Sundays with Stephanie Cambodia

Notes on Cambodia. The Books I am reading while traveling, 3 Grain Bowl Ideas - 1 sweet, 2 savory plus 2 Mocktails to finish up your Dry January and two pasta recipes

Where I am Traveling:

As you read this, I am still traveling. From Tokyo, Japan, we flew to Cambodia. We stayed at the beautiful Sofitel in Siem Reap. The food was gorgeous, and we had two excellent massages.

Everywhere you went, you smelled Lemon Grass throughout the grounds, which were filled with Lotus Flowers, the official flower of Cambodia.

On Thursday, we boarded a boat in Cambodia to head to Vietnam.

We had three main excursions on this trip so far:

1. Siem Reap Cambodia Tonle Sap Floating Villages

   On the Lake were 1000 homes, with 4000 people living in the floating villages, with floating schools, markets, and hospitals. The floating village was primitive, but our guide explained they were happy people with a strong community, plenty of food, and resources for eating and selling (fish). Many of these families go back generations in this lifestyle, which is all they know.

We were asked to donate and gave money to the village school. The schools all teach English to prepare the people for tourism jobs. An average monthly salary is $250, but if you learn English, this can go to $1250 per month. If you go to Thailand to work, this could get you to $5000 per month. We learned a lot about Cambodian life. 95% of the population is Buddhist and 5% are Christian. This country saw a war that ended only 25 years ago. The Cambodian Genocide by the Khmer Rouge saw between 1.5 and 3 million people killed. Anyone you meet over 25 years old has stories of the war and the profound gratitude of the present peace in their country.

2. Templo De Angkor and Bayon Temple Siem Reap

   These temples were lovely and a bit less crowded than Angkor Wat, so we could take our time exploring. The area has over 152 miles of temples in various states, with Angkor Wat being the most well-preserved. This is where Laura Croft's Tomb Raider was filmed.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   We ran into some curious monkeys here. They go right up to the tourists and start sitting on your lap and rifling through your pockets, but they bite, so you are best to be still and shoo them away.

   

3. Angkor Wat Siem Reip

   Many in our group got up to see the sun rise over the temple. I did not, but I joined them an hour later to walk through the temple. Here is what my friend Anna Klimmek (@happyfoodmn) shared from that Sunset

The Hindu Religion and life of the Cambodians at the time were spelled out on the walls in pictures and scenes throughout the temple. This temple took only 37 years and was built in 1000, so considering it's over 1000, it’s pretty amazing. Temples are spiritual places and something to check off a bucket list.

Our group had to travel 5 hours down river to board the boat as where we were initially supposed to embark was too shallow. We made it to the boat at 7:30 pm and had a drink, washed up and got dinner.

I promise to post more as we venture into Vietnam.

If you are inspired to try traveling with me - the next trip is booked!

A Taste of Sicily - October 14 - 22, 2025

Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture and rich history of this stunning island. Our adventure includes stays in Palermo, Agrigento, and Siracusa, where we'll explore ancient Greek, Roman, and Norman sites, visit a local winery, and delight in exceptional Sicilian cuisine. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to experience the best of Sicily!

What I am Reading:

My book club has picked their selections for 2025; here is what we chose:

“The Wedding People” (4.5 out of 5) is our first Book, and I enjoy it. It's a quick read and really funny but also sad. It's a look into what happens when people change and cheat, and you need to ask yourself, who am I?

It’s already being adapted into a novel. Good Reads said:

“Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.”

Next month is “The Housemaid” if you want to follow along. I liked this book, but it wasn’t a masterpiece. The characters were thin, and you couldn’t understand their motives, but it was a quick airplane read and its a series apparently - this was book one. Lots of twists, which I like. (3 out of 5) Here is the Pull Quote from Good Reads:

“An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!”

I am excited about this show “Interior Chinatown” also based on a 2020 National Book Award Winner.

“A shattering and darkly comic send-up of racial stereotyping in Hollywood” (Vanity Fair) and adeeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we are forced to play.

“Say Nothing” on Hulu is based on a New York Times Best Selling Book that Kurt really liked. Its equal parts tragic and heroic when you see what two sisters were willing to do and sacrifice for the Irish Republic Army. The limited series onHulu was excellent. Its probably in my top 3 things I have watched recently.

What I am Cooking:

I had the chance to visit with some of you at the “Healthy Hour” we had at Skin Rejuvenation Clinic. I had three healthy bowl options, and my friend Alex Zweber from Sharab Shrubs demonstrated a few mocktail recipes.

Here are some photos from the event and the recipes we shared.

The group loved this bowl as an alternative to oatmeal and because Millet is a seed its Gluten free.

Millet Breakfast Porridge with Cranberry Orange Compote*

Serves 4-6

Gluten free, Dairy free and Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 cup millet

• 3 cups water

• 2 cups of non-dairy milk I like Willas Oat Milk

• 1 cup apple cider

• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Put everything in your Crock Pot and turn on low for five hours.

• Stir at least once during cooking to break up the millet

• Serve warm or refrigerate and use in meal prep bowls or Mason Jars with the Cranberry Orange Sauce and plain or vanilla yogurt alongside. Serve with coconut, toasted nuts, chia seeds or apple sauce and chopped apples.

Instant Pot Savory Oat Risotto with Mushroom Gremolata

This recipe was a favorite of the group!

Serves 6-8

Gluten free

Ingredients for the Risotto

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

• 1 medium onion finely diced

• 4 cloves garlic minced

• 2 cups steel-cut oats (Bobs Red Mill or John McCann’s)

• 36 oz chicken broth

• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme stems stripped of their leaves plus additional for garnish

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons pepper

• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated

Ingredients for the Mushroom Gremolata

• 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves grated

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 3 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions for the Mushroom Gremolata

Toss mushrooms and olive oil together and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and a bit roasty

Add garlic and cook one more minute and finish with salt and pepper

Toss the mushrooms with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley and set aside

Instructions For the Risotto:

Add butter to Instant Pot and select Sauté.

Saute butter and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and oats and continue to saute for 1 minute

Add broth, water, thyme, and salt. Lock lid in place. Select manual high pressure and 10 minutes for the cook time.

When beep sounds, turn off pressure cooker and use a natural release for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure.

When you can open the lid, stir the oats and add the cheese.

Create individual bowls and top with 1/4 cup of the mushroom gremolata

Serve warm with additional cheese if you like

Red Wheat Berry and Kale Grain Bowls with a Lemony Vinaigrette topped with Mushroom Gremolata and Toasted Walnuts

Vegan, Dairy free, Vegetarian

Ingredients Wheat Berry and Kale Grain Bowls

• 6 cups water

• 2 cups organic hard red wheat berries

• Pinch of salt

• One bunch chopped kale with ribs removed cut into strips

• 1 Cup Toasted Walnuts chopped

• 1/2 cup drained and chopped green olives

Ingredients Lemony Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• Zest and juice of one lemon

• 1 clove garlic grated on a microplane

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for the Mushroom Gremolata

• 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves grated

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 3 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions for the Mushroom Gremolata

Toss mushrooms and olive oil together and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and a bit roasty

Add garlic and cook one more minute and finish with salt and pepper

Toss the mushrooms with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley and set aside

Instructions for the Wheat Berry Grain Bowls

• Add water, wheat, and salt to the Instant Pot.

• Secure the lid and set the valve to “sealing.”

• Set the manual timer for 30 minutes.

• Quick release and drain any remaining water in a colander and set aside

• In a large bowl, add chopped kale

• Dress with the lemony vinaigrette and massage the vinaigrette into the kale for 2 minutes until the Kale feels softer, add the wheatberries and toss to combine

• Top with the Mushroom Gremolata and garnish with toasted walnuts

The Mocktails

The Perfect Pear*

by Alex Zweber

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz Asian Pear Ginger Cinnamon Shrub

• 1/4oz Ginger Syrup

• 4oz N/A Sparkling Wine

• Garnish with Candied Ginger & Orange Peel

Ginger Syrup:

• 100g water

• 100g sugar

• 25g ginger

Instructions:

Bring ingredients to boil, turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 15 min

Strain into a bottle or jar

Directions:

In a coupe or champagne glass add Asian Pear Shrub & Ginger Syrup

Top with Sparkling Cider

Express Orange Peel over rim of glass and garnish with candied ginger and orange peel

An Apple a Day*

by Alex Zweber

Ingredients

• 2/3 oz Apple Rosemary Shrub

• 1/3oz Lemon

• 1/4oz Lemon Rosemary Syrup

• 4oz Soda Water

• Garnish with Apple Slice and Rosemary Sprig

Lemon Rosemary Syrup

• 100g Water

• 100g Sugar

• 15g Rosemary

• 2 medium pieces of lemon peel

Instructions

To make the syrup:

Add water and sugar to the pot and bring to a boil.

Turn down heat to low and add rosemary.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Take off heat and add lemon peels for 5 min before removing

Strain into bottle or jar

To Make the Mocktail

In a shaker tin combine Apple Rosemary Shrub, Lemon Juice and Lemon Rosemary Syrup.

Add a few ice cubes and shake for 5 sec.

Add soda water to shaker tin

Pour contents of shaker tin into a collins glass

Garnish with apple slice and rosemary sprig.

What I Recorded:

We have a new “Taste Buds with Stephanie” Episode where we visited with Dario in the North Loop of Minneapolis. There, Chef Joe Rolle has brought in Chef Rachael McLeod (@corneliuspasta) to create artisan pasta shapes to complement his one-of-a-kind dishes.

The show was fantastic and inspired me to make homemade pasta for the first time!

Ricotta filled Wonton Ravioli with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and a few whole sprigs

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For The Ravioli

• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

• 3 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 Tbsp flour for dusting your hands

Instructions

For The Sauce

• Preheat oven to 400

• Pour the olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and diced garlic into a half-sheet pan

• Season with Thyme leaves, salt and pepper and sprinkle with red pepper flakes

• Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and some have burst and are giving up their juice and are saucy

For the Ravioli

• In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, thyme, nutmeg, and salt.

• Sprinkle a layer of flour on a work surface.

• Working in batches, place 4 wonton wrappers in a row. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling on each wrapper. Brush around the filling with egg wash.

• Top with another wrapper. Press the wrappers together around the filling, removing the air and sealing them. Using a medium circle cookie cutter, cut out each raviol.

• Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze while you prepare your next batch

• Repeat this for all of the wontons.

• Boil a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the frozen ravioli and cook for about 4 minutes or until they float to the top.

• Drain and toss with the pasta sauce.

Fresh Egg Noodle Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and a few whole sprigs

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For The Pasta

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 large eggs

Instructions

For the Pasta

• On a large clean surface mound the flour

• Crack eggs into the center of the mound of flour creating a well to hold the eggs

• With a fork break the yolks of the egg and gently flick the flour into the center of the well then incorporate with your fingers

• Keep incorporating the flour into the eggs until all the flour has been absorbed.

• Once the dough starts to form, bring it together with your palms and knead into a smooth yellow dough

• Knead for 10 minutes

• If dough is on the dry side you can wet your hands to bring it together.

• When the dough forms a ball, cover tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the dough the rest

• After resting, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Set aside and cover with a towel

• Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll 1 ball of dough at a time into a large thin sheet

• Once the dough has been rolled out, fold it over itself several timesin a long roll

• Cut the roll of pasta into strips roughly 1/4 inch thick

• Then dust some flour over the sliced strips of dough and unravel them to reveal your fresh pasta strands

• Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

To Cook Pasta

• Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and boil water. Once the water is boiling salt it and place the fresh pasta in the water.

• Add the pasta and allow to cook for roughly 2 minutes or until tender. When the pasta floats to the top of the pot it is ready

• Strain the water off the pasta and serve with the cherry tomato sauce over the top and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese

For The Sauce

• Preheat oven to 400

• Pour the olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and diced garlic into a half-sheet pan

• Season with Thyme leaves, salt and pepper and sprinkle with red pepper flakes

• Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes have blistered and some have burst and are giving up their juice, and are saucy

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