Cambodia

My daughter has been traveling again and this time shares her area of  greatest interest—Asian cooking.

Cambodia: A Culinary Chameleon

After 17 job interviews and before going to China where, if you are an assiduous reader of this column, you will know I have been multiple times, I decided to treat myself to something new. While winter was still trundling along stateside, I spent 2 weeks in February in sunny Cambodia.  Cambodia is best known from the not so distant past atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, but it has mostly come out of that horrible time to become a friendly, easy to navigate tourist destination. They have learned to capitalize on the world treasures of Angkor and to earn a solid buck out of their grisly history in the killing fields tourist sites around Phnom Penh, the capital.

Besides the must-see-before-you-die Angkor ancient temples, one of the most striking parts of Cambodia is the food. Primarily, they are very eclectic, with a host of international foods on offer in tourist areas. The Cambodian cuisine itself is unique, yet a melange of its neighbors. Thai and Vietnamese components figure strongly in Khmer food. The pungency of Thai curries are softened and the mild sweet and sour of Vietnamese foods are punched up in the cuisine of the country betwixt the two. There were, of course, bizarre dishes and snacks on offer. I eschewed the fried tarantulas which seemed like they would be crunchy in the teeth yet furry going down. I did however like the red tree ants that were incorporated into a beef curry I had at an upscale restaurant. The undressed grilled squid I had on the beach in Sihanoukville was fine but pulling the spine out of my mouth did nothing to improve the bland fishy flavor.

On my first night in Phnom Penh, I went to a restaurant, Frizz (terrible name), near the National Museum that was recommended by ‘Lonely Planet’. It was a nice place but had a relatively spare menu. I started with grilled chicken skewers which were served with a striking sauce, totally new to me. I am used to the heavy peanut sauce they serve with Thai chicken satays but the Khmer sauce was simply ground fresh black pepper, lime, salt and hot water. I asked the waiter because I couldn’t identify what made this sauce so good. I have never thought deeply about umami, the illusive “fifth flavor” that supposedly gives certain foods their special oomph but this uncomplicated concoction had it. After a long day viewing the horrors and traumas inflicted by the Khmer Rouge, the Frizz cooking class the next day sounded like a good idea.

After meeting at the restaurant in the morning, a random group of Dutch, Australian, German and American tourists followed our petite Khmer chef by auto-rickshaw to a local market. Our chef led us through the myriad stalls, stopping to point out vegetables and herbs that probably wouldn’t be familiar to us. Obviously a frequent visitor, he would pull bunches of kaffir lime leaves or galangal root off a vendors stand and pass it around, allowing us to smell or taste without a glance from the seller. The typical 3^rd world country market stalls with flapping live fish, animal heads, skinned frogs bodies, and fried unknowns sidetracked my camera’s eye but the fresh produce was bountiful and beautiful. After buying a bit of tofu for the lone vegetarian, we rickshawed back to our cooking base.

What I learned during that cooking course was that I can’t hope to replicate what we did that day. I have no idea where to find fresh galangal in the US. Even if I did, I am sure it would be an ordeal to obtain it. We did make some beautiful dishes. We started with spring rolls which were more of a project than I would have expected. Instead of the rice paper wrappers typical of Vietnam, the Cambodians use a thin potato pancake. They also traditionally stuff their rolls with taro and root veggies. I spent 15 minutes kneading salt into the taro to take away the itchiness that taro inflicts on the diner if not properly cooked. After 30 minutes making our spring rolls and 30 minutes frying them, we enjoyed a brief but wonderful snack with a fantastic dipping sauce which I will come back to later.

The highlight and focus of the cooking class was fish amok. If there is a national dish of Cambodia, fish amok is it. In its simplest form, it is a curry but it is steamed in a particularly folded banana leaf instead of stir-fried like most Thai curries. For our amok, we used mortar and pestle to grind galangal, fresh lemon grass, kaffir lime, garlic and chilles into an infinitesimally fine powder. After ten minutes of pounding and switching hands multiple times due to arm fatigue, the chef still found my powder unsatisfactory. This was hard work. After the physically demanding labor and intricately pinning the banana leaves, we set up our amok to steam. The result was worth the effort. Fish amok combines the soft delicacy of white fish with the penetrating but refined flavors of a chili based red curry that becomes thick in the steaming. We ate our amok out of the banana cups with no rice. We didn’t want to dilute our efforts. It was that good. I have no words to do justice to the hearty, piquant richness of a properly prepared amok.

Though most Cambodian dishes are next to impossible to make outside of the country due to lack of proper ingredients, there is one component that can be replicated in the States. I really enjoyed the spring roll dipping sauce which you may have had a poor imitation in US Asian restaurants. The sauce is not the sticky sweet pink goo shoveled out in packets by your local Chinese fry-up. This sauce is spicy but sweet and can be used to accompany a variety of foods as simple as skewered grilled chicken, sliced cucumbers, salad or with time consuming spring rolls. Impress your friends and order your spring rolls or get them from the freezer section but serve them with this fresh sauce.  The best part is that the sauce changes with age and has one flavor as soon as you make it but is best a day or two later.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce:

4 cloves garlic

1 shallot

1 fresh red pepper

1 fresh hot chili

2 tbsp fish sauce- can get in most Asian food stores (Cambodian is different than Thai but both are good)

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp crushed peanuts

½ cup water

You can be traditional and crush the garlic in a mortar and then add the rest of the ingredients or just food process it all except the garnishes. Serve in small bowls with crushed peanut and julienned shallots or carrots on top.

A Day in New Orleans

Some days are just better than others and I had a good day in New Orleans a few weeks ago. I was just walking down the street in the French Quarter when I saw a man sitting in a chair right outside a little coffee shop. He looked vaguely familiar but he had on a cap, sunglasses, and sported a beard. I said, “Good Morning” to him and he said “Good Morning, Ma’am,” in return. As I walked on I realized I had said good morning to Brad Pitt. A good way to start the morning!!

My morning walk was to take me to the French Market, where a group of officials and Leah Chase were kicking off the “Gulf Alive,” a three day seminar series. I knew nothing about this but my husband saw it in the ‘Times-Picayune’ and told me this could be an article. The Gulf area is trying to get the public to buy their seafood again, so this seminar was to make the public aware that the seafood is being tested and is safe. I did hear Leah Chase speak for a few minutes.  She is a well known chef in New Orleans with her Dookie Chase Restaurant and her many cookbooks.

A lady taking some photographs asked me what I was dong there and I told her I was looking for an article for a newspaper in Alabama. Well, she said you should go over to the Riverside Hilton where the Central Regional Conference for the Culinary Institute is being held. She wrote a note for me on her card and told me to take it to the Hilton and they would give me a press pass. Boy, did I feel important! Sure enough, I got the pass and Susan Spicer was just beginning to do a cooking demonstration for about 600 Culinary Institute students.

Susan Spicer is the owner and chef of Bayona’s in the French Quarter and has had this successful restaurant for 21 years. She has just opened a new less formal restaurant called Mondo (meaning world in Italian) in the Lakeside area of New Orleans. I hear it is good, but I have not been able to get over there yet.

I enjoyed Susan Spicer’s demonstrations because she is not afraid to use spices from India or Thailand to add to her New Orleans cuisine. She spent the first 7 years of her life in Holland and her mother was an adventurous cook, so Susan gives her credit for her own love of cooking. Susan cooked for the group a crawfish curry, smoked quail salad with a bourbon-molasses dressing, and a rabbit stuffed with boudain. She gave some tips as to what you should have in your kitchen and pantry. You will need at least 2 good knives, one for paring and an 8-inch chef knife, as well as a steel to keep them sharp. Basic equipment is a blender, food processor, and a heavy-duty electric mixer.  There is not much you can’t do with that lineup. I liked it that she is not a gadget person, since I tend to not like gadgets.

The pantry should include Asian spices such as hoisin, plum, oyster, and sweet chili sauce. She always uses unsalted butter, because it tends to taste fresher and sweeter.

She uses canned tomatoes, usually whole tomatoes in juice, crushed, or pureed. She likes the ones from the San Marzano region of Italy. The pantry should include capers, anchovies, olives, and horseradish. These provide big flavors for instant pasta dishes, jazzing up tuna salad, flavoring mayos, and more. As for curry paste, she uses the brand Patak’s (found in most stores), Indian and Thai red or green paste. A spoonful of one of these pastes can add instant flavor to any number of sauces or creamy condiments. Thai curry pastes and a can of unsweetened coconut milk make a super-easy chicken or shrimp curry with jasmine rice and scallions. For flour, she uses unbleached all-purpose for almost everything. She uses Crystal or Louisiana Hot Sauce for most dishes and thinks Tabasco is more intense, and best reserved for finishing a dish. She uses Hellman’s mayonnaise unless she makes her own. Kosher salt is the workhouse in her kitchen. As far as soy sauce goes, she feels Kikkoman has the deepest, truest flavor.

Susan did not give out recipes for her demonstrations, but I do have her cookbook and found a recipe that uses her Indian spices. The yogurt in this recipe gives moisture to the turkey pieces, and the lentils eliminate the need for a sauce.

Taken from Susan Spicer’s Crescent City Cooking

Indian Spiced Turkey Breast with Creamy Red Lentils

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 1 hour

2 (8-ounce) pieces boneless turkey breast

Juice of one medium lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Salt

Zest of one lemon, grated (about 2 teaspoons)

1 cup plain yogurt (low-fat is fine), preferable a Middle Eastern or organic brand

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

Vegetable oil, for greasing the baking sheet

Creamy red lentils

Chopped fresh cilantro and lemon wedges, as garnish

Rinse the turkey breasts and pat dry. Pour the lemon juice over the turkey and sprinkle it lightly with salt. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Combine the lemon zest, yogurt, chile, olive oil, spices, ginger, and garlic in a shallow bowl. Turn the turkey over in the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for at least ½ hour, or chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 475°F or turn on the broiler.

Place an oiled baking sheet in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove the turkey from the marinade and strip off the excess marinade with your fingers. Place the turkey on the hot baking sheet and cook for about 5 minutes, and then use a spatula to flip it and cook another 5 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove it from the oven and allow to rest before slicing. If you’re using the broiler, broil the turkey 8-10 minutes, turning once.

To serve, place a generous spoonful of the lentils on the plate, then plate a few slices of the turkey alongside. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and a wedge of lemon.

Creamy Red Lentils

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup red lentils, rinsed with cold water

Cilantro stems and a bay leaf, tied together with a string

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and pour 3 ½ cups water, then add the cilantro bundle and cumin and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook gently for about 45 minutes, adding a little more water as necessary.

When the lentils are tender and ready to serve, remove the cilantro stems and season with salt.

Hank Williams and Jambalaya

The Hank Williams Festival is this weekend May 20-21 in Georgiana.  It’s the 32^nd  annual festival.  I’ve never been.  Someone told me when I first came to Andalusia it was just a bunch of red-necks drinking beer.  I’m not a big fan of beer but I like Hank Williams’ music.

Hiram Williams was born in Mt. Olive, September 17, 1923.  The family lived in several towns in south Alabama—Fountain, Greenville, Georgiana, and Montgomery.  Changing his name to Hank, Williams began his career on the radio in Montgomery.  He formed the Drifting Cowboys as backup and they toured south Alabama.  In 1943 Hank met Audrey Sheppard in Pike County.  He and Audrey lived in Andalusia while he played at the Riverside Inn on the Conecuh in River Falls.  Shortly after her divorce they were married, December 15, 1944 by Justice of the Peace, MA Bovett at John G. Wright’s garage on East Three Notch in Andalusia.  I have also heard he played at a juke joint on the Conecuh in Gantt.  In 1948 he joined the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport.  Perhaps he got his inspiration there for one of my favorites of his---‘Jumbalaya’ (‘On the Bayou’) which he wrote in 1952.  He is perhaps better known for ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart,’ but I am celebrating the Festival this weekend with ‘Jumbalaya.’

In honor of the Hank Williams Festival, try and do a really good jambalaya. I think this recipe from Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook is one that you will like. The classic jambalaya dish has shrimp and ham and is “red” thanks to the tomatoes. In some of the Cajun communities there are “brown” jambalayas with oysters, giblets and lusty country sausages.

The name jambalaya may be a contraction of jambon á la ya-ya---a combination of the French for ham, jambon, and the African Bantu word for rice, ya-ya.

Creole Jambalaya

Serves 6

I tablespoon unsalted butter (or 2 tablespoons if the pork and sausage are very lean)

4 ounces andouille, sliced into ¼-inch rounds (can use kielbasa)

4 ounces pickled pork or ham, cut in ¼-inch cubes (use any good quality ham)

1 medium- sized yellow onion, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 medium-size green sweet pepper, chopped

2 cans (10 ounces each) crushed plum tomatoes

¼ cup canned tomato purée

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole bay leaf

1 teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne

¼ teaspoon dry thyme leaves

4 quarts chicken stock

1 tablespoon Louisiana pepper sauce

2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked

1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled

Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a heavy, non-reactive 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven.

Add the sausage and pickled pork or ham and cook until all of the fat is rendered out of the meats, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the yellow onions, the white part of the green onions and the sweet peppers. Cook the vegetables until they are clear, about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring and scraping clean the pan bottom.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic, bay leaf, table salt, black pepper, cayenne, and thyme. Cook and stir this base sauce about two minutes. (If the dish is being prepared ahead, allow the base sauce to cool, then place in a lidded non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. For the final preparation, heat the base to a boil and proceed with the remainder of the recipe.)

Add the chicken stock and pepper sauce to the base and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer, and simmer the liquid uncovered until it is reduced by one third, about one hour and 15 minutes. Skim any foam or coagulates as they develop on the surface.

Return the liquid to a boil and stir in the rice.

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook uncovered until the rice is just short of being done (it should still be a little firm in the center), about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp and cook until the rice is tender and the shrimp turn bright pink, about three minutes. Do not overcook.

Stir in the green part of the green onions.

Serving suggestion:  Spoon the warm jambalaya onto a heated serving platter or into a wide, shallow serving bowl.

Radishes

Perhaps a radish is just a radish, but I like them a lot and think they are just so good without much tinkering with. They are crunchy, peppery and need nothing more than a sprinkle of salt or a dab of butter. They are great in salads, sandwiches; and crudités are a wonderful way to showcase their sassy flavor. Radishes are in at the Farmer’s markets

and come in different varieties. There are Easter Egg radishes, which can be oval or round and come in multicolored bunches of white, purple, pink or red. Small oval French Breakfast radishes are red with white tips; Icicle radishes are elongated and white. Watermelon radishes can be golf-ball- or baseball sized; white on the outside and pink within, they taste almost like turnips, Radishes, cousins to arugula and cabbage, have a zing that’s mellowed by cooking, since cooking brings our an earthy sweetness. Radishes say spring is here.

Radishes are a good source of vitamin C and also contain significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, folate, and potassium. Practitioners of natural medicine prize radishes for their ability to stimulate digestion, cleanse the system, and alleviate congestion and a sore throat.

Spring and fall are the best time to buy or grow radishes as hot weather turns their flavor strong and their texture spongy.  Choose firm, smooth radishes that feel heavy and have fresh green tops. At home, trim the tops to half an inch, and refrigerate the radishes unwashed in plastic. They will keep for at least a week.

Try the following with your radishes:

Crudité Plate: Include radishes on a platter with slices of fennel, celery, bell pepper, and sugar snap peas; serve with green goddess dressing.

Salad Nicoise: Add radishes to a salad of tuna, olives, steamed potatoes, blanched green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, and lettuce.

Stir-Fry: Mix sliced radishes into a stir-fry of pork tenderloin, lime juice, chipotles in adobo, and green onions.

Indian Radishes: Add a cup of radishes to ½ cup of red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt for 4 hours in refrigerator. Serve with cocktails.

These next two recipes are good examples of how radishes can add to an appetizer or a main course.

Sliced Baguette With Radishes and Anchovy Butter

Makes 16

½ cup  (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2-3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Coarse kosher salt

16 ½ -inch-thick diagonal slices baguette

10 radishes (such as French Breakfast), trimmed, thinly sliced on diagonal

Additional chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

Mix butter, 2 chopped anchovy fillets, and 2 tablespoons chives in small bowl, adding 1 more anchovy fillet to taste, if desired. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread anchovy butter over 1 side of each baguette slice. Top each baguette slice with radish slices, overlapping slightly to cover bread. Garnish with additional chopped to serve.

Sautéed Chicken and Radishes with Mustard and Tarragon

Serves 4 as a main course

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Coarse kosher salt

2 ½ tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons minced shallot

¼ cup dry white wine

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 bunches radishes (such as red, pink, purple, and white: about 20), trimmed of all but ½ inch of green tops, radishes halved lengthwise

Fresh tarragon sprigs, for garnish

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cooked until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. Add shallot to same skillet; stir over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add wine, then broth to skillet; bring to boil. Whisk in mustard and chopped tarragon; boil until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon lightly and is reduced to scant ½ cup, 5-6 minutes. Stir in ½ tablespoon butter; set aside.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 remaining tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper; cook without stirring until radishes begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook radishes until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes longer.

Cut chicken breast halves crosswise into ½-inch thick slices; arrange on platter. Place radishes around and over chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken and radishes. Garnish with tarragon sprigs and serve.

Mothers Day 2011

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and I do think all mothers need a day off from cooking.

So take mama to lunch, but surprise her with a breakfast that is fast, easy and can even be prepared the day before. The breakfast dishes below contain one sweet and one savory. You probably know which your wife or mother prefers, or you should know!

Serve either with fresh orange juice, with champagne (Mimosa) if so desired, or even start the morning with a Bloody Mary, or just a Virgin Mary.

Potato and Bacon Cake

This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated tightly covered, just cook according to directions.

It has four ingredients so even children can help.

Serves 8

4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt and ground pepper

¾ pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1 ½ -inch pieces

Preheat oven to 450°. In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high heat in salted water. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook 7 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to pot. Meanwhile in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until browned but not completely crisp, 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.

Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat into a small bowl. Return skillet to heat and cook one-third the potatoes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, three minutes. Transfer to an 8-inch round cake pan  (2 inches deep); sprinkle with one-third of the bacon. Press firmly with the back of a large spoon to pack mixture very tightly. Cook remaining potatoes in two batches. Layer each batch in pan with bacon, pressing as you go.  Spoon ¼ cup reserved bacon fat over mixture.  Cover tightly with foil; bake one hour.  Remove foil; bake until potatoes are crisp and golden, 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes.  Invert onto a plate.

French Toast

Makes 12 slices

6 large eggs

2 ½ tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon sugar

Coarse salt

1 ½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juice

1 ¼ cups whole milk

6 tablespoons sunflower oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for serving

1 loaf brioche (20 ounces) cut into 1/2 –inch slices

Pure maple syrup, for serving

In a large shallow dish, beat eggs with a fork. Beat in liqueur, sugar, large pinch of salt, and orange zest and juice. Add milk and beat until combined.

In a large heavy skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until sizzling. Gently dip brioche, one slice at a time, into egg mixture to coat and add to skillet (do not crowd pan). In batches, cook until golden brown on both sides, 5 minutes per batch, flipping once. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined wire rack.  Repeat with remaining brioche, adding remaining oil and butter as needed. (Reduce heat if brioche is browning too quickly.) Serve with butter and maple syrup

Some things to remember before doing toast: zest before juicing. Dip the bread just before cooking, and be gentle with brioche bread. If the pan over-browns, wipe it out with a paper towel and start again with new oil and butter.

Ok, Dads get cooking…Happy Mother’s Day to all!  (And Dad, don’t forget to clean up afterward.)