Jelly Fish

Catherine writes: Learning to cook Khmer style has been great with a friend to show me the ropes. Two of my favourites Da's been teaching me are Amok - Cambodian fish curry in coconut cream and another: Fried fish with ginger and beans. However Asian market shopping is a far cry from Sainsbury's!
After market shopping for a couple of weeks I am ready to consider vegetarianism though after running through the non-meat/fish sources of protein around here I realise it's not really a great option. Don't get me wrong, I love the finished product but my stomach turned just like the fish which flipped it's way out of the display bowl onto the floor. This one is still wriggling after the shopkeeper hacks it's tail off and slices down it's length. (At least it's fresh I suppose). Is that another fish moving under that sarong? No it's just the sellers foot caked in blood and scales which she scrapes off each fish as she prepares it for the buyer. I hand over the cash being careful not to touch the lump of blood and pig's flesh on a note...must've gotten that one from the butcher! Well I made a point of learning how to ask for the fish to be fully prepared: "Can you make it beautiful for me please?".

"Shall we eat sweets" Da asks as we sit at a table beside the market. Large bowls filled with jelly-like substances confront me. Who knows what they contain? I can only describe them as frogspawn like in texture - some yellow, grey, dark green or black - which would you choose? The serving lady spoons the delightful mixtures into little plastic bags for take-away, but there is no time for procrastination for me as I dive into the unknown...only baby coconuts in consdensed milk - yummy! Can we come again tomorrow?