Gregory E. Buford's Blog

Making Ghosts Dance was named a finalist for the Montaigne Medal, a prize given by the Eric Hoffer Award to the year's most thought-provoking books. Making Ghosts Dance

"Morning and afternoon tea are elaborate rituals around which all schedules rotate and all meaningful work comes to a standstill." - Kept: An American Househusband in India

Ingredients 11/2 cups water 8 cardamom pods 8 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 2/3 cup milk 6 tsp sugar 3 tsp black tea Preparation

Simmer water with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon ten minutes. Stir in milk, sugar and tea. Cover, turn off heat and let stand for two minutes. Strain into small cups and enjoy.

Halva (or halwa) means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. In India, it is a sweet confection, typically with moong dal (mung bean), semolina, wheat or carrot as a primary ingredient. I've never met a halva I didn't like, but my favorite is carrot halva. - g

unsplash-logoNisha RameshIngredients 6 carrots 3 cups (700 ml) milk 8 whole cardamom pods 6 Tbsp vegetable oil, butter or ghee 5 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp shelled, unsalted pistachios (optional) 1-2 Tbsp golden raisin...

"Dinesh is now a slightly chubby personification of the Indian dream. His parents arranged for him an excellent match to intelligent and kindhearted Dharani—Dana describes her as a 'female Dinesh', intended as the most sincere of compliments. We visit their home, and Dharani cooks for us the best meal we eat during our two-week trip." - Kept: An American Househusband in India

unsplash-logoLinh PhamIngredients 4 medium potatoes 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 small cube of ginger root 3 clove...

"...and sweet lassi, a frothy drink of yogurt, water, and sugar that serves very well to moderate the heat of some of the spicier dishes." - Kept: An American Househusband in India.

In India there are both sweet and salty lassis. The salty version, I've found, is an acquired taste, and over time I've acquired it. But for a simple, deliciously exotic treat the whole family will love, you can't beat a sweet lassi. - g

unsplash-logoAlison MarrasIngredients 11/2 cups plain yogurt 3-4 Tbs...

When Dharani, Dinesh and kids visited us in the US, they found the food tolerable at best. "Everything's so bland," was a common complaint. This worked out nicely for us, because Dharani insisted on cooking in our kitchen on a daily basis. This is one of her family's favorite chutneys. - g

unsplash-logoMarkus SpiskeIngredients 4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp  cumin seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 whole, dry red chiles 1 sprig of cu...

Making Ghosts Dance reflects actual circumstances of political repression happening in Cambodia right now. Oppostion leader Kem Sokha awaits trial on trumped-up charges of treason while ruling despot Hun Sen warns of “color revolutions” on a day of national celebration.

Hun Sen uses ‘Victory Over Genocide Day’ to focus on ‘colour revolutions’

Hun Sen uses ‘Victory Over Genocide Day’ to focus on ‘colour revolutions’ There was a ceremonial freeing of doves and balloons, song and dance performa...

Foreign Service Journal

Making Ghosts Dance is featured in November’s Foreign Service Journal. The Foreign Service Journal covers foreign affairs from an insider’s perspective, providing thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. Including the AFSA News section, The Journal is published monthly by the American Foreign Service Association.

 

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Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh

I couldn’t not write my novel, Making Ghosts Dance. I moved with my wife and three young children to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2004. Cambodia was a beautiful and impoverished nation experiencing rapid economic development and an unprecedented influx of foreign tourists come to see the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Angkor, which had been off-limits for decades due to armed insurgency and general lawlessness in the area. Upon our arrival, I was immediately struck by C...

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers for the first time in 2004. My wife, a diplomat, had just been assigned to the US embassy in Cambodia. We were living in Paris at the time, which has a sizeable Cambodian community, and immediately rushed out to Le Petit Cambodge for a delicious meal to prepare us for the adventure. Our server recommended we read First The...