On June 18 Cambodia celebrated the queen’s birthday, so the kids had the day off from school. To make sure the day was not ruined by chores and homework, the kids themselves suggested a holiday activity: they would prepare dinner that day.
After gaining Tony’s approval for the cook-off, the kids split themselves into two teams, with a roughly equal number of younger and older members in each group. The first group, led by Michael, took charge of the main dish, while the second group, headed by Ilay, focused on dessert.
The main dish group chose to serve homemade cheeseburgers and fries. Yeah, we know, it was not the healthiest of choices, but on this rare occasion we allowed the kids the freedom to choose something they really craved. The caveat: they had to add a vegetable salad on the side.
The dessert group chose to prepare banh ja’neuk, a Cambodian delicacy filled with mung bean paste and served in a sweet coconut-ginger sauce sweetened with palm sugar.
Each team member had a specific job, from recipe research to procurement to manning the grill. Small teams were dispatched to the market that morning to purchase all the necessary ingredients, and then, in the afternoon, under Ma Khun’s watchful eye, the actual cooking began. We are happy to report that the kids did brilliantly, completing dinner service for 30+ kids and staff on time and without too many mishaps in the kitchen. The burgers were delicious, as was the banh ja’neuk, and there were plenty of leftovers to be eaten the following day.
After dinner, all of the children participated in the clean-up, washing plates and utensils and tidying up the kitchen. The day ended with all of the kids and Tony having a family conversation, exchanging tales, catching up with each other, and playing board games – quality family bonding time!
