caldron magazine, august 2014

CaLDRON Magazine August 2014 1

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Magazine

Ever cooked with flowers? Learn now! / page 24

read reviews from delhi, mumbai, bangalore, pune and singapore

learn about rajasthani cuisine

have fun with nachos & dips

vietnamese cuisinedemystified

different things to do with eggs!

photo feature: the many faces of steak

work and play at aloft, bangalore

le meridien pune, reviewed

wines of westeros

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2 CaLDRON Magazine August 2014

Have you ever eaten Rajasthani

food?

Original question: Have you eaten Rajasthani food, ever?Respondents: Six hundred and fifty one (651)

MEMBER POLL

We wondered just how widespread Rajasthani food was, not seeing many restaurants serving it, with most cities hosting more Italian and American menus than Rajasthani. So we asked our readers, and the answer was astounding, as you can see below! 89% folks across dozens of cities claimed to have tried Rajasthani food with just 11% not having done so. It'll be interesting to see the results for North Eastern food next month.


Come to think about it, there are things most of us almost never think of cooking with. Yes, I'm talking about the cover story of this issue - flowers.

We cook with seeds, such as mustard seeds for spice and lentils for whole dishes, we cook with stalks, such as those of cabbage, leaves like spinach, fruits of course and vegetables. We even use normally toxic plants such as colocassia / arbi and the fairly unfriendly leaves

of plants like the radish. Then why, I wonder, do most cultures not use flowers as much as the rest of the plant. Could the practice or lack of it have started with preservation, in that flowers ultimately either turn into the final fruit or provides seeds for further propagation? Perhaps. Today however, more likely, we just haven't thought of it. When I think of cultures that do use flowers, the first to come to mind are the Italians and the Bengalis, both of whom delight in the use of squash blossoms. The more I think about it, the more possible explanations come to mind. Given that man still responds to fairly primitive instincts, and that bright colors in some fruits and insects are loud warnings of poison and unpleasant taste among other attributes, it might just be possible that the bright colors in flowers trigger a reaction in the most ancient parts of our brains causing us to stay away from them.

The subject of the cover story aside, this issue is an important one - it's been one year since we began CaLDRON Magazine in August 2013 and what a lovely journey it's been thus far. Unless given the right situation, we just don't know enough about people who we think we know. Take Vinita Bhatia for instance. When CaLDRON Magazine started, she quickly assumed the role of the driving force behind it, making content plans, advising me on layouts, proofing the finished product. Of course, she did earn a fair number of not-very-flattering names because of those long lists of changes she still sends me, but she's also earned an enormous debt of gratitude for constantly pushing CaLDRON Magazine to greater heights. Then there's Natasha Ali, my oldest friend, who apart from editing and publishing every article on our website, quickly assumed the role of editor for the magazine too, re-doing articles to fit into the required format, apart of course from being our eyes, ears and palate in Bangalore. Parul Pratap Shirazi, who is best described in the words of Sumedha Chaudhary, "Everyone loves her!", transformed into a Brand Ambassador for this fledgling publication, incessantly and tirelessly telling the world about it. I certainly can't miss out Jaswinder Singh, who, without prompting, recognised the need of the hour and took over the ponderous task of taking CaLDRON Magazine commercial, which certainly wasn't my cup of tea.

And finally, you! You encourage us at every step and have helped push average readership per issue to well over 60,000! We love you! Do keep encouraging us as you've always done and we'll keep trying to meet and exceed your expectations. <3

Stay well.Sid Khullar

EDITORIAL & CREDITS


ContentsPEREnnIALSMember Poll - Rajasthani Food? / 2Editorial / 3Born this month / 6Faces in this issue / 7Q&A with Chef Ajeet Kumar / 70Listings - National / 96Listings - International / 98

REvIEwSDelhi / 10% Short of a Hundred / 8Delhi / Warning: Must have Kids / 10Mumbai / Not Yet Ready to Rumble / 12Mumbai / Tilting at Odd Angles / 14Bangalore / A Good Food Afternoon / 16Bangalore / A Roman Feast / 18Pune / European Euphoria / 20Singapore / The Legend that is Din Tai Fung / 22

FOOD & FLAvORSFit for Kings and also for Commoners / 24It's Nachos Time! / 48Vietnamese Cuisine: Sophistication in Simplicity / 52Olive Oil Sales Skid on Slippery Patch in India / 56An Egg's Best Friends / 58Inspirations / The Many Faces of Steak / 88Watch Your Ice Cream Change Its Color / 46Goodness Comes in a Pint / 47

EvEnTSJohnnie Walker Black Label Celebrates Art Deco / 60Kue Bar Just Got Better / 61

ROAMIng ROvERPhoto Feature - Get Away and Play at Aloft / 72Making Way for More Grandeur / 82

SPA SCAPEWalk in with a Grimace, Walk out with a Grin / 86

SPIRITuAL QuESTReinventing Like the Phoenix / 62Quick Take / Wines of Westeros / 65Mallorca Calling / 66

PEOPLE yOu ShOuLD KnOwKitchen Kin / Chef Emmel MuyaKitchen Kin / Chef Ravi SaxenaCulinary Maestro / Fabio Granato

KnOwLEDgE ThAT EMPOwERSBrown and White Rice: Fact versus Fiction / 37

COvER STORyFlower Power in the Kitchen / 40

RECIPESJack Daniels Chicken Wings / 13Mehrangarh ki Angari Pasliya / 27Shrimp Tempura with Jalapeno and Onion Salsa / 29Deep Fried Silken Tofu in Honey Miso-Yuzu Sauce / 30Tiffin Chicken / 33Rice Kheer with Mango / 39Chicken Soup with Butterfly Pea Juice / 42Muffin with Lotus Seed / 43Frangipani stuffed with Minced Pork in Clear Soup / 44Spicy Ixora Salad with Sea Food / 45Nachos with Choice of Dips / 49Crab and Vermicelli Soup with Ram Herb / 54Braised Duck with Pineapple and Mushrooms / 55Florida Salad / 57Egg Banana Pancakes / 58


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CREDITS

Contributors for this issue:Chef Amit Puri (Pan India Solutions), Perzen Patel (Bawi Bride), Chef Anurudh Khanna (Westin Pune Koregaon Park), Chef Dao Van Son (Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City), Shreenivas Gadewar, Chef Ajeet Kumar

The Chef at Large Team

MAnAgIng EDITORSID KHULLAR (Delhi/NCR)

ASSOCIATE EDITORNATASHA ALI (Bangalore)

COnSuLTIng EDITORVINITA BHATIA (Mumbai)

EvEnTS EDITORPARUL PRATAP SHIRAZI (Delhi/NCR)

SuBJECT MATTER EXPERTSSANDEEP SRINIVASA (Coffee)

JASWINDER SINGH (Wine & Spirits)

SPECIAL PROJECTSRITUPARNA MUKERJI

SHRUTI ARORACHARIS ALFRED BHAGIANTHAN


Julia Child (August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004)

Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recog-nized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. While in Ceylon on an OSS assignment, she met Paul Cushing Child, also an OSS employee, who was known for his sophisticated palate, and introduced Julia to fine cuisine.

Child repeatedly recalled her first meal in Rouen as a culinary revelation; once, she described the meal of oysters, sole meunière, and fine wine to The New York Times as "an opening up of the soul and spirit for me." In Paris, she attended the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and later studied privately with Max Bugnard and other master chefs. She joined the women's cooking club Cercle des Gourmettes, through which she met Simone Beck, who was writing a French cookbook for Americans with her friend Louisette Bertholle. In 1951, Child, Beck, and Bertholle began to teach cooking to American women in Child's Paris kitchen, calling their informal school L'école des trois gourmandes (The School of the Three Food Lovers).

Child received multiple awards including the following:

• 1965: Peabody Award for Personal Award for The French Chef• 1966: Emmy for Achievements in Educational Television- Individuals for The French Chef• 1980: U.S. National Book Awards for Current Interest (hardcover) for Julia Child and More Company[16]• 1996: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show Host for In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs• 2001: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show Host for Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home

BORn ThIS MOnTh

"Fat gives things

flavor." - Julia Child


Faces in this IssueCOnTRIBuTORS

Perzen Patel, aka BawiBride, could very well pass off as a sleuth these days. She is busy unearthing culinary secrets recipes for the second edition of her e-book ‘Best Kept Secrets’. While the debut edition was about the quaint and quirky stories behind some recipes, this time around she is trying to get people to write about their egg-citing realities!

Chef Dao van Son, Executive Sous Chef at the Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam packs in an enviable experience of 20 years. No points for guessing that his favour-ite cuisine is Vietnamese and has cooked his native dishes around the world including Laos, Thailand, Japan, Macau and India. Soft-spoken and always-smiling, he is most evocative when he is at his kitchen counter, ladling out Pho into soup bowls or stir-frying snails and crab for Bún riêu ốc.

As Corporate Chef for Pan India Solutions - the company that owns Noodle Bar, Bombay Blue, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf chain of restaurants, Chef Amit Puri has to keep innovating with food. But when he is chilling out at home, he enjoys nothing better than a bowl of nachos with some tomato salsa and guacamole; all of which he also enjoys whipping up in his kitchen. After all, it is the ultimate fuss-free comfort food.

Anurudh Khanna, Executive Chef at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park, has a simplistic food philosophy – it should be simple and should use only the freshest seasonal ingredi-ents available. If you dine at any of the restau-rants at this hotel, you will find edible flowers playing an important role in the garnish as well as in its preparation. Why? Because Chef Anurudh believes that food is devoured by the eyes first and then by the tongue, so the visual presentation plays an important role in every meal. Given his decade long successful career in the hospitality industry, we believe him!


REvIEwS - DELhI

The first thing that struck me about Cafe Turtle in GK 1 (N Block) is the novel use of a rooftop.

A slightly inconspicuous elevator takes you up to the top floor and spills you out into a fantastically air conditioned bistro-cafe that is done in my favourite colours – tur-quoise and aquamarine.

Nestled on the rooftop, the cafe seems to have quite the patronage, including a few people working on their laptops – I think they come for the juices! Apart from all the good stuff, I just wish the wash-room was not so rudimentary!Service however is refreshing, the staff is prompt and menu sugges-

tions come with aplomb. After seating ourselves by the bay window over-looking the park (and a lot of cars), we gave the menu a quick dekko and realized that for vegetarian fare, the cafe is packing a punch. All the veggie keywords of the season are there – feta, falafel, rocket, pesto – surely, you get the drift! The menu is essentially Mediterranean with a smattering of Italian for good measure and I sup-pose, variety too.

JuICES ThAT ATTRACTWe started with the Tomato Celery Soup (INR 175), which is from the cold soups section on the new sum-mer menu except we wanted it hot and they obliged. The soup had a nice homemade robustness but since it was thin, it was quite summery too. I liked the surprise of flavours the tiny specks of celery lent to the dish.

For beverages we were asked to try the Daily Detox Juice for the day,

Cafe Turtle is a good option to stop

over for juice or coffee and a quick round of snacks. And if you are

strictly vegetarian, then this cafe comes as a much-needed, welcome respite.

10% Short Of A 100!

All the veggie rich keywords are there in the menu – feta, falafel, rocket, pesto, you get the drift!


Beetroot, Celery, Apples and Ginger (INR 145), which was very refreshing and perfect for a day that warm. Then came the Lebanese Platter (INR 375), an excellent way to gauge a kitchen you plan to patronize. The mezze dips were all in place albeit in very tiny portions, but I was happy to learn that I could ask for refills on the house. The platter sadly had only falafel and pita, out of which the falafel could have been flatter. More surface area to fry would make it crisper, which it needed to be. The pita was fresh and house made but cold by the time it reached us.

Redemption followed in the form of the Cafe Turtle Pizza (INR 355). If you enjoy hand tossed thin crust then this is the pizza for you. I wished it had more cheese but as a dish, it was well done. Our sides could have been more substantial though. The Veg Quiche (INR 275) was quite small for the dinner plate it came on, which is fine, except changing the size of the plate would have make it look like a better portion. The salad on the side was a

portion akin to pickle. We decided to try the Falafel Roll (INR 345) only to see if the to-go foods had any depth; the roll was filling enough but the falafel was cold inside.

All in all, the meal was hearty but a little was missing here and there. For desserts, we chose the Banoffee Pie (INR 210), again a simple dessert but one that is tricky to order in most places. Here it was homemade, served as a wedge but delicious enough for me to go home and make one. Cafe Turtle is a good option to stop over for juice or coffee and a quick round of snacks but if you’re strictly vegetar-ian then this cafe comes as quite the respite.

- Parul Pratap Shirazi

REvIEwS - DELhI

The mezze dips were all in place albeit in very tiny

portions, but I was happy to learn that I could ask for

refills on the house.

Rating: 3 out of 5Price: INR 1500++ (meal for two)

Address: 23, Khan Market, New Delhi, India 110003Phones: 011-24655641

The ‘Banoffee Pie’ was served as a wedge and was delicious enough for me to go home and make one.


REvIEwS - guRgAOn

It is not fair to pitch Hangout Cafe as a regular cafe to lounge at, so I won’t! Hangout Cafe is part of the ‘kiddie wonderland’ that is a gaming zone. So if you are up for bearing the din of what sounds like a thousand darling banshees, then by all means work out of Hangout Cafe because the Cappuc-cino is excellent.

Hangout is the cafe nestled to the side of Gurgaon’s only gaming zone of this

size and variety. It has been primarily modeled to serve two basic purposes – refreshments for weary tag-along parents babysitting their kiddos during birthday parties. From per-sonal experience, I can also tell you that you should book the place well in advance. However, if I have to nitpick then I would say an in-house wash-room would help, considering this is a visit usually enjoyed with kids.

The cafe is spacious and the jun-gle theme ambiance of the gaming extends into the seating area. As a family entertainment center, it truly packs in the games and a play area for younger kids as well. So, the ideal sce-nario would be to leave the kids at the game center and head on to Hangout Café, which has a decent view of the arena. You can then just sit back with coffee and let the young ones exhaust all that irrepressible energy!

Warning: Must Have Kids!

Hangout Cafe combines 'gaming day' for the kids with a family meal. Food wise, the cafe has

everything you need to satiate a kid - pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and main meals that are

fairly adult in structure and portions.

The ‘Three Cheese Pizza with Roasted Garlic’ had a thin crust bread and a lovely blend of mozzarella, par-

mesan and pepper jack.


PACKED wITh STuFF FOR ThE yOung AnD ThE nOT-SO-yOungThe cafe boasts of 102 covers and the menu skew is 60/40 in the favor of kids over adults. Food wise, it has everything you need to satiate a kid; pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and main meals that are fairly adult in structure and portions. I was particularly happy to note the presence of juices (season-al were fresh, the others packaged), milkshakes and smoothies.

A starter of Classic Caesar Salad (INR 199) may not have been ideal, the greens were fresh and crunchy but the dressing was very reminiscent of bottled variants. Moreover, it was just too citric for me. The Non-Vegetar-ian Platter (INR 459) that followed was welcome. It had an assortment including chicken nuggets (packaged product), chicken popcorn (house made and the nicest product on the platter), chicken kathi roll (slightly grown up so I liked it!), chicken wings (second nicest product on the platter) and French fries. Though the platter

is fairly substantial, a couple of hours here would need a larger meal.So, we chose the Penne Pasta in Creamy Cheese Sauce (INR 229), which was creamy and cheesy, accom-panied with a very well made portion of garlic bread. The next two dishes that followed were actually fabulous. The Three Cheese Pizza with Roasted Garlic (INR 259) had a sauce base of pesto with crisp, thin crust bread and a lovely blend of mozzarella, parmesan and pepper jack. The deep, aromatic flavour of roasted garlic went brilliant-ly with the pesto.

I also recommend the Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce (INR 359). Though the fish was as much grilled as pan-fried, the dish in itself was surprisingly good for a gaming cafe. If there was one demand, it would be to

make the steamed rice served with the fish into a parsley rice to impart it a little more flavour.

Desserts are simple, just ice creams by the scoop. They do not make their own ice cream, which is probably why the choice is between the standard three variants – chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. You can choose toppings like chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, sprinkles, chocolate chips and the like, which again, works well for kids!


REvIEwS - guRgAOn

Rating:3 out of 5Price: INR 1200++ (meal for two)

Address: 3rd Floor, DT Mega Mall, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon, Hary-ana-122002Phones: + 91-9560700811/44

The Three Cheese Pizza with Roasted

Garlic (INR 259) had a sauce base of pesto

with crisp, thin crust bread and a lovely

blend of mozzarella, parmesan and pepper

jack. The deep, aromatic flavour of roasted garlic went brilliantly with the

pesto.

The ‘Penne Pasta in a Creamy Cheese Sauce’ was exactly as described – creamy and cheesy – accompa-

nied with a very well made portion of garlic bread.


REvIEwS - MuMBAI

The right location is critical for any business establish-ment’s survival and suc-cess. However, what if lo-

cation is the only redeeming feature of an establishment, and everything else shouts mediocrity? Located in one of the two prominent malls in Bhandup, we expected SBX Sports Bar to be buzzing. Sadly, it wasn’t. Six-month old SBX tries hard to strut like a sports bar with ma-chismo, sporting a small caged basketball booth where folks can throw a few hoops or a snooker table next to the bar where one can pay for a round with friends. There is also a faux brick wall with black

and white photos of sportspeople, table mats with sports trivia as well as small LCD TVs airing different sports channel and football shaped chairs – yup, the usual trappings of a sports bar. InEXPEnSIvELy PRICEDAfter perusing the reason-ably-priced menu, we tried Maria Sharapova (INR 249), a vod-ka-based drink with melon, mint and lime, which was just what our parched throats needed after the long commute. The whisky stiffened Magic Johnson (INR 249) is de-signed to thrill youngsters. Tennis player Sania Mirza’s namesake,

Sania (INR 249) lacks her aggres-sive stroke. But if you like lychee juice then this vodka cocktail with mint leaves might win you over.

The usual comfort food one finds in a bar of any nature is avail-able at SBX. We tried the Golden Seacatch Basket (INR 275) which had deep-fried butterflied prawn and crumb-tossed and fried bass with fries. Served on a bed of lettuce leaves with salad, the seafood was a little too oily. The Jhinga Koliwada (INR 275) too had big prawns but luckily this

Not Yet Ready To Rumble

The prices at SBX Sports Bar might not scare you; in fact, it might even come as a relief. The portion

sizes, of the food served can come as a disappointment

though.


variety wasn’t as greasy. In fact, the spicy batter of Bengal gram flour and yoghurt complemented the shellfish perfectly.

The mystery of the low prices was revealed when we tried the Jack Daniels Buffalo Wings (INR 185) – the portion sizes were disap-pointingly small. The thick coating of sauce on the meat was slightly sweetish as the BBQ and date sauce mix outweighed the JD.

The Makai Corn Sheekh Kebab (INR 160) thankfully was not as dry as served in most places, probably be-cause a little bit of processed cheese is added before the kebab is cooked in the tandoor. unIMAgInATIvE PRESEnTATIOnIn the mains we liked the Chicken Dum Biryani (INR 235), but the Veg Khao Suey (INR 175) came as a jarring shock, more for its unap-petizing appearance. A set of small

porcelain bowls, usually used to serve tomato ketchup, held condi-ments like burnt garlic, chilli flakes, peanuts, etc, while a slightly bigger bowl had overcooked noodles and yet another one housed the Thai curry. The latter had a grainy tex-ture because of some Bengal gram

that was added in its preparation – typical of the Indian jugaad when it comes to localizing food.

SBX Sports manages to hold on to the semblance of a sports bar by the skin of its teeth, but take away the sporting bric-à-brac and it is just another lounge bar. The service has its high points, but the food pre-sentation and portion sizes need a serious rethink. The lucrative prices on the menu might attract the young crowd to walk in through the door initially, but it is unlikely to keep them coming back; especially when they can pop over to Powai or Bandra for better options.

- vinita Bhatia

REvIEwS - MuMBAI

Rating: 3 out of 5Price: INR 1200++ (per person w/alcohol)

Address: 3rd Floor, Neptune Mag-net Mall, LBS Marg, Bhandup (West), MumbaiPhones: 022-66711693

Tennis player Sania Mirza’s namesake

cocktail lacks her aggressive stroke.

But if you like lychee juice then this vodka

drink with mint leaves might win you

over.

JACK DAnIELS ChICKEn wIngSServes:2•Preparation time:60minutes•Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:• 220 gm chicken wings• 30 ml date sauce• 30 ml oil, extra for frying• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp garlic cloves• ½ tsp parsley• 50 ml BBQ sauce• 25 ml Jack Daniels whiskey

• ½ tsp dry oregano• ½ tsp dry rosemary• 25 gm mayonnaise

Method:1. Cut the chicken wings into two pieces.2. Marinate it in date sauce for a one hour, then deep fry it.3. In another pan, heat some oil. Saute garlic, add in the bbq

sauce and saute well. 4. Add the fried wings and saute for a couple of minutes.5. Toss in the dry herbs, sprinkle some water and stir well so

that all the chicken pieces are coated.6. Add in the whiskey and immediately take off flame.7. Serve with some coleslaw or fries.

Recipe courtesy: SBX Sports Bar


Tilt All Day (TAD) dis-plays symptoms of multi-ple personality syndrome – the spacious 4,000

square feet joint at Kamala Mills defies conventional classification. To the left is a raised section with three semi-circular booths, yours for the taking, for a minimum billing of INR 75,000 a night. Right next is an elevated DJ console overlooking a slightly bigger dance floor that comes alive only in the night.

Tables set against the opposite wall have quilted and buttoned velvet seats, similar to what one would find in an upscale Manhat-tan restaurant. Guests can even remove the magnetic seat cush-ions and dance on the now-vacant seats! So does this make TAD a nightclub? Then there are the bright orange island tables with

high bar stools, which would be perfect in an all-day restaurant. The open kitchen with a wood-fired oven in one corner is remi-niscent of Italian restaurants.While your mind tries to assim-ilate all these details, your atten-tion is drawn to the assortment of light fixtures suspended from the ceiling and placed in exposed brick sections of the wall as well the LED lights crisscrossing virtually every open surface. Now, do you realize, why we had a tough time catego-rizing TAD?

whO nEEDS DESSERTS AnywAy?It is always encouraging to see a beverages menu that is as exten-sive as the food menu. We tried the Captain Morgan spiced rum-based Blueberry Mojito (INR 550), but the valiant Captain lost in the face of the double onslaught from

the blueberry compote and sugar syrup. The vodka-based Perfect Storm (INR 550), which includes limoncini, liqueur, passion fruit juice, fresh limejuice, sugar syrup and kiwi pulp, was sweet enough to pass off as a dessert cocktail. The glass jar in which the exorbitant Pink Panther (INR 950) is served is a misfit, while the bitterness of the orange juice wiped off the smooth taste of the tequila.

The food at TAD is a mix of In-dian, Mediterranean, Italian and regular bar food. Chef Aniruddha Bandekar served us tasting por-tions of the new menu. We strong-ly recommend the Chargrilled King Prawns (INR 325) served with tabouleh. The Crab Cakes (INR 475) were disappointing, with barely any trace of crab in it, though the spicy dip accompany-ing them was delightful.

REvIEwS - MuMBAI

Tilting At Odd Angles

It is tough to put a spin on Tilt All Day - is it a restaurant, a lounge, a club or everything fused together? It is equally tough to peruse the menu and not balk at the prices, the generous food portions

notwithstanding.


REvIEwS - MuMBAI

The Pulled Beef on Baguette (INR 375) was again too heavy on the sweetness making the pomegran-ate reduction on the side redun-dant. The in-house baked baguette slices were perfectly crispy and we were tempted to order a few more slices just to crunch on them.

SOME hITS AnD MISSESWhat got our taste buds tingling again were the Baby Back Ribs (INR 675). The inviting glaze of the BBQ sauce aside, the pork was

so well cooked, it fell off the bone with a delicate nudge of the knife. The intimidating Surf and Turf (INR 1800) comes with lobster, filet mignon and some wasabi mash. The hefty filet mignon is delightfully charred on the outside and slightly raw within, just like a good steak should be. The lobster, which we suspect was of the frozen variety, had sadly lost its flavor turning the meat to mush. Howev-er, we would not mind returning to TAD for some more of the crispy,

thin crust Chicken Margarita Pizza (INR 350) with heaps of caramel-ized onion and grilled chicken pieces.

On Chef Aniruddha’s insistence, we tried the lusciously dense Deca-dence Of Chocolate (INR 350) with layers of sponge cake and mousse, which was hard to resist though our trio complained about being stuffed. The Chocolate Lava Shot (INR 250) served in an espresso cup has molten chocolate in its core which melds well with the small dollop of ice cream served atop the cake.

TAD is a great obvious choice, if you are a high-spender or in a mood to treat someone special. It displays lot of spunk, though TAD’s management needs to figure out its target group, re-look at the prices on the menu, ensure proper execution of its drinks and then make the right overtures to keep guests coming back.

- vinita Bhatia

Rating: 3 out of 5Price: INR 3000++ (per person)

Address: Kamala Mills Com-pound, Gate No 4, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013

Phones: 022-24927200

What got our taste buds tingling again were the

Baby Back Ribs. The inviting glaze of the BBQ sauce

aside, the pork was so well cooked, it fell off the bone

with a delicate nudge of the knife.

The Norwegian salmon served on asparagus risotto and wasabi mash had too many elements on the plate,

making you wonder what to dig into first.


A certain level of service, food quality and variety, comfort and niceness in surroundings are all

given, when one thinks of a 5-star establishment. Ironically, these very reasons are also enough for the same establishments to rest on their laurels and churn out the same predictable albeit quality experience, time after time.

It is heartening that some brands, like the Taj Group of Hotels, realize that innovation and doing something different will add to their appeal. Over the last year and a half, I’ve attended several out-of-the-box F&B events ranging from cocktail making to infusing green tea in cooking to the latest, a ‘Good Food Day’. Presented by Axis Bank and London Dairy ice cream, the concept showcased the best from different Executive Chefs across all Taj properties in Bangalore.

REvIEwS - BAngALORE

A Good Food Afternoon

Eight courses of delicately flavored and beautifully plated Vietnamese food made for a fine weekend afternoon, surrounded by the calm and lush environs of the open-air restaurant.

The decadent dessert platter featuring London Dairy ice cream paired mango and passion fruit cheese

cake, Japanese dark cherry compote and a coconut cream and jelly shot.


Taj West End, possibly the most scenic property of the lot, played host to this event on 27th and 28th June, where guests could choose to eat at any restaurants to experience the magic of the combined chefs’ menus for Indian or Asian cuisine. As a big Blue Ginger (Taj’s signa-ture Vietnamese restaurant) fan, I headed there and what a meal it was!

DELICATE FLAvORS BuRST FORThWe started our lunch with Sauté Haricot Beans with Green Mango Shallots and Pecan Nuts on Crack-ers - a lovely, light salad course. The homemade prawn and veg-etable crackers that Blue Ginger serves are so delicious that I ate way more of them than I should have.

For the second course, we could not resist the Smoked Salmon, Philadelphia, Marinated Diakon Rolls, which turned out to be the highlight of our meal. Quality smoked salmon is hard to come by, as are good scallops, so these beau-ties were flown in from overseas. The eye-catching Scallop Pho had decent portions, small enough so that the eight courses would not be too much even for the most avid

foodie with a large appetite. The only disappointing item was the Bao. After trying both the prawn and water chestnut haricot mini versions, we realized they did not have the requisite taste or texture. Could the mini sizes be to blame?

hAPPInESS On A PLATTEROur fifth course was Grilled Chick-en and Leeks with teriyaki reduc-tion, sweet potato wasabi mousse, which was fantastic in taste and texture. I chose vegetarian again for the sixth course, and this was

the standout course of the after-noon – pure comfort food. Both the Wok tossed lamb with bird chili, braised greens and shoots, pandan flavored steamed sticky rice, aged ginger and the mushroom and squash vegetarian version were the perfect balance of flavors and fragrance. I can see myself craving this when I need a mood upper or on a cool day!

I have eaten the Silken Tofu cur-ry served with crusty hand-cut baguette at Blue Ginger before. Since it is on the spicier side, I can never finish my portion, delicious though it is. My friend, whose spice tolerance is around twice mine, had no such problems and after he was done, you could see the base of his bowl.

Last up was a decadent dessert platter featuring London Dairy ice cream paired mango and passion fruit cheese cake, Japanese dark cherry compote and a coconut cream and jelly shot, making for a perfect blend of Asian desserts alongside creamy ice creams. We also enjoyed London Dairy Dou-ble Chocolate Ice Cream as well as the Berries and Cream Ice-cream stick. The latter was a revelation – a crunchy yogurt coating covered cream cheese ice cream with swirls of mixed berry sauce. Now that is happiness on a stick!

We rounded up our the meal with green tea and slowly made our way out, marveling at the experience and hoping this would be the first rather than only Good Food day venture in Bangalore. At INR 1800 (all inclusive, per person), this was a good deal too, alongside being a great way to taste the best of the best that Blue Ginger has to offer!

- natasha Ali

REvIEwS - BAngALORE

Rating: 4out of 5Price: INR 1195++ (per person)

Address: Kumara Krupa High Grounds, Kumara Park East, Sheshadripura, Bangalore - 560001Phones: 080-30527777

The London Dairy Double Berries and Cream Ice

cream stick was a revelation – a crunchy yogurt coating

covered cream cheese ice cream with swirls of mixed

berry sauce.


There is a new Italian chef in town and that is a good enough reason to rejoice! Chef Armando

Di Fillipo recently joined Mov-enpick Hotel and Spa to helm their signature Italian restaurant, Mezzaluna. When I heard that the hotel had organized a Roman food festival, I was intrigued. One hears about Italian food but I for one was unexposed to the cuisine from Rome.

I was also under the impression that, as with previous fests, Chef Armando was in town only for it. On learning that he is here to stay, I admit to doing a little jig in my head – here was another lovely Italian chef to feed us beautiful food from his nation!

PASTA PERFECTIOnWe began our meal with a wood-en platter of fresh baked breads, accompanied by pesto dip, sea salt and a tiny jug of olive oil with a rosemary branch in it. Flick this on to a piece of bread and voila, a rosemary scented, olive laced treat awaits! It goes without saying that

I ate way more of the bread than I should have, but then, good bread is a weakness of mine.

Now, as I get older and wider, if not necessarily wiser, I find that a good salad holds a great deal of appeal – and so my guest for the afternoon and I both tried Insalate for our opening course. She went with what Chef said was a Ro-man specialty, Insalata Carciofi e Ceci, featuring artichoke hearts and chickpeas in a delicate lemon dressing. My mind was made up the moment I saw Insalata Cap-rina, a salad with goat cheese, artichoke and tomatoes – I am a sucker for goat cheese! Both dishes were light and delicious and our soon empty plates were testament to the fact.

Our pasta course consisted of Tor-telli agli Spinaci in salsa rosa – two robust tortelli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese with fresh toma-to and cream sauce, and a surpris-ingly spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata – neither of us expected the kick this dish had and I can see this being a hit since it offers the Indian

palate a spicier Italian dish. Upon inquiring, Chef assured us he had not spiced it up to suit local taste, pointing out that there are some Italian dishes with their share of spicy notes.

DELICACy In EvERy MEALFor our Secondi, it was Surf-N-Turf time – Saltimbocca Alla Romana, which was skewers of finely cut fillet of tenderloin wrapped with Parma ham, served with crushed new potatoes and rosemary, and two plump grilled tiger prawns with cherry tomatoes. Both the beef and the seafood were cooked only as much was needed to maximize their natural flavors and textures. For dessert, we ate a fresh cream and chocolate creation – double cream, freshly made piece of heaven.

REvIEwS - BAngALORE

A

Roman

Feast

Chef Armando Di Fillipo recently joined

Mezzaluna, the Italian restaurant at Movenpick Hotel and Spa. When he decided to host his first food festival for the good people of Bangalore,

he decided to showcase Roman food, his native

cuisine and one that few here have been acquainted with.


Mezzaluna has beautiful interiors and a feeling of both warmth and luxury envelops one on entering. Yet the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen provides a touch of rusticity! Movenpick has one of the best selections of wine in town, and I always enjoy checking out what’s on offer. For our Roman feast, we drank a full-bodied Chi-anti that was the perfect accompa-niment to our meal of salad, pasta, mains and dessert. The festival, which had a specially crafted menu, offered one a good intro-duction to Chef Armando’s cook-

ing style and more importantly to Roman cuisine. I am now looking forward to what springs forth next from his kitchen!

- natasha Ali

The names are inventive, from Lay N Egg and Classy

English Dictator to Cupid’s Arrow – deep fried chicken skewers wrapped in bacon

and with a hearty BBQ sauce on the side – oily

but delicious and with an option of beef.

Rating: 4 out of 5Price: INR 2800++ (meal for two)

Address: 115 Gokula Extension, HMT Road, Near BEL Circle, Bangalore - 560054Phones: 080-43001000

REvIEwS - BAngALORE

The wooden platter of fresh baked breads was accom-panied by pesto dip, sea salt and a tiny jug of olive oil with a rosemary branch in it – flick this on to a piece

of bread and voila, a rosemary scented, olive laced treat awaits!


Nestled between the busy Koregaon road and the banks of the Mula-Mutha River,

Stone Water Grill (SWG) is a pret-ty sight. Settling in, I admire the Dolce and Gabbana chandeliers on the shimmering brown canopy. Strategically placed beams of or-ange light focusing upwards mean many things at the same time. By the time I was done with my sec-ond cocktail, these lights depicted a sunset, a campfire, or quite plain-ly, oranges from Holland!

I started with Eye Of The Tiger, a shooter, which literally made me want to get up and dance – every sip infused a shot of adrenalin into my tired, work-weary body! The New Old Fashioned cocktail was a fresh, fruity mélange of citrus and alcohol.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Smoking Barrel made a dramatic entry – literally, by emanating an aromatic smoke. It was a lively

REvIEwS - PunE

EFollow your nose to the newly opened Stone Water Grill and your

stomach will send you a thank you note. The menu is filled with dishes that impart sublime flavors to European dishes, while the prices fill you

with joy.

uropeanuphoria

The visually pleasant ‘Bacon Wrapped Quail’ is something I shall revisit Stone Water Grill

repeatedly for.


lime drink, topped to the brim with boulders of ice, and sprinkled with some cinnamon powder on top. The ice obligingly side stepped as I dipped in and the multifari-ous blend of flavors hit my palate, soothing and exciting me all the same. When I returned to this cocktail after sometime, the ice had melted, letting the cinnamon mix slowly infuse with other ingredi-ents to create an effervescent effect of enlightenment.

FOOD ThAT MAKES yOu SIghWhile the cocktails were playing with my mind, Shailendra Kekade, Executive Chef and General Manager at SWG, brought out an interesting array of entrées. The Light Tomato Tea with Ginseng and Ginger (INR 160) was the perfect start to the 5-course meal – crisp, full-bodied and flavorful. I slurped the last drop of the Chilled Pome-granate Gazpacho with Garlic Bread (INR 160). The Smoked Mushroom Cappuccino (INR 160) wended its way to my table accom-panied by freshly baked focaccia. This is the perfect soup to relax with, after getting drenched in rain.

The appetizers surely did their trick, and by this time, I was

ravenously hungry. Colorful as it was, I could not resist digging into the Soy Roast Duck and Water Chestnut Salad (INR 240). Some-where between the water chest-nuts, pomegranate seeds, Romana leaves, parsley, and crispies, I realized I was literally clutching my stone bowl and munching with oblivious, childlike alacrity.

The chef winked at my antics and returned with the snazzy-looking Mushroom Galouti with Saffron Brioche (INR 280). This kebab melted in my mouth faster than I could say ‘gulp’ and the paper thin brioche slices with yummy zig zag lines of raspberry sauce is still fresh in my memory. The flavors of cheese and fish in the Duet of Mozzarella and Smoked Norwegian Salmon (INR 390) surprisingly was a delectable affair, while the visu-ally pleasant Bacon Wrapped Quail (INR 240) is something I shall revisit SWG repeatedly for.

The medium-rare Charred Filet Mignon (INR 560) had a silky texture with a soulful flavor, partly due to the care the chef had taken to precisely cure a choice piece of tenderloin. In a daring twist to taste, the chef did away with tomato paste in the wood fired Provencale Pizza (INR 380) and the absence of the omnipresent tomato brought out the flavors of the other ingredients. By the time the desserts showed up, I was at the gates of gastronomy heaven. The Dessert Taster (INR 190), comprising a hazelnut dacoise, pistachio crusted passion roll, mango mousse and orange gateau is simply put the quickest route to attaining nirvana. The rich, deep, and distinctive flavor of beet in the Flourless Chocolate Torte (INR 160) entangles itself around your tongue, by pairing with the rich taste of chocolate. The Malai Coconut Panacotta (INR 150) was puddles of smoothness, while the green peppercorn and lime made a delicious impact on my taste buds.One of Pune’s uber-cool restau-rants, the newly reopened SWG has hit the right note by lowering its prices. A glance at the menu today would be surprisingly happy on the wallet. I will soon return with my close friends on a week-end, so that they too can experi-ence this gastronomical goodness at least once in their lifetime.

- Shreenivas gadewarIn a daring twist to taste, the chef did away

with tomato paste in the wood fired Provencale

Pizza and the absence of the omnipresent tomato

brought out the flavors of the other ingredients.

Rating: 4 out of 5Price: INR 2500++ (per person)Address: Pyramid Complex, 81/82, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune - 14001Phones: 020-6725 1000

REvIEwS - PunE

The rich and distinctive flavor of beet in the ‘Flourless Choc-

olate Torte’ entangles itself around your tongue, by pairing with the rich taste of chocolate.


Imagine a perfectly seasoned ball of juicy pork encased in a light-as-air steamed wrapping of dough. Imagine deftly pick-

ing up this dreamy white dumpling with your chopsticks and popping it in your mouth. Now, imagine teeth sinking into the outer cas-ing and a burst of warm porky broth, mingling with the pork as you chew, creating magic in your mouth. That, my friends, is a Xiao Long Bao (steamed soup dump-ling) in Din Tai Fung.

Din Tai Fung is a chain of restau-rants all over the world – with 19

outlets in Singapore itself. It is almost filled up and you have to wait a few minutes to be seated. While you wait though, there is en-tertainment – if like me, you find watching chefs at work the highest form of entertainment there could possibly be.

Most Din Tai Fung restaurants have a kitchen with glass walls facing the entrance so you can look at the pristinely dressed and fabulously masterful chefs at work. I usually hang around there more than they’d want, but these chefs are something like culinary Buck-

ingham Palace guards – nothing you can do can distract them from the job at hand (believe me, I’ve tried.) You will watch enraptured, as their fingers move deftly from dough to filling, wrapping up those dreamy dumplings with a deft swipe or two.

EXPERIEnCIng ThE XIAO LOng BAOThe fixed menu (no specials) comes to you on a sheet of paper where you tick off everything you want. What you just have to order every time is the signature steamed Xiao Long Bao. All its variants are delicious but my favourite is the classic steamed pork. You can order the six-piece or 10-piece portion, but I always get the 10 (and then another).

There are two ways to truly experi-ence the Xiao Long Bao. The first is simpler but requires some pa-tience. Since each one is filled with potentially hot soup, wait for a few minutes till it cools, then pick up one with chopsticks and put the whole thing in your mouth. Given the circumstances and the basket of dumplings staring back at you, this is a tough task.

The second way (my preferred method) requires less patience but more skill. Pick up the dumpling with chopsticks and holding it over a soup spoon, take a small bite out of one corner. Proceed to drain the hot soup into the soupspoon and then eat the rest of dumpling with the (now cooler) soup. For either method, remember to put some soy-soaked ginger on top of the dumpling before devouring it – I love the gingery saltiness it adds.

REvIEwS - SIngAPORE

The Legend That Is

Din Tai

FungIn the past few months, I tried several different kinds of dumplings in Singapore. Some were greasy, some too dry, and others were strictly

passable. Then, one sunny afternoon, I walked into Din Tai Fung and there was no looking

back.


SOME OThER vARIAnTSThe pork and shrimp Xiao Long Bao, as well as the crabmeat and shrimp variant are also excellent. Order some stir-fried greens with garlic or pork – I find that it goes well in between mouthfuls of dumplings. The Dou Miao or pea sprouts are my favourite because they are a gorgeous bright green and have a delicate sweetness to them.

You are served complimentary bottomless Chinese tea, but try the Lemongrass juice. It is fresh, lem-ony and slightly sweet and they put a ball of frozen juice in so your drink stays cold without becoming diluted.

Wind down Chinese-style (they eat their rice/noodles as the last course) with the Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice. The plump rice grains

hold their own against the bright yellow strings of yolk and baby pink shrimp.

I recently ate at the original Din Tai Fung restaurant at Taiwan. After queuing to get in for about

30 minutes, we were led up several stairs to the third level-dining area. We ordered most of the items I have eaten before, but they tasted even better in Taiwan! For des-serts, I tried a Red-bean Paste Fried Dumpling, which was crispy on the outside with a smoky, smooth and sweet red bean filing.

It appears to me that Din Tai Fung does not disappoint – it doesn’t matter where in the world you try it. The next time you’re in Singa-pore, eat some Xiao Long Bao and tell me if you agree!

- Charis Bhagianathan

Imagine teeth sinking into the outer casing and a

burst of warm porky broth, mingling with the pork as you chew, creating magic in your mouth. That, my

friends, is a Xiao Long Bao (steamed soup dumpling) in

Din Tai Fung.Rating: 4 out of 5Price: INR S$40++ (meal for two)Address: Taster Food Pte Ltd, 30 Tai Seng Street, #09-01, Singapore - 534013Phones: +65-66363909

REvIEwS - SIngAPORE

Clockwise from top left: Shrimp and Pork Xiao Long Bao, Pork Xiao Long Bao, More Xiao Long Bao, Baskets of Xiao Long Bao, Shrimp and egg fried rice.


COvER STORy

Fit For Kings, And Also For

CommonersRajasthan’s royalty is known for their three B’s - bigger, better, best – be it in

their lifestyle, their largesse, their hospitality or the food they serve their guests. This evocative cuisine is now accessible to the common man, as royal families reveal recipes that till now were handed down verbally over generations and

that were once closely-guarded secrets.


The history of Rajputana royalty is strongly in-tertwined with stories where food plays center-

vstage, but not always in a pleas-ant way. When Maharana Pratap escaped the Halidghat war against Mughals in 1576, he passed a dic-tat – any farmer found cultivating food for the occupying Mughal army would suffer death by his sword, and many died too.

Then there were matches of one-upmanship amongst Rajput kings to flaunt their status quo. According to Chef Ashish Bha-sin, Executive Chef of Trident BKC, each king would have at least several dozen cooks in his personal kitchen, who kept their recipes a closely guarded secret. “It was a matter of great prestige to

serve unusual dishes to guests and royal cooks were encouraged to experiment with delicacies such as stuffed goats, pigs and peacocks,” he added.

During the famine in the 18th cen-tury in the Marwar region, Rani Jarechiji distributed daily seven maunds of cooked food and sever-al baskets of grain after nightfall; not amongst the poor but amongst those from the royal and moneyed class for whom begging was as good as suffering painful death.

The history of Rajasthan is replete with many such stories of largesse and lavishness when it comes to food. What is equally interesting is that many present generation descendents of these royal families are respected connoisseurs as well

excellent cooks. One of them is Maharaja Gajsinghji II of Jodhpur, who would find time to exper-iment in his kitchen, especially when he was entertaining guests.

The other person what comes to mind is Sriji Arvind Singh Mewar. This 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty started his career in a US hotel in 1969 and is currently the chairman of the HRH Group of Hotels, amongst his other roles. Some chefs from his kitchen have graduated to prominent TV hosts, like Chef Surjan Singh Jolly. A ROyAL SECRETDharmendra Kanwar, author of ‘Royal Cuisine of India’ states that in the royal kitchens of Rajasthan, food was a serious business and was raised to the level of an art form. “Located in the palaces were the Rasowaras, or kitchen depart-ments, that took care of the daily needs of the palace and had some of the best cooks working to pre-pare exotic dishes for the Mahara-jas, Maharanis and their guests. There were cooks for different meals and occasions; there were cooks who specialized in making traditional sweets and savories for

Boutique hotels in Rajasthan now hold

workshops where they demonstrate the cooking

techniques from royal rasowaras to wide-eyed

tourists – both Indian and global.

CuLInARy TRADITIOnS

Manju Shivraj Singh, niece of late Rajmata Gayatri Devi wrote about the Royal Phirni her book ‘Royal Indian Cookery’, which was prepared in Jaipur’s royal

kitchens in winter. This rice dessert was allowed to stand nightlong the light of the full moon, which reportedly turned it into nectar!


festivals; there were specialists for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food,” she mentions in her book.

However, the happenings within royal Rajputana kitchens as well as their preparation are hard, if not impossible, to come by;nespecially those from the Rathore dynasties of Pali, Champawats family from Marwar or the ones from Jaipur and Udaipur royal families. Reci-pes remain closely guarded secrets that are handed down from one generation to another and never revealed to outsiders.

These led to perceptions that the kings feasted on lavish food with probably a roasted wild boar dom-inating the dinner table and other artery-hardening rich food playing second fiddle. On the contrary, the royal cuisine was simple in nature with rustic styles of preparation, where the flavors of ingredients

was permitted to stand out. Be-sides, the onus lay on the cooking technique to impart a special taste to the food. For instance, coal was earlier used as the medium for cooking and it would give the in-gredient an inimitable smokiness.

Slow cooking was another tech-nique that maharajas (royal cooks) relied on to draw out the intrinsic flavor of food. The best example of this method of cooking is pit cooking, derived from the warrior tradition. According to legend, when Rajput kings led their armies across the arid desert of Rajas-than, their soldiers would hunt wild game and the army cooks would skin, clean and then rub the whole animal with spices, wrap it in rolled out dough and place it in a pit. A fire was lit above this covered pit. The heat of the desert sand within the pit and smolder-ing coals above would cook the meat with its own natural juices to perfection.

“This khad style of cooking is still associated strongly with Rajasthani cuisine, though now, the game has given way to lamb and instead of slow cooking in a pit, chefs slow cook the meat overnight in the tandoor,” explains Chef Sandeep Pande, Executive Chef of Renais-sance Mumbai Convention Center.

There was also an element of mysticism attached to some of the dishes. Take the case of the Royal Phirni that Manju Shivraj Singh, niece of late Rajmata Gayatri Devi wrote about in her book ‘Royal Indian Cookery’. Apparently, this dish was prepared in the Jaipur royal kitchens in winter. This rice dessert was allowed to stand night-

long the light of the full moon, which reportedly turned it into nectar! MAKIng ThE MOST OF whAT’S AvAILABLESince vegetables do not grow in abundance in the arid environ-ment of Rajasthan, the royal cooks had to work with dried lentils, grains and berries like ker and san-gree and create meals fit for royalty from them. They would also make a variety of wheat, chickpea, rye as well as millet breads, since rice did not play a primary role in the diet, while robust meats were used along with lots of curd.

“The fieriness in the color and taste of the food came from mathania chillies that are abundantly avail-able in the region,” adds Chef Sandeep.

Other important ingredients that somehow found their way into almost every dish were dry fruits and milk. Since water was scarcely available, food was often cooked in ghee, which also acted as a lubri-cating agent in the harsh desert cli-mate. There was a time when only the royalty would use saffron and expensive masalas like cardamom, black cardamom and nuts, because these would often be offered to them as homage from kingdoms they conquered. Chef Ashish adds that after preparation, dishes were given dhungar where lit charcoal was placed within it and ghee was poured over it to give the dish a smoky flavor and increase its shelf life.

Interestingly, while the Rajput kings would go on elaborate shikar to hunt and later eat game like

‘Sriji Arvind Singh Mewar, 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty, started his career

in a US hotel in 1969 and is currently the chairman of the HRH Group of Hotels.

Some chefs from his kitchen have graduat-ed to prominent TV hosts like Chef Surjan

Singh Jolly.’

CuLInARy TRADITIOnS


boar, deer and hare, there was one meat that they considered sacri-legious – beef. As Hindus, they revered cow and this meat was strictly off-limits.

REvEALIng ThE SECRETWith the increasing interest in roy-al cuisines, it is heartening to note that royal families are finally spill-ing some of the culinary beans for the commoner’s benefit, to make it more accessible. Often colloquially called ‘maharaja cooking’, bou-tique hotels in Rajasthan now hold workshops where they demon-strate the cooking techniques from royal rasowaras to wide-eyed tour-

ists – both Indian and global.Royal families, and those from erstwhile noble clans, reverently and sometimes ferociously, guard-ed their culinary secrets. Now, they are willing to share these heritage culinary gems with select authors and with guests staying in their palaces-turned-hotels.

Jaipur’s Thakur Amar Singh had meticulously curated 50 Europe-an cookbooks in addition to his family’s collection of 44 volumes of recipe diaries in Hindi, which are now on display at a museum dedicated to him. 70 years after his death, his family uses these recipes

for crafting dishes in the royal thali at Hotel Narain Niwas and Royal Castle Kanota in Jaipur.

The present scion of Mewar’s Bedla clan, Vijay Singh Bedla and his wife, Kawarani Sugan Ku-mari, have been showcasing the 200-year-old royal Karan cuisine at food fests in prestigious hotels, nationally and internationally, for some years. The couple has recipes of over 20,000 exclusive Karan dishes, which they plan to compile in a cookbook.

As the Rajasthani royalty open their culinary secrets to proletar-ians, the latter can’t seem to get enough for it. After all, who would not like to be treated to royal food, even if they have to rustle it up in their kitchen or visit the growing number of restaurants that seem to host festivals around royal Rajpu-tana cuisine?

- vinita Bhatia

MEhRAngARh KI AngARI PASLIyAServes:2•Preparation time:3hours•Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:• 15 gm raw papaya paste• 2 tsp garlic paste• 2 tsp ginger paste• Salt, as per taste

• 240 gm baby lamb chops• 1 tbsp lemon juice• 50ml mustard oil• 5gm nutmeg powder

• 15g red chili powder• 50g hung curd

Method:1. Mix papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt.2. Use this as marinade for the lamb chops. Cover it and keep

aside for 1 hour.3. Cream hung curd with remainder ingredients.4. Now mix the chops in this marinade and keep aside for 2

hours.5. Skewer the chops and road them till cooked in a tandoor.6. Remove them the skewer and sprinkle few drops of lemon

juice on them.

Recipe courtesy: Renaissance Mumbai Convention Center

Chef 's Tip:Serve with some

mint and coriander chutney.

CuLInARy TRADITIOnS


KITChEn KIn

vinita Bhatia (vB): From a humble back-ground in Philippines you have spread your

knowledge about sushi making the world over. As a child, did you harbor plans to be in the hos-pitality industry or did you have some other aspirations?

Chef Emmel Muya (EM): Grow-ing up in a beautiful province in Philippines, I spent my childhood

in the midst of nature. My par-ents were involved in farming and fishing, which were the two main sources of living in the country. After my second year in high school, I moved to Manila for further education and to experi-ence life in a big city. As a child, I aspired to become a civil engineer. However, in 1997 I started working at Tokyo-Tokyo, a famous Japanese fast food chain in the Philippines. I fell in love with the heat, the smell,

the flavor and the passion of the culinary world. That is when I de-cided that I would become a chef. v: I believe there was a time in your life when you even decided to work for free, just to be able to be in a restaurant kitchen!

EM: Oh yes, I did! After working in various small restaurants, I got a chance to work as a kitchen helper in Hyatt Regency Manila in 1999.

“I have been hurt by

poisonous fish bones

several times while cutting and cleaning, but I never gave up sushi making”

-Chef Emmel MuyaIf sushi be the music of life, keep rolling on – that could well be Chef Emmel Muya’s motto! This iconic dish, which is often synonymous for

Japanese cuisine worldwide, is also part of his very identity. He has spent close to 20 years creating sushi masterpieces at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as well as Sheraton Hotel in Egypt. He is currently enthralling

guests at JW Marriott Mumbai, with the fresh taste of sushi, nigiri and sashimi – the three pillar-stones of Japanese cuisine. He talks to Vinita Bhatia about his love for getting creative with sushi, melding tradition,

art and flavor together.


KITChEn KIn

For six months, I worked for free, just because I wanted to experience working in a big hotel’s kitchen. Seeing my passion, the Executive Japanese Chef at the hotel gave me an opportunity to work overseas and sent me to Hyatt Regency

Dubai and Galleria. I worked at the Revolving Restaurant there, which served international cuisine. A year later, I started working in Miyako, the Japanese restaurant in the same property, where I was in-charge of the sushi bar.

After three years of working at Hy-att, I moved to Egypt as the Sushi Chef for Sheraton Cairo. Later, I joined Four Seasons Hotel at Nile Plaza where I worked for almost 10 years. Currently, I am with JW Marriott Mumbai. vB: when you first began su-shi-making, what were some of the challenges you faced?

EM: I have 19 cuts on my fingers that I got when I was training with different Japanese chefs and at var-ious workshops. I have been hurt by poisonous fish bones several times while cutting and cleaning, but I never gave up sushi making. However, with experience and practice, I learned how to make sushi with panache and thankfully, without injuries!

When I initially started out as a su-shi chef, I had to make do with bad quality fish, inconsistent supplies of products, and unavailability of

CRISPy ShRIMP TEMPuRA wITh JALAPEnO AnD OnIOn SALSAThis popular dish has deep-fried shrimps so one can taste crispiness in every bite of this roll with a perfect blend

of the onion salsa and spicy jalapeno peppers.

Serves:2•Preparation time: 10 minutesIngredients:• Half sheet size of Nori wrapper• 100 gm sushi rice, cooked• 2 medium size shrimps

• 15 gm jalapeno, chopped• 15 gm onion, chopped• 10 gm Iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 10 gm flying fish roe

Method:1. Place the Nori wrapper on a sushi mat. Spread the sushi rice

evenly on the Nori till it is completely covered.2. Arrange shrimps, jalapeno, onion and lettuce inside.3. Roll it carefully and cut the roll into 6 pieces.4. Add flying fish roe on the top of each roll.5. Serve with spicy mayo, wasabi, pickled ginger and soya sauce.

Recipes and images courtesy: Chef Emmel Muya


KITChEn KIn

basic ingredients. This was par-tially because most people did not know about this dish. But as they became more aware and demand-ing, these issues were resolved. vB: Talking about appreciating sushi, do you think Indians are ready to recognize Japanese sta-ples like sushi, sashimi, nigiri or miso soup? EM: Luckily, Indians are already appreciating the art of sushi mak-ing and eating. In my first three months at Spices at JW Marriott Mumbai, I interacted with lot of local guests who are aware about the quality and techniques of eating sushi. Being one of the core values of JW Marriott, we serve au-thentic delicacies at Spices. vB: Is sushi making simple enough for anyone to try and make it at home?

EM: Yes, sushi making at home is currently gaining momentum in India. I have guests coming to the restaurant and sharing their expe-

riences of making sushi at home. Looking at this interest, I plan to schedule a sushi cooking class at JW Marriott Mumbai soon. vB: what innovations are you planning around Japanese cuisine at Jw Marriott?

EM: I have been thinking that if pizza, salad, and sandwiches can offer the ‘Make your own’ concept, then why not do the same with sushi? I intend to have a ‘Make your own sushi’ workshop at the property to understand what the guests love about Japanese cuisine and help them create sushi of their choice with the right ingredients. vB: what is your take on convey-or belt sushi bars that are becom-ing popular the world over? Do you think this concept does jus-tice to the elaborate preparation and effort that goes into making sushi?

EM: Conveyor belt sushi bars work better if they are located in busy places or in business areas where

people love to eat quick foods. But personally, I believe that human touch with care and love is what truly makes food better.

- vinita Bhatia

DEEP FRIED SILKEn TOFu In hOnEy MISO-yuzu SAuCEThis vegetarian appetizer has a very distinct flavor of Yuzu, a Japanese citrus juice that perfectly complements it.

The sauce is a mixture of a soya bean paste and honey with some Yuzu drops.

Serves:2•Preparation time: 1 minute •Cooking time: 15 minutesIngredients:• 30 ml honey• 1 tsp white miso paste• 1 tsp Yuzu

• 1 egg• 1 pack hard silken tofu• 20 gm potato starch

• Oil, for frying• 25 gm spring onion, chopped• 5 gm roasted Nori leaves, thinly sliced

Method:1. Mix all the ingredients for the Honey

Miso-Yuzu sauce.2. Beat the egg.3. Roll the hard tofu cubes in the beaten

egg and then roll it in the potato starch.4. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry

the tofu cubes on medium heat.5. Arrange the tofu cubes on a plate. Pour

the Honey Miso-Yuzu sauce on top.6. Sprinkle the chopped spring onion and

thin slice of roasted Nori and serve.

Recipes and images courtesy: Chef Emmel Muya

Chef Bytes

My family: I married when I was 20 years old and have four lovely daugh-ters who are now my inspiration. Currently, my family stays in a beauti-ful house at Cavite, south of Luzon in Philipines.

My favorite restaurant: Miyako Japa-nese Restaurant in Dubai.

If not a chef, I would be in the ag-riculture business, because I enjoy planting vegetables, rice and fruits.

I believe: Knowledge is inadequate if you can’t apply it appropriately.

My motivation: My guests. I feel content every time my guests leave happy and satisfied after eating my food. That is what keeps me going and innovating.


KITChEn KIn

A Dhaba

Is For

Everyone!The Claridges, widely rec-

ognized for blending old world charm with mod-ern elements, has gone

retail with Dhaba by Claridges, where the kitchen is headed by vet-eran Chef Ravi Saxena. With over 20 years of experience, this IHM Goa graduate started as a trainee at The Leela in the early 90s. After a stint overseas, he was instrumental in the conception of The Imperial’s San Gimignano, after which he landed at The Claridges in 2007 as Executive Chef. As head chef for the ‘Dhaba by Claridges’ outlets and its base kitchen, Chef Saxena has catego-rized the Dhaba menu into three parts: tawa, tandoor and patila,

and he delivers authentic north Indian highway cuisine rather effortlessly. Parul Shirazi (PS): So why take Dhaba outside Claridges?

Chef Ravi Saxena (RS): Claridges’ Dhaba is legendary and a success-ful restaurant! Yes, it is uncommon for a hotel to take its signature restaurant down the retail road. Yet the few who did it, have done it well, except for maybe The Great Kebab Factory. Our idea was that if our food is successful why not take it to the masses?

The perception about dining in a 5-star is that it will be very expen-sive. However, this food is meant

The Claridges has stepped out of its comfort zone by bringing the

quintessential ‘dhaba’ experience, which also marks its retail foray.

Veteran chef Ravi Saxena is overseeing

the kitchen operations of the ‘Dhaba by

Claridges’ outlets and he tells Parul Pratap Shirazi how different a hotel kitchen is from a retail one and how

much more challenging it is as well.


KITChEn KIn

for everyone and we also wanted to test this product in other waters. That is why our price points in the retail model is 30% lower, especial-ly since we wanted to tap the youth market. And the cuisine was ideal for this venture – who doesn’t en-joy ‘dhaba’ fare? Going to a ‘dhaba’ is an experience; it is fun, it is easy and it is delicious also. PS: Is that how you devised the drinks menu?

RS: Dhaba is all about a meal experience with beverages that are styled as ‘desi’ drinks at good price points. We call our bar a ‘theka’ and people love it! Whether it is the décor, splash of colours, quirky one liners or drink names,

these things stick in a guest’s mind. People come back remembering names like Basanti, Gulabo, etc, from the bar! From the time you enter till you leave, we aim to cre-ate an overall experience which is not just good food. PS: has this model worked?

RS: It has. Today we have two outlets, with the latest in Gurgaon, where people wait to be seated even on weekdays. We plan to open a third outlet soon. No brand invests this much if its business model hasn’t worked. We also needed to know whether this mod-el was scalable and we are happy with the results. We could consider franchising at some point though

the intent right now is to open a few in Delhi/NCR and cement the model so to speak. PS: how have you customized the menu for this model?

RS: At the moment, we have retained only 30% of the origi-nal menu, while the remainder is new. We know how to maintain quality and how to standardize, so the guest gets the same quality of food and service despite the menu changes. We had two objectives, building on the brand itself and then taking it forward, so some-thing new was essential. PS: how have you managed to create a buzz around the retail model while retaining the for-mality of the original hotel?

RS: People already have a percep-tion about the Claridges brand, so we did not have to start from scratch but instead build on what we have. Expectations about our food and service were high, and we haven’t let that get diluted. We also retained the formality in terms of service – another something that guests expect from Claridges. PS: well, it has been quite a journey for you from classic hotel kitchens to a standalone kitchen!

RS: When we spoke about this concept internally, I realized I have never done retail in my 20 years of experience. It’s a different ball game altogether. In Delhi, the Dhaba is a 42 cover restaurant and we do a maximum of 100 covers. But in Gurgaon, we cater to 300 covers per day, so suddenly my clientele became vast and varied.


KITChEn KIn

TIFFIn ChICKEnServes:2•Preparation time: 10 minutes •Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:• 50 ml ghee • 20 gm garlic, chopped• 20 gm ginger, chopped• 2-3 green chilies, chopped• 2 capsicums, sliced• 2 tsp salt • A pinch of cumin

seeds • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli

powder • 1 tsp garam masala powder• 1 tsp kasoori methi powder• 1 tsp cumin powder• 2 tsp coriander powder

• 2 onions, sliced• 3 tomatoes, chopped• 100 ml tomato puree• 500 gm boneless chicken thigh, cut

into strips• 1 sprig fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method:1. Heat ghee in a kadai. Add cumin seeds,

chop garlic, ginger, green chillies, onions and capsicum.

2. Add the tomatoes and all powdered spices.

3. Add chicken pieces along with tomato puree and toss until well cooked.

4. Garnish with coriander and serve with some paratha.

Chef ’s tip: This dish goes best with Ajwaini Paratha, which is regular paratha with some carom seeds in it. Place a paratha on the plate, spread some tiffin chicken and then place another paratha on top.

Recipes and images courtesy: Chef Ravi Saxena

I found this more challenging be-cause in my hotel kitchen I had lot of backend support whether it was housekeeping or a main kitchen. However, I enjoy this challenge because it keeps me on my toes again, creating new dishes and literally starting afresh! PS: which venue has more poten-tial, the one in Delhi’s mall or the one in gurgaon’s Cyberhub?

RS: Cyberhub is a foodie desti-nation where the youth go with one agenda in mind – to eat. The challenge in Delhi was that people would see Dhaba in a mall and then decide to walk in. However, now guests come especially to dine at Dhaba. PS: So what has caught their interest primarily – the décor, the food or the drinks?

RS: Our USP is a combination of the above combined with sensible price points and a sense of casual

dining even though we are associ-ated with a 5-star hotel. It is grat-ifying for our guests to to be able to enjoy Dhaba in a more laidback avatar. The service is above par and adhering to premium standards as is the quality of produce. I contin-ue to work with the same vendors and follow the same processes as we do for Claridges. Ultimately, Dhaba is where you come to eat and drink and make merry and that is exactly what we aimed for!


“Whether it is the décor, splash of colours, quirky oneliners or drink names, these things stick in our guest’s mind. People come back remembering names like Basanti, Gulabo, etc,

from the bar!”


Some

Pacts Are

Meant To Last

A pact made while at sea, a promise that both parties decided to honor once both were rescued, the start of a chain of famous restaurants where celebrities come to see and or be seen – that is the legacy of Serafina. A year and half since it started its Mumbai outpost, its fourth outside of the 10 restaurants in the US, Fabio Granato,

co-founder of Serafina talks to Vinita Bhatia about opening

more outlets in India.

CuLInARy MAESTRO


The legend of Serafina’s genesis has now achieved cult status. It began when Vittorio Assaf and Fabio

Granato were sailing and ended up getting lost at sea in 1994. While surrounded by the expanse of sea and waiting to be rescued, they got talking. “We didn't expect to get into that situation; we didn't want to get lost. However, when it happened, instead of panicking we distracted ourselves the entire night talking about food and discovered we had the same taste in food. We decided that if we survived, we would create a new concept with our version of food,” Fabio remi-nisces.

Unlike most promises made while at sea (pun intended), after they were rescued, the duo honored their oath and then sat down for some serious brainstorming. Vittorio had some experience as a partner in a restaurant with noted artist Andy Warhol. Fabio had done many things, including importing food from Italy.

“We liked the industry and the food business, but we wanted to create something different. So we thought long and hard and came out with great ideas, which culminated in Serafina,” Fabio says.

A LOngSTAnDIng PARTnERShIPSince 1995, Vittorio and Fabio have successfully opened a chain of 14 restaurants under Serafina’s brand – 10 of them in the US and one each in Brazil, Russia, Japan and India. Few partnerships last as long as the one between this duo. Ask him the secret behind this two-decade long association and Fabio nonchalantly shrugs and says it is because they

both love what they do and do not step on each other's feet. They work in tandem and listen to each other.

“Vittorio likes to cook and create the dishes, while I like to eat and be the critic,” Fabio laughs loudly.What has helped them shape up the cuisine at Serafina is that both of them grew up eating this food, something heavily influenced by their culture. They rely on their intuition while finalizing the menu. Only if something appeals to both of them, does it find its place on Serafina’s menu.

In 2006, when Fabio and Vittorio visited Mumbai for the wedding of fellow hotelier Vikram Chatwal, they stayed in the city for a week and were charmed by its pace and zest. The food they sampled there reminded them of the native Italian culture and the family values they encountered amongst Indians struck a chord about how things were in Italy. They spontaneously felt that Mumbai fit in well with Serafina’s ethos and they would open an outpost in India. In Octo-ber 2012, Serafina opened its doors to well-heeled gourmet food lovers in Mumbai showing them what North Italian is all about.

CuLInARy MAESTRO


ACQuAInTIng InDIAnS wITh ITALIAn FAREWhile planning the menu for In-dia, Fabio and Vittorio decided to retain the same menu as the one in its New York restaurant to ensure authenticity was maintained. New York Times once quoted Serafina’s coal-oven pies as excellent authen-tic pizza. However, can Indians un-derstand and appreciate authentic Italian fare, especially if they have not been exposed to the real deal? According to Fabio, that is not a problem when someone crosses the threshold of Serafina because they use quality ingredients.

“Sometimes you eat something so good that you remember it later. It subconsciously makes an impres-sion on you. When our guests taste Serafina’s food, they will see that as Italians, we have created food based on our culture. When I am not here, I believe in my Indian partners because they are so en-thusiastic about the food, they will not cut corners and will honor our brand,” he says enthusiastically.

But he does admit that getting people to understand a new menu and spread the concept of au-

thentic Italian food is a challenge, especially because northern Italian dishes are a little lighter and a little richer than their more popular southern counterpart.

While most ingredients are sourced from Europe, the rest of them come from local markets in India, which can be tough because it might not always be available or might not be of the right quality. “Getting the right ingredients is a

challenge. I trust there will be less-er regulations for foreign brands importing into India,” Fabio says. And it is based on these expecta-tions that Fabio and Vittorio are looking forward to opening more Serafina outposts in Calcutta, New Delhi, Goa and other cities of India. Did we hear a chorus of Bounisimo go up?

- vinita Bhatia

“Sometimes you eat something so good that you remember it later. It

subconsciously makes an impression on you. When our guests taste Serafina’s food, they will see that as Italians, we have created food based on our

culture.”

– Fabio Granato, Co-Founder, Serafina

CuLInARy MAESTRO


Brown and White rice:

fact vs Fiction

Fundamentally, brown rice is presumed to be a wonder food that helps prevent diabetes, reduce cholesterol and promote overall good health.

Let us examine the actual underlying science of brown versus white rice and pull in actual research citations to back up its conclusions, all in

common layman terms.

MyTh BuSTER


My friend, Arun Ku-mar, is very health conscious – he exercises regular-

ly, tries to eat healthy and keeps sniffing out information about what is the latest health fad. Re-cently, while I was on my morning walk in the park, I bumped into Arun. Lean, healthy and sweaty, he had the air of a man who had found the fountainhead for youth. When I enquired about this aura, he revealed that he had made a big change in his diet – he had com-pletely replaced white rice in his diet with brown rice. And he also spoke about an article he had read in CaLDRON magazine, where ce-lebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor spoke about brown rice in glowing terms. Arun’s reasoning was that brown rice has four times as much fiber as white rice; therefore, brown has an advantage over white rice. He is not alone in this presumption that brown rice is much better than white rice. But let’s do an ap-ple-to-apple comparison before we make our own inferences. The fiber content of brown rice is 1.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams of rice (111 calories), while white rice has 0.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams of rice (130 calories). Psyllium husk (Isabgol) has 77 grams of fiber in 100 grams with 200 calories. Conclusion – be very careful of advertising.

When I pointed this out to Arun, he looked crestfallen. “But brown rice has zero cholesterol! Surely that can’t be untrue,” he main-tained, almost desperately. Well, no arguments there. But then again, white rice, potatoes as well as cau-liflower have zero cholesterol too!

SOME MORE ARguMEnTSNot one to be defeated without dipping into his arsenal of exten-sive reason, Arun made a case for a Harvard School of Public Health Study he had read. “It concluded that substitution of whole grains, including brown rice, for white rice may lower risk of type 2 diabe-tes. The data supports the recom-mendation that most carbohydrate intake should come from whole grains rather than refined grains to help prevent type 2 diabetes,” he smugly pointed out.

Unwilling to burst his bubble, I told him that the problem with this study is that it was not an exper-iment, but survey data collected from 39,765 men and 157,463 women. Most folks pay attention only to its conclusion. If one actu-ally read the actual study, here is what one would find:

“Men and women who had high white rice intake were less likely to have European ancestry or to smoke and more likely to have a family history of diabetes. In addition, high white rice intake was associated with high fruit and vegetable intake and low intake of whole grains, cereal fiber, and trans fat. In contrast, brown rice intake was not associated with ethnicity

but with a more health-conscious lifestyle and dietary profile. For example, participants with higher brown rice intake were more phys-ically active, leaner, less likely to smoke or have a family history of diabetes, and had higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and lower intake of red meat and trans fat. Both white rice and brown rice intake were positively associated with a higher glycemic load in all three cohorts.”

It means that Harvard did not take a uniform set of people for the survey on effects of brown rice consumption. These respondents were already health conscious and that had a greater impact of their overall health. People who were eating white rice were already unhealthy, but ate lot of fruits and vegetables rather than meat or pro-tein, already leading to a diabetic combination.

EFFECT OF BROwn RICE On OBESITyStill reluctant to admit that he might have been mistaken, Arun cited another experimental study called ‘Effect of Brown Rice Con-sumption on Inflammatory Marker and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Overweight and Obese

MyTh BuSTER


Non-menopausal Female Adults’. Of the 40 participants, 35 were non-menopausal and obese fe-male, and its results showed that there was no significant differences between the two diets regarding fat/lipid profiles and Fasting Blood Glucose.

“Diastole blood pressure level was significantly (P = 0.032) decreased after consuming brown rice diet compared with white rice diet. In the brown rice diet, inflammatory marker (hs-CRP) level decreased significantly in comparison with white rice diet. Weight changes were 1.2 kg with brown rice vs. white rice. After brown rice con-sumption magnesium was signifi-cantly higher than white rice con-sumption,” Arun read out from the same study, which he had down-loaded and saved on his mobile phone – probably in anticipation to similar discussions about the health advantages of brown rice!I was happy to concede that this is an interesting study. They gave equal amounts of white rice and brown rice to different groups of women and asked them to consume it every day; especially because they were asked to (but

not experimentally verified) not change any other aspect of their diet and food habits.

So obviously, the results were somewhat predictable – there was no change in either lipid/fat pro-files of their body or fasting blood glucose (both accurate markers of diabetes). “And their body weight decreased,” added Arun. Honestly, the weight loss can’t be explained, though I think the most likely explanation is the higher concentration of magnesium and fiber in brown rice. Both of these could have been gotten via isabgol and spinach rather than rice (with much lesser calories).

Not wanting to rain on Arun’s pa-rade, I came up with another trial that I had read about, titled ‘Ef-fect of brown rice, white rice, and brown rice with legumes on blood glucose and insulin responses in overweight Asian Indians’. This one pointed out that “consumption of brown rice in place of white rice can help reduce 24-h glucose and fasting insulin responses among overweight Asian Indians.” This is the only claim of brown rice, which seems to be fairly accurate.

Needless to say, it finally put Arun into a fine spirit.

While exiting the park, we met a few other friends and Arun proud-ly told them that he had gone the brown rice way and that his diabe-tes has become easier to manage. I added my two pennies worth that consumption of brown rice leads to lower insulin response as com-pared to white rice consumption.Another diabetic person in the group was excited to know that diabetics will find their sugar level/insulin management much easier with brown rice than with white rice.“Does this mean it is good even for people without diabetes?” he asked me.

In principle, yes. Lower glycemic load foods have shown to be better at maintaining overall cardiovas-cular health. However, the most important takeaway, I added, is that brown rice does not help in better cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention. It is the lesser between the two evils – white and brown – because of its better glyce-mic rating. Munch on that!

- Sandeep Srinivasa, fitosaur.us

MyTh BuSTER

RICE KhEER wITh MAngOServes:2•Preparation time: 5 minutes •Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:• 50 gm rice• 100 gm mixed nuts

• 2 ltr milk• 1 tsp cardamom powder

• Sugar, to taste• 100 ml mango pulp

Method:1. In a thick-bottomed pan, boil milk

and rice together. Once the rice starts cooking, and the milk gets a denser consistency add the mixed nuts along with sugar.

2. Add the cardamom powder to the kheer, and take it off the heat.

3. Once it cools down, add the mango pulp. Garnish with pista flakes before serving.

Recipes and images courtesy: Chef Rishi Verma, Head Chef at Sattviko and Best Foods Rice respectively.


COvER STORy

Flower Power In The

KitchenFlowers have always been the solace for our weary senses.

Now they are coming to the rescue of our taste buds too! Edible flowers might seem like a novel trend, but the fact is that generations have been using flora in their cooking – to add a bright dash of color to a dish or to

perk up its flavor.


COvER STORy

Using flowers either as an ingredient in a dish or as garnish might seem like a nouveau

trend, but the fact is that this practice has been around for a long time, especially in India. Many Ayurvedic concoctions mention edible flowers as their ingredients, so it is evident that the culture of using edible flowers dates back to the Vedic period in India. Since flowers have medicinal properties, when it comes to cooking they are often used not merely for the flavor and fragrance they impart to a dish, but because they add a me-dicinal element to it. In recent times, the usage of edible flowers has become more prominent and these dainty flora are making their appearance across various cuisines. One reason for their increasing acceptance is the increased thrust on organic, me-dicinal and vegan food globally. FLORAL SuRPRISES On A PLATTEROne can use edible flowers like nasturtium, borage, fennel flowers or chives as garnish, while capers and caper berries are common ingredients in salads and dressings. Hadga, pumpkin and zucchini flowers are great when mixed with other ingredients, stuffed into dough packets, fried, and served

warm. And then there are rose petals that can be used, as is or in candied form, in desserts.Using flowers in food lends a de-lightful visual impact to the plate with all their hues. Additionally, they are rich in flavors, textures and taste differently as well. Some are sweet like tender rose petals; few have sharp mustard taste like nasturtium; some are tangy like Borage flowers, while many are pungent like chive flowers. Yet all have excellent colors and shades ranging from pink, orange, yellow, white to purple and green.

ChOOSIng yOuR FLORAL BOuQuETWhilst you might be tempted to pluck flowers and decorate your dish with them, be warned that not all flora are edible. You are advised to follow recipes by renowned chefs that include flowers, rath-er than experiment yourself. For most chefs too, the knowledge of choosing the right flowers comes over the years with experience af-ter they work closely with farmers and by studying the properties of the flowers to check their neutral-

ity. They then try different floral additions in various cuisines to see how it lends itself to a particular dish.

Once you identify flowers that add a lovely appeal to your food, you can grow them in your own garden, but avoid using any chem-icals while nurturing them. These chemicals might leave a residue on the flowers that might extend to your food when you use it. You should also sanitize the flowers well before you use them for cook-ing or decoration.

If that sounds like too much trouble, then opt for packed flow-ers that are now available in most gourmet and de-partmental stores. Before purchas-ing, check their origin and sani-

tize them carefully before use. You can also refrigerate these flowers at around 7-8°C. Roll them loosely in parchment paper or wet cloth to use them at a later date. Do not store them in airtight containers as flowers need to breathe.

While flowers can impart ele-gance and color to any dish, avoid overcrowding a plate with many varieties. Stick to one floral type and use them sparingly in a decid-edly artless pattern to elevate the appearance of the dish and enliven your dinner table.

- vinita Bhatiawith inputs from Chef Anurudh Khanna, Executive Chef of The

Westin Pune Koregaon Park

SOME EDIBLE FLOwERS yOu CAn ChOOSE FROM

Banana blossoms, Butterfly pea flowers, Chive blossoms, Frangipani, Hagda, Hibiscus, Ixora, Jasmine, Lavender, Lotus, Nasturtium, Rose, Zucchini blossoms

Edible violets!


COvER STORy - RECIPES

ChICKEn SOuP wITh COCOnuT MILK, gALAngALAnD BuTTERFLy PEA JuICE

The butterfly pea juice gives this thick broth an eye-catching hue.Serves:2•Preparation time:15minutes•Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:• 1 cup chicken stock• 7 – 10 Butterfly pea flowers• 10 gm chicken, sliced• 1 tbsp lemongrass, sliced• 1 ½ tbsp straw mushroom• 1 tbsp galangal, sliced

• 1 Kaffir lime leaf• 1 cup coconut milk• 1 tbsp lime juice• 1 tbsp fish sauce• 3-5 Bird’s eye chili, chopped• 1 tsp chili oil

Method:1. Heat the chicken stock in a pot.2. Add the butterfly pea flowers for few minutes until the chicken stock turns blue and then take

the flowers out.3. Add the chicken pieces and cook well.4. Add straw mushroom, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf.5. Bring the soup to boil. Add coconut milk and mix it well and bring the soup to a boil, once more.6. Pour in a bowl, add lime juice, fish sauce and chili then mix it well.7. Garnish with chili oil and serve hot.

Recipes and images courtesy: Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai

Chef 's Tip:Steep Butterfly Pea

flower in warm water for a few minutes till the water turns blue. You can use this water as a natural coloring

agent for any dish you prepare.



MuFFIn wITh LOTuS SEEDThe Chinese make cakes with lotus seed paste that are similar to the famous moon cakes. This muffin uses pieces

of boiled lotus seeds to give it a granular texture.Makes:10muffins•Preparation time:15minutes•Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:• 60 gm egg• 50 gm lotus seeds, boiled and chopped• 120 gm bread flour

• 70 gm sugar• 2 tsp baking powder• 5 tsp vegetable oil

• 125 ml low fat milk• 2 tsp green tea powder

Method:1. Preheat oven to 180°C.2. Grease 10 muffin moulds with oil and keep aside.3. Sift flour and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Whisk it with sugar and green tea powder until well mixed.4. Add vegetable oil, low fat milk, lotus seeds and egg mix well.5. Put the mixture into prepared muffin moulds.6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Let it remain in the oven for another 4-5 minutes

then cool on a wire rack.


Chef 's Tip:You can also use crystallized lotus

seeds, which are sweeter. Adjust the sugar

accordingly in the recipe.



FRAngIPAnI STuFFED wITh MInCED PORK In CLEAR SOuP

This light clear soup gets a wholesome flavorful touch when the pork cooks within the frangipani.Serves:1•Preparation time:15minutes•Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:• 50 gm minced pork• 1 tbsp mushroom sauce• Pinch of salt and pepper powder, each• 1 large carrot, chopped• 5 Frangipani flowers

• 5 Chive leaves• 2 cups chicken stock• 2-4 pieces Shitake mushroom• 2 onions, cut into cubes• 1 Thai celery, sliced

• Half bunch spring onions, sliced• 1 tsp garlic cloves, deep fried

Method:1. Marinate the minced pork with mushroom sauce, pepper and chopped carrot for 5 minutes.2. Stuff this minced pork in the middle of the Frangipani flowers. Close the petal and tie the top of the

petals with chive leaves.3. Heat the chicken stock in a pot. Add shitake mushroom, onion and stuffed Frangipani in the pot and

cook for 5-7 minutes.4. Season with pepper, salt and spring onion and mix well.5. Garnish with celery and deep fried garlic and serve hot.


Chef 's Tip:Use only those

Frangipani flowers that have fallen

naturally, and not those that are

picked.


SPICy IXORA SALAD wITh SEA FOODIxora flowers are often dipped in batter and then deep fried, a delicacy in Thailand. However, the flowers and

leaves lend their own unique flavor when steeped in warm water, as it does in this particular dish.Serves:2•Preparation time:20minutes•Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:Chili Lime Sauce• 1 piece coriander root• 2-3 garlic cloves• 1 red chili• 3-5 Bird’s eye chili• 3-4 pickled garlic cloves• 3 tbsp lime juice• 3 tbsp fish sauce• 1 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp mushroom sauce

For Salad• 70 gm Ixora• Half cup water, room temperature• 2 prawns, poached• 3-4 squids, poached• 1 scallop, poached

• 2 mussels, poached• Half bunch shallots, sliced• Half bunch spring onions, sliced• 3 medium sized tomatoes• 2 celery stalks• 2 tbsp Chili Lime sauce

Method:1. Blend all ingredients for the Chili Lime sauce and keep aside.2. Soak Ixora in water for 10-15 minutes and drain.3. Put all poached seafood in a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients along with chili lime sauce

and mix it well.4. Place on a serving dish and serve cold.


Chef 's Tip:Boil the flowers and

leaves of Ixora flowers and use them in curries to add a delicate flavor

to them.



QuICK TAKE

Watch Your Ice Cream Change Its Color

Spanish physicist Manuel Linares has created an artisan ice cream that changes color with every lick.

Ice Creams have come a long way since their vanilla days. From crocodile egg ice cream to octopus flavored Taco Aisu

to blended haggis ice cream, the frozen treat has gone through a se-ries of evolutionary tumbles. Now a Spanish physicist has decided to give this beloved treat another makeover. Manuel Linares has cre-ated ice cream that change colors as you lick it.

As part of his study, Manuel has devised a formula for ice creams that changes tones when exposed to new temperatures and different levels of acidity found in saliva. Called Xamaleón, a name derived from chameleon, this tutti-frutti flavored ice cream has a periwin-kle color that changes to pink and then to purple with every lick.

ChAngIng COLORSThe color changing process is due to some ingredients that are used in the making of the ice cream, though details of its contents are unknown yet. Manuel also added that a special, mysterious ‘love elix-ir’ is sprayed onto each ice cream before serving, which aids in the color changing process. Talking to Spanish website Cocinatis, Manuel claimed that any food will change color if it changes temperature, or

if you encapsulate it or it oxidizes.

And he ought to know. This sci-entist is also a confectioner who has his own frozen dessert shop called IceXperience in Blanes, a small coastal town in Spain. With this culinary background and his medical skills, Manuel has been dabbling with interesting flavors, and he came up with the pinkish Xamaleón in a week, along with a couple of his team members.

Now Manuel plans to create an ice cream that morphs from white to pink all by itself, without any lick-ing involved. This will be followed up by another flavor that changes all kinds of colors when exposed to UV lights. Now that will be a hit at nightclubs, we are willing to bet on it!

- Team CaLDROn


On ThE ShELF

Goodness Comes In A Pint

You can tick off the num-ber of premium healthy drinks available in the market that suit active

lifestyles. Often packed with sugar, artificial colors, these lack the very thing they are supposed to have – actual fruit. Pune’s Good Juicery’s promises that their range of spar-kling fruit juices will change that. Their colorful tins, with an image of a jolly good fellow on a pen-ny-farthing cycle, are slim enough to even fit into your cargo pants’ pockets. What’s more, they can be safely stored for a year. The good folks at Good Juicery also claim that each can has two portions of a fruit, but are free of artificial col-ors, flavors and preservatives. The ingredients of the juices include sparkling filtered water, 40% fruit juice (reconstituted), cane sugar, malic acid and vitamin C.

However, the proof of the juice is in the sipping. And on tasting the Sparkling Apple, Sparkling Pink Guava and Sparkling Passion Fruit on separate occasions, we realized that the trio hit the right spot with every sip. While some might find similarities between the Sparkling Apple and Appy Fizz, the former wins because it is relatively bubbli-er.

The sweetness of the guava is care-fully captured and served in the Sparkling Pink Guava and we were surprised that is tasted all au na-turale. Of the three, the Sparkling Passion Fruit turned out to be our favourite. Its unique tangy and mildly sweet flavour might not hit the palate of every Indian, but we strongly suggest that one should give it a go.

Priced at INR 80 for a 250 ml can, Good Juicery’s drinks are currently available only at select premium outlets throughout India. Our verdict is that it offers an authen-tic rendition of classic fruits in a spirited avatar, which is quite a 'fruitful' deal. Do give this one a sip... and then some!

- hrishikesh Thakkar

Good Juicery's new sparkling juices in three flavors give an exciting and authentic

interpretation of some of our favorite fruits – apple, guava and

passion fruit.

nuTRITIOnAL InFORMATIOn OF SPARKLIng APPLE PER 100ML

Component QuantityEnergy 53 kcalProtein 0.12 g

Carbohydrate 13.05 gDietary fiber 0.0 gTotal Sodium 2.5 mg

Vitamin C 0.46 mgTotal Sugars 12.87 g

Fat 0.0g


Hosting casual parties is fun. You need not bother about dressing up or setting the table

with fine crockery. The best part is that the food need not be ostenta-tious – something that is music to the ears of even the most consum-mate host. After all, who does not want to relax at a party, be it the guest or the host?

This is a reason why nachos are the perfect party food if you are enter-taining a few friends without any elaborate ceremony. You can easily pair it with wine, beer or any other beverage and if your guests are still hungry, you can just grill some sausages and you are all sorted.

If you intend to host one such party where nachos will dominate,

here are some tips to make the Mexican staple become the talking point:

OnE - Choose the right tortilla chips: The tortillas are the foun-dation of your nachos and if they fail, then the nachos will be dismal too. The perfect tortilla chips need to be thin, crisp, mildly flavored and of the right size – neither too small, nor too large. Your best bet is picking up the store-bought tortilla chips. If you opt for the readymade tortilla chips then use them as is, and don’t try to fry or bake them. They can be had with an accompanying salsa, cheese sauce, or even plain, without sauce.

TwO - Use Corn Masa for home-made tortillas: If you would rather make tortillas at home, use Corn

Masa, which is dried corn coarse-ly ground corn and dried again. Don’t confuse this with cornflour, generally used as a thickening agent in Chinese cuisine.

ThREE - Salsa for every season: You can make salsa from practi-cally any fruit or vegetable, as long as it has three key flavors – sweet-ness, which comes from the fruit itself, sourness, which comes from lime juice or tobacco or capers or jalapeno or balsamic vinegar and spiciness that comes from chilies or jalapenos. You can enhance the regular tomato salsa with minced olives, jalapenos, fresh basil, ci-lantro, mint, roasted bell peppers, balsamic or even roasted or frilled tomatoes instead of the traditional raw tomatoes.

Pile up some nachos on a platter, add a selection of dips and you have the recipe for a super casual party.

TIP AnD TREAT

It’s Nachos Time!


TIP AnD TREAT

nAChOS wITh ChOICE OF DIPSThere is nothing like a nachos platter to get your party going. Assemble all its elements at home, rather than rely

on the storebought fare..

Serves:2•Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients - Refried Beans (250gm):• 50 gm ghee• ½ onion, chopped• 10 garlic cloves, chopped• 2 tsp chilly powder• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder• 50 gm tomato puree• 100 gm kidney beans, soaked

overnight and boiled• 50 ml water

• 1 tsp salt• 2 tsp sugar• 2 tsp vinegar

Ingredients - Cheese Sauce (300gm):• 200 gm cheese • 100 gm milk • ½ tsp chilly powder

Ingredients - Avocado Salsa (160gm):• 100 gm avacado• ½ onion, chopped• ½ tomato, chopped• 10 gm jalapeno, chopped

• ½ capsicum, chopped• ½ red capsicum, chopped• ½ yellow capsicum, chopped• 1 sprig coriander, chopped

• ½ tsp lime juice• 2 green chillies, chopped

Ingredients - Tomato Salsa (130gm):• ½ tomato, chopped• 50 gm tomato juice• ½ onion, chopped• 2-3 jalapeno, chopped

• ½ green capsicum, chopped• 1 sprig coriander leaves, chopped• 2 green chilies, chopped• ½ tsp Tobasco

• ½ tsp lime juice• Salt, as per taste• ½ sugar

Ingredients - Sour Cream (110gm):• 100 gm cream • 2 tsp lime juice

Ingredients - Corn Chips (800gm):• 100 gm cream • 2 tsp lime juice

Method - Refried Beans:1. Heat ghee in a pan. Sauté onion and garlic till onions turn

brown.2. Add chilly, cumin and coriander powder and cook for a

couple of minutes.3. Add tomato puree and beans.4. Once the puree is cooked add water, salt, sugar and vinegar.

Method - Cheese Sauce:1. Boil the milk and keep it on simmer.2. Add the chilly powder and let it dissolve in the milk.3. Add the cheese and stir till it melts.

Method - Avocado Salsa:1. Boil the milk and keep it on simmer.2. Add the chilly powder and let it dissolve in the milk.3. Add the cheese and stir till it melts.

Method - Tomato Salsa:1. Mix all ingredients and refrigerate till needed.

Method - Sour Cream:1. Take cream in a bowl and place it in a bigger bowl of cold

water. Add lime juice and beat well.2. Keep this cream bowl in the bowl filled with cold water, till

needed.

Method - Corn Chips:1. Mix all the ingredients. Knead to make stiff dough.2. Roll the dough out into a thin sheet. Cut into triangular

shapes.3. Heat oil in a deep pan.4. Deep fry the dough pieces. Place on tissue paper to drain

excess oil.

Recipes courtesy: Bombay Blue RestaurantImage on next page.


FOuR - Say cheese: The best cheese available in India is ched-dar, which is subtle and easily available locally. Opt for either the white or yellow cheddar that is usually available in tins. Avoid mozzarella and blue cheese as these do not go well with nachos. Also grate the cheese yourself, which helps in uniform melting.

FIvE - get creative: Traditionally, nachos comprise maize flour chips with tomato salsa, sour cream and cheese sauce. Today, these maize chips can be substituted with plain potato wafers, pita crisps, baked burrito wraps (fried or baked), thick potato chips or readymade nachos. You can also toss some minced meat with beans in the salsa.

SIX - Innovate at will: While there is no substitute for the trifecta of nachos – classic cheese sauce,

tomato salsa and guacamole (avo-cado salsa). You can play with the flavor of the cheese sauce and to-mato salsa to a great extent. Flavor the cheese sauce with fried onion, fried garlic, mixed herbs, jalape-nos, chili flakes, pizza seasoning, mushrooms, jerk spice or a mix of three cheeses for a different flavor.

SEvEn - Serve with care: While serving nachos, dish the sauces separately. That way the nachos stay crisp longer, and your guests can dip the nachos into the sauces of their choice. If your guests pre-fer gooey and cheesy nachos, there is nothing like a cheesy messy plat-ter topped with salsa, jalapenos, cilantro and olives.

EIghT - Make it elaborate: While nachos are comfort food, you can also make it into an elaborate meal. Try multi-flavored nachos and toss them in a variety of stuffed olives

including cheese stuffed, jalapeno, red chili stuffed olives. You can also place multiple dips around the nachos platter to make it look at-tractive; for instance tomato salsa, cheese sauce, sour cream, guaca-mole, pepper salsa, olive tapenade, mushrooms, olives, refried beans, minced meat, chicken, smoked sausages.

If there is another important thing you need to know about nachos it is that they tend to run out soon. No one can resist them, so make sure you make enough dips and have adequate chips to dip them in. Now you are all set to host a super-fun, super-casual party any-time you wish!

- vinita Bhatia with inputs from Chef Amit Puri,

Corporate Chef, Pan India Solutions

TIP AnD TREAT


Make perfect pasta?Send us your photos!

Send your photos, a caption and a photo of yourself to [email protected]. Photos must be at least 6 megapix-els. Selected photos will be published

in an upcoming edition of CaLDRON Magazine.


Most cuisines are looking at complicating their simple fare to make them appear chic. It is heartening to

note that Vietnamese cuisine has bucked this trend and has kept the simplicity

of its food and the freshness of its ingredients alive.

Vietnamese Cuisine: Sophistication in Simplicity

InTERnATIOnAL FLAvORS - vIETnAM



“If you want to know what the Vietnamese eat, hit the streets,” laughs Chef Dao Van

Son, Sofitel. “It is where you will get food that is delicious, cheap and more importantly, healthy.” He should know. Chef Dao is current-ly the Executive Sous Chef at the Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and has over 20 years of work experience – all of it creating Vietnamese dishes that few other than the natives know about.

The one thing he cautions is that Vietnamese cuisine is not for those looking for a fine-dine experience. Instead, it is homely comfort food, meant to be shared amongst family and friends sitting at a large wood-

en table. “If you visit Vietnam, there are many places that only tourists and the very rich locals visit. Majority of the people will either cook at home or eat at the street, where everyone is welcome to share their food with strangers too. That is our culture and that is how to best describe Vietnamese cuisine,” Chef Dao adds. A hEALThy CuISInEEver since it became popular as one of healthiest cuisines, the interest in Vietnamese food has spiked. The plinth of this cuisine is the use of fresh ingredients, be it vegetables, herbs, spices or meat products. The soups and salads are laden with fresh herbs, vegetables like banana blossoms, lotus roots and lean protein like chicken or

fish, while a delicate amount of spice is blended in with the help of herbs, including basil, dill and mint.

The absence of wheat is very con-spicuous in this cuisine and main course dishes are usually rice-based preparations. You will find dumplings or noodles made of rice noodles or rice papers, while rice is the staple cereal for all gravies.

Vietnamese food strives for a delicate balance of five elements – salty, sweet, sour, spicy and fragrant. Irrespective whether the food is from the northern part of the country or the southern re-gions, its highlight will always be the focus on letting the freshness of the ingredients stand out.

Rice is the staple cereal and one will find dumplings or noodles made of rice noodles or rice papers. This is the

traditional way to make rice paper in Vietnam.



The northern parts of Vietnam are colder and few spices, other than black pepper, are grown in abun-dance there. This region’s food is easily identifiable because one will find fresh black peppercorns in the dishes rather than the tiny red chillies.

Spices are more common in central Vietnamese dishes, while

fresh vegetables like garlic, shallots and herbs that grow in the warm weather and fertile soil of south-ern Vietnam are mainstays of this regional variant.

STRIKIng A BALAnCEThe most popular dish in Vietnam has to be classic Pho, a one-bowl meal of meat, noodles and vegeta-bles in a richly seasoned broth. It is

also the favorite breakfast amongst locals. “Lunch is usually Banh Xeo, a pancake stuffed with seafood, while dinner is rice with some meat curry,” adds Chef Dao.

He reveals that another stand-apart aspect of this cuisine is to assimilate anything found natural-ly into the food, including some ingredients typically thought to be taboo in some countries! Take for example, the inclusion of paddy crab and paddy snail in Bún Riêu Oc , a popular noodle dish, and in soups like Canh.

“Silkworms, sparrows, doves, fermented fish and shrimp are common sights at a dinner table. Our seasonal favorites include ragworms (also called rươi), which are used in omelets, or steamed or stir-fried with radish or bamboo shoot. Some exotic meats such as dog meat, snake, softshell turtle, deer and domestic goat are sold at street-side restaurants and general-ly paired with alcoholic beverages,” Chef Dao reveals with a smile.

CRAB AnD vERMICELLI SOuP wITh RAM hERBServes:6•Preparation time: 15 minutes •Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:• 1kg crab• Nuoc Mam fish sauce, to taste• Salt and pepper, to taste• 200g rice vermicelli

• 2 bundles ram (Vietnamese cilantro), chopped

• 7 medium-sized Vietnamese red chilies, chopped fine

• 4 sprigs spring onion, chopped• 2 limes• 2 tbsp shallots, sliced and deep fried

Method:1. Wash the crab properly. Place it in a

casserole, cover it with water and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Drain the stock and season it with fish sauce and salt. Keep aside.

3. Scoop out the crabmeat and throw away the shell.

4. Season the stock with fish sauce and

keep aside.5. Poach vermicelli in boiling water for a

few seconds. Drain it in cold water and then cut it into pieces of approximately 10cm.

6. Divide vermicelli in six individual bowls. Add crabmeat and spring onion and ram.

7. Pour the boiling crab stock into each bowl.

8. Sprinkle fried shallots and pepper powder on top.

9. Serve hot with lime wedges and sliced fresh chili for taste.

Recipes courtesy: Chef Dao Van Son, Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Pho, the legendary Vietnamese soup that can be as simple as as

sophisticated as desired.



Besides the taste for exotic pro-duce, what is the other culinary tendency that binds most Viet-namese people, we ask Chef Dao. He is quick to say, “All Vietnamese believe their mother cooks any dish better than what is placed

before them. So, we are a country where every woman is an excel-lent cook – at least in her family’s opinion,” he laughingly exclaims. That could be one reason why each Vietnamese dish has so many lo-calized interpretations, given that

there are so many cooks who bring their own panache to it!

- vinita Bhatiawith inputs from Chef Dao Van

Son, Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Vietnam

BRAISED DuCK wITh PInEAPPLE AnD MuShROOMSServes: 4

Ingredients:• 1 whole duck• Pepper and salt, to taste• 50 gm button mushrooms• 3 ear mushrooms

• 200 gm pineapple• 1 carrot• 2 shallots• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 bowl water• 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed in 1 tbsp

water• Fish sauce, to taste

Method:1. Clean the duck and debone it. Cut

the duck meat into small cubes of approximately 2x2cm each. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Wash the mushrooms well, remove the roots and cut into halves.

3. Wash ear mushrooms and cut like duck meat.

4. Cut the pineapple into small cubes of 1.5x1.5cm.

5. Trim the carrot into long strips for decoration.

6. Sauté the shallots in a deep-bottomed pan. Add duck meat, turmeric powder, mushrooms, pineapples and carrot. Sauté till they are well mixed and then

add 1 small bowl of water and cook in slow heat for 10 minutes or until duck meat is soft.

7. Add the cornstarch mix to the gravy and season with fish sauce.

8. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Recipes courtesy: Chef Dao Van Son, Sofitel Plaza Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Floating market at Vietnam


FOOD MATTERS

Olive Oil Sales

Skid On Slippery Patch In India

After impressive growth rates of 66% and 42% in FY 2013 and 2012 respectively, the olive and olive pomace oil import to India dropped

by 10% in 2014. Though table olives remain popular in the country, India remains one of the smallest importers internationally due to one of the highest customs duty rates of 44% to 51% on this product. Has the

green fruit lost its bite in India?

Earlier this year, one could not miss the television ads about olive oil – how it was a healthier alterna-

tive to other vegetable-based oils. Well known chefs and celebrities alike endorsed different types of

olive oil, and supermarkets started prominently displaying different olive oil brands. However contrary to the popular notion, the olive oil industry seems to have hit a slip-pery patch in India.

According to a release by the Indi-an Olive Association, olive and ol-ive pomace oil imports to India in the fiscal year ended March, 2014 were 10,718 metric tonnes (MT), down from 11,917 MT in the previous year - a decrease of 10%. The growth of olive oil imports to India has slowed when compared with the blistering rate of 66% witnessed in the previous fiscal. The year ending March, 2012 saw a growth rate of 42%.

Much of the growth deceleration is due to a rise in olive oil prices of upto 40% in 2012 and 2013. This was due to a severe crop shortfall in Spain in 2012-13 coupled with the steep depreciation of the rupee.The economic slowdown in India saw a drop in consumer willing-ness to shift from other seed oils to olive oil.


These fiscal realities apart, few Indians have shifted to olive oil as their cooking medium in India. One reason is the perception that it works best with international cui-sine. Gurgaon-based Parul Pratap Shirazi agrees with this conjecture. “I haven't switched completely to olive oil though I do use premium EVOO raw olive oil while cooking European dishes. I have not given up on our regular cooking me-dium, which is blended cooking oil,” she explains. Mumbai’s Rhea Mitra-Dalal too uses olive oil, but mainly for salad dressing or with balsamic vinegar to dip good bread in. “For cooking I use mustard or sunflower oil, and ghee,” she em-phatically states.

JuMP In TABLE OLIvE IMPORTSInterestingly, table olive imports jumped to 1,198 MT in the year

ended March, 2014, up from 842 MT in the previous year – a growth rate of 42%. Table olives are rich in mono-unsaturated fats, Vitamin E, polyphenols and flavo-noids and reportedly lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Sadly, awareness of these health benefits is low in India.

Another reason why India is amongst the smallest importers of table olives internationally is the high customs duty rates – be-tween 44% to 51% – levied on olive imports from countries like Spain. Some farmers in Rajasthan and Punjab have started producing ol-ives in the country, but the produc-tion is too insignificant to count.

Earlier this year, Interprofessional Olive Oil from Spain, the country’s olive oil industry representative,

earmarked €5 million for invest-ment in India and South East Asia, till 2017. It appointed Publicis Capital as its ad agency to aggres-sively promote the use of olive oil and manage the ‘Join The Olive Oil Revolution’ campaign in India. Ad-ditionally, this year’s crop produc-tion has returned to normal and the economic situation in India is stabilizing. VN Dalmia, President of the Indian Olive Association, expects these factors will translate into a 20 per cent reduction in retail prices of olive oil in India.

It is encouraging to see all the players in the olive oil industry banding up to propel its growth in India. it now remains to be seen if customers will lap up their efforts and shift to olive oil as a medium for cooking.

- vinita Bhatia

FLORIDA SALADServes:4•PreparationTime:20minutes

Ingredients:• 1 ½ cups cubed pears or any other fruit• ¾ cup paneer cubes• 1/3 cup capsicum, cut into cubes• 1 head of lettuce• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced• ½ cup bread croutons• 6 red cherries• 1 tbsp lemon juice• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 6 tbsp olive oil• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped• Freshly ground pepper, to taste• Salt, to taste

Method:1. Mix the capsicum with the pears and

paneer cubes.2. Put the lettuce in ice-cold water for 10

minutes. Drain thoroughly. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and arrange on a round fruitatter.

3. Pile the pear and paneer mixture in the centre and make a ring of the cucumber slices on the outside.

4. Sprinkle the croutons around the salad and top with the cherries.

5. Put in the refrigerator.6. Mix lemon juice, vinegar,

olive oil, parsley, pepper and salt to make salad dressing.

7. Just before serving, sprinkle the dressing on top. Serve cold.

Recipes courtesy: Join The Olive Oil Revolution campaign

Chef 's Tip:If you are using

fresh pears, sprinkle a little lemon juice on top to avoid discolouring.

FOOD MATTERS


BEST KEPT SECRETS

The humble egg is a universal favourite. A great source of protein and easy to cook, eggs

go with practically anything and make every dish shine! Amongst the Parsi community, eggs have the same status as a first-born son and families are constantly concocting new ways to incorporate them into any dish possible.

I am one of those oddballs that doesn’t like eggs by themselves but will mop them up when mixed with something else. Recently though I realized – after spend-ing way too many hours scrolling through pictures on Food Gawker

and strolling through Farmers Markets in New Zealand – that tomatoes, white sauces, bacon and cheese seem to be the most pop-ular flavours combinations with eggs and after a while one tastes just like the other.

While classic flavour combinations will stay around forever, there's no reason why one should not indulge in experimentation. After having one Tomato Per Eedu too many, I set about talking to various people to hunt down their favourite in-gredients with egg and what came up was five flavour combinations that I would have never thought worked but surprisingly do!

An Egg’s Best FriendsVersatile as it is, the

humble egg gets along with just about any ingredient. However,

would you pucker your nose if someone told you that it lends its flavor best with avocado, banana,

beetroot, cabbage and coconut? Hard as it

is to believe, these are five egg-citing flavour

combinations!Egg BAnAnA PAnCAKES

Makes:10pancakes•Preparationtime:10minutes•Cookingtime:5minutesIngredients:• 2 large over-ripe bananas• 2 eggs• ¼ tsp baking powder• 1 tbsp butter• Handful of walnuts, chopped

• Some banana slices• Honey or maple syrup, as

required

Method:1. In a bowl, break open the eggs and whisk well.2. In another bowl, peel and lightly mash the bananas. Let them remain a

little lumpy.3. Mix the egg in the banana mixture and put in the baking powder. Stir

well to combine.4. Heat a skillet on medium low heat and put half the butter. Spoon out a

dollop of the pancake mixture and spread a little.5. After a couple of minutes, flip it and put the remainder butter on top.6. Layer the pancakes with honey or maple syrup, walnuts and banana

slices. Serve hot.


BEST KEPT SECRETS

Eggs And AvocadoI’m going to say it before you do – yes this is a cholesterol-laden dish. However, it’s all about celebrating the good fats and eggs and avocado make a great combination. There are equal amounts of Pinterest boards celebrating eggs baked into avocado shells as there are for Avo-cado Devilled Eggs. Or if you want to ease into the flavours gradually, how about having it as a salad with some onions, baby spinach and lemon? Egg And BananaMost breakfast eaters have eggs and banana regularly. So, instead of having the fruit and egg sepa-rately, how about combining them? No, I am not talking of Banana Bread but instead of an Egg and Banana Pancake. Whisking in overripe bananas into eggs adds sweetness and using only two ingredients (or three if you put in some cinnamon!) means making pancakes on a weekday takes as

long as pouring milk into cereal. Top these with some honey and nut butter and you have a treat that is good for you!

If pancakes are not your thing, you could even try some Banana French Toast – either way both of these make a great flavour combo. Eggs And BeetrootCombining eggs and beetroot – especially in a beef burger will get you the popular Kiwi Burger, made with beef, sharp cheddar, ketchup and a sunny side up fried egg. If you are in the mood for something fancy, try making an Egg, Beetroot and Bacon Salad. The pink stained eggs on a bed of greens will give a lovely natural colour contrast in your dish. Eggs And CabbageOf all the combinations, this one is probably the strangest. However, after stirring it up in the kitchen myself, I am a convert. Keep it

simple by pan-frying the cabbage in olive oil first. Add in a table-spoon of soy sauce and crack in those eggs. Not only does the soy give it a rich umami flavor, but it is unbelievably healthy and an easy way to trick kids into having their vegetables.

Eggs And CoconutNow I have heard egg and coconut are good for the hair but never thought they would work on a dinner plate! I was proven wrong when I had some Malaysian Kaya on my toast. Made with coconut milk, eggs and sugar, Kaya is like a coconut jam, which can be used as a frosting in cakes, as a sauce for pancakes or even as a filling inside macaroons, if you are feeling ambitious. Of course, if you fancy putting egg and coconut together in a savoury dish, make a delicious Egg Curry or a Kerala style Egg and Coconut Biryani.

- Perzen Patel


EvEnTS

Johnnie walker Black Label Celebrates Art Deco

The iconic Scottish whisky brand has launched a limited edition bottle design inspired the showstopper outfits at Shantanu & Nikhil’s fashion

spectacular.

Johnnie Walker Black Label has a limited edition Art Deco bottle design at a fashion showcase by Indian couturier

duo Shantanu & Nikhil. In a cele-bration of opulence, glamour and bold flavours associated with that golden era, the two brands came together, inspired by a common muse – the fine luxury of a truly illustrious time.

The 1930s Art Deco movement was a time of innovation and imagination, a time when Hol-lywood glamour and iconic film stars were born. It is also a time when luxury and indulgence came to the forefront. It was in this de-cade that King George V awarded the Royal Warrant to John Walker

& Sons. 80 years later, this limited edition design pays tribute to that iconic era.

LUXURY IN A BOTTLEThe geometric-linear styling of the bottle and the trademark Johnnie Walker label has been adapted with

filmstrip detailing, inspired by the glorious era. Speaking on behalf of the brand, Bhavesh Somaya, Mar-

keting and Innovation Director, Diageo India said, “The Limited Edition bottle design of Johnnie Walker Black Label is a testament to the progress and quality that in-spired us 200 years ago and contin-ues to drive us ever forward today.”The emotions of this golden era have become the muse for the latest Autumn/Winter 2014 collec-tion by Shantanu & Nikhil. Having just returned from an inspiring trip to Istanbul, the designers showcased a bridal line which accentuates the vibrancy, style and flamboyance of the era. “JW Marri-ott New Delhi Aerocity's extremely contemporary and luxurious set-ting coupled with Johnnie Walk-er's bespoke approach, forms the ideal backdrop for us to unveil our Autumn 14 Haute Couture bridal line” said Shantanu & Nikhil.

With nearly 200 years of heritage, Johnnie Walker Black Label is the signature blend from the House of Walker. The new limited edi-tion with big, bold whisky flavors with hints of rich fruit and smoke is currently available in Mumbai, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Kar-nataka and West Bengal.

- Team CaLDROn

The geometric-linear styling of the bottle and

the trademark Johnnie Walker label has been adapted with filmstrip

detailing, inspired by the glorious era.


Westin Pune unveiled its nightclub, Kue Bar 4.0 in the pres-ence of the city’s

fashionable cognoscenti, on 1st August, 2014 which also happened

to be its fourth anniversary. Entry to the nightspot will be screened to help it maintain its exclusivity. Celebrities including actor Shreyas Talpade, singer-music composer Leslie Lewis as well as corporate bigwigs like Eberhard Kern, MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India; Tarun Sharma, CEO of BMC Soft-ware; Rishi Dhuper, Girish Bidani and socialites like Sabina Sanghvi and Loveena Leonardo were pres-ent on the reopening night.“Kue Bar 4.0 completely exem-plifies the concept that it is based on passionate interactions and a celebration of life. We have been

able to understand and offer our patrons the best, be it great music nights, plush ambience or delecta-ble food and beverage options. We are thrilled to enter our fourth year of operations and are committed to

offering our guests delightful expe-riences at all times,” said Sujeet Ku-mar, General Manager, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

SOME nEw, SOME OLDDJ Aaron played music to get guests swaying, while national-ly acclaimed bartenders, Sachin Gowda and Pankaj Kamble juggled flaming bottles of alcohol without

missing a beat. This was followed by a fashion show conceived and styled by FAD International with an evening wear collection by de-signer Sunaina Puri and menswear by Label Red & Brown.

Kue Bar has been upgraded with new elements like a canopy view and cabanas at the VIP area in the al fresco bar area and a new show kitchen. The decor in the enclosed dance area has been upgraded with ghetto-style fluorescent paint graphics that stand out when the new laser machine projects mov-ing images on it.

The launch took place on the backdrop of pulsating music and performances by bartenders who juggled flaming drinks on the bar counters, as well as some cage dancing. Guests were greeted with special KueWish shots with quirky names like ‘Wet Dream’, which were served on bright neon trays. Seven new Kue Bar cocktails were showcased, while Chef Anurudh Khanna of Westin Pune Koregaon Park’s specially curated bar menu was also introduced that night.

- Team CaLDROn

Kue Bar Just Got Better!

Kue Bar 4.0, Westin Pune’s nightclub, reopened recently

in an environment brimming with

fashion, food and fun.

EvEnTS


SPIRITuAL QuEST

Reinventing, Like The

Phoenix

Over the years, Sula has successfully built an empire importing wines from different regions across the world. They invited a select gathering of wine connoisseurs and media to acquaint them with the best of their wine over sushi and teppanyaki.


Despite social media bringing the consumer in direct contact with brands, seldom does

a brand listen and turn things around. Even rarer for me to go back on my word and say that I would give a brand another chance, as I now say about Sula, having tasted their produce recent-ly. There was a time when I would swear Sula was doing a great job in putting Indian produce on the world map. I have had the privilege of converting hardcore rum-and-coke people to wine with Sula’s products long time ago. Heck, they were even listed on Finnair’s wine list at one point, although I don’t know the present status. But they let go of the ball and soon things were spiraling out of control on the product side. Today, I say this proudly – Sula have turned things

around on their product at least. Rajeev Samant has done a great job in selecting the right people for the right jobs at the top.

One such beautiful person is Cecilia Oldne, the brand ambassa-dor of Sula. A rare combination of beauty and brains, she is the voice and face for Sula. And she has

done her job to perfection, tak-ing the consumer response to her team and putting it to good use in reinventing the brand, almost like a Phoenix.

whEn ThE COOKIE CRuMBLED FOR SuLAEven though the production and consumption of wine has steadily increased in India over the past few years, the biggest challenge still remains in the mindset of the distribution network. Last mile connectivity with the retailers is still is a pain point for Indian wine producers. Winemakers and win-eries are storing wines in tempera-ture controlled rooms, refrigerated distribution trucks are being used; with little training and incentives, distributors are storing wines in better conditions than earlier.

Crisp on the palate with plenty of citrusy notes of

ripe grapefruit and peaches coupled with lively, rife

acidity that just lights up the senses, Hardy’s Riesling

2013 is an excellent wine for a summer barbecue brunch with friends.

SPIRITuAL QuEST


However, the retailers, for reasons ranging from high electricity costs to lack of space, are letting down producers and consumers. Cecilia outlined this gap at the retail point of sale as her biggest challenge, one that she plans to tackle by going to the retailers and training them on wine storage and sale.

All that is from the business point of view. So, what about the wines? Since very early in its life, brand Sula ventured successfully into the domain of importing wines from different regions across the globe. Their inventory today boasts of some of the biggest names in glob-al wine production. This time, they were pairing them up with some Sushi and Teppanyaki at Shiro, New Delhi.

Shiro is one of my personal fa-vorite spots in the city. On a hot summer day in Delhi, there’s noth-ing better than the near Zen like calm and composed ambience of that place. Add to that a good wine and there is a recipe for a winning

smile on everyone’s face, the kind of stuff that can bring World Peace.

wInES ThAT SuIT InDIAn CLIMATEThe notorious Indian summer demands the best coolers the universe has to offer. Luckily, the grapes that Indian wine produc-ers have adapted to the rather hot conditions do the trick. Rieslings feature on my summer must-have lists apart from Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. They tend to have a sweeter finish that cuts out the hottest day’s temperature in New Delhi by a few notches for sure. Hardy’s Riesling 2013 does that effortlessly.

Crisp on the palate with plenty of citrusy notes of ripe grapefruit and peaches coupled with lively, rife acidity that just lights up the senses, this is an excellent wine for a summer barbecue brunch with friends. The Sula Estate Riesling 2013, in comparison, falls a notch short on the sweet finish, lending a far more crisp and citric acidity on

the palate that is typical of an Indi-an produce. It happens because of the comparatively hotter weather during the harvest season.

Next in line was the Sula Estate Malbec 2012. Hints of mineral on the nose and palate with milder spicy notes and a lighter body for a Malbec, the Estate Malbec 2012 is an easy drinking wine best reserved for a rainy day during the monsoons when the temperatures dip slightly. The nose has mild-er aromas of dark fruits that are slightly under ripe, most signifi-cant being plums and cassis. The tannins are slightly rough around the edge as well, giving it a rather angry young woman appeal with-out being offensive on the senses.

Another contender that evening was the Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2011. Very expressive on the nose and the palate with hints of spices, flowers and ripe dark fruit, the Cono Sur Pinot Noir comes with smoother tannins that makes it a very relaxing drink after a long day at work. I am a big fan of the Chilean wines anyway, and the Cono Sur has always featured on my must-haves list.

All said and done, the difference between the showcase product and the retail product is quite a challenge for the brand. I would still wait and watch what Sula does to change the ground realities at the retail outlet side of operations. But one thing is for sure, they have pulled up their socks when it comes to their product. Cheers to that!

- Jaswinder Singh

SPIRITuAL QuEST


QuICK TAKE

Australia-based Common Ventures has come up with a range of Wines of Westeros based on the hit HBO series ‘Game Of Thrones’. The stylish bottles portray the most

famous dynasties from the series, including the Starks, Lannisters, Greyjoys, Arryns, etc.

Wines of Westeros

So you follow the hit TV series Game of Thrones avidly? If the shenanigans of Westeros has you spell-

bound, then this piece of news might probably be the icing on your Winterfell cake. An Austra-lian company has come up with a range of Wines of Westeros. This series of reds and whites is a proj-ect for Sydney-based advertising agency Common Ventures. The bottles have stylish designs that portray the most famous dynasties in the TV series.

Talking about the inspiration for this range, Jane Burlop of Com-mon Ventures stated the sigil and variant of the smartly designed bottles reflects the personality of each house. The reds are associat-

ed with the houses that are head strong and robust, like the Starks, while the whites are more cunning, perceptive and mysterious, like the Lannisters. The Arryn, Greyjoy, White Walker, Wilding and Stark bottles are Sauvignon Blancs, while

the Baratheon and Lannister clan bottles are Pinot Noirs. The Do-thraki is a Merlot, the Tyrells are represented as a Chardonnay, the Martells as a Cabernet Sauvignon, while Targaryen and the Night’s Watch are Shiraz wines.

The collection is currently available for pre-order at around AUS$20 per bottle. Jane Burlop said that the range is likely to be released and shipped internationally by the time the latest episodes of the HBO series is aired. So, the next time you agonise when another of your favorite characters is loped off in a Game Of Thrones episode, open a bottle of Wines of Westeros and swallow your sorrow.

- Team CaLDROn

The series of reds and whites is a project for

Sydney-based advertising agency Common Ventures. The bottles have stylish designs that portray the most famous dynasties in

the TV series.


Mallorca Calling

SPIRITuAL QuEST

Although, it may take some time for Anima Negra, the Black Soul, to reach the store

shelves, the preview of the wines in New Delhi was an eye opener for the winemaker who

traveled all the way from Mallorca with his wines.

On a recent occasion, I became acquainted with Miquelàngel Cerdà and his wines.

Anima Negra, the Black Soul, is here. Mallorca is a small Med-iterranean Island east of main-land Spain, steeped in history. Conquered by the Byzantines in 6th century and then in the 10th century by the Moors, it has a great tradition and history of wine making – easy drinking varieties owing to the Mediterra-nean climate, in spite of a rather robust acidity and alcohol con-tent. The acidity and the alcohol content, however, never get in the way of the expression of the wines, which is really beautiful.

For Miquelàngel, the biggest challenge was not the wine making or selling, it was figuring out what goes on the label. With

ingenuity that can only perhaps be imagined from a former merchant sailor, he approached a friend who made a cartoon strip out of the story of the wines. Thus, was born a set of the most memorable names for a wine label – Bla Bla Bla, the sound of conversations; Plic Plic Plic, the sound of rain and Muac!, the sound of a kiss.

BRIghT nOTES ThAT PAIR wELLThe conversation starter, Bla Bla Bla, is from a local grape variety of Mal-lorca, Premsal, and is a very lively, juicy and easy drinking wine that does not need accompaniments. However, if one were to be specific about it, it goes well with mild spicy kebabs and starters rather well. The Bla Bla Bla has a very light color, which is almost negligible in bright light with notes of grapefruit, lemon-grass and sweet lime zest on the nose.


The palate is zingy with an almost buttery smoothness comparable to a Chardonnay. The short fin-ish engulfs the palate in notes of sweet almonds and mild oak as it goes down, leaving you craving for more.

The Plic Plic Plic was not available for tasting; instead, there was the Quibia 2013. A fifty per cent blend of Callet and Premsal, both native varieties of Mallorca, the Quibia comes with a pale, grassy color that holds the light brilliantly. On the nose and palate, it surprises with notes of lemongrass, ripe granny smith apples, under ripe apricots and lime zest. It is far more adapt-

able to Indian cuisine with a much wider variety of dishes that it can be paired with - tandoori fare and perhaps something with a bit more layers of spice, but not enough to overshadow the wine itself.

Muac! is a blend of Callet (35%), Manto Negro (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), with a bright color, subtle fruit flavors and hints of fresh cut grass, mild spicy tones, marked by elegance on the palate, balanced with well integrated tan-nins. This is perhaps one of the few red wines that falls into the easy drinking reds category. Aromatic spices in Indian cuisine will go ex-ceptionally well with this one. Pair

SPIRITuAL QuEST

Apart from the easy drinking wines, Anima

Negra has its finesse range as well. The AN/2 is a blend with which Miquelàngel is experimenting, with plans

to come out with different blends for each vintage.


SPIRITuAL QuEST

it with Awadhi or Mughlai and you will change the way you eat and drink.

Apart from the easy drinking wines, Anima Negra has its fi-nesse range as well. The AN/2 is a blend with which Miquelàngel is experimenting, with plans to come out with different blends for each vintage. For the 2012 vintage, he blended Callet (65%), Manto Negro & Fogoneu (20%) and Syrah (15%), giving it a clear, bright color with an orange rim in the glass. The nose is aromatic, but not very strong; the spicy notes on the nose and palate are rather subdued.

A wEE BIT OF QuIRKInESSHowever, the best part of the evening was none of the wines described above. It was the AN. Voted the best by a show of hands at the table, this blend of Callet (95%) with Manto Negro and Fogoneu (5%) has a very bright ruby red hue with fair translucence that reflects light brilliantly. Roll it around in the glass a bit and you see an orange-brown hue with a deep orange rim. The nose is very expressive with ripe, dark cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, black peppers, rosemary, lavender, and zucchini flowers. Oak is very prominent on the nose and palate, lending a

smooth touch to the well rounded tannins. The palate has spicy notes coupled with fruit, flower, oak and dark chocolate on the medi-um-long finish.

Needless to say, with those quirky names on the labels, Miquelàngel and his wines have already found favor with the audience and are ready to make a splash. I’ll be wait-ing for them to arrive at the stores and stocking up on them for those brunch parties at home.

- Jaswinder Singh


Make perfect Pizza?Send us your photos!

Send your photos, a caption and a photo of yourself to [email protected]. Photos must be at least 6 megapix-els. Selected photos will be published

in an upcoming edition of CaLDRON Magazine.


ASK ThE EXPERTS

"I am new to baking. while going through some recipes I came across the mention of ganache. I don’t know what it is. Please explain what it means and how to make it."Jagruti Bhamwari, Ahmedabad Chef Ajeet Kumar: “Ganache is a mixture of cream and chocolate. Hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and is mixed well to make a smooth paste. Some butter is added to it to give it an extra glaze. To make it at home, take 750 gm of chocolate and 250 gm cream for one kg of mixture. Add 30 gm of butter while finishing.”

“Can you help me with a step-by-step guide on how to make marzipan? Also how do I use it for cakes?”Sonal Naik Sangle, Mumbai

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “Take 200 gm icing sugar, 200 gm almond pow-der and add 100 ml of egg white to it. Knead to make soft and bake for a hour in a preheated oven at 120°C. To make your marzipan crispy, once it is baked, switch off the oven and leave the marzipan inside for 30 minutes. You can use this marzipan in between cake lay-ers or twist it into different shapes to decorate cookies.”

“I made some rasgulla recently and I have lot of leftover rasgul-la sugar syrup. Is there any way to use it, preferably in a healthy recipe?”Usha Suryanarayan, Calicut

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “The rasgulla syrup is usually thin, so I suggest you strain it with a fine wire strain-er and use it in milk shakes or any type of shakes.”

As the Chef De Cuisine at Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golf Links,

Ajeet Kumar is involved in the overall food and beverage operations at Ministry of Food all-day dining restaurant and

KLINX Bar. During his decade long work, Chef Ajeet has

gathered extensive experience in Italian, French, Indian and Asian cuisines and has worked with some of the finest hotels in the world. He started his career with Taj Mahal Palace, Jaipur followed by stints as the Senior

Chef De Partie at Taj Lands End and Sous Chef at W Retreat & Spa, Maldives and Anantara

Resorts & Spa, Maldives. Chef Kumar is a graduate from the

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied

Nutrition.

Cooking might seem like a daunting affair, what with shopping for the right ingredients, cleaning them, chopping them and following recipes to the T. And then there is the stress about the dish turning out as expected. Let us help you! Send us your questions about food and cooking and we will get chefs of leading hotels to share their wisdom on how to make that dish, perfect.

Q&A


“My 5-year old daughter’s doctor has asked me to give her iron-rich food, especially beetroot. I am not sure she will have it plain or boiled. Please suggest some inter-esting dishes in which I can add beetroot without her learning about its presence.”Vani Sahdev, Gurgaon

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “I suggest you make a healthy salad of water-melon and beetroot. Finely dice the beetroot; roast in a preheated oven at 180°C degrees until tender. Check the tenderness by piercing it with fork inside. Cut the watermel-on similarly. Make a salad dressing of shredded basil leaves, cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and sugar. Toss with the salad. I am sure your daughter will not be able to differ-entiate between the watermelon and beetroot used in the salad and will also enjoy the dressing’s tangy and sweet taste. If you don’t want the beetroot to be visible at all, then add little bit of yoghurt instead of the cider vinegar.”

“I ended up with lot of malai in my refrigerator. what are some of the dishes I can make with it?”Kanupriya Patwari, Kolkata

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “Add sugar and milk and mango pulp to it and make a delectable basundi. How-ever, don’t churn it too much to avoid curdling.”

“I baked a basic vanilla sponge cake recently, but it was soggy in the center. I made it in my micro-wave on convection mode for 30 minutes at 180°C. where did I go wrong?”Neha Jain, Gurgaon

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “If you are using a microwave, ensure that the height of the sponge mixture is less and the mixture is well spread in the baking tray. Increase the bak-ing time to 40 minutes.”

“I have a query about white-col-ored cashewnut-based gravy that I make at home. whenever I add milk to it, it gets spoilt. Could you please tell me the right pro-cedure to make it?”Brinda Gupta, Bangalore

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “While pre-paring the tadka avoid using too much garlic as it could curdle the milk. Once you give tadka, add the gravy and after few minutes add milk to it. Neither add it in the beginning or in the end.”

“I have a bowl of chicken stock. Can you please share some ideas on how I can use it? I don’t want to use it only for making soup or freezing it in ice trays for future use.”Supriya Maulick Mahajan, Gurga-on

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “Use this chicken stock while cooking rice for biryani. It will give it extra flavour.”

“I am blind and hence I would like to get some suggestions for the kitchen. what best practices should cooks like myself adopt to ensure I get the required colour, texture and presentation while cooking any dish? Since I lack vi-sual support, I might end up with less than perfect dishes. Tips on this topic would be a great help.”Payal Kapoor, Hyderabad

Chef Ajeet Kumar: “All cooking is done with the help of our five sens-es. Try to recognize and under-stand the flavor. You can also taste your dish, stage by stage, so that it is flavorful when you present it.

To achieve perfection while cooking, start recognizing and understanding raw ingredients, their flavours and aroma as well as their roles in cooking. Then start remembering the taste of ingre-dients at the different stages of a particular dish and try to keep details (aroma, taste, texture, etc) of a particular final dish in your mind. Dine at good restaurants to understand different cuisines and to compare your preparation with theirs.”

ASK ThE EXPERTS


ROAMIng ROvER

Get away

and play

at Aloft

A weekend away is always divine, and when it is spent at the launch of a new Aloft hotel right in one's city, it makes it all the more fun!

The new Aloft in Bangalore is in keeping with the best of the brand, with funky décor and ambience. During the launch weekend, Natasha experienced it first-hand, and lets her camera do the

talking…

Bubble acrobats in th

e

pool – ta

lk about a bub-

bling la

unch!


ROAMIng ROvER

Grab a bite, 24/7, at Re:Fuel

Guests at the launch par-

ty participated in a live

art project.


Never lose your way to

the loos!

The DJ console styled

reception desk


Colorful workout sur-

roundings with all the

right equipment.


Inviting one to take a dip or relax poolside.


Tiffin carrier lunches make a come-back!

Dessert spread at the buffet. Heavenly!


Dessert spread at the buffet. Heavenly!

An aerial view of the lobby


Rooms are well appoint-ed, comfortable, colorful

and fun to be in.


Such are dream bathrooms made

of (Aloft Presidential Suite)


ROAMIng ROvER - LE MERIDIEn, PunE

Making Way For

More GrandeurCosmopolitan French sophistication meets royal Indian grandeur at Le

Meridien Pune. What can one say but ‘C’est Magnifique'!



Navigating Pune’s traffic is a nightmare; make no mistakes about that. After the chaos

of honking cars, lumbering trucks and resting cows, it’s such a respite reaching the palatial-looking sand-stone building with ‘Le Meridien’ mentioned very unpretentiously on a block. Since Pune is dotted with many colonial buildings from the British Raj era, you will be forgiven if you think this is yet an-other building from that period. A quick drive up the winding drive-way ends at a grand hotel, which isn’t obvious from the outside.

Designed by architect Hafeez Contractor, Le Meridien in Pune exudes an old-age grandeur. Enter the cool confines of the hotel and you encounter an elegant lobby with majestic rock columns sup-porting the high ceiling. The pol-ished and sparkling marbled lobby reminds one of the opulent French lineage of the hotel, while the voluptuous figurines around give a glimpse of its Indian heritage.

The lobby flanks Favola, the Ital-ian restaurant, on one side and Entresol Bar on the other side.

Right beneath Entresol is a shop-ping arcade where a display of an ostentatious wedding mandap by Millenium Events takes mainstage. Incidentally, Le Meridien in Pune hosts around 100-odd weddings every year which keeps its seven banquet halls in great demand. This lower level also houses Scream nightclub that averages around 700 folks on a Saturday night at an INR 1300 cover charge per couple.

Once you check-in, you are told that your key will not just unlock your room but will also help you explore some cultural hotspots in the city. So you can walk to Pune’s Kelkar Museum and even Osho’s International Meditation Resort, and show your room key to avail of a tour of the place. After the bomb blasts of 2012, the latter has how-ever discontinued this facility.

unuSuAL LOCATIOn, PLEASAnT ROOMSThis 177-room luxury hotel is located opposite Pune’s railway sta-tion and is seven kilometers from the airport. The hotel is also close to the commercial and industrial hubs nearby, making it convenient for corporate and business guests to stay there. While this places it at a strategic position, the view of the teeming and noisy, railway station can be a disadvantage.

The rooms are adequately fur-nished with a ceiling-to-floor win-dow, an entertainment hub, and a working desk, along with the usual amenities like WiFi, telephone in the living room and bathroom, room safe, bathroom necessities, etc. And then there is the signature Le Meridien Discovery bed with

The grand staircase leading to the banquet halls


its pillow top mattress and downy pillows that ensure that the work-ing professionals can get their nine hours of shut-eye without a hitch.The hotel also has a rooftop pool, a well-appointed health club, spa and salon. On visiting the gym, we saw that only one dedicated guest was busy working out on one of the cycling machines, while the re-mainder were bereft of users. Ditto with the spa. This is probably why the hotel has opened memberships to its health club to external clients as well, to ensure maximum utili-zation of its equipment.

The hotel also an indoor recre-ation center with a squash room and table tennis, again devoid of any players. We also spotted that

the hotel lacked a kids’ recreation section, which Sachin Didolkar, Director-Sales & Marketing of the hotel, justified saying that since it was a business property guests did not often bring their kids alone – a contention we would like to disagree with.

EATIng RIghTThe hotel has three restaurants – Favola, Chingari and Tea Lounge. The latter is placed right next to the lobby with a small pastry dis-play acting as the only indication that it is a coffee shop. The fourth restaurant, La Brassiere, is current-ly undergoing an overhaul to re-emerge as Feast, a 24-hour restau-rant with multi-cultural cuisine. What struck us was the tasteful


The spacious Favola has been designed to resemble an Italian casa complete wall-to-ceiling windows

on one end and an open-air kitchen on the other.


way in which the under-renovation restaurant was covered up with wallpapered panels, so it passed off as just another wall of the hotel, not giving passersby any indication of what was going on within.

The spacious Favola has been de-signed to resemble an Italian casa complete wall-to-ceiling windows on one end and an open-air kitch-en on the other. Chef Roberto does his best to make guests feel at home with his boisterous an-ecdotes and his simple signature dishes. It also has a private dining room with rough-hewn stone walls that accommodates 10 guests. The hotel also has an impressive ex-hibit of wine on two wall racks to accompany the Italian fare on the menu.

Chingari, the rooftop restaurant of the hotel, has distinctive seating

arrangements. One can choose to sit on the tables placed next to the pool or in any of the three wood-canopied sections. Chef Ghulam Qureshi serves some North Indian fare, which surpris-ingly has minimal oil or butter. We requested him to up the spice quo-tient a bit, because it seems to be flavored more to suit the bland pal-ate of international guests that the spice-attuned Indian taste buds. We however totally recommend this charmingly rustic restaurant for a breezy, relaxed dinner, while taking in the enticing aroma of the fragrant food.

The Entresol bar is where the action is in the evenings, where guests gather to watch sports on the giant screen, while sipping on their drinks, by the moon-shaped bar or on any of the soft-cushioned chairs.

ChAngES COMIng uPThe imperial elegance of Le Meri-dien is going through a complete refurbishment. It will soon meta-morphose as Sheraton, an even more premium destination for travelers. But if you are a Le Meri-dien regular don’t be disheartened. Sachin noted that the new entity would retain the old-world ambi-ence while throwing in a bit more sophistication and opulence. He adds that it will have the perfect balance between quaint European majesty and contemporary hos-pitality that is crucial to business travellers. Now, isn’t that great news!

- vinita Bhatia


The imperial elegance of Le Meridien is going through a complete refurbishment

and will soon metamorphise as a Sheraton, which will

retain the old-world ambience while throwing

in a bit more sophistication and opulence.


SPA SCAPE

Walk In With A Grimace,

Walk Out With A

Grin

If you want to indulge in some well-deserved

pampering, head to O2 Spa at Hotel Express Inn in Nashik. Besides enjoying the rejuvenating effects of their spa therapies, the prices of

the treatments will make you break out in a smile too.

Indian weddings are fun. It means at least three days of dancing, swigging back drinks till late hours, singing

yourself hoarse, eating rich food that is an invitation card for a heart attack, waking up early for yet an-other fun function, with barely any sleep in between.

Sure, Indian weddings are fun, but they can leave you a mass of aching muscles and screaming joints.After the fun and fiesta ended at a friend’s wedding in Nashik, I decided to head to the nearest spa in the city that would help quell

the thudding in the head and the screaming of the back and leg muscles. Someone recommended O2 Spa at Hotel Express Inn, and given the mess that I was, I figured why not. Anything to wipe the grimace off the face.

With a separate entrance in the back portion of the hotel, like all spas, the moment I stepped into O2 a cloud of tranquility descend-ed on me. Could this be because of the soothing strains of soft music in the background, the trickling water of two small wall fountains, or the somber earthy-hued walls,

or a sum of all of these elements? Honestly, it was hard to figure out. But I had a good feeling and it got better when I perused the spa menu.

The packages under ‘Spa Indul-gence’ category ranged between INR 1350 for an hour to INR 6300 for three hours. The hour-long spa therapies are reasonably priced, from INR 800 for Foot Reflexology to INR 2300 for Thai Massage to INR 2000 for Balinese massage. I could already feel the dark clouds in my head lift a little and settled for a Balinese massage.


SPA SCAPE

COnTORTIOnS ThAT ARE FunMy therapist, Pramila, escorted me to one of the therapy rooms, which had walls in a deep amber shade, with a small grotto-like structure in the ceiling covered with thick purple velvet sheets. The room, thankfully, had a built in shower stall and sauna. I chose lavender oil for the massage and informed Pramila about the various aching areas on my body’s surface and she promised to knead out the knots.

What followed was a 60-minute session of acupressure on the foot soles, then stretching followed by the aroma oil massage. The best part of it was when I was lying on my stomach and the diminutive Pramila deftly folded my legs into each other and raised them till I felt like a suspended rack of lamb. Contortions were never this fun or so unwinding. I could feel some of the tightened muscles loosening, while a few joints made popping sounds that is ohh-so-relaxing.

I requested Pramila to also give a quick head massage though it is not part of the Balinese spa treat-ment, and she graciously complied. Though originally from Darjeeling, she move to Kolkata to train as a masseuse before joining O2, where she was given specialized training on various spa therapies.

Almost nodding off to sleep at the end of the therapy, I was gently persuaded by Pramila to sit in the sauna and then have a shower. The heat of the sauna and the coolness of the following shower completed

what was a perfect pick-me-up in just a hour! I left O2 with a pleased grin plastered on my face.

O2 is a fairly spacious spa exuding an aura of intimacy, as if it was waiting all this while only for you. What makes it popular is that it has specific therapies for wellbeing as well as beauty treatments. But more importantly, it has kept its prices reasonable, which is why you leave with a mental note to return again, and soon.

- vinita Bhatia


InspirationsVenue courtesy: Infinity, Crowne Plaza, Mayur Vihar, New Delhi

Photos by Sid Khullar


The Many Faces of Steak


LISTIngS - nATIOnAL

BuRgER KIng EnTERS InDIA

Burger King Worldwide, Inc and Everstone Group, a private equity and real estate firm in India and South East Asia, have entered into a joint venture alliance to develop the Burger King brand in India. Over the next few months, Everstone will work together with BK AsiaPac Pte to set up the supply chain in India and execute a rollout plan to establish Burger King restaurants across the country.

"India is a market with huge potential for Burger King restaurants and we have the chance to offer the unique Burger King brand proposition to its consumers with our own local twist to the menu. I am very excited about thisx venture and have no doubt that with Everstone`s manage-ment expertise and hands-on experience, this venture will be a tremen-dous success," said Elias Diaz Sese, President, BK AsiaPac Pte. Ltd.

Initially, the Burger King outlets are expected to come up in Mumbai and New Delhi and later on the company will establish its presence in small-er towns. Sameer Sain, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Everstone Group added, "Everstone will bring its vast consumer insights, extensive retail real estate expertise, experience of food and beverage operations as well as requisite capital to bear to build the Burger King brand into India`s leading quick service restaurant."

ChEFhOST COnnECTS DInERS wITh ChEFS

As more customers turn online to order their meals, ChefHost has come up with an idea to connect chefs with customers. This start-up company will link diners with its list of registered chefs who can prepare a meal of their choice.

Abhinandan Balasubramaniam, Founder, ChefHost, said that the idea for ChefHost was born from despair at the dwindling number of choices to eat out at in Lon-don where he headed business development for Liquity, another online private equity platform. He joined hands with his Hong Kong based friend, Yiu Yin Yau to start ChefHost.

Just a month since it started operations, ChefHost has already signed up 20 chefs across India and Hong Kong. The company hopes to take this number to 100 in a year’s time and will try to tap other markets like Pakistan, Chi-na, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Chefs can upload their profiles on the site, and custom-ers can request the type of food they would like to get from them, along with details like the date, time and place of the chef ’s service. Typically, a chef will prepare the menu, shop for ingredients, cook, serve and clean up with price ranging from INR 1,200 to 5,000 ($20 to $83) per diner. ChefHost will retain a share of the total billing.

TEAM DELOITTE wInS ‘KITChEn wARS’ By whIRLPOOL

Team Deloitte has emerged the champion of Kitchen Wars, a corporate cu-linary contest, after rounds of intense competition between 32 corporate biggies. The eight finalists from Deloitte, Infosys, SAP Labs, L&T Finance, Intuit, 3M, Sabre and Mindtree went face-to-face to don the winner’s hat in the grand finale of Kitchen Wars.


LISTIngS - nATIOnAL

EnJOy SEREnE MOnSOOnS AT JAyPEE PALACE hOTEL, AgRA

Away from the hassles of life, spend quality time with your family amidst splendid Mughal architecture and rain washed greens at.

Rejuvenate yourself with Jaypee Palace Hotel’s special monsoon packages where you can enjoy a 2-night/3-day package, which includes breakfast for two, half day of local sightseeing and 15% discount on spa services at Tamaya Spa. The offer, priced at INR 11800 plus applicable taxes for a double room, is is valid until 30th September, 2014.

Additionally, a games coupon worth INR 500 can be redeemed against leisure mall games, while guests can also avail of a 20% discount on food and beverages as well as laundry services. They will also get entry to Lei-sure mall and discotheque, and transfers to and from Agra Cantonment Railway station on request.

Jaypee Palace Hotel has many specialty restaurants including C’est Chine, which serves Chinese cuisine; the Grand Buffet with its elaborate spread of Indian and continental food; Paatra, its Indian restaurant; the 24-hour resto-café called Pavilion Café and Tapas, a lounge bar serving mocktails and cocktails.

BARBEQuE nATIOn PRESEnTS 'gLOBAL CuI-SInE InDIAn STyLE’ FOOD FEST

Barbeque Nation, a casual dining restaurant chain in In-dia, presents the ‘Global Cuisine Indian Style’ Food Fes-tival until 17th August, 2014. The festival, which brings together a fusion of global cuisine with Indian flavours and taste, will be held at Barbeque Nation’s nine outlets in the Delhi-NCR region.

Signature dishes include Roasted Lamb in Thai Curry, Grilled Chicken Breast in Potli Gravy, Mexican Baked Potato Curry and Mushroom ‘n Pasta in Spicy Makh-ni Gravy and desserts such as Red and White Kheer, Rasgulla Litchi Cake, Masala Spice Brownie, Kappi Pie and much more. “Our chefs have meticulously prepared a menu that includes sumptuous world class cuisines with a familiar Indian feel to it,” said Uday Menon, CBO, Barbeque Nation.


LISTIngS - InTERnATIOnAL

nEw Jw MARRIOTT hOTEL zhEngzhOu TOwERS AS TALLEST hOTEL In CEnTRAL ChInA

The 416-room JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou was unveiled in the Henan Province of China in July. Marriott International manages this landmark hotel under a long-term agreement with the owner partners, Henan Greenland Zhongyuan Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Greenland Business Group Co., Ltd.

This new hotel is located on the top floors of the Millennium Royal Plaza, which is in the CBD of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province as well as an important transportation hub in China. This is the first Marriott property in Henan as well as the seventh JW Marriott hotel in the Greater China region. “Marriott International has already had several successful hotel projects with our owner partner Greenland in China. The opening of JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou is another gem in this spectacular collection,” said Simon Cooper, President and Managing Director of Marriott International Asia. “We are on the course of opening new JW Marriott hotels in Macao, Chongqing, Kunming and Shenzhen over the next 12 months.”

The design of Millennium Royal Plaza was inspired by the Songyue Pagoda, a renowned cultural relic that was built approximately 1,500 years ago. The aluminum exterior’s sunscreens give the structure its distinctive pagoda-shape. The sunscreens also maximize the amount of daylight entering the building while reducing glare and solar heat gain. The hotel’s interior design reflects the hotel’s location with subtle brown metal celebrating the historic importance of bronze, and pale greens representing high quality jade artifacts that were produced in the region throughout the dynasties.

nEw yORK PALACE ROLLS OuT ROyAL RED CARPET wITh ‘RARITIES’

As the final reveal to its $140 million renovation, New York Palace has opened Rarities, an intimate 25-seat salon located in the famed Villard Mansion. Inspired by historic ‘men’s clubs,’ this exclusive, reservation-only venue serves a sampling of the world’s rarest wines and spirits.

At Rarities, the menu is both eclectic and abundant, with guests enjoying exceptional Champagnes, Prohibition-style bottled spirits, modern classics and a connoisseur’s wine cellar. Included on the extensive beverage list are wines almost never seen anywhere else in the world, ranging from the $485 a glass Fladgate Scion 1855 Vintage Port to the $27,000 a bottle 1985 Ro-manee-Conti Grand Cru.

Access to this exclusive lounge is made through a discreet entrance. One of the salon’s most dramatic features is the illuminated, custom-made glass vitrine, showcasing the curated rare scotches. Extending through the cen-ter of the landmarked stairwell that connects Rarities with the hotel’s other cocktail bar, Tavern on 51, the display is arranged to look like precious jewels, allowing patrons to view each unique bottle and read the attributes of the scotch as they ascend the staircase.


LISTIngS - InTERnATIOnAL LISTIngS - InTERnATIOnAL

wESTIn OPEnS nEw RESORT In zhOuShAn

The opening of Westin Zhujiajian Resort marks the brand’s debut in the city of Zhoushan in the Zhejiang province of China. Set between lush green forests and the sparkling East China Sea, the beachfront resort features 263 guest rooms, including 12 villas. Leading attractions such as Putuoshan and the Shenjiamen Fish-ing Port are within a short drive from the resort.

Gordon Xiong, MD of The Westin Zhujiajian Resort, Zhoushan and Sheraton Zhoushan Hotel said, “Zhoushan continues to see a rise in corporate and leisure travel as a result of recent infrastruc-ture development. At The Westin Zhujiajian Resort, business and leisure travelers can enjoy the relaxing and rejuvenating services, products and amenities synonymous with the Westin brand.”

The resort’s all-day restaurant, Seasonal Tastes features a nourish-ing menu, while its Chinese restaurant, Five Sen5es, provides a perfect setting for celebrations.

gOLD AFTERnOOn TEA @ KARAT

Afternoon tea gets a whole new makeover at Karat, where 24-carat gold adorns a gold cage, featuring French pastries with edible gold garnishes.Drop in anytime between 3pm to 6pm at Karat throughout August and enjoy a sumptous spread of teatime snacks along with complementing tea or cof-fee varieties, for just AED 125 per person.

Karat is the sophisticated lobby lounge in Address Dubai Mall and is the focal point of the ho-tel and the ideal place for relax-ing and socialising. Perfect for

a casual business meeting or for relaxing after a day of shopping, Karat offers privacy in a relaxed living room atmosphere. Its regular menu features a variety of salads, sandwiches, beverages and pastries.

ST. REgIS MEXICO CITy LAunChES TASTIng TRADITIOnS

The St. Regis Mexico City offers guests the opportunity to partake in a completely personalized dining experience with its newly launched ‘Tasting Traditions’. Executive Chef Guy Santoro will collaborate with guests in curating a customized menu, drawing inspiration from favorite dishes of guests. Chef Guy is challenging himself to create a five-course dinner with a time span of only six hours to plan, prepare and present each Tasting Traditions vision.

Once completed, the feast will be served to diners in St. Regis Mexico City’s restaurant, The Decanter Room. Guests will be treated with live music and expert wine pairings presented in Riedel decanters to complement each course and complete the dining experience.

CATCh FOuR SEASOnS gOuR-

MET SnACKS On whEELS AT

SEATTLE

What’s emerald green and bright yellow all over? Wheeling its way around Four Sea-sons Hotel Seattle is the Snack Bike, a de-licious opportunity to sample a rotating as-sortment of food bites from ART Restaurant and beverages from ART Lounge.

Catch the 7-speed emerald green bike with yellow wheels and cooler box in the front (a nod to the Seattle Sonics) by the pool, on the front drive, or request the bike for an event or special oc-casion at the Hotel.


Awww... did it have to end?

caldron magazine, august 2014

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