No rest for the weary

First it was the blister, then it was the flu - I’ve been totally out of commission. I made cookies with my daughter (those scrumptious cookies that they give you when you check into a Doubletree hotel - we had them in Florida this past January and have been talking about making them ever since) and a mass of turkey wings and legs on Sunday; my mom made me turkey soup; and today I decided to take a stab at Cambodian cuisine. Here’s the first problem - I’ve never actually tasted or seen Cambodian cuisine. For some reason it seems to be a bit marginalized, perhaps because of Cambodia’s location sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam; or perhaps the socio-political-economic conditions in the country. Honestly had I not met Ms. Nong, I would have never considered cooking the food.

Friday, she told me about tirk kroeung but I wasn’t clear on how to make it or what it was supposed to look like, so I called her and realized that it was an appetizer and not a main dish. That’s when I knew I needed to expand my menu…but to what? All I had to work with was tilapia filets that my husband bought on Sunday.

First, I marinated the filets in soy sauce, lime, and sugar - why? I have no idea. Then I simmered a couple in vegetable broth and reserved the others. I removed the fish and started the tirk kroeung. Browned garlic and chili peppers, added anchovies (this is a substitution that Ms. Nong recommended for whatever it is that Cambodians use), then used the stick blender to make a paste. I then stood in the kitchen not sure what to do. I thought about steamed fish but I prefer to use whole fish for that. So I decided to go with regional influences, or at least I thought - sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, carrots; simmered in coconut milk and lime - added filets. Then I looked at the other filets and felt utterly helpless. The kitchen was a mess, there was stuff everywhere, I was feeling exhausted and a little out of sorts.

I made fish fried rice. Sautéed onions, a head of garlic, added the remaining marinade, a bit of broth, green peas, the fish, and slightly overcooked basmati rice and stirred - this became the centerpiece of the meal. I slightly steamed the broccoli for the tirk kroeung and we ate.

I made mango lassi for dessert and then my husband surprised me with Julie and Julia, as I watched it, I wondered if I was a Julie wannabe with this blog that I have…I also want to return to Paris or at least Montreal, and I certainly wouldn’t mind learning the delving into the “Art of French Cooking”…this is actually timely because I’m in the midst of reading In Defense of Food, so mastering the art of any cooking other than American could be beneficial to my health and palate.