Early Spring

Now, dearest, lend a heedful ear

 And listen while I sing

Delights to every maiden dear,

 The charms of early spring:

When earth is dotted with the heaps

 Of corn, when heron-scream

Is rare but sweet, when passion leaps

 And paints a livelier dream.

The Gathering of the Seasons by Kālidāsa (5th century CE)

Pining Away

Nothing is as long as a longing heart.

 Khmer Adage

The Man is Old

When a man begins to look behind him, his best days are behind him.

Khmer Proverb

A Personal Work

You ascend to heaven on your own stairs.

Khmer Proverb

Khmer Fish Salad or Pleah Trey

1 pound whitefish fillets such as tilapia or cod, halved and thinly sliced

Juice from 6 limes

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, very thinly sliced

A small piece of galangal root, finely chopped

1 red chili, chopped (optional)

Zest of 1 kaffir lime (see note)

½ tbsp prahok paste (see note)

¼ cup fish sauce

⅛ cup sugar

1 small head of green lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

½ red bell pepper, julienned

½ carrot, julienned (optional)

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup shaved banana blossom

A bunch of mint leaves

A bunch of basil leaves

A few culantro leaves, torn into bite size pieces (optional)

¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed

Marinating the fish: combine lemongrass, shallot, garlic, galangal, lime
juice, lime zest and chili in a bowl and mix. Add the fish to the lime
mixture and toss well. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature
for 40 minutes.

Making the dressing: pour away the marinade juice from the fish, gently
pressing with your hands to remove as much juice as
possible, reserve the juice. Return the fish to a clean bowl
and leave it aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the reserved juice, fish
sauce, sugar and prahok paste and bring the mixture to a boil.
Let it completely cool down.

Preparing the salad: in a big bowl, toss together the fish, lettuce, carrot
(if using) sprouts, bell pepper, banana blossom and herbs. Add the
dressing and toss it again. Taste and adjust accordingly. Sprinkle with
peanuts and serve.

Note: prahok is a fermented fish paste. It’s a very essential seasoning in Khmer cuisine. Kaffir lime zest can
be substituted with kaffir lime leaves
or normal lime zest. Also, as the fish is cooked in lime-marinade, make
sure to use fresh fish.
The dressing has to be completely cooled down so that the herbs and
vegetables stay fresh and crunchy.