#phonmpenh

It was already evening by the time we reached Phnom Penh and the transfer shuttle was waiting for us at the airport to take us to our hotel. This is the first time for me to travel to Cambodia and I’m happy to add it to the growing list of Asian countries I’ve visited.

The Raffles Hotel Le Royal was our elegant and luxurious home for three nights during our stay in Phnom Penh. Raffles has always been my favorite hotel brand, which is why you can always spot me in Raffles Makati (Read: Birthday Staycation at the Raffles Presidential Suite). I was really excited to feel the old world charm and ambiance that you can experience in any Raffles property in the world. Raffles Phnom Penh originally opened in 1929 and was refurbished with its Art Deco and French Colonial style in 1997 as the Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Raffles is very much part of the history of Phnom Penh, so staying in its legendary rooms was part of my travel bucket list. I stayed in their 33-square meter State Room which offers a blend of colonial charm and modern comfort. My room had its own balcony overlooking the gardens and swimming pool plus a separate bathtub and shower. We arrived at the hotel pretty late in the evening so I decided to have a warm bubble bath to get ready for our workshop the following day.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal is built around a central private courtyard, with two swimming pools fringed by Frangipani-lined tropical gardens. The next morning, we ate a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel’s Café Monivong and had a few hours of free time before the workshop started in the afternoon, so I decided to take a dip in the pool and enjoy the amenities of this lovely hotel. I posted a separate blog about Raffles Hotel Le Royal since there are so many other activities to do and places to see inside the property (Raffles Hotel Le Royal: My Charming Home in Phnom Penh, Cambodia).

It was time to get to work, so our shuttle brought us to the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia to start our technical workshop on U.S. Dry Beans. This is where I was finally able to meet all the other participants who came from Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia who will be joining the workshop. It was really interesting to meet fellow bloggers and experts in the food industry during this trip and I was also happy to make some new friends.

We were welcomed to the workshop by Dee Richmond, ASEAN representative for the U.S. Dry Bean Council. The U.S. Dry Bean Council is a non-profit industry association representing the growers, processors, exporters, and affiliated organizations of U.S. Pulses. They are also in charge of linking international buyers with U.S. exporters and assisting in developing new applications and providing technical support.

Our first day at the workshop consisted mostly of seminars and demonstrations to introduce us to the world of pulses and dry beans. It actually felt like being back in the classroom, although with more fun and interesting instructors. Pulses are the edible seeds of legume plants which includes dry beans, dry peas, lentils, chickpeas, and others. Dry edible beans are actually called super foods which aides in weight loss. These healthy ingredients can reduce heart disease with just as little as 4 servings per week. The Flexitarian Diet is fast becoming a new health trend where you eat mostly plant-based food while still allowing a few meat and animal products in moderation.

So what is the advantage of buying U.S. Pulses? These pulses are the cleanest and most consistent products in the market today. They are high quality, nutritious and cost effective legumes which are very versatile in the kitchen. They can be used as appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, desserts, beverages, and even meat replacements. They are also sustainable agriculture as they use less non-renewable energy compared to other crops. 

Chef Brad Barnes and Chef Gypsy Gifford from The Culinary Institute of America then gave us a short demonstration of the proper techniques in using U.S. dry beans. The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college which has provided students with unparalleled training, setting the gold standard for culinary excellence. 

The presentations included cooking tips and techniques on handling pulses, plus a little food tasting of this dish called Chickpeas with Hummus. This was to prepare all of us for the hands-on workshop that we will be doing the next day which will have the participants split into teams and cooking their own dishes inside the kitchen.

After our first afternoon workshop, we headed for our group dinner at Digby’s Bar & Grill where we all got to bond with our other group mates. I was happy that one of the participants from the Philippines was Ruth dela Cruz (www.ruthdelacruz.com), a friend and blogger who I usually meet during media events back home, so it was easier to get along with everybody.

The second day of the workshop had a full day of activities line up for the participants. We were presented with the ingredients we will be using in today’s hands-on exercises. These are the pulses and dry beans that will comprise the recipes for today’s healthy but delicious dishes including lentils, chickpeas, dry split peas, whole peas, and others.

After a short kitchen tour and orientation, Chef Kat is now ready to cook! I do have a lot of experience in the kitchen, especially when I used to budget and prepare our family meals at home, so this will definitely give me more insights and experiences with using pulses and cooking healthier dishes.

The participants were grouped into six teams with four members each. I was included in Team Two and we were given specific dishes to prepare using the ingredients on the table.

Using what we learned from yesterday’s lectures, we got ready to cook our healthy dishes using U.S. pulses. Remember to soak the beans in water first to avoid gasiness.

It was a bit difficult for me at first because most of the recipes assigned to our group were Thai dishes and most of our members were also from Thailand. I seemed to be the odd girl out, but I still tried my best to learn what I can and with the help of my team mates, we were able to finish these delectable and exotic Asian dishes.

The Tamarind Glazed Pork-Chickpea Sausages with Apple-Pomegranate Som Tam was my main assignment and I think I did pretty well. These patties are a combination of meat and chickpeas, which is what a flexitarian diet usually highlights. Plating is also an important aspect of cooking so we made sure the presentation truly fits the dish.

Other dishes we prepared that afternoon included the Bean and Fruit Rojak, Yellow Curry Crab Fritters with Cucumber Salad, and the Broiled Yuzu Salmon with Warm Chickpea and Scallion Salad. Chef Brad and Chef Gypsy were there to help us with our ingredients and recipes as well so it was a very fun and informative afternoon.

The other groups also presented some very appetizing and healthy dishes like the Poached Scallop with Lentil Ragout. This incorporates seafood and U.S. pulses in one dish and the combination really works well to balance the flavors.

I also saw other exotic items like the Five Bean Laarb with Duck and the Moroccan Fish with Chickpeas and Roasted Peppers. They do not look like your typical healthy menu item and that is what the U.S. Dry Bean Council wishes to promote. Eating healthy does not have to mean bland and colorless dishes, because there are so many flavors to explore with U.S. Pulses.

We all got to savour the fruits of our labor as our late lunch consisted of all our prepared dishes using U.S. Pulses.  We also got feedback from the chefs on how to improve our cooking skills so these are valuable lessons that I got from the workshop.

All the attendees were given a Certificate of Participation for joining the technical workshop on U.S. Dry Beans. We had some more free time that evening for our last night in Cambodia so most of us ended up watching the water festival called Bon Oum Touk which is one of the largest festivals in Cambodia held in November every year.

It was truly an unforgettable experience for me traveling all the way to Cambodia to participate in this international workshop. I would like to thank the U.S. Dry Bean Council and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines for inviting me to join this exclusive activity. We left Cambodia the next day and headed back to our own respective countries, but the friendships and the lessons we learned will truly last a lifetime.

U.S. Pulses

www.pulses.asia.com

www.usdrybeans.com

www.pulses.org