Coconuts, coconut milk & cream
While you'll find coconut milk in most regular supermarkets, there are a range of other coconut products at most Oriental supermarkets.
Coconut cream is what you would add when making a Thai or South East Asian soup or sauce.
But when you're making a Thai or South East Asian curry or a Beef Rendang, you might want to use a block or a can of coconut cream instead. It will produce a much thicker, richer sauce.
If you want to make your own fresh coconut milk or cream, you'll find brown coconuts at most Oriental supermarkets, and even the Giant. Once you've punctured the two little eyes at the top of the nut and drained off its juice, you must crack the nut and remove the shell. Then you have to remove the brown skin and grate the flesh. Once that's done, you steep the coconut flesh in boiling water and press it through a sieve.
The thick cream comes from the first pressing. The thinner milk comes from further liquid going through the coconut meat a second time.
It's much simpler to leave the hard work to someone else and buy both ready made.