“If your heart is warm with happiness, you’ll need a glass – if sorrow chills your heart, have two!”
Hannu Lehmusvuori
Put together a bunch of food and lifestyle bloggers {read eight ladies and a lad} with a few bottles of good wine, a connoisseur who is surprisingly refreshing and great company … and suddenly a searingly HOT afternoon quite unbearable at 45C becomes animated FUN! We were hosted by Four Seasons for a Wine & Food Pairing session at the quaint and charming Fres Co in the heart of New Delhi.
Whether it is the sprightliness of a fresh spring morning, the joyous warmth of a glorious summer afternoon, the tingling nip of a crisp autumn twilight or the biting chill of an icy winter night, to everything there is a season. And to every season, there is an experience. An experience captured by Four Seasons selection of the finest Indian wines.
Photo courtesy Sangeeta
We walked in hot and bothered, complaining about the unbearable Indian summer. Purba, the lady with the funny bone, had us in splits, her one liners completely justifying her humor and satire blog A-musing. With her came the only ‘cat’ among the pigeons, Prateik akaSnow Leopard … it was the pigeons day out as the sweet fellow lent us his ear and we chattered voraciously!The lovely Shamita Sinha, Miss Earth Universe and a wine connoisseur, a truly passionate wine lover, held our rapt attention for the next two hours. What followed was animated discussions, unraveling the magic of Four Seasons, understanding their philosophy, exploring Baramati virtually where they host their vineyards, and how FS is inspired by French wines … all this through swirls and sips of different wines from the Four Seasons range paired perfectly with delicious grub.We began with a still Rosé wine, Mr PABs favourite summer wine, Blush as the attractive salmon pink wine is aptly called. It was crisp, light and refreshing, a beautiful accompaniment for light summer fare … perfect! We’ve been looking for a good Rosé after the fabulous one that Mr PAB got back from France. After a couple of really disappointing local ones, Blushreally stood out.Next up was a still white wine Chenin Blanc, then a still red wine Merlot. We missed tasting the Barrique Reserve, but that was OK. Forks were beginning to fall every now and then, the happy gathering cheered on!Shamita talked us through the old school of thought, wine at room temperature and how the concept came to be in temperatures of 13-14C Europe of the past … and how that just didn’t work especially here at 40C! Times have changed so the rules have to go, basic guidelines lead the way, fusion cuisine is in … ultimately your palette is your guide and best friend.Dry vs Sweet, Red vs White, food pairings and fusion food pairings, the richness of the cuisine and the intensity of the wine, light summer fare with light summer wine, Indian cuisine and wine pairings, the tanins, the blush, colours from red to straw to white, the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation, antioxidants and also the ‘yeast’ monster at play here too … yes we talked!
Photo courtesy SangeetaPhoto courtesy Anupama
It was wonderful to meet Sushmita, Sangeeta and Anupama for the first time, bloggers who loved the wine as much as the company. Rekha and Rituparna were there too in fine form, enthusiastic and bubbly as ever. It was a wonderful afternoon get together of high spirited women and a lad; we had a giggly good time. We got a heads up on the nuances of everything wine we could ask for from the very unassuming, down to Earth, warm and affable Shamita.Thank you Four Seasons for having us over, for introducing us that hot afternoon to your beautiful range of wines and the inspired story behind it. Our incessant chatter and involved conversation might have told you that we enjoyed the afternoon immensely, wines and all, right down to the last drop!
Thank you Ashu for organising the meet, and Jyoti for co-ordinating it this end.
“1 mobile kitchen, 9 cities, 10 chefs and 15 food brands on a 365-day gastronomic journey.”
Singapore TakeOut
New Delhi marks the seventh stop for the Singapore Takeout on its nine-city world tour. It has already delighted diners in London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. I was glad to be part of this novel concept, a fun afternoon with live cooking and delicious food, made even more interesting with a good bunch of food bloggers from Delhi. In the picture below – Apeksha, Rituparna Chef Benjamin Seck, me, Parul, Rekha. Also met up with talented fun non-food bloggers like Purba and Prateik.
The event was an exclusive preview and luncheon for the media to a taste of sensational Singapore-inspired food from the Singapore Takeout, a mobile pop-up kitchen concept that unfolds – or should we say, transforms, from what looks like an ordinary shipping container.In each city, Singapore’s most innovative and internationally celebrated chefs work side-by-side a talent from each respective destination, whipping up dishes that are so unique, so special, and so incredibly delicious, you’ll be left speechless and wanting more! … Just what happened to me!From word go, from the time the container literally popped open with a state of the art kitchen fitted inside, it was a unique culinary experience, one that tantalised the palatte and left us wanting for more. It was an afternoon of inspired food, showcasing the best of Singapore celebrity Chef Benjamin Secks gastronomic expertise. He teamed up with two top chefs from ITC Hotels, Chef Manisha Bhasin and Chef Rajkamal Chopra, to serve up a mouth-watering selection of Singapore-inspired dishes. The result – delightful renditions of Indian cuisine taken to delicious heights … fusion cooking at its best!Chef Benjamin’s best-selling dish of Nyonya Prawn Curry with Roti Jalal (lacy pancakes) and his vegan rendition of Popiah Goreng (deep fried spring rolls) filled with cabbage and carrot, were excellent and left us longing for more. The sweet red chilli dip served alongside complimenting the spring rolls beautifully! The spiced prawn curry with the tender lacy pancakes were excellent, full of subtle flavours and spices. We were lucky to see a live demo of the pancakes, and I am happy to share the recipe below. Both dishes reflected the chefs Peranakan heritage and of the diverse cultures in Singapore.
Chef Manisha showcased Duet of Asian Inspired Antipasti, a dish featuring Scampi and Lemongrass Ceviche presented in a traditional methi dhania papdi shell. Accompanying it was ITC Maurya’s specialty Chicken Tikka marinated with Laksa paste to give it a Singapore twist and finished on a charcoal grill. Our tastebuds were screaming for more. The duet fabulous, one cold, one hot, the cold served with a piquant tamarind sauce while the warm tikka tender and moist; they made for a handsome bite indeed. The delicately flavoured tikka was served over a basil naan, the anitpasti plated by the chef herself with expertise that reflected her talent and passion. As a flavourful finale, Chef Rajkamal recreated a vegetarian Laksa Pulao, which he showcased during the Singapore Takeout launch in Singapore in April 2011. I finished that bowl of pulao in a heartbeat. Even though I consider myself a small eater, I could have had another serving, it was that good. Each grain of rice separate, flavourful and in harmony with French beans tossed in a laksa curry paste. The touch of a seasoned chef came through in every bite, the spices light and endearing. The pulao was topped with a garlic raita and caramelised onions … a mouthwatering symphony of textures and flavours!
The Singapore Takeout is part of the Singapore International Culinary Exchange (SPICE) – an initiative helmed jointly by the International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and SPRING Singapore which champions Singapore’s cuisine, culinary talent and food products globally. “Singapore has come a long way in its culinary journey. The country is fast becoming a must-visit destination for all food lovers, providing inspiration for culinary talent and an environment which encourages fast and furious food innovation,” says Aw Kah Peng, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board, “SPICE will spur this growth on through initiatives like the Singapore Takeout, where our local food and beverage talent will collaborate, exchange ideas, and network with their overseas counterparts.”
Summary: Savoury Light lacy pancakes made from a flour and coconut milk batter. Serve with a prawn/chicken curry. A Nyonya cuisine recipe from Chef Benjamin Seck
Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
1 drop yellow food colouring
1 tbs rice flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup coconut milk
Oil for frying
Method:
Stir flour, rice flour and salt
Beat eggs, water and coconut milk together.
Incorporate the flour mixture before stirring in the egg yellow colouring. Allow the batter to rest for five minutes.
Heat a flat based frying pan, brush some oil, and when hot pour the batter through a container with holes at the bottom, moving in circles to make a lacy pattern. {A tin can with holes works well here}
Fold the pancakes into quarters and pile them one on top of the other
