Thai Basil Mousse Rev 04/30/19 We Bring Nature Indoors

Summary: Residents will make delicious desserts using fresh Thai basil.

Activity Objectives: Resident will engage sensory stimulation and motor skills.

Supplies: • 2 cups heavy whipping cream • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 cup Thai basil leaves NOTE: You may want to supplement your garden’s supply of Thai basil with a store-bought supply in order to prevent overharvesting. • Crushed peanuts and sprigs of Thai basil for garnish • Electric Mixer (or whisk or fork) • Food Processor • Fine-Mesh Strainer • Mousse Cups

Directions: 1. Use an electric mixer to beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. This should take about 3-5 minutes. (Don’t have an electric mixer? Be sure to chill cream beforehand as cold cream forms peaks faster! Use a whisk or even a fork, but just know that a fork will take longer. Have residents take turns!) 2. In a food processor, combine sugar and basil, then grind until reduced to a wet pulp. 3. With resident assistance, use a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl of heavy cream to strain mixture, pressing on the basil solids with a flexible spatula to extract as

much liquid as possible without forcing the pulp through. Once finished, discard basil solids. 4. Stir until the basil mixture is blended throughout the heavy cream. 5. Have a resident help distribute the mousse into serving cups and chill for at least 1 hour. 6. While you wait, you can share the real story behind The King and I (below) and then have a showing of either Jodie Foster’s Anna and the King from 1999 or the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical version from 1956, The King and I. 7. Once the hour is up, take an intermission. 8. Have a resident harvest enough sprigs of fresh Thai Basil from the garden to add to each mousse cup. Sprinkle crushed peanuts over each cup as the final touch. 9. Finish up the movie with your homemade mousse cups!

The Real Story Behind The King and I (Adapted from Culture Trip’s, The Real Thai Story of The King and I):

When The King and I came out in 1956, for most Americans, it was their first exposure to the culture of Thailand. Although a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, it was said to be based on a true story, so many believed the portrayals to be accurate. For the people of Thailand however, the story was not only untrue, but offensive, and now all versions of the The King and I have been banned in Thailand. The screenplay of the now famous musical was based on the book Anna and the King of Siam: The Famous True Story of a Splendid Wicked Oriental Court , written in 1944 by Margaret Landon. The subtitle alone would indicate there’s an element of sensationalism to the story! The book took inspiration from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who spent several years living among the Siamese Royal Family, teaching English. Ms. Landon’s book tells of a widow from the UK who travelled to Siam in the early 1860s to work as an English teacher. She lived in the palace of King Mongkut, a real monarch of Thailand, and taught the king’s wives and children, later being promoted to a language secretary. Many in Thailand take issue with the book, some would say with good reason. First, it is against the law in Thailand to criticize the monarchy, past or present. They view the King as both a father figure and protector. So the fact that the book portrays King Mongkut as cruel, backwards and misogynistic is not taken lightly. Secondly, the book’s

description of the people of Thailand is culturally insensitive, presenting the everyday folk of Siam as child-like, subservient and inferior. Historians believe Anna’s telling to be inflated and even fanciful, reinventing herself, as well as historical events, for a more flattering and interesting portrayal. Anna’s role within in the household is said to have been largely exaggerated and there are a number of disputed facts regarding her job title, her role in Siam and even her background. In reality, Anna Leonowens was born in India of mixed parentage, not one hundred percent British as she claimed. She was living in Singapore when she received a job offer to teach in Bangkok, not in London as the story goes. The memoirs and movies show her debating religion and Imperialism with the King and slowly introducing Western ideals to the Siamese court, but there is no evidence to suggest that Anna was ever given the chance to speak directly to the King or was able to wield such power at court. The genteel English woman from a distinguished family who married an army officer is now widely thought to have been a character invented by a penniless but shrewd widow. The King and I, while an interesting movie with elements of Thai history and culture, is severely lacking when it comes to historical accuracy. Although many viewers believe the movie to be based on fact, it is ultimately the product of the imaginations of Anna Leonowens, Margaret Landon and Hollywood.