Sokha Chen Spring 2018 Blog
by Sokha Chen, June 21, 2018
SPRING is a season of new beginnings where fresh buds bloom, animals are awakened, and the earth comes back to life again. Plants and flowers are growing, and the temperatures begin to rise. The timing of all these changes varies based upon locations. In Chicago, I have encountered various changes of the weather, even several times per day! Some days there is rain, wind, or cold, and some other days are really hot or cloudy. The weather is unforeseeable, but I have enjoyed it so far.
Spring quarter was quite busy for me since I took seven courses. The time was a bit tough, but I definitely liked all the classes. More importantly, I had a Fine Dining class where I made some new friends. It was so much fun working in the Fine Dining restaurant at Kendall College because I learned to shake cocktails properly and professionally with the help of our professors and the assistant teachers. I also dined in several times and celebrated my 24th birthday with family and friends. The food was incredibly delicious. It was such a productive quarter and now I move onward to my sophomore internship.
Finally, the Spring quarter provided me with a great opportunity to join the cooking competition at the International Fair. My sister (Channa Chen) and I made Cambodian food which is called Somlor Maju Ktiss sach Moan (Yellow curry with chicken breast) and garnished with lime and basil leaves. While I was cooking the food, I felt so excited because it was the first time that most people at the fair tried Cambodian food. Honestly, I made the food with all my heart and expressed all the love into my cooking. When the program started, my sister and I explained to guests, who came to our booth, about the method of cooking these tasty dishes.
We presented all of the fresh ingredients and vegetables that I used to make it more flavorful. In the end, we won second place on overall best presentation. We were satisfied with our work and hope to join the next competition. Also, I look forward to introducing more Cambodian dishes to everyone.
