Author: Ed

Cambodia, Travel

Tasty snacks at the “rest stop”

Deep fried and served out by the recycled condensed milk tin on the road-side, who can resist these tasy crickets and beetles? Well, about 30 people judging by our bus load of mainly locals. There was one chap though who tucked into a big bag of beetles, the secret being that you flick off the hard unedible wings before popping the bodies into your mouth. I’m afraid I was a wimp having poisoned myself two days earlier and was drawn […]

Cooking

Eleven foolproof steps to Greek salad

Everything seems mundane. I miss the sights and the sounds of Asia – the smell of lemongrass, BBQs, leaded petrol and the honking of motor scooter horns. The strange, noisy cats in Laos. I can’t get my mind into gear despite lots of exciting writing projects and I can’t even decide where next to go on holiday let alone what I am going to eat. At least for the Australia Day weekend I can BBQ something. But somehow piles of […]

Cambodia, Travel

The boat to Battambang

You’ll want food for the eight hour trip to Battambang, the most beautiful boat trip in Cambodia. Plenty of locals will hassle you to buy French sticks bananas and water. The tiny bananas are delicious. But whatever you don’t don’t sit on the roof unless you want a very pink sore evening.

Cooking, Laos

Tuned down green papaya salad for tourists

Jak prepares green papaya salad  Usually my blog posts are from the opposite season from most other people. That’s because most of the time I live in the southern hemisphere. For this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Scott at Real Epicurean, Jak and I in the northern hemisphere at the Three Elephants Cooking School in Luang Prabang Laos. Unusually, we are cooperating with each other in the kitchen in what is the only food we have prepared for the […]

Laos, Travel

Water rat season

I think it may be water rat season in Phonsvanh in Laos. There are also voles, flying squirrels and deer in the market. In five minutes though the whole lot is sold. Only a single haunch and head of deer is left. What really catch my eye are the beuatiful game birds. It’s a shame you just can’t get this stuff to eat in restaurants or at street BBQs.

Cambodia, Travel

The meaning of chilli hot salad

Now I really do know the meaning of green papaya salad at the Srassrang View Restaurant near Angkor Wat. You’ve been working in the fields all day – or as I have cycling 40km along hot dusty roads. Your mouth is dry, your mind weak and the body is tired. Green papaya has everything you need. First the finely chopped/ grated papaya refreshes then the chilli kicks in and releases the endorphins that will keep you going. Protein comes in […]

Cambodia

Chicken: Thai for starters

Dragon fruit to the right.  Fresh off the plane, I haven’t quite got my street food legs yet. Off for a Thai instead at Chivit Thai ( 130 Ph Wat Bo, Siem Reap  012 830 761) set is a wooden pavillion and garden. Complimentory spring rolls, a scorching green papaya salad ( I asked for hot) and fish cakes in dipping sauce. The most interesting dish was squid served with egg yolks. That’s solid yellow half yolks. The tiny squid […]

Restaurants

Only in Sydney…

Ed, we’re in Syd about to eat at Garfish in Manly. They have a very innovative booking system – reminscent of Dan Murphy’s famous check out process – that I think you should invite opinion on from your readers. You can’t book, but they put you on a list and call you within 30 mins of your desired eating time to confirm your table…only in Sydney…