The Rangoon sisters
Emily and Amy Chung are sisters, born and bred in London. They both work as doctors but more recently have become celebrity chefs. They started the Rangoon Sisters Burmese Supper Club back in 2013 and in 2020 published their debut cookbook of family recipes, called 'The Rangoon Sisters: Recipes from Our Burmese Family Kitchen'.
As well as the Supper Club and their book, the sisters have their own website:
Questions 1 - 5
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Read the headings and match them with the five paragraphs in the article.
Note: There are two extra headings.
i) Different desserts
ii) Finding time to celebrate
iii) Meals are times to connect
iv) Great hospitality and great food
v) Working in healthcare
vii) A classic Myanmar dish
Questions 6 - 8
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Complete the sentences with ONE WORD from the reading
(6) The coronavirus pandemic did not stop Emily holding _________ with her patients.
(7) Initially many of the supper clubs customers were _______ about Burmese food.
(8) Burmese salads often combine a variety of different _______, for example soft and crunchy.
1__________
Amy and Emily Chung, AKA the Rangoon Sisters, are wondering how they can mark the launch of their debut cookbook. Having spent more than a year (including some of Emily’s maternity leave) writing it, they were planning a big party to celebrate. They’ve toyed with the idea of video cook-alongs, or preparing a supper-club-style feast to send out for virtual guests to finish at home. “If I didn’t have my day job then I could just go round and deliver it to everyone,” says Emily. Both sisters are NHS doctors and have worked throughout the coronavirus crisis, Emily adding video consultations in her area of sexual health, while Amy, a psychiatrist, has continued to see people face to face.
2__________ The sisters started a supper club in 2013 and quickly became one of the standout names of the scene; thanks in part to curious eaters’ interest, but mainly due to their warmth and generosity as hosts. Guests came to try the Burmese food of the Chungs’ Anglo-Chinese-Burmese home – sharing dishes including gently spiced curries, fresh vegetables with a shrimp dip, lots of rice and lots of salads. “Burmese salads are really interesting,” says Emily. “A mixture not just of flavours but of textures; something crunchy, something soft, a bit of sour, sweet, salty…” Condiments such as balachaung, an addictive and spicy dry relish with tiny fried shrimp, shallots and garlic, add another layer of flavour to each mouthful. 3__________ Their book has chapters featuring all of these, as well as one on the Burmese tradition of excellent snacks and fritters, and a less traditional chapter of desserts including cheesecake and meringues. “We both have a massive sweet tooth, so the desserts are more of a homage to Burmese flavours, because they’re not into quite the same desserts that we are,” says Emily.
4__________
There are also two versions of perhaps the most well known Burmese breakfast meal, mohinga. “We’ve been brought up on Grandma’s or Mum’s mohinga,” Amy says, “but generally it is a fish noodle soup, and there are some differences throughout the country.” The book has an everyday version and a more involved one, although both – like all the recipes – are easily achievable for the home cook. The great recipes, as well as their dad’s superstitions – make this cookbook not only a valuable kitchen resource, but a great read.
5_________
For a family that meets up over food, lockdown has been hard. “Supper clubs bring everyone together – the husbands get involved, Mum gets involved,” says Amy. When lockdown was relaxed, the sisters had a garden visit, but it was cut short by rain, so they’re dreaming of the first family catch-up over dim sum (“Fighting over the last dumpling!”).
“At least everyone will have had this time to think about what’s important, so when we see each other it will be more meaningful,” says Emily. “We’ve taken a lot of things for granted in the past and I’ll be able to appreciate them better.”
Full article and example recipes - https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jul/19/super-bowls-burmese-recipes-by-the-rangoon-sisters
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