A Taste of Cambodian Cuisine

I've had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Demaz Baker, a local chef and author of A taste of Cambodian Cuisine .


This book is full of traditional recipes using ingredients that can be easily found at local Asian markets. I've tried a few of the recipes and they all bring back flavors and dishes from my childhood.

One of my favorite recipes from this book is Amok, a Cambodian national dish of Steamed Fish Stew. I made it for my parents and they loved it!

The fish marinade is made with thinly sliced fish in coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and kaifir lime leaves.

The fish is then added to a banana leaf bowl lined with lightly steamed greens. You can make the bowl by cutting and folding the banana leaves into your desired size & securing the sides with toothpicks:

Once you've filled the banana bowls, add a little garnish- steam & enjoy:


You can get the full recipe by purchasing her book. For more information, please visit her site.

Feeding the Soul of a City

I picked up this really dope book from busboys the other day. It features recipes and stories from workers, graduates & volunteers of the DC Central Kitchen, including renowned chefs Jose Andres (Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, Cafe Atlantico), Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations) & Michel Richard (Citronelle, Central) just to name a few.

One of my favorite recipes is Marianne Ali's Pineapple Ginger Soup. The sweet pineapple pairs perfectly with the fresh ginger and is given a slight kick with a bit of ground cardamom. Marianne, the Director of Culinary Job Training's story is equally inspiring. After recovering from a 20 year heroin addiction, Marianne requested a position with the training program and has since worked her way up.

Checkout this video for information on how valuable this program is to our community:

All the recipes are easy to follow and range from simple dishes developed by high schoolers to kicked up classics by top chefs. They even have a beef stew recipe for 2,500 servings!

The stories will inspire you, the recipes will excite you and you'll feel good to know that 100% of the proceeds support programs of the DC Central Kitchen. The book can be purchsed directly through the DC Cetral kitchen here