Birthdays

My sister-in-law invited us down because of the proximity of my dad, Ms Nong, and my birthdays. We put together a nice menu: pancit, fish, beef; we asked Ms. Nong to make a dish and my dad asked my nephew's girlfriend to make something as well.

The food Ms. Nong brought was fragrant and delicious - nhuem, a salad made with finely sliced (almost shredded) vegetables (carrots, cucumber - seeded, peppers), rice sticks, and what they referred to as skinny/old chicken (essentially a lean, dark-meat chicken that is too old to lay eggs aka stewing hen), topped with cilantro and a pleasant vinaigrette. She also made plea (the Thai's call it laab) - a salad with beef (Cambodian's do not cook the meat, they simply soak it in lemon and lime to remove the blood, but she cooked it for us).  She served the chili peppers on the side.  Both dishes were attractive as well as delicious.  

When we arrived, the pancit and afritada was already made.  We decided to make the tilapia as escabeche (Ms. Nong said if we add pineapple to the sauce it would be just like the Cambodian sweet and sour fish) and also as a baked dish with coconut milk and hot peppers. We cut up two chuck roasts (beef cubes are too lean), pressure cooked and made caldereta - very tasty, I think would be delicious prepared with lamb (my brother says goat is the best)...I'm thinking it's time for me to get a pressure cooker - the meat is tender in a fraction of the time - my Saudi friend uses one and my grandmother suggested one - I think it would be a worthwhile investment.

My nephew's girlfriend brought chicken, well seasoned with peppers and onions and a rice dish.  We rolled the naim (similar to lumpia, egg rolls wrapped in the thin spring roll skin) and they were also very delicious - chicken
breast, onions, garlic, rice stick, cabbage, carrots...my sister-in-law was very impressed with the rolling technique Ms. Nong taught us.  

From the time we walked into the door until the time we left, it seems as if we ate non stop.  Happy birthday to us.