Siem Reap, Cambodia

Hi hi hi!!

Wow, is Cambodia beautiful. The second I walked off the plane I immediately felt the calm and peace that this place exudes. Life here is slow, the people are extremely poor, and the land is untouched. After talking to many natives, I really.appreciate all.the blessings and opportunities I've had in my life. Things like education, traveling, and a running toilet are practically unheard of here. Most people can't afford college, even though it only costs about $500 to pay for an entire year of school. Most people live on $30-$50 a month. 


Despite all this, they are some of the kindest people 
I've met. Because they depend on tourists for information, many of them are practically fluent in many languages despite having no formal training.

Being here has really put life in perspective for me. I want to help these people somehow...I just need to figure out how I can do that.

On to more touristy things - the food, digger, and people are unreal. Yesterday I hired a tuk-tuk driver to take me around some of the temples. Today I biked and walked around even more, finishing my day with Angkor Wat. Although it's the most famous one, it wasn't my favorite. 

Tomorrow I am taking a Khumer (Cambodian) cooking class and then I'll head to the market for some shopping. I fly to Nha Trang, Vietnam on Wednesday. 

Lots of love,
Haley


P.S. Here's my favorite Khmer dish, it's called "Amok Fish" (I made it with shrimp, but you can make it with chicken, fish, pork, etc.).  ENJOY!

A Cambodian dish of curried monkfish or codfish gently seasoned with
coconut milk, turmeric, paprica, ginger, garlic, chili and fish sauce.
The pale yellow curried fish sits prettily in a lettuce leaf. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound monkfish or cod fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, optional
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh Thai chili pepper, seeds included
• 2 teaspoons Southeast Asian fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
• 12 baby bibb lettuce leaves
• 1 tablespoon shredded fresh kaffir lime leaves, if desired.

Directions

1. Cut fish into 1/2-inch chunks. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, turmeric, paprika, curry
powder, ginger, garlic, chili pepper and fish sauce. Mix well. Add fish
pieces, and toss until well coated. Let marinate 15 minutes.

3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat oil, and add
onions. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add fish
mixture, and saute until fish is opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove from
heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.

4. Spoon into lettuce cups, and place three cups on each of 4 plates. Garnish with kaffir lime leaves, and serve.