We Must Have Chances

I am mindful of the frailty in men. I reflect upon the might of fortune

and know that everything we do is exposed to a thousand chances.

Scipio Africanus (236-183 BCE)

Stay Witty

Might may lie with the Gods, but wit lies with men.

Khmer Proverb

The Art of Being Alone

Solitude certainly is a fine thing. But there is pleasure in having someone who can answer, from time to time, that solitude is a fine thing.

 Dissertations chrétiennes et morales de Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac (1665)

Experts Are a Dime a Dozen

Just as four-legged elephants occasionally slip, professional experts will stumble.

 Khmer Proverb

Khmer Lullaby

O wild rooster

Are you cawing, cawing

Near our hut?

Hey Krishna. O Krishna

Hey Krishna, dearest child, don’t you cry

Mother’s here, mother’s here, singing you to sleep.

O cicada

Are you singing, singing  

Near our hut?

Hey Krishna. O Krishna

Hey Krishna, dearest child, don’t you cry

Mother’s here, mother’s here, singing you to sleep.

O flutist

Are you playing, playing

Near our hut?

Hey Krishna. O Krishna

Hey Krishna, dearest child, don’t you cry

Mother’s here, mother’s here, singing you to sleep.

Let's get Flirty

Teav: You compare me to a flower,

While you are like a bumble bee

That flies around and spots the flower and enters straight away.

Afterwards, it doesn’t delay and is soon on its way again.

Tum: I am like the lion king,

While Miss Teav is like a large cave.

If the lion king has a place to live,

He will never allow himself to leave.

Teav: I am like a dock,

While you, so charming, are like a boat.

You are quick to park a while, precious one,

Then hurry away without a second thought.

Tum: Oh, I am like a large fish,

While you, young Teav, are like a river.

The fish that has large water swims leisurely from side to side.

Don’t dear! Don’t reject me or be suspicious.

Teav: I am like a tree,

While you are like a sarika bird that perches there every day.

You stop to perch and take shelter,

Then fly off at great speed to go to some other place.

Tum: I am like a tiger,

While you, dear, are like the jungle.

Usually a tiger doesn’t turn away quickly.

He avoids leaving behind his precious forest.

Teav: I am like a tree trunk used as a hive,

While you, handsome sir, are like the bees

That come there to live and fly off one day,

Leaving the tree trunk defiled and useless.

Tum: I am like an elephant,

While you, young lady, are like sugar cane.

Once the elephant tastes the sweetness, he never goes

Far from the sugar cane, dear.

Teav: Oh, dear sir!

Who would not be suspicious

Of the words of a man trying to show off his intelligence?

So don’t tell me not to be suspicious.

As Teav spoke wisely,

Tum had no fear at all. He grabbed Teav’s hand

And kissed her and says, “Oh, my dear,

Do you still doubt me? Do you still not believe how I feel?”

Stanzas 414-423 of Tum Teav (1915) by Venerable Botumthera Som, English translation by George Chigas

Ignorance Is Bliss

The scientist falls into the abyss, the ignorant rises into heaven.

Khmer Proverb

Khmer Beef Salad or Pleah Saiko

Pleah saiko is a beef salad. It’s mostly beef, with some bean sprouts and herbs tossed in. The beef is cooked in a lime-marinade mixture. The beef becomes very tender after it’d been marinated for a few hours, but if you are pressed for time, 30 minutes is enough. Also, try this with goat or deer meat and let the meat marinate for two to three hours.

Pleah Saiko

Khmer Beef Salad or Pleah Saiko

1 pound boneless top round steak, trimmed of all fat and thinly sliced against the grain

Juice from 6 limes

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced

Zest of 1 kaffir lime (see note)

A bunch of mint leaves

A bunch of basil leaves

6 oz. bean sprouts

1 red chili, finely chopped (optional)

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup water

5 tbsp. sugar  

½ tsp prahok paste (see note)  

¼ cup roasted peanuts, roughly ground

Making the dressing: in a small sauce pan over medium heat, mix fish sauce with prahok paste, water and sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it completely cool down.

Marinating the beef: combine lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lime zest, shallots, lime juice and chili (if using) in a bowl and mix. Add the beef to the lime mixture and toss together well. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Preparing the salad: pour away the excess marinade juice from the beef, gently pressing with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Return the beef to a clean bowl and add bean sprouts, mint and basil leaves and toss well. Add the dressing and toss again. Taste and adjust accordingly. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

  

Note: prahok is fermented fish paste. It is the soul of Khmer cuisine. Prahok is used as seasoning in a lot of our dishes. You can leave it out of this dish, just make sure you adjust the dressing accordingly. Kaffir lime zest can be substituted with kaffir lime leaves or normal lime zest. Also, as the beef is cooked in lime-marinade, make sure to trim all the fat out. And the dressing has to be completely cooled down so that the herbs and sprouts stay crunchy and fresh.