Food – part three
Only had my own house 6 weeks so the kitchen is a novelty still. I have owned a little oven for a fortnight and it is still so incredibly exciting. A birthday present to myself is what I decided. It is the size of a microwave and very light. A few expats have all raved about life changes when owned an oven.
The taste of roast veges with some Cajun spice was amazing after 9 months of no baked food! I spent about $50 at 3 grocery stores on stuff like spices, sesame oil, sauces, curry pastes, dry biscuits, popcorn corn, rolled oats and cheese that are all not available in my little town. 5 packets of cheese in the fridge! The gourda eaten first and then the long life vintage bega brand at the back of the fridge. Pity that I never did find cinnamon for Sunday morning brunch pancakes.
As mentioned previously the quality of meals bought is so low. Everything is completely overcooked and full of oil and absolutely no spices. To have roast spud that actually tasted of spud. Wonderful! To have Cajun as well was incredible.
When in Ppenh I bought lasagna sheets so I intend to do a veg lasagna soon enough. Last week I did a risotto and had baked pumpkin with my risotto. Left over baked spud in a very spice Indian curries instead of more rice was also a treat!
They all seem like such trivial things to you all reading this from a home or work computer but remember the food here is so very basic!!!
The tofu burger is still very good that I buy and sometimes the fried rice with veg is particularly good but really the only meal I buy that I genuinely enjoy is the sticky rice that I occasionally buy for breky. I get it at the markets if I go early before work and it is served in a tiny plastic bag. The rice is green cos of the bamboo leaves put in the cauldron of rice and beans!
I eat out every lunch and that is a cooked meal. I still go to the hamburger place I mentioned in food part II. Anywhere from 2 to 6 other expats are there as well. So of an evening I often don’t cook but on a weekend I cook both days.
Tonight it’ll be tofu (bought from the open air veg markets and questions of how it was cooked or how old, should not even be thought!) n veg Penang curry with penne pasta. And maybe I might even pop out soon on my bicycle, so I can get some exercise in the mud and go buy a wine to go with my curry! Or maybe I’ll just make some lemonade and be healthy with a jug of lemonade in the fridge for the weekend. Which the vodka also goes well in – grinning! No I said healthy right?
$3 bottle of spirits like vodka or gin is the problem of trying to be healthy …..
So if you visit, quality veg food available from my own kitchen! And a choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well.
