Food - Travels for Taste

Red Lentil Soup

December 11, 2013 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

I tried to write this blog post sometime after ma came home from the hospital but things were a bit topsy turvy but here it is now!

Sometime in November in India…..

”My ma’s bff’s have been pampering her a lot and have been a bunch of real sweethearts. One of her friends who we shall call Aunty A, came over last week and got her some heartwarming veg soup among some other goodies.

All the medications have killed ma’s taste buds and her appetite to an extent so this soup was a wonderful new bouquet of mild but delicious flavours for her. AM has agreed to share some of her other recipes as well including one which helped her the first prize in a cooking contest! Whoops! How I love all of ma’s buddies – all such passionate foodies 😉

Ok so here’s how you can create this Masoor dal or Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentil dal
1/2 a red onion
1 tomato
1/2 a potato boil
Salt as per taste
Pepper to garnish
1/2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
Few whole cloves/lavang
1 cinnamon stick/dalchini
Water as required
some unsalted butter to slather an accompanying slice of toasted brown bread

Method:

In a vessel add the lentils and roughly chopped onion, tomato, and potato(peeled and roughly chopped) and add enough water to soak them.
Boil the red lentil ,onion ,tomato, and potato in a cooker. Give it 3 whistles
After the steam releases from the cooker and the lid comes off easily, allow the mixture to cool down completely.
Puree in mixer/food processor , add some more water to adjust to a soup lile consistency and garnish with salt n pepper.
In a saucepan add 1/2 a tsp of ghee /clarified butter ,on a medium heat ,add dalchini/ cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves/lavang.
Reduce the heat to a minimum and now the tadka is ready, carefully pour the puree from the food processor/mixer into the clarified butter and spice tadka as it may sputter.
Serve the soup hot with a lightly buttered slice of brown bread ideally with unsalted butter.”

I am entering this delicious and healthy Red Lentil Soup recipe into one of my favourite foodie link up’s hosted by Jacqueline Meldrum of Tinned Toms and Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen aka Food and Spice alternatively. It’s easy peasy just go to Lisa’s blog as she is the host for May 2015 and add in your recipe post to the linky, then link to both Lisa and Jaq’s blogs as I have done and add the No Croutons logo to your post, all done! Any Salad or soup will do but only one post per blogger, also watch out for the round-up done after the 28th of each month.

Easy Tasty Magic – Harvey Nichols magic gift box of festive sparkle

December 10, 2013 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

Looking for a perfect Christmas Gift for everyone on your list is never easy ,especially when there’s a maddening variety of gift sets to choose from. I do know it’s really tempting to just grab a few of the pre-packed salt and pepper or honey and chilli jars packaged brilliantly but honestly it’s for someone you really want to treat then sparing just a tiny moment of thought will go a long way.

Even if your friend is not a connoisseur of fine and exotic food, the Harvey Nichols Alchemic larder – Easy Tasty Magic – Christmas gift box set with 16 tiny jars of exotic,beautifully colorful ingredients will be a very welcome gift!This box of exotic beauties is packaged so beautifully that I can imagine a wild shriek of happiness when the wrapping paper has been ripped off to reveal these jars full of stardust,shine,sparkle,fiery flavours and even a promise of paradise!

I must say it didn’t take me much time to decide on the Alchemic Larder – Easy Tasty Magic -to review after glancing through the list of products that I was invited to choose from by Harvey Nichols. It is impossible to resist this Laura Santtini creation of ”Spell Binding Flavours” – a power packed box of ingredients with endless possibilities and as the box says some ”notions for potions”!

For those who may be thrown off balance by names such as furikake ,sumac ,devil’s penis chilli and grains of paradise amongst others , worry not , the box comes with a little note about how one can set about using the magic potion from each jar.

L-R : Grains of Paradise, Devils Penis Chilli and Furikake.

I decided to spice up a dull Tuesday afternoon meal by putting on my wizard hat (!!) and firing up my cauldron err oven and got busy in the kitchen.Some White Mischief powder as a rub onto a Tilapia fish which then went into the oven and sent crazy delicious aromas wafting through my kitchen !

For dessert it was Mediterranean Lavendar sprinkled with just a tiny hint of sugar and a generous slosh of gin onto a handful of blueberries, am not sure I can stay awake much longer after this meal.

While I am off to catch an afternoon nap why don’t you head to the online shop and order some a few Easy Tasty Magic Alchemic Larder gift boxes from Harvey Nichols and make someone happy – very ,very happy this Christmas?! 🙂 Priced at £29.95 this is a fabulous addition to any kitchen and can get even the most unenthusiastic cook hooked. After all ,fine ingredients sourced from around the globe all packed into these handy jars which by the way have awesome re-use value ,can inspire anyone to dish up a feast,no? Harvey Nichols also has a large selection of Food and Wine as gifting options apart from their many Christmas gift hampers .

Disclaimer:I was sent this fabulous gift set box to review by Harvey Nichols and was not compensated monetarily.Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own. For more fabulous recipe ideas there is a tiny card with information inside the Alchemic Larder box.

Sweetcorn and Paneer Bhaji/Sabzi

November 15, 2013 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

In March I had rushed to be by my mothers side when her recovery post a double knee replacement surgery which was supposed to give her a new lease on life went badly wrong.

She was put on a very strict diet and asked to avoid more food stuff than she could eat, besides the heat in Pune was killing and the numerous medicines made her terribly hungry and moody. Not to mention the times when she was in so much pain I regularly went in the room next door and sobbed my guts out into a pillow…

On one of the better days when she really wanted to eat something tasty and refused all the options I gave her my maushi (that’s we call mum’s sister in Marathi language – my mother tongue) saved the day by making her this simple yet delicious vegetable which was packed with flavour in-spite of having on onion,no garlic and no tomatoes which mum was not allowed at all…If you have someone at home who is being given blood thinner medicines to avoid blood clots you may be asked to avoid foods that contain Vitamin K which is a natural blood coagulant.

Since this was only for one person we took a handful of each ingredient and used spices as we thought appropriate to suit her taste buds dead with all those medicines. Please feel free to amp up the spice if you wish.

Serves 2 as a side or 1 as a main

Preparation of veggies and Cooking Time:45 minutes

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets 150 gm
sweet corn 50 gm
carrots chopped into tiny cubes 50 gm
green peas 50 gm
Paneer cubes/Cottage Cheese 50 gm
2 bay leaves
salt as per taste
a pinch of red chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin and coriander powder mix
a small pinch of ground clove powder
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves -just enough to garnish.

Method:

In a pan take 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and sautee the bay leaves, clove powder and cumin and coriander powder for about 30 seconds.
Add the sweet corn and cook for about 3 minutes with spritz of water on a very low flame with lid to allow the corn to cook well.
Add the chopped carrot cubes and add water and cover an allow to steam for 2 -3 minutes on a low flame.
Reason for cooking the sweetcorn first and then the carrots is that they will take longer to cook than the cauliflower and peas which will become mush in the vegetable if all these are added at once. To save time you could used boiled sweetcorn and carrot. Avoid canned and ready to eat variety.
When carrots are almost cooked add the cauliflower florets ,green peas and season with the turmeric and red chilli powder and salt.Mix Well.
Add very little water just enough to allow the veggies to cook well.

When they are almost cooked after not more than 5- 8 minutes , add the soft paneer cubes and mix well and serve hot with a chapati fresh off the pan.
Garnish with a tiny bit of fresh coriander leaves finely chopped.Ensure they are washed thoroughly to ensure no muddy bits are hiding between the delicate leaves.

Needless to say aai loved the bhaji and after almost 15 days of bland food she was really upbeat. Soon after she really began to recover at a desirable pace and was coming up with many of her own ideas to make delicious food with less oil, minimal spices and without any tomato. Cheers to you aai , you are a very brave person to have come out of such a bad health situation only a few months ago, to a point where you are 100% independent and cheerful as ever.God bless all those that stood by us and the few special people who came to help me in the hour of need, no questions asked, you know I love you people tons right ?:)

Disclaimer: Please note this is a true account of what my mum had to eat with her many food restrictions and is not meant to be treated as a medical advice for anyone following a diet where they have been asked to stay off Vit K .Please always consult your doctor before eating anything that is out of the ordinary for your condition.

Underground Cookery School,cooking a 3 course meal and a recipe for a Pear Souffle

November 14, 2013 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

When I was invited to spend an evening at the Underground Cookery School in London, never did I imagine that I would learn how to expertly joint a Pheasant , use a pasta making machine & make my first ever ravioli and stir up a souffle in minutes! All this in a matter to few hours and then get to taste all these creations with a bunch of very friendly food enthusiasts. It was a very rainy and cold evening and the very thought of an ”underground” kitchen was heart warming.After a brief introduction ( over canapes and wine) by Chef Matt Kemp, head chef and owner of the Underground Cookery School ,we were split into 3 teams and I was learning from Chef Matt how to joint a pheasant , I most enjoyed creating the stock with a little bit of flour and adding a large ladle of Chicken Stock to the flour ummm. Matt Kemp, who trained under Michael Guérard and has worked at the River Café, The Ivy and Pont De La Tour. Having read this before I got there I was I must say a bit apprehensive , never having worked in a professional kitchen that too with a professionally trained chef but I must say he was pretty happy with my knife skills with the bird and managed to get is through preparing a Pheasant Casserole in a matter of minutes. Somehow he made it seem so easy …. What I loved is how the remainder of the birds were safely kept together in a tray to be used later to make a thick stock, it somehow made me feel so very much at home ,just a warm feeling of how we would work in our home kitchen. Matt’s team fussed over us all through the evening ensuring the glasses never ran dry and I sorely regret not drinking that evening ..ah well, another time maybe 😉 That was how the casserole looked like before it went along with the other pretty Le Crusset pans to be cooked. Somehow the addition of fresh herbs just makes everything look prettier! I have always wanted to use a pasta making machine and this was my chance, though I did almost mange to pass my hand through the machine, only to salvage my fingers in the nick of time , I guess I have have to just practise really hard before I can hope to match the trained chefs dexterous hand movements and finesse with the super fine pasta flour. It is magical how flour and egg together can be transformed into an uber malleable pasta dough. The idea of a pumpkin ravioli was quite appetising ,it just has a very autumn and halloween like ring to it me thinks. After adding just a blog of the pumpkin into the perfectly round pasta discs just dab a little bit of water along the sides, it acts like a sort of a glue to seal of the dough into a beautiful and perfect parcel. I cannot decide what I enjoyed the most , was it learning to make the perfect pasta dough (without passing my palm through the machine) or learning how to make a souffle but I will say this, there is no joy bigger than seeing a superbly well risen souffle emerge from the oven and dust sugar onto it like a thin sheath of snow envelope the lightly browned top.Putting my spoon through the souffle was undoubtedly the high point of the evening. PEAR SOUFFLE The team at The Underground Cookery School was kind enough to share all the 3 recipes with us and here I shall share the Pear Souffle recipe with all of you , please do drop a comment here if you would like the other 2 recipes . Mind you, separating an egg white using your hands is not as bad as you think and no matter how many fancy gizmos you have at home aka egg separators , there is joy in being able to do it just right by getting your hands dirty :). A top tip from the chef, enusure that you do not leave even a tiny spot dry and smother the inside with butter well before dusting it with sugar, taking care not to leave any dry spots inside before adding the pear and egg white mix. Pear Soufflé Serves: 4 Ingredients:

6 Pears Juiced
125g sugar
1tsp corn flower
4 egg whites
Juice of one lemon
Pinch Of Salt

Method:

Butter the ramaquins and dust with 25g of sugar; put in fridge.
Make a Pear juice with 6 pears and 50g of Sugar
Add water to one tea spoon of corn flour and put mix into heated Pear stock. Now add the juice of half a lemon. Reduce down over the hob. The mix should be the consistency of wall paper paste.
Wisk egg whites to a ribbon whilst mixing in 50g of caster sugar. Add a few drops of lemon juice AND A PINCH OF SALT as you go along.
Put one spoonful per soufflé into a bowl and fold in 1/3 of of the egg white to the paste. Then fold in the balance.
Put mix into a ramaquin, smooth over and run finger round the circumference of the ramaquin.
Put in the oven for 8 mins at 160o.

I am so in love with the pear souffle that I decided to make it at home too!But unfortunately had to rush to India as mum had to undergo an operation. But I do promise to post pictures of the homemade souffle once am back.

After all that hard work ,Chef Matt’s team got busy with getting the food to us at the table and let us sit back and relax while they worked hard.Ah, a really efficient ,friendly and polite team he has there , a real pleasure to work with! So with framed photographs like the one below all round our table we tucked into our 3 course supper .Though I did not eat the pheasant I did eat the veggies in there. (I am particularly pleased with my photos taken using my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone camera, love the clarity and am so happy that the kitchen was well lit !) It was an incredible evening in many ways because of the bloggers who came together that evening , I meet some really warm,chatty,vibrant and fun ladies and the conversation flowed as smoothly as the wine. We walked away with a goody bag which amongst other things has a scrumptious chutney and a very large bottle of olive oil infused with herbs.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI If your looking for a brilliantly different Hen Party idea or need to get some cohesiveness back into your team at work, nothing better than getting people together around a hot stove stirring, chopping ,cutting and clinking wine glasses over a meal cooked together.

PHEASANT CASSEROLE P.S: I have written this blog article out of my own free will because I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment I spent at the Underground Cookery School.

Achari Mutton Recipe

November 13, 2013 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

Achari Mutton Recipe – a must-have in every home cook’s repertoire

Mutton is my favourite form of consuming red meat and though I LOVE pork with equal fervour, it can never quite compare to the deeply satisfying rich taste of a proper Maharashtrian Mutton Curry. This Achari Mutton curry is something I have cooked several times over the past years and tweaked the recipe to get it to this current one. Though I do still love experimenting with the curry by using various pickles, the basic achari mutton recipe remains the same.

How I came about to love this particular recipe is particularly interesting as it is from a phase of my life when I was working a very hectic full-time job back in India. My colleagues and I were all at a party and that’s when I tasted this Achari Chicken which totally blew my socks off! We were all at my boss’s house in Pune and one of my colleagues who also happens to be a trained chef, made Achari chicken and roti’s for us in a flash! It tasted so divine!

Achari Ghost

Fast foward a few years, to when we have moved to London. I remember,I had to make an urgent trip to India due to some unforseen circumstances. My husband was not able to get leave at short notice and was feeling pretty misreable for not being able to fly with me. I had to do something to lift his spirits and comfort food topped the list. After all, nothing beats the feeling of waking up after a good afternoon nap on a weekend, better till if that nap is brought by the supreme satisfaction one feels after consuming a comforting homecooked meal that reminds you of the taste of life back in India. Exactly for such occasions a good mutton curry and rice meal, is just the thing.

Mutton in a rich pickle flavoured curry

Fresh Mutton was procured but I didn’t have any puree’s to marinate them in and then a brainwave happened ! I got out my most treasured bottle of mango pickle made by my sister’s mum-in-law (who is an expert with pickles and makes a minimum of 10 varieties every summer, yes you heard that right, TEN, these are then packed and parceled all over the world !!)

I really didn’t want to use up all the pickle but for a kilo of mutton, I just had to, ah well small scarifies for the larger good I say 🙂

I silently thank Asha Ma as we lovingly call her, for the fabulous pickles she makes so expertly for her family. And more so for her immense patience with packing them neatly in air-tight, spill-proof containers.

Achari Mutton Curry Recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Achari Mutton Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Achari Mutton Recipe, Succulent mutton cooked in a richly flavoured, thick gravy sauce, flavoured with pickle or achar, this is also called Achari Ghost

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 kilo mutton curry pieces
250 gm 1/2 bottle of mango pickle
2 tbsp heaped of freshly ground ginger garlic paste
200 gm 1/2 tub of yogurt /Dahi
2 medium tomatoes
3 small Red Onions
4 tsp heaped Red Chilli Powder /Laal Tikhat
3 tsp heaped Turmeric Powder / Halad
Pinch Asafoetida / Hing
2 Bay Leaves
1 small Stick of cinnamon
4 tsp heaped coriander and cumin mix powder
3 1/2 tbsp Oil
4 boiled eggs peeled and sliced into halves

For the Chilli Marinade

3 Green Chillies
1 Lime juiced
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Red chilli powder

Method

Wash the mutton pieces thoroughly and then pour the pickle over them and add the ginger garlic paste and mix well such that each piece coats well in the pickle.
Ideally I would marinate this mutton overnight to really let these flavours seep deep into the fibers of the meat. Also, as mutton curry takes longer to cook than lamb it is necessary to ensure that for the flavours to full develop and mature, marination must be done for over 5 hours at least.
Cover the meat with a plastic cling film and leave in the refrigerator overnight, do not freeze unless the temperature outside is over 35 deg Celsius as at that temperature if the cooling in the fridge is not good the meat may go bad. If freezing the mutton allow at least 4 hours to totally defrost by first moving from freezer to fridge and then keeping it outside.
Pour the yogurt over the marinated meat and mix well,leave aside for 20 minutes
Just when you are ready to cook the mutton peel and roughly chop red onions into chunks and also made big pieces of the tomatoes and puree them in the food processor.
In a large vessel heat the oil and add a pinch of asafoetida, sauté the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick for about 30 seconds on a medium flame.
Then add the red onion and tomato puree , sauté in the oil ,stirring well and let it simmer on a low flame with 1 cup of water.
Add red chilli powder,turmeric powder, coriander and cumin mix powder.
Let this cook for about 10 -12 minutes.
Now add the marinated mutton and add enough water to make a good amount of gravy , if you are going to use the pressure cooker then add a little extra.
Cook on a medium flame for about 1 and a half hour , in a pressure cook give it 8 whistles.
Mutton pieces have a lot of fat attached on the sides which also adds to the oil used for cooking hence I have used less oil.I am unable to eat the overtly oily curry which leave a huge layer of oil on the top if allowed to stand.
Now for the spicy dip, slit the green or red chillies lengthwise and dip into the oil and red chilli powder mix and add the juice of one lime.
When the curry is cooked serve hot on a bed of steaming hot rice with half a boiled egg.

For extra flavour bite into the fiery red chilli with the lime-chilli mix. It’s not for the faint-hearted though, but if you really do manage to relish the aftertaste of hot chilli you can safely say that you can now eat any fiery dish without breaking a sweat or getting the runs, a sort of baptism by fire food ritual!! One only for the brave souls! This powerful blast of heat on the tongue will see your forehead dotted with beads of sweat. Truly a labour of love.

The resulting mutton curry is rich in flavour and served hot with fluffy Jeera rice it is such a satisfying and comforting meal. But the best bit is when you leave the balance of this curry overnight , the next day the taste is so much better I’d almost choose left over curry over the fresh 😉

Highly recommend serving this curry with a cooling curd side dish – half a cup of yogurt mixed with with sliced red onions and cucumbers ,seasoned with a pinch of salt , half a spoon of sugar and 1 heaped teaspoon of toasted cumin powder ,garnished with some freshly chopped coriander leaves.I’d wash down the meal with butter milk or a good glass or two of a full bodied red wine.

IMG_5539 (Copy) (2) — Achari Mutton Recipe

LEARN HOW TO MAKE INDIAN FOOD FROM SCRATCH WITH MY EASY TO FOLLOW RECIPES

Day of the Dead celebration with Gran Luchito & Mezcal tasting

November 3, 2013 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

el Dia de Muertos or the event Day of the Dead is a Mexican version of Halloween celebrations. It’s also when Gran Luchito was launched last year so this year on their first birthday Gran Luchito decided to throw a party in association with Amathus Drinks and Oaxaca Cheese, on 30th Oct at Amathus Soho with a great spread of Mexican eats and the amazing Mezcal!

800px-Mexico-Day_of_the_Dead_altar (Copy)

Image Courtesy: Wiki Images

Gran Luchito’s owner, Fergus Chamberlain, explains: “I am on a mission to bring authentic and rural Mexican flavours to our kitchens, making them accessible and contemporary. Gran Luchito’s products are made to enhance the flavour of any food”.He discovered the rare pasilla Oaxaca chilli on a trip to Mexico and he now works with local farmers to create the smoky, rich Gran Luchito paste. (Oaxaca pronounced as Wahaca) There are 56 varieties in Mexico and Gran Luchito is made from artisan smoked Mexican chillies – the pasilla Oaxaca, agave (agave is the plant from which mezcal and tequila are made!) and garlic amongst other ingredients. It is a very versatile paste. I love using it as a meat marinade and with some poached eggs. Actually, the applications can be as vivid as your imagination.

The farmers who grow the Pasilla Oaxaca chilli live in the Mixes Hills that surround Oaxaca. Their existence is a really tough one, with long dry summers and heavy monsoons. The rare Pasilla Oaxaca chillies are smoked over the oak fire when perfectly ripe in handmade clay ovens, to prevent insects from eating them, or torrential rains from rotting them. The deep rich and smoky flavours are an aftertaste after the initial heat. Making a chilli paste is a traditional way of using chilli in Mexico. They make it using a stone grinder called a metate.

Listening to a presentation sitting surrounded by exotic spirits lining shelves from floor to ceiling was distracting enough and to add to that a table full of delicious Mexican snacks was at our table. There were Tostadas de frijoles or beans tostadas with sour cream blended with Gran Luchito paste, Ensalada de nopales, or a cactus salad made with cactus available at Mexgrocer, Ensalada de Pollo or a chicken salad along with some other small eats. I loved the prawns topped with marmalade made with caramelised onion with Gran Luchito Paste.

We also tried 5 different types of Mezcal which is a very tasty and sharp alcoholic drink made from plant agave. Agave is also used to make Tequila but unlike tequila Mezcal is to be sipped slowly ideally balanced by popping loads of Mexican cheese between sips. I feasted on 2 types of artisan Oaxaca Cheese ,one like a crumbly feta but much less salty and another a chewy string cheese which is absolutely amazing, very morish! Both made in Mexican cheese makers here in the U.K using milk from local farms by Oaxaca Taste.

Mezcal is made mainly in Oaxaca in Mexico and it is a long and laborious process and everything is done by the local folks by hand including harvesting , roasting,grinding and leaving to ferment using traditional artisan methods.There is a saying attributed to Oaxaca regarding the drink: “para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien también” (“for all bad, mezcal, for all good, as well”) I couldn’t agree more , because this fine drink didn’t get me tipsy inspite of 5 different very potent varieties of Mezcal called Vida ,Minero,San Luis del Rio Azul,C and Alipus San Anders,ranging in alcoholic content from 45% to 49% !

Mezcal is a drink that has come of age and deserves its rightfull place amongst other fine spirits.Because it has been such a closely guarded secret amongst the Mexican Hills for years and has only being sold outside of Mexico in the past decade or so , it is best introduced along with a peek into the rich Oaxacan culture that surrounds this drink.

I know one thing for sure when I plan a pre christmas dinner party I am going to make a cactus salad, use generous dollops of Gran Luchito honey on my crackers , serve some Oxacan stringy cheese( most of which I greedily plan to wolf down) and stock up on Arroqueno , the smooth and smoky taste is addictive without being overpowering.Oh yes and it made me feel so warm inside like an internal thermostat set to warm and toasty, didn’t need my coat on the way back …hummmm better than sake I say !

Image Courtesy: Gran Luchito

*With thanks to Gran Luchito for the invite. All opinions expressed and photographs used are, as always, my own, unless otherwise mentioned. No monetary compensation was provided.

An evening with Tesco’s Finest* and a recipe for a Sweet Pepper and Wild Mushroom Pie

October 28, 2013 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

When I was on my way to the Food Evening Taste Experience at Tesco Kensington last week little did I expect a detailed and informative presentation about how the Tesco Finest* range is created by a very passionate set of people who are proud to know all about how and where the ingredients are sourced from.Everything including the stunning new packaging has been planned well down to the last-minute detail.

There was a very tempting display of Tesco Finest* goodies and it was quite a test of self-control to not start munching on the goodies. We had various types of cheese, large variety of cold cuts, many different types of cakes ,chocolates and lot of exciting new variants of tea and coffee to dig into.

This event was to celebrate Tesco finest*range being relaunched.

Says Chrish Bush ,M.D – Tesco,U.K – ”In total, we’ll have over 1500 different products in our new finest* range and there’s a story to be told about them all. What we want to do though the new packaging and the way we talk about finest* is to show the passion, care and expertise that goes on behind the scenes to create great food.”

I most enjoyed sampling the cured ham and the various types of cheese,perfect for your Christmas Cheese board.The finest* blue Wensleydale which is handcrafted in the Yorkshire Dales , has its own unique culture that creates the blue vein and it also won supreme champion at the 2012 British Cheese Awards.

Tesco finest* blue Wensleydale supplier – Image Courtesy: Tesco

I was quite amazed to learn that the finest* Traditionally Smoked Haddock is smoked at a 100-year-old smokehouse in Lincolnshire. Joe Tummey started it up in the 1940s and has passed on all he knows to his son and grandson today. Years of using the same smokehouse makes the flavour even more intense. Boy I love-uh smoked haddock!!

The images above are courtesy Tesco

As I had earlier on in the day shopped at the mini Tesco near my place, I had given into the temptation of buying this single dark red sweet pepper from the Finest* range ,this in addition to the new pack of sweet peppers from my goody bag I decided to combine it with the mixed fresh wild mushroom pack also from my goody bag and made us a delicious pie for the weekend .

Image Courtesy: Tesco

I had some potatoes and a big pack of smoked bacon bits too and decided to make my own stock using some flour and a Knorr cube. This is a very hearty pie and you could mix in any spare veggies that you need to finish. It serves 4 ideally but it was so tasty that hubby and me almost licked the plate dry 😉

Sweet Pepper & Wild Mushroom Pie – Recipe using Tesco Finest*ingredients

Serves: 4 with sides or two hungry and greedy adults 🙂

Ingredients:

1 pack of mixed fresh WILD mushrooms from the Tesco Finest* range
1 pack of fresh sweet mini peppers from the Tesco Finest* range
200gm smoked bacon bits
2 large potatoes peeled and cut into thin discs like shapes
Butter 4 large tbsp
2 small red onion sliced lengthwise
3 heaped tbsp plain flour
1 Knorr Chicken Cube
1 Puff pastry sheet
8” pie dish

Method:

Line an 8 inch pie dish with butter and place the disc like slices of potatoes onto it to create a base. Now add the smoked bacon bits which have been sauteed in butter onto the potatoes.

Use the delicious dark brown juicy fat after you saute’ the bacon and cook the sliced onion, peppers and chopped mushrooms in the same saucepan, just add a generous squeeze of the garlic paste and sprinkle some paprika powder if you want to amp up the heat quotient.

Now when the peppers start to turn soft load this delicious mixture which I could eat on its own onto the smoked bacon layer in the pie dish, spread it all over the pie dish to create an even layer .Now in the same saucepan add a bib blob of butter and 3 heaped teaspoons of plain flour ,stir in some water and ensure all the lumps are broken and a thick smooth paste is formed ,stir on a very low flame and crush one cube of knorr chicken into this paste. This cube should ensure that the entire pie gets the exact amount of salt it needs. After 2- 3 minutes pour this thick stock onto the peppers and watch it seep down through the layers …ummm soo soo good!

Now seal of this beauty with a sheet of puff pastry and do some creative art on the top with leaves or heart shapes or whatever you like 😉

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes until the puff pastry has risen and separate crispy layers are visible and the top has browned to a beautiful golden brown.

The sweet pepper taste coupled with the chewy earthy mushroom and the rich dark mysterious flavours of the pan fried buttery smoked bacon are simply irresistible and I helped myself to a rather greedy second helping , all washed down nicely with a big bottle of Cava 🙂

This recipe is very quick and easy to prepare and if you want to do more than one pie you can just double up the ingredients and cook both pies together depending on how big an oven you have. Recommended sides are green peas , baby carrots and a generous helping of fresh and crunchy Iceberg lettuce salad leaves all smothered in a honey mustard dressing and topped off with freshly ground pepper and some sea salt . I can almost see a large table full of very happy and smiling guests over for a Saturday Pre-Christmas lunch. Just ensure you have plenty of blankets and amp up the heating at home as these happy guests are going to want a long nap after they tuck into your Sweet pepper & Wild mushroom pie!

Undoubtedly, the taste is enhanced by use of fresh ingredients !Many Thanks to the very cheerful and efficient team at Tesco Kensington and the efficient PR for a lovely evening, a generous goody bag and all the tipples 🙂

Salon du Chocolat’s first Chocolate Fashion Show in London

October 27, 2013 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

For any one with a sweet tooth going to a fashion show and watching models walk around in clothes made with chocolate is a pure test of resilience, thankfully I sampled almost all of the varied offering by master chocolatiers after to not feel deprived 😉

During National Chocolate Week – Salon du Chocolat’s world famous fashion show came to London for the first time.On Friday the 18th of October Chocolate Couture was its best with various world-renowned chocolatiers teaming up with designers and artists to present their creations live on the catwalk at the VIP Gala Evening.The venue was National Hall, Olympia ,at Kensington in London and before we (Nisha of My Kitchen Antics and Suchi of Kitchen Karma) went there we had quite enjoyed dressing up and doing our own hair and make up , after all ”girls just wanna have fun”, huh?

The weekend saw many events unfold like demonstrations, talks, interactive workshops from acclaimed chocolatiers and chefs including master patissier Eric Lanlard in action, Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and leading pastry chefs from Hakkasan and Le Manoir aux quat’saisons.

Lindt’s strapless chocolate dress weighed a whooping 50 kg and was made with chocolate and chilli.Called the “Eternal Diamond” it was designed by Graduate Fashion Week 2013 winner Lauren Smith:

My favourite though was this elegant and beautiful creation by Mark Tilling of Squires Kitchen.

Artisan du Chocolat’s ‘Alaya’ dress made by Sabina Motasem with white, caramel and dark chocolate, embellished with chocolate pearls and sugar diamonds and accessorised with a Kelly Spence tulle veil trimmed with intricate chocolate lace.

Fruitful Blooms who specialise in bespoke artistic chocolate creations created a chocolate bikini with matching cover up with British designer swimwear brand, Bikini Fling.

French patissier and chocolatier Les Sucreries de Mélodie’s sweet creation was adorned with cupcakes, macarons and edible brooches.

The chocolate bath had tell tale signs that some one had taken a dip in it and as I found out later ,sure enough earlier on in the evening a model had done exactly that!

Hotel Chocolat’s life size chocolate cocoa tree:

Some of the best chocolate companies from the UK and abroad such as Artisan du Chocolat, Paul a Young, Rococo, Hotel Chocolat, Paul Wayne Gregory, Marc Demarquette, Divine, Prestat, Lindt, Valrhona, Pralus and Bonnat offered tastings to lucky visitors.

Iain Burnett – The Highland chocolatiers intricately decorated designs made for a very pretty mixed box, apt for a very special gift idea indeed!

ChocoMe’s brilliant combinations and ever so tempting display of goodies had me drooling.

Comptoir du Cacao’s delicious offering are very tastefully packaged in very artistic packs, I love the brunette in a red scarf cycling past the Eiffel Tower and oh yes I tried ALL the yummy flavours 🙂

Am so glad I was sent a free entry ticket for the Chocolate Week and choose to go see the spectacular Fashion Show, was so much fun!

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney with Feta and Chickpeas Salad

October 20, 2013 by manjirichitnis 3 Comments

On a trip to one of my favourite supermarkets I purchased my first jar of caramelised red onion chutney. Coming from India my palate is well -acclimatised to red onions and their sharp sweet taste. The tangy taste and deep rich colour and versatility of this chutney got me hooked on this dish and I was using it ever so often.

Since then I had been planning to make this chutney at home and after scouring for recipes online, I found this interesting recipe by Fraser Doherty – The Super Jam Cookbook. It’s a basic and simple recipe yet perfect in proportion and that’s exactly what a great recipe should be.

It’s a perfect accompaniment for a good roast or in toasted sandwiches with a light soup during a cold wintry day. This chutney goes well with feta cheese and chickpea salad as it does with cheese and crackers. This is also my way of using all those empty glass jars that have been stacked behind various shelves in my tiny kitchen.

Averse to consuming chickpeas in popular Indian fare like ‘’Chole Bhature’’( a chickpea masala gravy with ‘’Bhature’’ which is huge, puffed fried fermented wheat bread). I find this a much healthier alternative to get my husband to eat chickpeas and get a nod of approval from my biggest critic 😉

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

8 red onions
1 red chilli
2 bay leaves
25ml olive oil
200g brown sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
150ml red wine vinegar

Method:

Chop the red onions into fine long slices. Slice the chilli into long thin slits. Heat the olive oil in the saucepan and add the bay leaf and chilli followed by the red onions. On a low flame stir continuously and cook for about 20 minutes.

The onions will change colour now and turn dark and the mixture will have reduced in volume. Now stir in the sugar first followed by the vinegar, I used dark muscovado sugar as I love the rich dark smoky flavour. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes and the chutney now turns sticky and thick.

While this is simmering, sterilise all those glass bottles and store the chutney in them. It takes a month for the flavour to mature fully.

Chutney close up in tiny bonne mamon jar

Feta Cheese and Chickpea Salad

Serves 4 as a side with a main meal

Ingredients:

120g chickpeas (That’s half a can of tinned chickpeas ready to eat)
120g packet of crunchy salad leaves
100g feta cheese
A pinch of Maldon sea salt
Half a red onion sliced thin and lengthwise
Few cherry tomatoes
Few small boiled potatoes
Some slices of colourful peppers

Method:

Create a bed of leaves and throw in the chickpeas and other ingredients. A generous dollop of the caramelised red onion chutney in this salad will offset the feta cheese beautifully. It’s great for a meatless Monday lunch or a perfect accompaniment for a big family Sunday lunch.

The best part of making this chutney is that I get to give some to my friends, sharing is fun isn’t it?

Cocktails at The Gilbert Scott,London (Permanently Closed)

October 15, 2013 by manjirichitnis 4 Comments

During the Social Media Week I attended the Food Photography Workshop organised by Great British Chefs. The venue was the Google Local London Office which offers a stunning view of London. This was a very sought after free event and a bunch of us who were looking at tips on improving our food photography skills were amongst the bloggers who got some useful tips from David Griffen. Do pop over to his blog (click the hyperlink) to see some of his stunning work. Food and Drinks were courtesy The Gilbert Scott and Michellin starred Chef Marcus Wareing who spoke to all of us.

One of the treats in our goody bag for the evening was an invite to The Gilbert Scott for a free cocktail.So a bunch of us food bloggers teamed up and decided to go make a party of it! The Gilbert Scott kindly offered to take us girls on a guided tour of the beautiful Victorian restaurant complete with more than a peek at the private dinning hall and hold your breath ….. the Kitchen! Ah!

I cannot stop romancing old buildings and the Gothic Revival architectural style used by Scott is proof that old really is gold. Having spent the better part of my afternoon walking around St. Pancras International station I did manage to click a lot of photos of the exterior of the hotel, here’s one and to see the rest please go to my Flickr stream.

I was sitting quietly at a high stool at Cafe’ Nero just outside the hotel waiting for the gang to arrive and assemble near the huge and awe-inspiring Lovers statue at St.Pancras , I heard a tourist ask the barista where the ”Harry Potter thing” was … little did I know that while on tour a few minutes later the restaurant Manager Mark Cesareo was to reveal that some part of the movie was filmed inside the grand building. No wonder then that the staircase reminded me of the shifting staircase at Hogwarts?Agree?

Side top view of the staircase in the Hotel

To be part of a The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London is no mean feat. Every tile and archway speak of contemporary grandeur. 138 years after the Midland Grand Hotel originally opened it doors people in May 2011 the new avatar was unveiled – painstakingly restored as part of a multi-million pound restoration project.

When architect Gilbert Scott’s dazzling architectural masterpiece finally opened it doors to people, that many years ago it also created several new benchmarks in the hospitality industry. The most stellar improvement happened in 1899 – a specially designed revolving door was fitted in the hall entrance which was supplied by the inventor of the revolving door, Theophilus Van Kannel.

Another proof of Scotts brilliant design and solid build lies in the fact that this iconic building has weathered two world wars and still stands tall, strong and proud to this day. It’s really shocking to know that during WWII it was bombed three times in one month!

Contrary to what I thought the private dining room would be, it was a very cosy and comely room. This beautiful copper kettle caught my eye.

Image Courtesy :The Gilbert Scott

Image Courtesy :The Gilbert Scott

Next on the tour – The Gilbert Scott dining room – A beautiful piano in one corner and gilded frames set the mood for a warm dinning experience. Understated opulence belie the history that seems to pour out of every detail of the high ceiling.

Image Courtesy :The Gilbert Scott

New meets old in as non-invasive a manner and restoration efforts seem to have retained as much of the old world charm as possible.The famous stairway in the photo below featured in a Spice girl video. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful staircase which seems to vine around an imaginary axis, an other worldly feeling hangs heavy in the air and of you close your eyes you can even imagine women in beautiful period clothing sashaying around while somewhere in the background faint piano notes fill the invisible pockets in the air….

(If I was you I would simply imagine the photo above is perfect and Mark is not in the photo … *grins*)

Down in the kitchen next I quickly snap out of my reverie, it’s squeaky clean, professional and busy , very busy. No space is wasted here – no sir! Every inch of the walls at the back are used to store a large variety of fine wines and champagnes.I would love to savour a Glenmorangie 25 year…I had my first ever taste of Glenmorangie when my pa opened a bottle to celebrate the double wedding ….ummm good, old times 🙂

The Kitchen Table is available to hire for a private dining experience,it is something else I tell ya 🙂

Image Courtesy :The Gilbert Scott

When we settled down at our table at the Bar it felt good to clink glasses and bite into some tasty bites. It was the 1873 cocktail for all , except me …. I did have to go off alcohol during the London Cocktail Week……to compensate I had two mocktails 😉

Image Courtesy :The Gilbert Scott

Peeking out of a corner behind our table is a sigh which reads ”POST” it part of the old bits that was found during restoration and thankfully they let it be… if you look at it long enough I assure you it will take you back in time and you might even hear a horse carriage ….a flashback into the Victorian era if you will…

Image Credit here

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Day of the Dead celebration with Gran Luchito & Mezcal tasting

An evening with Tesco’s Finest* and a recipe for a Sweet Pepper and Wild Mushroom Pie

Salon du Chocolat’s first Chocolate Fashion Show in London

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney with Feta and Chickpeas Salad

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney

Feta Cheese and Chickpea Salad

Cocktails at The Gilbert Scott,London (Permanently Closed)

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