What's cookin

In the day, you see these roasts happening everywhere, and at night, its feasting time! Restaurants become jam packed and that chunk of cow is devoured. 

Uber cute child

Khmer chicken soup

Cambodia

Mango sticky rice 2 ways

I absolutely love this dessert.
It's not jam packed with any funky preservatives. Just simple, light, original and scrumptious. It's best eaten the day it's made, since leftovers are not as exciting.

I learned this dessert in Thailand and Cambodia, so I will share both recipes.


For the glutinous sticky rice...

Sticky Rice

The first and only challenge is getting that rice cooked.
It needs to be soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight and then steamed. After 10 minutes you should flip it halfway through, and cook further till done.
 In Thailand they have awesome bamboo contraptions to properly steam it, but to make it more home friendly, I found some links to give you some options:

link: Cooking Method
           Place a pot of water on the stove, with a fine mesh trainer on top to place rice onto. Then find a proper covering lid so the least amount of steam can escape. 

Note on coconut milk: look at ingredient listings for less preservatives and high extract percentages. I recently tried the AROY-D brand and it was fantastic. It's ingredients were 60% coconut extract, water.


Thai Mango Sticky Rice (serves 2-3)

I cup of sticky rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup palm sugar or brown/white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 ripe mangos, cut up for nice presentation

Cook sticky rice as instructed previously.
Heat coconut milk, sugar and salt till all dissolves. Pour over sticky rice and mix gently so it soaks up the milk.
Use an ice cream scooper or mini bowl to present on a plate, and decorate with mango.

Enjoy!


Cambodian mango sticky rice (serves 3-4)

1.25 cup sticky rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup palm sugar, or 3 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
3 ripe mangos

Cook sticky rice and set aside.
In a pan, place both milks, sugar and salt and cook, stirring, till it lightly browns / caramelizes. Turn off heat, and mix in cooked sticky rice. Transfer to serving dish and mould to whatever shape you want.

Have fun with presentation! 

Fun ideas: Finish off with toasted coconut,

Add food colouring if you want to go crazy!

google search plating ideas

The Thai way of steaming

Siem Riep

Cambodia

Ankor Temples

If you have 1 day to go to Cambodia, this is the ultimate site to see, especially being a wonder of the world. The day starts off at 5am, getting a tuk tuk driver to take you 5km north of Siem Riep, to catch the sunrise at the Ankor Wat temple (below). Some crazy people bike there and around, but if you are Canandian and not used to Cambodian heat, GET THE DRIVER! 

We went to Ankor, Bayon , the Tomb Raider temple, and more.

 Ankor Wat

 Ankor Wat

 Bayon

 Bayon

 Bayon

Tomb Raider temple

Ankor Temples

Cambodia

Where to get fresh Asian goods in Montreal

I think I have pretty much been to about every asian grocery store that exists in Montreal.

Here are some great ones:

Kim Phat 
(guaranteed has all curry ingredients, especially the jarry and brossard locations, which are massive. The cote-des-neiges one is the smaller, but recently renovated and has lots of stuff!)

3733 Jarry East
3588 Goyer (off cote-des-neiges across the plaza)
7209 Tachereau (Brossard)

Marche Fu Tai
6700 Cote des neiges (in the plaza). 
Huge grocery store


Marche Hawaii
(massive grocery store with every noodle that exists on the planet)
1993 Marcel-Laurin


Japanese and Korean
I like these for better prices then the westmount/downtown ones:


Korean and Japanese foods
- 6151 Sherbrooke (across Akavan, cross street beaconsfield)


Bonzai
2116 Decarie (close to sherbrooke and KFC/vendome metro)


And then there is always China town, but they don't hold much thai/Southeast Asian produce.  

Samlor machou kroeung recipe

I guess aka shrimp curried stew
It's tasty!

Samlor machou kroeung serves 1-2
Curry paste 

Finely chop and mash to a paste:

Freeze leftovers!

1 stem lemon grass 

2 kaffir lime leaves 

1 small thumb galangal

1 small thumb tumeric

2 cloves garlic

1 shallot 

Stew
1 TBSP cup tamarind juice

1 handful raw shrimp (or pork/tofu/chicken, etc)

1 big bunch morning glory see picture bellow (or spinach)

1/2 sweet red chili in slices

1 small bunch thai basil, keep leaves whole/discard stem

1 cup coconut milk

2 cups water

**1/2 tsp chicken powder

1 tsp fish sauce

***Omit chicken powder and replace water with chicken or vegetable broth. 

Heat 1 cup coconut milk in a pan. Add 2 TBSP curry paste. Stir till well mixed, then add sweet chilli. If replacing shrimp with meat/tofu, add now. 

Stir till cooked. Add water, and cook another few minutes. Add morning glory and shrimp, and cook 1 minute. Add tamarind juice and chicken powder, fish sauce, and basil. Careful not to overcook shrimps and serve asap.

Enjoy!

Lemongrass, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric and I'm holding kaffir lime leaves

Shrimp, thai basil, morning glory, and sweet chilli

 Morning glory. Smash/bruise it a bit with your knife first to extract more flavour. 

Siem Riep

Cambodia

Chicken Amok recipe

 banana leaf bowls

Lemongrass, garlic, shallots, turmeric, finger root

mash it up!

 amok ingredients: chicken, ngor leaf, onion and oyster mushrooms

Chicken Amok serves 1-2

Curry paste

finely chop and mash in motor of blender:

1 lemongrass stem

2 cloves of garlic

2 stems of finger root, peeled (or replace with ginger)

1 tumb turmeric, peeled

1 red thai chilli

Amok

2 TBSP Curry paste

1/2 white onion, sliced

1 chicken breast, cubed

1 ngor leaf, stem removed and sliced (or brocoli leaf)

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

3 oyster mushrooms, torn into strands by hand

1 tsp chicken powder

1 tsp fish sauce

In a pan, heat 1 cup coconut milk, add the paste and onions, cook down then add chicken and mushrooms. After a few minutes, add 1 cup water, stir 1 minute, then add ngor leaves and 1 cup coconut milk. Final touches, add chicken powder and fish sauce. 

Serve in prepared banana leaf bowl folded together by toothpicks. 

Note: read labels when buying coconut milk and look out for high % of actual coconut and less preservatives. 

Siem Riep

Cambodia

Banana flower chili salad

I never heard of banana flowers until this cooking class. They have a nice crisp texture and no distinct taste. You can find it in local asian grocery stores, and make sure to take off the first thick layer of skin, as well as the core root (like in cabbage), and the little fingerlike strands. Soak it in some lime or lemon water so it does not brown, then squeeze it out and use. 

Note: you can also keep the outer layer for plate presentation, and you can substitute the flower for more carrots, green papaya, or any other fine shredded vegetable. 

How to get that nice fine shred on your veggies? 

Use the fine shred on a mandolin,

or

hit up a local asian store and buy the julienne peelers. 

Salad 

serves 2-3

1/2 banana flower

1/2 large carrot, shredded

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 sweet red chili, thinly sliced in rings

4 branches thai parsley, chopped

handful whole thai basil leaves

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chicken stock powder

1 heaping TBSP chopped roasted peanuts

Mix all the vegetables, and when your dressing is ready, season the vegetables with chicken powder and sugar, then add the dressing and peanuts. 

Dressing

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 lime, juice

2 tsp fish sauce (optional)

Finely chop together:

- 2 cloves garlic

- 1/3 sweet red chili

- 1 shallot
- 2 tsp coriander stem

Stir palm sugar in a hot pan, then add finely chopped mixture. Fry for 1 minute, then add water and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring. Turn off the heat add fish sauce and salt, then transfer to a bowl, and add lime juice.

Note: I find using chicken stock powder a bit weird, you can omit and replace with a little more salt. Also, if you can purchase palm sugar in a soft, gewy state, that is what we used in the cooking class. 

The salad ingredients 

What chopped banana flower looks like! soaking in lime juice and water

cut up ingredients

Dressing chopped mix

Chopped mix into the palm sugar

Top: papaya salad ingredients, right: banana flower salad ingredients.  

Siem Riep

Cambodia

Time to share some Khmer recipes

After searching Siem Riep high and low, since most cooking classes were fully booked, I found places for my friend Shane and I to do a class at Le Tigre Du Papier. The food and teacher were absolutely amazing. 

My next posts will include recipes from my selection of dishes, such as banana flower salad, amok, mango sticky rice, and more. 

Siem Riep

Cambodia

Market mysterious items

Since markets are always the cheap way go to, and Siem Riep is flooded with touristy overpriced restaurants, I decided to try this.. vermicelli, thai basil, peanut dish. The only thing that threw me off was whole mini shrimps with the shell on.. that added after bite crunch... I duno...

It's a love or hate. 

Sugar cane juice to go

So hydrating and naturally sweet...

I wish we had cane juice stalls in Montreal!!

If i had to compare it to any juice.. i would say maybe a mild peach or orange without acidity. 

cost: 25 cents

BB1: Westview Bible Churches extended family

After getting confirmation from everyone required to meet the little munchkins at the orphanage, I left Siem Riep and set off for the little town of Battambong. 

It's not much of a town for tourists, but meeting our extended church family was a time I will never forget. I never met these kids before, and halfway out of the car, I have about 7 hands locked onto my arms, welcoming me with so much love and priceless smiles. We danced, we drew, we played games, I attempted to teach some english, and of course, ended up extending my visiting plan. 

They did not let me do much in the cooking department, but whatever they made was always scrumptious. 

I hope to go back again soon.

Read more on BB1 via Asia's hope organization: Asia's Hope BB1

Bible 

Team work!

And you complain about your kitchen?

:) !!!

Battambong

Cambodia

Rice, bean, something wrap

Firstly, I love glutinous sticky rice, so anything with that I am already sold. 

I was walking by this lady, and for the first time in Asia, I saw some kind of street food using a wrap!

It had yellow, black and white sticky rice, with some sprinkled coconut, black beans, salt, possibly cinnamon or some kind of brown spice, all wrapped up. 

If you need a carbs filler for the day, this certainly fits the bill.

Nice presentation, I give her props for that!

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

The most scrumptious meal in Phnom Penh

Every morning outside my room, I would see these little huts set up down below, in the wee hours of breakfast time. Soon after, they would vanish after selling out all their goods. 

One lady had rice porridge with scary sardines, which I tried/was very painful for 2 reasons: 1) it was disgusting, and 2) all the locals sitting there were staring at me wondering why I could barely finish half of it.

The next food stall however, had one of the most memorable meals on my trip. It included rice, sliced plain omelette, sun-dried sweet scrumptious pork, with a side of sweet and sour chilli sauce, and finally, pickled vegetables to compliment the salty goods on your plate. 

I don't know why this all goes so well together, but just replace your bacon with even better pork, and your toast with rice, and you got yourself the way better version of an American breakfast. 

Cost?? FIFTY CENTS!!

The chef of the dish.

That rounded silver donut shaped bowl she has contained the final dressing sauce for the dish, which was amaaazinggggg. 

That multicoloured umbrella is the food stall!!

True meals on wheels 

Phnom Penh 

Cambodia