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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Ramadan special-My Apple, Fig and bread pudding, served with Vanilla ice-cream and honey


I love baking and even more, I like to try out something which I can make and serve without much ado. So today, I'm going to tell you how to bake a delicious, golden brown Apple, Fig and Bread pudding. 

Want even more 'deliciousness'? Serve it hot, topped with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey.






So here it is, the recipe and the method. Do let me know what you think and it would be even better, if you actually try it and let me have your feedback..












Ingredients

Three slices of wholemeal/brown bread
I apple sliced
6 small figs
1 and a 1/2  cups  milk
1 egg
1 tsp   vanilla essence
Brown Sugar- 2  tablespoons



Method 

Pre heat oven to 150 degrees and set timer for 32 mins.

Set the three slices of bread cut evenly into squares on an oven proof glass dish which has been lined with oil/butter.

Add the figs which have been roughly chopped.

Slice apple finely and cover with the juice of one lemon to prevent dis colouration.

Soak the bread slices with the milk, egg, sugar  and the vanilla essence mix which should have been beaten with a fork to achieve a  smooth consistency.



Leave for 3-5 minutes to ensure that the slices are softened.

Decorate with the apple slices.




All set for popping into the  oven


Put into the pre-heated oven and wait till the timer pings on completion of 32 minutes.( You may want to leave it for an additional 2-3 mins if you want more of a golden brown look.)



Bake till top is golden brown


The Apple, fig and bread pudding is ready!


To Serve

Cut into portions and serve in a bowl.


The best way that I can recommend is to add one scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a teaspoon of honey.


Even more delicious, topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream and a drizzle of honey

Sit back and enjoy with a steaming  Cappuccino...

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A visit to Shakespeare and Company, the most iconic bookshop in Paris followed by dinner on the Left Bank


'Food for Thought' is now exactly one month and 12 posts old and to mark that I thought it was only fitting that I return to the place from where I began writing this blog - Paris. 

There are some evenings that are etched in  one's memory forever and this post is about is one such evening.It was almost ten pm and we had finished a tour of Notre Dame Cathedral where the atmosphere had been almost like a carnival. The sky was just beginning to be tinged with the darkening hues of pink turning to beautiful shades of purple when we started our walk towards the Left Bank. The idea was to have our dinner and head back home because the next day was going to be packed with a whole lot of action.

It was a lovely  evening as we started the walk from Notre Dame towards the Left Bank
About one km later, our daughter Neha pointed towards this quaint little bookstore and asked me, 'You remember those two lovely books I had told you about? This is the shop where I got those  books for free. I looked up at the sign and realized that we were standing right outside Shakespeare and Company, the most iconic bookstore in France, if not in all of Europe! To say that I was excited was probably an understatement and short of rushing into the store, I did just about everything else!

Shakespeare and Company in Paris is exactly what my dream bookstore has always been but this was the first time that the dream had turned into reality.The view from the front window of the ramshackle bookstore looks out past a few trees to the river Seine and beyond to Notre Dame, towering high on the Ile de la Cité. No. 37 rue de la Bûcherie is home to Shakespeare & Company, a Parisian writers’ and readers’ institution whose longtime owner, American-born George Whitman, lived in a third-floor apartment above the shop until his death last December. Before George, the neighborhood, one of the oldest in Paris, was occupied by a monastery.


Reaching the iconic book shop, Shakespeare and Company


The original shop, which doubled as a library, publisher and boarding house for aspiring writers, was opened by American Sylvia Beach and was featured in Ernest Hemingway's memoir, A Moveable Feast. The store closed during World War II, and was re-opened in its current incarnation in 1951 by George Whitman, whose daughter, Sylvia runs the store now. Out front, book stands surround an ornate drinking fountain.Inside, there's an extensive stock of new and second-hand books.There are books and then there are even more books, as far as the eye can see. The best part about the display are the charming nooks and corners which are beautifully lit up to showcase the best possible books from all over the world.You can settle down to read, you can touch, you can feel the books and no one will ask you why. And that's exactly what a real book store has always meant to me!


Once the haunt of famed French writers like Voltaire,Rousseau, Verlaine and Americans such as Ernest Hemingway,James Joyce, and Stein, its walls are adorned with author-signed title pages.There is a section upstairs with very old books as well. Seats are few and if you are walking through the shop, you will realize that its really quite narrow so prepare yourself to bend, twist and enjoy as you make your way through.The shop opens only at noon  and remains open till very late, almost right till midnight on many days.


Feel that buzz?
I love that sign!

The original reception desk, used even today


After some research, I learnt that people still live at the store today. Moments after closing time almost at 12 midnight, the residents move piles of books aside and sleep on makeshift beds that double as book display platforms during the day. Under Sylvia’s management, the tradition continues at the “Hotel Tumbleweed”, a nickname for the overnight operations.The general rule is that you are allowed to sleep in the store if you are a writer, musician, artist or a young woman.In the old days, the first step toward entry was to show George your manuscript, write a short autobiography and, if he approved, you were in rent-free, in exchange for working the check-out desk, re-shelving books, cleaning and errand-running. Under Sylvia, Shakespeare & Company’s renaissance is now in full swing.


The Old Smoky Reading Room

Shakespeare and Company, is the place to go to find the best selection of English books in Paris while also serving as a monument to the "lost generation."The best part is that rusty or sometimes, semi rusty typewriters and cushioned benches continue to be available to those artists and students in need.The English-language writing workshops are also immensely popular, and every two years a prominent literary festival called "Festival & Co" is organized by the bookshop.


The Blue Oyster Tearoom






Readings, workshops and music events are regularly scheduled. She’s launched Shakespeare  & Co’s Paris Literary Prize, a €10,000 award for a novella by an unpublished author. And since 2003, four glittering festivals have begun to attract galaxies of international literary stars back to Shakespeare’s little shop on the Seine.


LittleTequila the Pug, the star attraction  outside


Warm, welcoming and wonderful 


Almost an hour had gone by since I'd entered the shop and it was only the growling in my tummy that  reminded me of how hungry I was. And with that it was a reluctant goodbye to this lovely shop and joining the family all of whom had been waiting patiently for me to emerge.A short walk brought us  to this very warm and welcoming scene, a Cafe restaurant la bucherie,  where a friendly waitress took our orders , promising to be very quick to serve.  
I loved the Menu
This little cafe was also the place where I saw the largest cocktail  I'd ever seen in my life and was just beginning to wonder if anyone ever drank something like this, when the guests at two adjoining tables placed orders for one each.Needless to say, two people shared one, but I am still surprised!
The Giant cocktail, a specialty of the house


When the meal arrived, it took our breath away!


  1.                  My dinner,  a Croque-monsieur

















I'd placed an order for a 'Croque monsieur', and was delighted when it was served !( the name is based on the verb croquer and the word monsieur)
 a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. It originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. Typically, Emmental or Gruyère cheese is used. 

That was one of the best meals we'd ever eaten and coupled with the opportunity to see and experience Shakespeare and Company, makes it one of the most memorable evenings of my life...





Shakespeare and Company, more details-

Address-37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5th,  





Sunday, July 21, 2013

Just some of the reasons why I love Darcy's Kitchen and some more 'Food For Thought'

We all have a place that we love to head towards time and again. A place where we can just sit  and have a chat with friends over a cup of tea, coffee or enjoy a quick meal. Or if you will, sit out in the sun,  basking in the warmth of the venue, but even more, the sheer pleasure of being in a place where each member of the staff is keenly attuned to your individual preferences and greets you like a long lost friend.

Darcys MQ, Quaint, beautifully decorated and serving the best coffee


I've got exactly one such place and its probably where I spend the most amount of time, outside my own home. This charming little cafe is called 'Darcys Kitchen' and its located at Madinat Qaboos (MQ) in Muscat.

'My Take' with a Cappuccino

While I'm fairly engrossed  in my book, magazine or newspaper if I'm alone here, or chatting animatedly with friends or family in other situations, I  do take a look around and nod at a familiar face every now and then. Most of the customers are regulars just like me and over a period one gets to know them somewhat too.


But then there are the other faces that seem somewhat out of place and that is exactly the reason why they stay in the mind. Every other time that I'm there, I see a 35' ish local man, who has a slight limp- and if one looks at him closely, doesn't seem to be entirely normal. Now I don't know why that is so, but one generally avoids making eye contact with him, for fear of...? I really don't have the answer here, but am just sharing my  thoughts. And believe me, I'm not the only one there who does this, its probably the majority of others present too.As for the staff, I've noticed that they sat him in a quiet corner where he's served a cup of tea and a small bite and after a short respite, he's off and on his way..

But last weekend saw a departure from the norm. My husband and myself were sitting outside and having our scones and tea and this man walked out.It was evident that he'd finished and was leaving. But here's the real surprise. Just as he reached the small gate which serves as the exit and entry point, he stopped, looked directly at us and waved goodbye. I too waved back instinctively.

I really don't know what it was about that simple gesture, but it touched me a great deal. For all the times, I'd thought of him as 'not exactly normal" he'd been seeing and focusing on me as a person who he'd learnt to recognize. Then one day, he actually reacted and how!

I find myself thinking of him every now and then. And have made up my mind that I will have a real conversation with him when I see him next.

Just one more reason to head back to Darcy's!!






NB- This piece was originally written for 'My Take' in Muscat Daily

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Food for Thought- Ever thought of what happens after that Buffet lunch you went to?

Say you go to a lovely buffet lunch or a dinner.Where the table is groaning with a delightful spread.And you love the look of it all.

But even more, you love the taste of it all..



Accompaniments for a delightful Arabic spread


Yes, it really does look good!


So you do, what most of us would naturally do in such circumstances.

Eat just a a little bit or possibly, a lot more than you would normally. Which is fine, because it really is an exception.

But have you ever thought of what happens to all that lovely looking and tasting food after that?

Well this is what I learnt recently and it really made me wake up to a new reality, one that I wasn't aware of earlier. Here in Oman, we have very strict food and hygiene regulations.Because food standards of freshness, cleanliness etc are very carefully monitored by the concerned authorities.So it follows that all the food after an event, ( particularly all non veg items) are just put into big black garbage bags.And just thrown away.


Makes me really wonder, is that too much of a good thing?

Or then, how many hungry people all over the world, could fill their stomachs and get a peaceful night's sleep?

Questions, questions, questions...
With few, if any answers.....

Monday, July 15, 2013

A day in the life of Pastry Chef Mohammed Kessrwani of Paul, Muscat


A few days ago, I wrote my first blog post on Paul, Muscat.It was titled 'Baking Bread The Paul Way' and I'm happy to know that you have enjoyed reading it. Here is my second post, 'A day in the life of Pastry Chef Mohammed Kessrwani of Paul, Muscat' and hope you enjoy reading this one as well.
A  quick background on Paul-Paul is a French chain of bakeries and café restaurants established in 1889 in the city of Croix, in Northern France by Charlemagne Mayot. Today, there are over 500 franchised Paul bakery/café restaurants in many countries worldwide, viz.France, Spain, Belgium, United Kingdom,  Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Japan, Taiwan, Jordan, China Egypt and the USA. This year Paul came to Muscat in Oman and has rapidly proved to be a very welcome addition to the range of restaurants already present here.

A glimpse of my two day stint observing and photographing the

operations at Paul Muscat


 A ‘regular’ Paul specializes in serving French products and the range of items  available include pastries, cakes, croissants, sandwiches, soups, quiches, tarts, crepes, eggs, and over 140 types of bread. In some countries, some restaurants also serve  tea, wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks and coffee based drinks.


Chef Mohammed Kessrwani is all smiles

 Having a sweet tooth and being fond of baking myself, I'd specially asked to meet the Pastry Chef and that was how I found myself in the kitchens of Paul Muscat at 0730 hours and when I entered, was surprised to see Chef Mohammed Kessrwani already hard at work! Welcoming me and making sure I was wearing a cap to cover my hair, he positioned me where I could watch him clearly and had no objections to being photographed at his work station. My first impression was,'Gosh he looks so young!" 

And that was proved to be right when I learnt that he was 29 and had been working in Pastry for the last 14 years! 

Chef Mohammed Kessrwani has just finished the tarts


And the mouthwatering array of eclairs
As he tells it, "I come from a family which has been involved with pastry for some time now.My brother in law and some close relatives work in pastry in Lebanon and as a child there was nothing I loved to do more than watching them at work. It was the look of what they painstakingly crafted, but even more than that, the wonderful smells that accompanied what they did, that had me hooked to it. And at the very first chance I got, I joined as an apprentice at one of the local bakeries in my hometown in and eventually got a lucky break at Paul in Lebanon.Since then I have worked at Paul Dubai, trained as a Chocolatier, then worked as one in Dubai and am now working at Paul Muscat ever since it opened in Feb."

Looking around me as I watched him totally in command of what he did as the Pastry Chef of a very large restaurant such as this one, I could clearly see that he has come a  very long way since he was 14, and now has the overall responsibility of preparing and stocking the entire range of pastry and cakes for the day. 

Entering the kitchens for a shift that  runs from 4 am to 12 noon, he manages the entire range and how! When I entered the kitchen, he was putting the finishing touches to the cheesecakes and they were soon in the refrigerated trays in the cabinet just behind, ready for the shop assistants and waitresses to take out and slice as required by the customers.  

Making sure that all is in shape.

Fine-tuning and layering, oh so neatly!

Adding the cheesecake topping as well as the fruit

That was followed by the individual tarts, chocolate, as well as vanilla and watching him do that was  an extremely fascinating experience. For one, he was so very neat and efficient. For another, he was so quick- twenty minutes and a large tray of tarts was ready with the glaze as well as the fruit topping superbly arranged !

See the neat surface? 
All ready for service , plating and delighted customers!
A closer look:)
I decided to take a short break and head out towards the display and sale area- it was about 10 am by now and the restaurant was already buzzing with customers- coffee and cakes being the main item on the menu at almost every table that I could see. And this is what it looked like from the other side- absolutely delightful.. 

The view from the other side

There is a lot more that I learnt from Chef Mohammed and was invited by him the next day as well when I had the privilege of an exclusive demo of a  delightful 'Millefoit', but will tell you that story another day.

I'm closing for today with my take on Chef Mohammed that day  and  I left with his  words ringing in my ears.

"I passionately love working with pastry.I don't care how tired I may be for as long as I'm working, I'm happy. Its when I go back and have nothing much to do, that I start feeling the aches  and a sense of emptiness. Can't wait to get back to work the next day!"

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and why French pastry is the best in the world..


“The fate of nations hangs upon their choice of food, wrote Jean Anthome Brillat Savarin, the great philosopher of gastronomy and nowhere is this statement more accurately reflected than in Paris.Paris breathes culinary excellence at every corner: its open-air markets, bistros, and boulangeries, the ideal location to learn about gastronomy, regional products and to absorb France’s culture. And I'm not wrong when I say that the best place to learn about all this and then some is at the Le Cordon Bleu, and  has seen thousands of the best chefs in cuisine and pastry all over the world, walk out of its doors.



Founded in 1895, with its motto ‘A commitment to excellence since 1895’ Le Cordon Bleu Paris attracts students from all over the world. The best students can obtain internships in Parisian establishments, an invaluable work experience which will reflect in future professional pursuits. All courses are taught in French and translated into English.Pâtisserie Supérieure student exams are judged by Chef Instructors as well as guest judges from the culinary industry, who grade each entry on presentation, organization, presentation, and taste. 

On this trip to Paris, we had the privilege of watching our daughter Neha graduate from this very world renowned Le Cordon Bleu, Paris with a Diplome de Patisserie on June 6, a glorious afternoon at a beautiful and touching ceremony held at the Westin Hotel. Watching her receive the medal, the blue ribbon and the chef’s hat was one of the most memorable moments of our lives. Since then, Neha has started an internship at a leading patisserie in Paris and is putting all the skills learnt at Le Cordon Bleu to very good use.
Neha graduates from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris

Here’s a very interesting little story about the origins of this blue ribbon.In 1578 King Henri the third of France established the Holy Spirit. The knights of this order were identified by wearing a cross on a blue ribbon.This elite group set very high standards in matters of the table and soon the notion of this blue ribbon became synonymous with skills of the highest caliber in culinary excellence.


While I have done an exclusive feature for the Oman based 'Woman' magazine for its August issue due out shortly and will share the link on 'Food For Thought' once the issue is released, this post is based on my meeting and interview with  two of the most senior chefs at the school-Chef Jean –Francois Deguignet, Chef Patissier and Chef Philippe Clergue, Chef de cuisine and got some very interesting insights from them. I'm sharing some excerpts with all of you here -



Chef Jean –Francois Deguignet, Chef Patissier and Chef Philippe Clergue, Chef de cuisine


To my query on what it was at  Le Cordon Bleu  that really sets them apart from all others Chef Deguignet told me, “It is the sharing of passion, focusing on technique, training, visualizing and practice that sets us apart. These are short and very intensive courses and it is the hands on practical classes that teach a great deal to all students.”

Chef Phillipe Clergue added,“The basic level is extremely important as it is a really big job for the chefs and instructors to bring and put all the students at the same level. In any practical batch, there are only between 10-14 students and that is what makes it really unique. In the Superior cuisine one of the exercises is to create a recipe from a list of ingredients provided. In between, the students are encouraged to come to the chefs , discuss the details and then create  their recipe”.

Chef Deguignet- “In Superior Pastry it is different as its not about their creations, This is where they have to precisely follow what the recipe says. It is good to use the Internet and learn more and more that way. It is really great for visuals and everything can be experienced online, except for the taste. That is why we encourage students to go in for an internship where they have a chance to learn more as well as practice what they have learnt.”

I was keen to learn  that over all their years of experience of 20-30 years, how many and what kind of innovations had been introduced in the curriculum and techniques at LCB and was delighted with their responses.

Chef Philippe- “Molecular gastronomy is being introduced at a rapid pace. While the e chefs at LCB are the ambassadors of classic techniques, they have to keep up with the changing trends over a period of time. e.g vacuum packing and molecular cuisine all come under that umbrella. We are all open-minded and this is particularly evident when the students reach the Superior level. What is really most important is to learn the classical techniques and once they master it, they can move on. It is just like in music, once students learn the DO- RE-MI, they can learn more as well as differently.”

Chef Deguignet“It is comparatively easy receive a Diploma but difficult to stay in the business. As part of my own personal growth and development I am a part of a group called the ‘Sugar Men’ who meet periodically and discuss the ever growing trends in the Pastry business.”

And finally to my query on how they compare French pastry to that from the USA, UK or other countries?
Chef Deguignet sealed it with a superb response- “There is a very famous old saying, ‘ Desserts are universal but pastry is French!”

Need I say any more?