Artillery Cafe (Cambodia)

Of course, with a thirteen-hour time change comes inconsistent sleeping patterns. Dad and I found ourselves awake at 5:30 a.m. the first morning, eager to explore the neighborhood and find our “regular” spots.  It did not take long to find our favorite lunch establishmenet, Artillery Café, which we visited three different times.

Unlike traditional Cambodian cuisine, this modern café thrives on its healthy, raw, vegetarian menu that attracts eaters from all over the world.  Many sit in the open entrance with a newspaper and cup of French-pressed coffee, while others grab a quick bite or pressed juice.

Feast with your eyes: every dish from the nori roll of seaweed, avocado, carrot, bean sprout and ginger dressing, to the garlic hummus with veggie sticks and sunshine avocado sandwich on olive bread was impressive. I’m a big fan of eating food that makes you feel good about yourself—and this menu clearly does just that!

To drink, the coconut crush and fresh coconut juice (in the shell) were both refreshing in 90-degree weather. If only I could have a glass right now! You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit in Cambodia—every fruit I tried tasted extra sweet.

I miss this little nook dearly.

Cambodia Cooking School, Part II

Last week, I gave the scoop on my authentic Cambodian cooking class during my travels to Phnom Penh in early January. While our crunchy fried spring rolls were a fabulous starter, the four hour class revolved around the Cambodian curry, called amok. Each ingredient is essential, from the lemongrass and chili to shallot and kaffir lime zest.  Attention to detail places Cambodian cuisine in a high level of difficulty in preparation and execution.

The nitty-gritty of this Cambodian delicacy is entitled kroeung, which is combined with chicken and a coconut mixture.  The mix is carefully held in a banana leaf cup, which we clumsily folded and fastened with toothpicks. The result is delightful -- sweet and slightly spicy -- and riddles well with a spoonful of steamed white rice.

chicken amok

Makes 1 serving

kroeung

1 teaspoon chili paste

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon galangal

2 teaspoon lemongrass, thinly sliced

1 large piece of kaffir lime zet

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon peanuts

1 chicken breast sliced into thin strips

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon palm sugar (or honey)

1/2 egg yolk, beaten

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 pieces of banana leaf

2 toothpicks, halved

1. Combine all kroeung ingredients into a food processor and blend to a thick paste. A mortal and pestle may be used, if desired. Stir into a small bowl of coconut milk. Add egg, fish sauce and sliced chicken.

2. Make a banana leaf cup by placing two 25-cm diameter circle pieces together and tucking a fold, secured by half of a toothpick. Repeat until all four sides of the cup are symmetrical and held together.

3. Fill banana cup with amok mixture. Steam for 25 minutes, until mixture is solid but moist.

adapted by frizz, cambodian cooking school

Welcome to Hungryland

I know I am clearly an advocate, but let’s face it: food blogs are taking over social media entertainment these days. I am lucky enough to have been singled out among the Austin community, but hundreds of thousands of food writers are promoting and publishing all over the globe. Don’t you also find that number overwhelming to conceptualize?

Every concept begins with a pioneer who brings an idea to life, translating principles into action. And for the food blog world, my friends, that pioneer is Lisa Lillien.

Lisa began the Hungry Girl website in 2004 (the year I received my KitchenAid…coincidence?!) before blogs like Caramelized were even dreamt about.  Her humorous and realistic perspective toward healthy eating (without starving yourself) has quickly become the pioneering enterprise for food sites and blogs over the past decade.  Hubbed in Los Angeles, the Hungry Girl headquarters craft healthy recipes, recommend products, publish daily online newsletters, and sell out cookbooks at a faster pace than the Raising Cane’s grand opening in Austin last month (the drive-thru line cut off two lanes of traffic).  Her newsletter has over 1,000,000 online subscribers. Needless to say, Lisa is my idol.

When my family visited LA for the holidays, Lisa and her Nickelodeon-writer-Memphian husband Dan Schneider met us for a memorable pancake feast at CiCi’s before checking out the Hungry Girl headquarters. My Dad snuck his credit card to our waiter before Dan could get to it, quickly ensuing in the realization that Dad “out-Clooneyed” Dan…George Clooney is the only other person who has managed to cover Dan’s meal before. Whoa.

Hungryland personifies Lisa and her team’s energy in every detail, from the iconic diner booth and restaurant signs, to the bright purple couches and crisp white test kitchen with pops of color. The space was open, bright and inventive. I didn’t want to leave!

Below is one of my favorite guilt-free Hungry Girl recipes that I have a feeling you will love, especially for any of you with healthy New Years resolutions.

cran-orange scones

Makes 6 servings

1/3 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)


1 cup whole-wheat flour


1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats


2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt


1/4 cup no-sugar-added applesauce

3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1. Spread butter into a 1/4-inch-thick layer on a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. (If needed, let it come to room temperature so it's easily spreadable.) Freeze until solid, at least 2 1/2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. 

3. To make the scones, in a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, baking powder, orange zest, and salt. Mix well.

4. Cut frozen butter into very small cubes. Using two forks, quickly and thoroughly mash butter into the flour mixture, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add applesauce, buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla extract, and stir until uniform. Fold in cranberries.

5. Form dough into a circle on the baking sheet, about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Evenly slice into 6 wedges, but don't separate the wedges.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean, 14-16 minutes. Let cool completely. Once cool, separate wedges, and enjoy! 



courtesy of hungry-girl.com

Cambodian Cooking School, Part I

You could probably imagine the sequence of events when learning about an exclusive Cambodian cooking class. I was signed up within 30 minutes.

The day was wonderful, and the attention to detail in Khmer cooking kept the group enthralled in chopping, grinding and mixing—even to the point where we ignored our aching biceps and glistening foreheads. Our guide, Song, was an adorable Cambodian woman with a huge smile and direct sense of instruction. I left feeling full, proud of my new taste palette, and anxious  to try the recipes soon in my own kitchen.

Song explained the menu of fried spring rolls and chicken amok (pronounced ay-mock) which would collectively take four hours to prepare, cook and eat.

We were whisked to the local Kandal market by Tut Tut (think pedicabs but more…authentic) to learn about and buy the essential Cambodian ingredients. I somehow decided against becoming a vegetarian after viewing more animal parts and flip-flopping live fish than my appetite could handle. But I especially found it fascinating that the Cambodian culture does not use supermarkets or grocery stores at all; just like a bag of produce at Central Market or Whole Foods, sunflower oil, coconut milk and spices are weighed on a scale by the pound for purchase. I was in charge of the bag of eggs (no cartons available), so my balance had to remain spot-on, even during a bumpy Tut Tut ride to our destination.

Song showed us to the rooftop kitchen, complete with long parallel dining tables and work stations lined with cutting boards, knives, and a large mortar and pestle for each person.  Immediately, we grabbed aprons and took turns shredding taro and carrot for the fried spring rolls. Song taught us the tedious, necessary process of removing starch from taro to avoid itchy throats and grainy taste. After pouring a tablespoon of salt over the shredded taro, we were instructed to “massage” the taro until a soapy, liquid consistency formed. Then, after the draining the taro and placing into a clean bowl, the process began again. Three times a charm, and the taro was ready to mix and fill the potato flour wrappers. While the spring rolls cooked in the fryer until extra crispy, our homemade sweet and sour sauce came to fruition without even a Cuisinart! Shocking, I know.

The chicken amokrequired three tasks: making the kroeung (curry paste base from scratch), creating the coconut and palm sugar mixture, and constructing a banana leaf bowl with toothpicks. Once all was mixed, we popped them in the steamer for 25 minutes and enjoyed every bite with a side of steamed rice. A well-made recipe book was gifted to each of us! 

Below is the recipe for fried spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce we cooked in Cambodia. Chicken amok is coming up later this week. Once I get to cooking the other recipes in my new booklet, I will share them as well!

fried spring rolls

Makes 12 rolls

1 cup shredded taro root

1 cup carrot

12 pieces of potato (or rice) paper

1 tablespoon peanuts

1 egg, beaten

2 cups cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put shredded taro in large mixing bowl and add some salt. Use palms to squeeze out all liquid. Then, mix taro with carrot and add peanuts. Season with sugar and pepper and set aside.

2. La a spring roll sheet flat on a cutting board and fill 1/3 shell with vegetable mix. Wrap spring roll shell tightly and seat end with beaten up egg.

3. Heat oil on high temperature. When oil is hot (test with a piece of rice paper), turn temperature to medium and carefully drop in each spring roll, one at a time. Turn spring rolls frequently until golden brown. Remove (while stove is still on) and drain on a paper towel-covered plate.

sweet and sour sauce

4 cloves garlic

1 shallot

1 fresh red pepper

1 fresh hot chili pepper

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon crushed peanuts

1. Crush garlic in a stone mortar (or Cuisinart). Add sugar, salt, shallot, hot chilis and red pepper. Blend until almost a paste. 

2. Add 1/2 cup water, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir well. Add peanuts on top when plating!

Rejuvenated & Motivated

Here I am, back in Austin after a 25-hour journey, across the world, from my new favorite place of Cambodia. I will be honest with you. While my father’s involvement in Harpswell, a college women’s dormitory and leadership center of the top 100 female students across Phnom Penh’s universities, had always impressed me, I was not expecting much more awe than from the brilliant girls whom I met.

But I was wrong (clearly). I left Cambodia feeling rejuvenated from its beauty and serenity, overwhelmed by a five-day whirlwind of jam-packed sightseeing, and motivated to do more.

Sali, head of Red Dirt Road

I spent one day in a village whose people’s smiles transcended any need for verbal communication. I witnessed the village’s newest initiative, entitled Red Dirt Road, an internal sewing business that prevents these sweet women from joining thousands of garment sweatshop workers (receiving only $80 per month). I listened to an inspiring panel of speakers—a Buddhist monk, Scottish-turned-Hong Kongan life coach, the President of UN Women in Cambodia, the Harpswell founder/leading MIT professor, and my father—who encouraged college women to be the change and leadership Cambodia needs as the country stiffly heals from its genocide only 35 years ago. I sang words of hope to the Harpswell women (with a jam session of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift afterward, of course). I ate fantastic dishes prepared by chefs and waiters who were once street youth and now lead the culinary scene in Phnom Penh. I laughed and danced at a concert with author and female business leader Utara, whose involvement in Cambodia’s economic growth is distinctly admirable.

I don’t mean to distract from the primary purpose of my blog—you all know that I can’t wait to share my cooking class stories and restaurant favorites—but I hope this reflection arouses a desire to visit, or at the least, learn about a new culture beyond the food. Make it a New Years resolution. Form a connection and realize the similarities between those across the world and us. The impact is profound!

And please, please add Cambodia to your bucket list. I promise you won’t be sorry. Plus, you will be going with plenty of restaurant recommendations to get your itinerary started! You’re welcome.

Trois Mec (LA)

My family of five and our comedic, wine sommelier cousin David walked out of Trois Mec -- the refurbished Raffallo's Pizza in an LA strip mall -- turned to one another, and asked, "What just happened?!"

Yes, it seems that we blacked out during a frenzy of oddly amusing flavor combinations at the hottest top Los Angeles "pop up" from Chef Ludovic Lefebvre. Only the most adventurous foodies could adequately analyze and enjoy the chef's approach, which portrayed culinary talent of the highest degree. To match the menu's rarity, the 24-seater restaurant does not offer reservations like most; rather, you must purchase tickets at least one month in advance for one of two seating times. Pre-paid, might I add...

My family felt like we were undergoing a science experiment on our taste buds. We quickly decided that Trois Mec is not a family dining spot; or at least not a Greenstein family spot. The five of us are unfortunately known for substitutions, kosher dietary restrictions and rarely desiring the same dish. So when we were handed a pre-fixe menu of uncertain ingredient lists during our 6 o'clock seating, we were in for a ride. I highly enjoyed it - a gastronomic affair, if you will.

Once seated, a waiter suggested the wine pairing option of six glasses, all of which hailed from the executive chef's home of France. My heart, which will always miss Paris, felt right at home, too! Yet the attention to plate timing (frankly, to get us out of there by the second seating at 8:45) left me feeling like I was taking shots instead of sipping leisurely. Before I knew it, the next dish would arrive with a third or fourth wine glass to join my pile of half-finished reds and whites.

We were treated to six snacks, beginning with a vinegary buckwheat "popcorn" that confused yet intrigued me. I knew I was in for a culinary adventure! While I will not go into complete detail on every dish (we'd be here for hours), here is the menu from our evening. Notice the deconstructed presentation to highlight each individual ingredient, as listed on the menu.

menu

Raw beef, grilled yogurt, fermented black walnut, caramelized eggplant

Grilled cabbage, smoked almond milk anglaise, bone marrow flan, cured egg (pictured above)

Nantucket bay scallops, tandoori, sesame, cauliflower, citrus (pictured above)

Potato pulp. brown butter, bonito, onion soubis, salers (my favorite, pictured below)

Duck, endive, duck skin pureé, candied orange (least favorite, too full to think!!)

Apple butter, créme de brie, toasted barley, hay (I'd rather apple pie than crumbs that tasted like it)

I highly recommend Trois Mec, simply because you won't get this anywhere else. So grab your seat (ticket), enjoy the ride, and don't worry if you feel like you blacked out afterward, too.