For Friday night dinner, we explored #cambodianfood thanks to @khemla_ - a virtual pop-up run by a restaurant veteran sidelined by the pandemic. This meal started with salmon larb - chunks of cooked salmon in a zingy chili lime dressing with a shower of fresh herbs including cilantro, mint, lime leaves, green onion, toasted rice, toasted lemongrass. Many of these were grown in her mom’s garden, and during the week, she was posting pics of the prep, like the lemongrass being toasted, creating anticipation for this labor-intensive meal. The next course was called prahok ktiss. She took herbs and spices like lemongrass, galangal root and more lime leaves from mom’s garden, grind into a paste called kreung, mix with chili, fish paste, and coconut, and simmer ground pork (sourced from @porkandflowers). Also a little berry called throp, looked like giant caper but not so salty. The result is a complex delicious flavor with warm heat and salty-sweet funk. Served with white rice and a bunch of crudité veggies. Eating the warm curry with cold cucumber or string bean was nice contrast. Finally, dessert was a coconut chia seed pudding with chunks of mango, dragonfruit, and grass jelly. Colorful and refreshing. If you want to try Cambodian cuisine and you live in LA, follow @khemla_ on Instagram. When she posts a new menu, just order via DM, pay by Venmo, and this beautifully prepared food will show up at your door. (Even if you don’t live in LA, you can appreciate the beautiful food on her Insta feed.) #food #realfood #lafoodie #pandemiccreativity #virtualpopup #thisiswhyiliveinLA https://www.instagram.com/p/CFVkdndBgtx/?igshid=zcl5ckw7grbd