Chocolate art with Morde

It all started when I grumbled to a friend about the non availability of a good brand of locally made couverture chocolate that could be used in confectionery and pastry. Imported ones are available but cost an arm and a leg.

That friend was L. Nitin Chordia, India's only certified Chocolate Taster. Within the next 10 minutes, I got a call from Morde Chocolate, Mumbai, telling me they would send across a bar of 55% dark chocolate for me to experiment with. Fast work, Nitin!!

Morde was as good as their word and in due course, a bar of 55% dark couverture was delivered. I used the chocolate on a cake, loved the finish as well as the taste and mailed a picture across to their marketing team. A day later, they called to say they would send across a chef who would demonstrate a few desserts using Morde chocolate, fillings and chips. All I had to do was bake them a sponge cake. Really?

Chef Krishnamoorthy, Morde's senior culinarian created some artwork that morning at a 3 hour demo class for a trio of us. A self taught patissier, it was amazing to see the way he worked, whether it was doing something as mundane as chopping up a block of chocolate to melt it or slicing the sponge cake into layers and decorating it. At the end of 3 hours, we had 3 kinds of desserts, cake pops and a tray of coffee filled chocolates that looked as shiny as little beetles. Along with the 55%, he had also used a 70% couverture.

Moulded chocolates with coffee flavoured filling 

The chef also showed us a quick way of making chocolate fans, scrolls and spirals with mango flavoured compound chocolate.

Sponge cake layers transformed into a gateau with compound chocolate accents

Chocolate mousse en verre with chocolate coated crisps

Finished with gold luster dust

Banded mousse layers en verre

Delicious cake pops

Morde has a range of cake and chocolate fillings that include hazelnut, coffee, plain dark and coconut which I loved. They also have chocolate coated raisins, butterscotch and chocolate coated crispies. Which is a good thing as that's just what you need to add the finishing touch to your dessert.

How did it all taste? Just one word - fabulous.

Watch out for the class announcement on the making of these bites of deliciousness.

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The Madras Wok at Green Meadows

We found him!! The biggest surprise was that he was just a street away from our home.

I'm talking about Chef Shivajee who makes hungry and homesick Singaporeans feel a little less hungry...and homesick! He tells me he's got all the authentic Asian ingredients in his store cupboard and what he cannot bring in a package or in a bottle, he grows in the little garden adjoining the restaurant.

Green Meadows (www.greenmeadowsresort.com) is a lovely resort at Palavakkam, Chennai. It doesn't face the sea but the greenery more that makes up for it. The cottages are built in the style of Kerala homes and with swaying palm trees around the property, it looks like a slice of Kerala that has been lifted and transplanted in Chennai. We've been to the resort's restaurant a few times and on a scale of 1 -5, the food has always been meh. The resort has a party hall and I've found the food served at functions way better than that at the restaurant.



But not any more. The restaurant has undergone renovation and is now called The Madras Wok. Large bay windows overlook the lawns where geese wander about. The garden is a riot of flowers and shrubs and there are tables arranged under canopies that one could dine at if one prefers to dine alfresco. Must be pretty romantic at night!



Chef took us for a walk around the grounds. Pandan and lemongrass leaves swayed in the gentle breeze and clumps of basil filled the air with their distinctive aroma. A gaggle of geese sunned themselves on the well tended lawns.

We chose to sit in the restaurant, a room that is awash with light and is an oasis of tranquillity. Multi hued upholstery add splashes of colour around the room and a wall of glass between the kitchen and the dining area allows you to see the food as it is being prepared.

As they are still in the soft launch phase, we were the only occupants that afternoon though a few of the outdoor tables were occupied and plenty of cooking was going on. I guess some of the guests had chosen to dine in the privacy of their cottages.

The menu indicated not only Asian specialities but also popular Indo-Chinese fare and some Continental as well which includes pasta.

Chef Shivajee suggested I order mee siam. The husband preferred hawker style char kway teow. We left the choice of starters to the chef and what he brought us were these-

Tahu goreng or deep fried cubes of beancurd with a peanut sauce and cucumber. The peanut sauce tasted flat and I missed the beansprouts it's usually served with. The vegetable spring rolls more than made up for it. The wrapper was home made and the roll, stuffed with finely shredded vegetables was fried to a beautiful golden crispness. The dip was equally tasty.

For mains, Chef remembered I liked mee siam - thin vermicelli rice noodles in a spicy, tangy gravy with plenty of prawns and chicken strips, tofu cubes and a boiled egg. The noodles were cooked perfectly and all the bits and bobs added to the flavour. Yummy, and you can drink up all that gravy in the end.

It was served with a sambal that didn't have belachan (prawn paste). [Chef, do add it for your hardcore S'pore diners please!!]

The husband doesn't like food floating in gravy so his plate of char kway teow had flat rice noodles with prawns, chicken, egg and lap cheong (dried Chinese sausages). Here again, the noodles were cooked perfectly and the dark sauce and the toss up in an extremely hot wok gave it a slight charring and a smoky depth of flavour. It was so delicious that it would have given my neighbourhood hawker stall a huge complex.

Dessert was ice kachang, a concoction of shaved ice, red beans, jelly squares and attap chee (palm fruit) in a bowl. Coconut milk and date palm sugar syrup are poured over the top. At hawker stalls and food courts in Singapore, each serving of ice kachang has a measly 2 or 3 attap chee( I swear they must be counting them out) but here, there was plenty. Chef explained that since he loves attap chee, he's generous with them. We shared a bowl and it was plenty for 2 people! In case you're wondering what the fruit tastes like, it's bland, but it has a certain texture that pairs well with that colourful sugary icy concoction. It's the perfect way to finish off a spicy Asian meal at any rate.

Happy diners = happy chef

There's plenty more on the menu including Singapore's famous chicken rice and dim sums. And Chef has another claim to fame - he is a master in hand pulled noodles.

Service was very good, There have been issues in the past but here's hoping it's now water under the bridge.

A meal for 2 at The Madras Wok will cost about 2000/++.

Green Meadows
4/364, Anna Salai, Palavakkam
Chennai 600041.
+91 44 24515555
+91 99449 90950

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Burritos for a brand new year

Wow!! Where did the last year go? Which also made me realise it's been ages since I posted a recipe. December '14 was a bake crazy hectic time that took me right up to New Year's eve.

Here's some of the stuff I did...

Rich fruit cake, pineapple tarts, mushroom puffs, chocolate date cakes, iced Christmas cake, coffee-misu tart,  chocolate truffle cake, chicken mushroom rolls, cut out Christmas cookies 

... and some more bakes for a Christmas carnival...

More fruit cakes; chocolate and lemon filled cupcakes; chicken& mushroom quiche

One of the things I miss in Chennai is good Mexican fare. Even Tex-Mex will do. A couple of restaurants have opened in the city but the reviews have been mixed so I felt the next best thing was to make it myself. Fortunately, all the ingredients are now available at local food stores and these include tortilla wraps and burrito seasoning. I've done a simple version of the filling which has just chicken strips, coloured peppers and onions and left out the beans. I find ready made burrito seasoning quite mild so I like to spice it up with some additional chilli and cumin. One other thing is that I like a bit of crunch in the veg so I don't cook them till they are limp.

Serve the burritos with salsa and sour cream and it's ole all the way to Mexico!

Chicken burritos

Ingredients
750 gm chicken breasts, sliced in strips
1 pack burrito seasoning (40 gm)
Juice of 1 lime
3 large onions, sliced
6 pips garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin powder
4 coloured peppers, sliced in strips
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
Oil
Salt
6 large tortillas

Method
Mix the chicken strips with the burrito seasoning and lime juice, keep aside for about half an hour.
Saute the onions and garlic in a large skillet over a hot flame.
Add in the chilli powder (or flakes) and cumin powder, toss well.
Add in the coloured pepper strips and saute till they are cooked through but crunchy.
In another pan, heat a little more oil and saute the chicken strips till done. Do this in 2 batches.
Mix together the chicken with the onions and peppers; if the filling is too dry, add in a couple of tablespoons of hot water and the chopped coriander leaves.
Check seasoning, add more salt only if necessary.
Warm the tortillas in a hot pan.
Divide the filling equally among the wraps and roll up tight.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa in separate bowls.

Salsa

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Merry Christmas!

There's been much baking, more baking and so much baking this last month that I've almost forgotten what it's like to go out and enjoy the chill of a cold December day.

What's it like at your home? The Christmas tree must be decked up, presents wrapped up and neatly arranged under the tree, the pantry stocked with cakes, cookies, wine and all kinds of Christmas treats.

Wishing you and yours the joys of this blessed season.

Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

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Food festival at Forum Mall Chennai

Remember when Chennai's first mall reopened after renovation and it had a food court? Remember how crowded the place used to be and people would stand beside your table waiting for you to finish your meal so they could grab the table? As for the food - there was something for everyone. North Indian parathas and pulav, South Indian dosas, idli, vada and coffee, the mandatory Indo Chinese noodles and fried rice, burgers, pizzas, a juice bar, dessert station et al. The minute you sat down, busboys would rush up with menus from the different kitchens and strew them around the table. Then, the inevitable happened - more malls opened and people would animatedly discuss which food court offered better variety. And there were no busboys, instead, you went directly to the counter and placed your order and paid for it using a card. Self service was the new buzzword.

The invitation to review the Forum Chennai Food Festival at the Forum Vijaya Mall at Vadapalani had me intrigued. The press release listed 8 outlets that specialised in the usual mall food offerings but I needed to find out what made it a festival.

My first visit to this mall and driving in, I had the impression that it was a much quieter space than other malls in the city. Perhaps it had something to do with it being a weekday afternoon. I met up with a charming lady senior executive and her associates who took me to the food court. What struck me was the size - it  is an 850 seater space, making it the largest among mall-based food courts at Chennai. Plenty of space between the tables and the whole place was clean.

While waiting for the food to be served, the team explained that the festival was not just about the food but included cooking demos and musical performances. A chef from each kitchen would demonstrate a dish and participants would then be asked to make them at cooking stations set up around the hall. What's more - at the end, they get to take home whatever they cook.

In quick succession, dishes from each of the outlets were brought to our table:



Quiznos's version of garlic bread. There was a spicy red sauce, couldn't really make out if it was tomato based but there was no flavour of garlic. What it had going for it was soft bread that was warm and oozy with cheese.



There was a sizzler from Kobe. In case you're wondering, no, it's got nothing to do with the Japanese city of Kobe or even Kobe beef. It's a restaurant that specialises in sizzlers and has many fans in Chennai. We had a chicken sizzler and it came smothered with gravy, fries and grilled veg. The chicken was tender but the gravy was a tad over salted.



I love the catchy name of this counter. Dishoom serves Indian street food and we tried the chicken samosas. A deliciously crisp outer crust that enclosed a filling of chicken cubes and mashed potatoes. It was served with mint and tamarind chutneys artistically presented. The stuffing was substantial and it's a good snack with a cup of tea.



Chaat is essentially street food, made of a mix of fried dough, chopped onion, tomato, potato and coriander leaves and served with a tangy spicy sauce, quite like a rojak. At times, yogurt is used as garnish as well. Kailash Parbat's offering was a platter of their signature chaats and I could spot a couple of tart shells piled high with corn, tomato and onion and sprinkled with sev. It could have done with a more tangy sauce and it was difficult to pop one into the mouth with all the garnish on it.

By now, we were thirsty and lime mint cooler from Squeez came to the rescue. Cold and refreshing, thankfully it was not over sweet.



Banana dosas from ID, a vegetarian South Indian restaurant. I don't eat bananas, don't like the flavour or the texture so was in a bit of a fix. Ahh...the things one must do for a review...the dosa was smaller than palm size and I tasted a tiny bit of it. Sweet and soft, it tasted of banana. However, the others relished it so I guess it's a favourite with diners.



Wang's Kitchen is a chain of Chinese restaurants around the city and we tried a plate of their dragon chicken. Cubes of chicken fried in batter and finished in a spicy sauce and topped with cashew nuts. It's a popular dish and of course, difficult to resist. The garnishing was quite spectacular.



Pandikadai specialises in food from Madurai; we had chicken stuffed paratha and mutton kola urundai. It was a delicious combination, a substantial filling of egg and chicken in the paratha and the thick tender mutton curry redolent with the flavour of fennel and cardamom, a perfect pairing.

Arab Kitchen's offering was mayo chicken - fillets of crumb fried chicken topped with mayonnaise. It was served on a flatbread but there was nothing Arabian about it. I did wish it had been served with garlic mayonnaise.

There's plenty more food like mozhaga bajji and rasa paniyaram, with prices starting from Rs. 30/. To attend the cooking demos, one needs to call 044 - 49049000 to register. And when all the cooking's done, relax by listening to soothing music and get your ribs tickled by comedy chef performances. Do note that these programmes are conducted only on the weekends at the food court.

The festival is on till December 14th. As for me, I think I'd like to go back there real soon for some retail therapy. And a plate of dragon chicken.

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Christmas workshop at Gormei Market

"A Very Merry Christmas Cooking Workshop" on Dec 7th 2014, Sunday between 3pm and 6pm at The Gormei Market!! 

Agenda: 
• Steamed Christmas Pudding
• Christmas Cupcakes
• White Chocolate & Cranberry Shortbread
• Almond Clusters
• Nut Fudge

Venue: The Gormei Market - 6, CIT Colony, 2nd Main Road, Mylapore, Chennai:4 (Behind Focus Gallery on TTK Road)

Date: December 7th 2014, Sunday

Time: 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Cost: Rs.1000/participant

Call to register: 044-4217 2228/29

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Marrying chocolate with wine and Thai food at The Park

Thai food paired with chocolate...the voice at the other end of the line was inviting me to a tasting session and I was thinking...Thai food, chocolate and wine? What's the connection...whatever next?

Highly sceptical but so terribly curious, I found myself agreeing to meet up with the chocolate taster and his colleagues at Lotus, The Park's Thai restaurant.

Chocolate Pairing Week was happening in Chennai; four restaurants in Chennai are showcasing it. At each restaurant, a different menu incorporating chocolate has been drawn up and the meal is accompanied by different wines. I was told this is the first time it's being done in India and in the world. A quick search on Google revealed chocolate paired with tea and wine but nope, no Thai as yet so this was going to be truly a path breaker.

At the restaurant, I met up with L. Nitin Chordia, India's only certified Chocolate Taster and who is responsible for the chocolate, Praveen Krishnamurthy, a fine wine consultant who has done the wine pairing, and Mohamed Ali, founder of Chennai Food Guide. The Park's F&B Director and Area Director welcomed us and explained the unique concept of pairing food, wine and chocolate.

Callebaut, a brand of fine chocolate from Belgium was the chocolate of choice.

A menu was placed on each table setting which revealed our meal would consist of five courses with two pairing wines.

A delightful amuse bouche was served and we were asked to guess the ingredients. And we did -there was chocolate, of course, a potato wafer, ginger, betel leaf, kaffir lime and lemongrass. A beautifully presented bite, each of the flavours was distinct yet combined so beautifully.

The chocolate cocktail served with it had a subtle melon flavour. The non alcoholic version was a pleasant sea green with a chocolate rim.

What's a Thai meal without a salad?

This one had green mango shreds and the dressing was tangy, sweet and creamy. Cashew nuts contributed to the crunch factor and the chocolate toned down the spice level. My reservations on using chocolate in Thai food were gradually fading away too.

While the vegetarian appetiser was a dish of interesting looking lotus stems, the non vegetarian plate had tempura prawns coated with chocolate sauce served on  a bed of sweet potato mash and a red curry sauce. In my mind I expected to taste a honey glazed coating as that was what it looked like, the first mouthful itself had me hooked - the limpid taste of chocolate, the creamy mash and the robust spice notes from the curry sauce. Such beautiful flavours and though the tempura batter had lost its characteristic crispness by the time it reached the table, the flavour of the prawn had locked in. It was paired with a Chilean Chardonnay, an excellent accompaniment.

The main courses were served, the vegetarians had silken tofu with a dark sauce.

The non vegetarian offering was barbequed chicken with palm hearts, burnt garlic fried rice and stir fried Asian greens. Hard to believe that chocolate was infused in the components? Trust me, it was there. The marriage of flavours was smooth on the palate and pleasing to the eye as well. The pairing wine was a Merlot from France, a beautiful berry red wine that is dry yet smooth and pleasant.

Conversation centered around what else, but wine and chocolate and the discreet service staff soon cleared away our plates. There was a bit of palpable excitement, a bit of magic and when the smoke cleared, an assiette of desserts was revealed. Dark and white chocolate were the core ingredients and let me not spoil the surprise by revealing the names. Suffice to say that all three were brilliant and the presentation dramatic.

Each of the dishes at the meal was beautifully crafted. To call the pairing 'fusion' is an injustice. The skill of the chef in maintaining the integrity of the Thai flavours shone through, at the same time, the use of chocolate was evident yet restrained. It was remarkable that with just 2 kinds of chocolate - dark and white, layers of flavour notes had been created The whole meal was light on the stomach and there was no death by chocolate!!

Lotus is one of four venues where Chocolate Pairing Week is taking place and the only one where chocolate stars with Thai food. It's on November 30th. Priced at 2600/, it includes 2 glasses of wine. Interestingly, the wine that is paired with the vegetarian meal is different from the one served with the meat dishes.

A truly unique event that should put Chennai 's tryst with chocolate on the world's plate. That's food for thought, right?

Cheers to that!!

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