All about food

Today I have been learning how to cook - Khmer-style. I joined a small group going out of Siem Reap about 15 minutes into the countryside to a quiet boutique hotel which has set up classes in their grounds. We first went to have a look at a traditional kitchen and the utensils that are used

 

This very pleasant man was preparing fish that he had caught that morning. Behind him is his water pump which has been donated by a local business. This is quite common in this area.

 

 

Our cooking stations were a bit more up to date

We were taken through the process in easy stages to prepare Khmer mango salad, fish Amok and sticky rice flour balls with palm sugar and fresh coconut.

After all that cooking - there was nothing left but to eat it all - it was 4 hours ago and I'm still full.

 

This is my Fish Amok - the Cambodian national dish which is simply prepared local fish (not the ones the chap was preparing!) cooked in a mixture of spices ground in a pestle then cooked in coconut cream - absolutely delicious. I came away with a recipe book and also a list of alternative ingredients. Who knew that you could use spinach instead of Ngor leaves? I will look forward to trying these dishes out in Australia and UK.

 

I thought that I would share my pupil Sohal's Friday afternoon breaktime snack with you. She offered me a bite of her frog but I could see its little fingers so, maybe next time!

 

All the children thought it was hilarious that I took this picture

 

Posted with Blogsy