Cooking a Traditional Thai Green Curry

This is a post from the orphanage I volunteered at in the Kampong Speu region of Cambodia.  Whilst myself and the other volunteers were there the directors were in the process of finding a new cook for the children and volunteers; the previous cook (unfortunately a woman who abused her position and skimmed from the food money and on one occasion beat a child) had been dismissed.  Whilst this was a problem for the orphanage - nannies and the manager had to step up and do the cooking - it gave us a chance to buy local produce from the market and cook for ourselves. 

In our volunteer house we had a simple 2 hob gas cylinder stove - so we had to really think about what we could cook!  We decided ironically, since we were in Cambodia, on a Thai green curry.  So here's our ingredients and recipe:-

Ingredients 

• Onion
• Ginger
• Chilies
• Lime
• Lemongrass
• Coconut milk
• Roast Chicken
• Potato
• Oil

Recipe

1. Peel and chop onion, add to pan with a little oil and sweat down. 
2. Peel, cube and boil 2 baking potatoes 
3. Peel and grate ginger, finely chop chilies (to taste). 
4. Add the lemongrass to the onions and make a paste with the chilies, ginger and lime juice. 
5. Drain potatoes 
6. Add coconut milk to the green paste and mix well.
7. Finally, add roast chicken and potato into the curry sauce and simmer. 

We used a rotisserie chicken bought from a stall that was set up outside the market one day.  The stall only came a few times and we were so happy when it did!  It saved us from having to deal with the somewhat daunting task of cooking the market chickens...

You can garnish the curry with an extra slice of lime, more chilies or some spring onion.

Our hob:

Some of the ingredients from the market:

The coconut cream and roast chicken pieces:

Green curry simmering:

The final result!

I confess to not being a cook back home in Scotland at all, although I do enjoy baking!  So, my little foray into cooking a traditional dish in Cambodia was a surprising success! 

Shopping at local markets can be a shocking experience, but the fresh produce that can be found there is remarkable and the abundance of herbs and spices incredible! So go for it... try cooking with fresh local ingredients when you're traveling. 

3 Cafés Not to Miss in Siem Reap!

Hey, and welcome to this mini blog post! 

Everybody loves a café and when I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia, there were plenty to try.  Siem Reap town centre was fairly compact and feeding off of the rather seedy and aptly named 'Pub Street' were much quieter, quirky little side streets with boutique shops, art galleries and a variety of restaurants and cafés to suit all tastes.  

Those of you who know me, will know that I follow a coeliac diet, so whilst traveling in more touristy areas I've searched for places I can find gluten free food.  I found two cafés in Siem Reap that had specific gluten free options, but were still wildly popular with all tourists.  

Sister Srey Café is a fabulous enterprise which helps to support young Khmer people to continue their studies whilst supporting other family members.  You can read all about their ethos here: Sister Srey Cafe

They provide delicious freshly prepared food and there is a real friendly bustling atmosphere in this little cafe which looks out onto the street and river. 

I opted for the pumpkin soup which was gluten free and served in this uber cute mini frying pan! 

I then decided to splurge a little more and ordered the RAW (gluten free and vegan) passion fruit cheesecake... delicious!

New Leaf Book Café was another of my favourites whilst in Siem Reap.  Tucked away on a quieter street, but still just round the corner from the main hub; I found this to be a little escape from the busy Siem Reap town.  It had a very relaxed feel about it; just the effect a good book should have! It had shelves stacked with plenty books to choose from.  Here's also where I had quite possibly the best coconut shake - and I should know, I've certainly tried enough! New Leaf also supports local NGO's which was another great plus.  You can read more about it here: New Leaf Cafe

CAKE! Who, may I ask, doesn't like cake!? That's a rhetorical question, because of course the answer is no-one! So everyone would love Blossom Café.  It serves a delicious range of cupcakes and specializes in cake art.  Their cakes are simply amazing; with so many fabulous designs - I spent a good 15 minutes or so deliberating over whether or not the handbags in the window were in fact bags or cakes!!! That's how good they are.  When I was in, a little girl came in with her parents and after much indecision picked the 'rainbow' cupcake - she was so excited when she cut it open and saw all the colours and it was fun to watch, but whether you're a kid or an adult this café is a fantastic treat!  It has a good selection of gluten free cupcakes too - so it was heaven for me! Like the other two cafés it also has a charitable aspect and is in fact a not-for-profit organisation that supports local women.  Here's the link to their website if you fancy a browse: Blossom Cakes .

Sweet Treat Heaven!

So there they are 3 cafés you definitely shouldn't miss if you're traveling in Siem Reap! I hope you enjoyed this little post! Thank you, as always, for reading. 

Weekends in Phnom Penh

*Please note this photo is not my own.

"Ladies who lunch, rarely need therapy"

Whilst I was living and volunteering at the orphanage in Cambodia I traveled up to Phnom Penh on weekends for a break, to see the sights and enjoy some comfort away from the very basic living conditions in Treng Trayeung.  There were two hostels that I personally found to be the best: Base Villa and Eighty8 Backpackers. 

Base Villa

Both hostels were booked online via Hostelworld.  (A site I love!) Base Villa was clean, modern and practical.  We booked an 8 bed mixed dorm room which was cheap but very comfortable.  The room had air con. and ceiling fans as well as big lockers for securely storing backpacks and a toilet, sink and shower separate to each other.  

Base Villa had a pool, bar/restaurant and a pool table area.  I found Base Villa overall very good (when we were there some building work was taking place next door making it noisy, but apart from this our stay was good)

Eighty8 Backpackers

Eighty 8 Backpackers was my favourite hostel - it had everything we needed and the atmosphere was friendly and chilled out, but with plenty potential to party too, if you like.  Eighty8 also had a pool and bar/restaurant area; however what I liked best about Eighty8 was the seating area around the pool and bar - there were tables by the pool, or cane 'egg' chairs to curl up in or they had a lounging area where you could take your shoes off and lie down.  It is the perfect space to chill out with a good book after a long, hot day sightseeing or there's plenty social spaces to hang out and have a drink or grab something to eat. 

The hostel was super clean and what I really liked was the steel framed bunks and mattresses with protective covers all to deter and prevent bed bugs which can be a problem when travelling from hostel to hostel. 

The staff here were also really friendly and helpful - the man who runs the hostel is always happy to help and it was no problem for him to help with my laptop when it wouldn't connect to the Wi-Fi.  

Entrance to Eighty8:

Tuk tuks always ready to take you anywhere from Eighty8:

The Reception:

6 Bed Female Dorm:

Pool Area:

Watching monkeys from the balcony!: 

Chillin' By the Pool:

The 240

The 240 was a really unique and quirky cafe that we stumbled across whilst wandering in Phnom Penh and I'm so glad we did! It was connected to The 240 boutique hotel, but is now connected to The 240 boutique store (See the Facebook link below.) and it was such a good little find!  It's focus is on natural and healthy produce whilst still being super tasty.  The tables are covered in glass with lush green grass underneath and inside is a dreamy cool interior - it is a true oasis amongst the bustling dusty city of Phnom Penh.  Well worth a visit! 

The 240

My Friends' Cafe and Bakery

I found this gem of a cafe after browsing the internet for any gluten free options in Phnom Penh.  My Friends' is a fantastic option for any gluten free travelers, but also for anyone looking for a tasty breakfast or lunch away from the hubbub of Phnom Penh's chaotic streets.  I visited here on a couple of occasions and I wasn't disappointed.  I tried the gluten free pancakes with syrup for breakfast and the 'Meat Feast' gluten free pizza for lunch.  Their shakes are also well worth a mention too! (See the pic. below for the chocolate one!)  The cafe is quite small inside, but always seemed to have a steady flow of customers (a lot of whom were expats) popping in and out for freshly baked goods.  Whilst I was there I bought a gluten free loaf to take away with me - it was a little crumbly, but quite tasty and good toasted.  It was a welcome change from banana and honey or yogurt for breakfast! 

My Friends' Cafe & Bakery

So gluten free or not, I recommend a visit to this cafe if you're spending time in Phnom Penh!

Backyard Cafe

This was without doubt my favourite cafe I discovered in Phnom Penh; an original concept, an airy minimalist interior, with friendly staff and A-MAZ-ING food, there's nothing to dislike and everything to love about this cafe!  

It's a:

*Live and raw food restaurant

*Vegetarian and vegan restaurant and

*Health food restaurant 

This really just translates to healthy, fresh and simply delicious food.  The menu is clearly labelled for allergies including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free; making it super easy for the gluten free and vegan traveler.  I went for lunch and had the power bowl which was so good I simply had to follow it up with the mango and vanilla bean raw cheesecake. 

Everything just seems super fresh, super clean, super healthy and super super tasty! I fell in love with this restaurant and it's concept.  While there you can also purchase Coco Khmer natural products from cold-pressed coconut oil. 

I wish I had discovered this cafe earlier so I could have tried more on the menu! I have definitely been inspired by their gluten free dishes though and will be attempting some of them when I return home! 

The Super Bowl:

The Raw Cheesecake:

Backyard Cafe

Eclipse Sky Bar

I found Eclipse Sky Bar through reading a Cambodian nightlife guide book (which were in every hostel).  They're not lying when they say Sky Bar, Eclipse is on the 22nd floor via the elevator and then up another 2 flights of stairs! It is a little out of the centre of the main city area, but only a cheap and short tuk tuk ride away.  Once you reach the top, it's a really special setting - a cool, circular bar in the middle with tables set nicely between lush palms and strings of fairy lighting and lanterns.  Low key jazzy music played softly in the background and there was the dim hum of voices chatting over dinner.  Of course the real reason to visit Eclipse Sky Bar is for the stunning view across the city.   We went for drinks and dinner and Phnom Penh's skyline was lit up against the black night sky.  The Vattanic Capital Tower really sets the backdrop lit up in a rainbow of colours from the bottom all the way up. 

Compared to Cambodia's normally cheap prices, Eclipse Sky Bars prices are slightly elevated, but I reckon it's worth paying a little extra for beautiful views across the city and a magical setting, that quite frankly would be proposal worthy! 

The cocktails (as you can see from the pictures) were pretty amazing too and there were plenty to choose from! We went here to celebrate the end of our time volunteering at the orphanage and to cheer ourselves up after saying all our goodbyes so we even splashed out on dessert! 

Eclipse Sky Bar

So there's just a few of the places I loved to eat, drink and stay at when I was in Phnom Penh.  Of course I still loved the street food at the night market, but it was nice to experience these places too.  In terms of food, it seems a true reflection of Cambodia overall: the traditional and poverty stricken side and the new, ultra modern up and coming Cambodia that's popular with expats.

Can You Pass the Pepper Please?

Kampot is renowned for it's pepper and it is exported to both Western and Asian countries.  In all honesty it has never occurred to me where pepper originates from or how it's grown, that is until I came to Kampot!  It is the rainy season in Cambodia now and after an unusually hot and dry spell last week the rains arrived and it was extremely wet - I was worried I wouldn't get into the countryside to see the pepper plantation before I leave here, but lucky for me the rains have stopped for now and this weekend has been lovely and sunny with a welcome breeze too!

So, with my good luck, off I went to visit the Kampot pepper plantation and have a tour of the beautiful countryside, including some limestone caves.  

The Kampot Province of Cambodia:

*Please note this (edited) photo is not my own

The Mountain Where the Caves Are:

 

The 'Bridge' Across to the Caves:

View From Climbing up the Mountain Before Going Into the Caves:

Heading Down Into the Caves:

'The Elephant'

The Shrine Inside the Cave:

The Limestone Formations of the Cave:

Starling Farm | Kampot Pepper

Starling Ridge Plantation Resort, Kampot:

The Pepper Plants:

Drying the Pepper:

At Starling Farm they grow black, red, white and green pepper. 

The Mango Trees at Starling Farm:

The Track Down the Mountain, Back to Kampot:

 The Rice Paddies Are Starting to Turn Green:

I hope you enjoyed this post and next time you're at dinner and ask someone to "pass the pepper please" maybe its humble origins in Cambodia will cross your mind...