Experience all the exotic flavors of a far off land in Kelly C. Chan’s Cambodian Cooking: South East Asian Style.
All of Cambodia’s robust flavors, fresh ingredients, and inventive dishes are right at your fingertips. Whether you’re a new cook just learning the ropes or a seasoned pro, Chan’s helpful hints and time saving shortcuts make cooking Asian style meals easier than ever.
From stir fried rice noodles with chicken to a peanut vinaigrette lime sauce that can be used on virtually everything, Cambodian Cooking: South East Asian Style is a delicious way to explore your world.
All of the recipes in Chan’s inventive cookbook are grouped together by ingredients. This means you won’t have to buy dozens of different items that can only be used for one dish, guaranteeing that you’ll never waste food—or fridge space—again.
While all the ingredients are easily available at your nearest Asian grocery store, each recipe welcomes substitutions to conform to your own family’s specific dietary needs.
Discover how to create flavorful soups, appetizers, mains, and more in a fresh new cookbook that is sure to become a classic.
Kelly Chan
I was born May 2, 1968, in Battambang, Cambodia. As a child, I spent many happy hours helping my mom and dad prepare dinner for our family. So by the ages of six and eight years old, I was able to prepare many different types of Cambodian meals. Yes, I was able to learn how to prepare meals at this very young age, mostly by helping and observing my parents. As a farmer daughter, back then, it wasn’t very important for me to attend school, so I spend many hours with my parent learning how to cook. Culturally, it is important for Cambodian women to be able to prepare meals for their family. As the result of cultural influences, this is how the recipes passed on from generations to generations to young children.
By 1975 the communist regime had taken control over Cambodia, and not long after I was removed from my home to live in group housing, where all the children my own age resided. Between 1975 and 1979, I had lived as slaves, unable to have the freedom to be with my family. Instead was forced to perform hard labor at least twelve hours a day, nonstop, seven day a week performing agriculture duties.
By 1979, the Vietnamese liberation had begun, and it was the start of many years of civil war. As the result, our country had many years of famine, and we lived in dangerous conditions. Through the grape-vine, my parents heard that Thailand had been taking in Cambodian refugees. So my parents made the decision to leave Cambodia in a hopes of finding a better life for us.
Therefore, the journey started, and after several days of walking, we arrived at the Thai border. We stayed there a month or so, then we crossed the Cambodian border into Thailand, and settled in a camp for Cambodian refugees.
After a few years in Thai camp, we were sponsored to go to the United State of America; we arrived in San Jose, California, in January 1982. Here in San Jose, where I have resided most of my life. I have a career working full time as a registered dental assistant, which I have had for at least twenty-three years. And for the last few years, I worked as a hair stylist as well.
In June, I attended my brother’s graduation from San Jose State University, and my brother and I had conversations regarding food, Cambodian cuisines, and aging parents general. And eventually when they passed, we won’t be able to make the food that we love to eat. A few seconds later, the light-bulb went off. I can write a recipe book, I thought to myself; this way it will always be remembered, and passed on; so that is how the idea came to me about writing down our recipes.
It is my pleasure to share with you my family’s special recipes that have been passed on from generation to generations. Some dishes have also become fusions, influenced by our neighboring countries, and many countries that brought spices to our people, such as India, China, etc.
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