Upcoming Cambodian New Year Celebrations

                        Eat, Dance, Eat, Pray, Eat, Celebrate                         

            

Cambodians celebrate the new year from April 14th-17th.  The Cambodian American community here in the U.S. loves a party, and manages to roll the festivities into its observances at the temple. 

Next week there will be ample opportunity to dip your culinary finger into Cambodian culture.  For celebrations, foods, and cultural events, click here.

We make this recipe every year, adapted from The Elephant Walk Cookbook.  It's a sweet rice dumpling holding a treasure of palm sugar, jackfruit, or banana, then rolled in toasted coconut or sesame seeds.

Sourseday Chnam Tnai!

Where There's No Smoke, Can There Be Fire?

             All-Weather Pork Ribs Wait Out a Rainy Spring  
                      
I got so excited by today's NY Times' headline Dining article, grilling expert Steven Raichlen's bold exposé of smoke-free barbecue.  Full of anticipation, I grabbed the cappucino (Juliano's, 90th and Lex) and left the paper behind.  

Luckily, the piece was easily retrieved. As a bit of background, Steven has been around the globe many times, chronicling the world's grilling and barbecue foodways.  From The Barbecue Bible through his current release, Planet Barbecue, he teaches us how to prep the grill, how to smoke and singe, marinate and macerate. And now, how to cook ribs in the oven without the aid of smoke. 

What's the difference between grilling and barbecue?  Take your 'cue from this article. 

Don't miss this recipe for luscious Grilled Artisanal Bacon.