version of a breakfast frittata.
Inspired by the chaos of Paris’ kitchen countertop, an attempt to make meaning of madness, and a fun way to get some cooking inspo this weekend, here’s our version of Cooking with Paris in Bangkok. Pour yourself a Coke Light into a champagne glass a la Kathy Hilton, and prepare for some #sliving.
Episode 1: Bangkok Breakfast Frittata
Breakfast in the Clouds with Kim Kardashian West
Why would a Bangkokian make a frittata when a Bangkokian’s pride and joy is the classic Thai omelette? Just as fluffy, far more satisfying, and packed with a ton of flavour, we kind of wish Paris took inspiration from Jay Fai (and even her signature style, for that matter) to make what is inarguably the best version of eggs. Rich, creamy, crispy, and Michelin-star-worthy. You don’t need turkey bacon when you can get Thai crab.
Episode 2: Sustainable and Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Taco Night with Saweetie
Bangkok itself offers plenty of Mexican tacos to enjoy, and we’re huge fans of the Mexican food scene here. If Paris were to make this dish in Bangkok, we hope she’d use locally-sourced seafood (and northern Thai avocado!) to support the small businesses in Thailand. For dessert, we suggest she try a local rendition of a “mini sweet taco,” a.k.a kanom bueang. Why not?
Episode 3: Vegan Burgers with Thai chili sauce
Vegan Burgers and Fries with Nikki Glaser
As more locals take on the plant-based path, Bangkok’s vegan meat options are ever-increasing. Beyond Meat even makes plant-based burger patties, so you don’t have to go through the grinding disaster that Paris and Nikki deal with in this episode. We’re not too convinced on the ‘pink sauce,’ so we’re switching this out for our favourite Thai sweet chili sauce — you know, the one you use for grilled chicken — and trying it with this plant-based meat instead.
Episode 4: Italian Night with Chiang Mai Cheese
Italian Night with Demi Lovato
The Italian food scene in Bangkok is massive and magical, so it’s more likely Paris would order for delivery for her Italian Night. However, if she did want to try making her Caprese salad and ravioli again, we suggest she opt for local cheese and fresh handmade pasta, and support some of our local artisans. We particularly like VIVIN Grocery and Sloane’s Pasta by Scarletta for this.
Episode 5: A Different Bird for Thanksgiving
Get Over It Holiday Feast with Lele Pons
Unless you have American friends that own an oven, or like to head to the hotels in November, it’s likely you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, and it’s likely that turkey doesn’t feature too often on your Bangkok plate. Nevertheless, we wanted to embrace the idea of enjoying a whole bird, so we’re turning to our favourite Chinese restaurants for this. How long has it been since you enjoyed some Peking duck and pancakes? How about deep-fried squab? We wonder how Paris would tackle these with her fingerless gloves.
Episode 6: Jaew over Truffle Butter
Family Steak Night with Kathy and Nicky Hilton
Luckily, there are some really great butchers in Bangkok, so our meat supply for steak night never runs short. However, we’re putting aside the truffle butter Paris makes, and opting for a more local favourite here. We love enjoying beef with jaew sauce, and we love the idea of the Hiltons attempting to make a Thai-style Crying Tiger (suea rong hai) dish. Could Paris handle the spice? She’d probably think it’s hot.
Lisa Gries
Creative Content Director, Bangkok
Lisa is the Creative Content Director at Lifestyle Asia Thailand. When she’s not knees-deep in SEO analysis or editorial calendars, you’ll likely find her in downward-facing dog at the yoga studio, or immersed in conversation at a secret bar in China town. Lisa writes mostly on dining, travel, and pop-culture, and is a huge fan of soup dumplings, Riesling, and power napping — in exactly that order.
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