When we started dodging cows on the road I was sure I was heading for a "rustic" cooking experience.
The tuk tuk pulled down another dirt track and pulled up into a mini shangrila hotel complete with fountains, lotus ponds and basins of floating frangipani and hibiscus blossoms. My cooking mates this morning Linda from Beverly Hills and Richard a UK student on break from his studies in China.
We had a short walk to the village next door and brought them a gift of 2 kilos of rice and had a look around their property at various fruits and herbs. Very nice to nibble on these new flavours fresh off the plant. A very sweet 4 year girl kept bringing us things to smell and nibble - some medicinal and some for cooking.
There was a small catfish pond with a walkway to a dining pavilion in the center.
A lot of the prep had been done so Narum, guess you could call her the the sous chef, introduced each ingredient then got us chopping and pounding in the mortar and pestle.
First 3 dishes: Khmer Mango Salad, Fish Amok, Sticky Rice Flour Balls with Palm Sugar and Fresh Grated Coconut
Then we ate.
Linda only signed on for the morning so a US/Aussie couple joined Richard and I for the afternoon session They were on a mission to eat freaky food but hadn't made to the town that servers spiders.
Second three dishes: Fresh Spring Rolls, Cambodian Curry and Nom Tong Noun (crispy crepes)
The we ate, but I was so stuffed I only ate the spring rolls and Nom Tong Noun and got the curry to go. Interesting to note that there are no plastic take away containers here so I got a plastic bag of curry to go. Must investigate further.
We finished up and was back at my guest house at 4p so hopped on my bike and took off for the sunset at Angkor...from a balloon.
Today's balloon route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246975226
The tuk tuk pulled down another dirt track and pulled up into a mini shangrila hotel complete with fountains, lotus ponds and basins of floating frangipani and hibiscus blossoms. My cooking mates this morning Linda from Beverly Hills and Richard a UK student on break from his studies in China.
We had a short walk to the village next door and brought them a gift of 2 kilos of rice and had a look around their property at various fruits and herbs. Very nice to nibble on these new flavours fresh off the plant. A very sweet 4 year girl kept bringing us things to smell and nibble - some medicinal and some for cooking.
One leaf was a combo of curry + coriander with a peppery after taste. Another just tasted like Christmas - was supposed to be used as a poultice on measles.
The teaching area was in an open air pavilion surrounded by bamboo and palm trees. U shaped and big enough for 8 people.
There was a small catfish pond with a walkway to a dining pavilion in the center.
A lot of the prep had been done so Narum, guess you could call her the the sous chef, introduced each ingredient then got us chopping and pounding in the mortar and pestle.
First 3 dishes: Khmer Mango Salad, Fish Amok, Sticky Rice Flour Balls with Palm Sugar and Fresh Grated Coconut
Then we ate.
Linda only signed on for the morning so a US/Aussie couple joined Richard and I for the afternoon session They were on a mission to eat freaky food but hadn't made to the town that servers spiders.
Second three dishes: Fresh Spring Rolls, Cambodian Curry and Nom Tong Noun (crispy crepes)
The we ate, but I was so stuffed I only ate the spring rolls and Nom Tong Noun and got the curry to go. Interesting to note that there are no plastic take away containers here so I got a plastic bag of curry to go. Must investigate further.
We finished up and was back at my guest house at 4p so hopped on my bike and took off for the sunset at Angkor...from a balloon.
Today's balloon route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246975226
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