Cooking with the Tadka Girls- Pasta in lemon pepper sauce!

Few weeks or maybe a month ago, I read a blog post by a friend in which she had mentioned this book "Around The World With The Tadka Girls [Ruchira Ramanujam, Ranjini Rao]".We spoke about the book to a point where she mentioned it was a good book to have, not only were the recipes good, they were easy to make and the ingredients were all simple ones [most of which we would have around the kitchen]

Two weeks ago,I was at a bookstore, when I called this friend asking about the title of the book. Another friend who was with me exclaimed on seeing the book in my hand. We decided to buy a copy and share the book! 

Day before, when I was wondering what to make for dinner, I decided to refer the book. Spotted a Fettucine and prawns recipe, read through it and went ahead to tweak the recipe a bit [since am a vegetarian, i chose to replace prawns with vegetables].. It turned out beautiful, took less than 15mins to cook and I loved the tangy peppery flavours.

The Recipe!

Ingredients-

Farfalle pasta- 1 cup

Onion- 1

Garlic- 3 pods

Thyme/mixed herbs- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Black pepper- 2 tsp

Oil- as much as required

Butter- 1 small cube

Water- enough to boil the pasta in

Vegetables- mushroom, baby corn, carrots and capsicum [green, yellow & red]

Lemon/lime juice- 1.5 tsp

Lemon/lime rind/peel- 1 tsp

Method:

In a pot, add water, salt and oil- add the pasta and allow it to cook. I added the baby corn to this as it takes a while to cook.Strain and keep aside. Dont throw away all the water, keep 1/2 cup aside. 

In another pan, add the butter and oil, saute the garlic and onion for a few minutes. 

Add the chopped vegetables and saute till they cook

Now, add the salt, black pepper and herbs

Once the vegetables are well done, toss in the cooked pasta and mix well.

Squeeze in the lime juice and add the lime ride/peel[either grate it or chip finely]

Add 2 tbsp of pasta boiled water and turn off heat when all come together.

Serve hot!

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That Madras Place, adyar, chennai

Once Bitten, Twice shy..

Twice bitten, lifetime wary!! 

Well, looks like this is what I need to follow for this particular place. 

Let me take you back in time, not too long ago, two friends headed out to lunch, and it was one girl's Happy Birthday.. We enjoyed a relaxed time at the spa and then for lunch, decided to try out the new place in town. It was called "That Madras Place" and is located in Indira Nagar, Adyar, in the road opp Nilgiris [Ambica appalam signal]. We found the place, walked int to see a huge wall with graffiti of all sorts, eclectic furniture, mix and matched chairs and cushions. Quite liked it as we were still hungover from our Jaipur trip.. 

Found a table, and scanned the single page menu to identify dishes that we wanted to have. We chose the Madras Poutine for starters [it was french fries with cheddar cheese, garlic and jalepenos]. It was quite good, and a large portion at that. Subsequently, for the mains, we chose pasta. Friend opted for her usual Aglio E Olio with Penne. I opted for another pasta in mushroom sauce. My friend requested the waiter to add some veggies to it for which he responded saying "it doesnt come with veggies, but shall get you some" and then few minutes later the dishes arrived at the table, sans veggies. The owner walked over asked us if we wanted veggies, proceeded to once again repeat what the staff had said earlier and we then said "No it is ok, we dont want veggies, we are ok". 

After two bites, she nudged me and pointed out to the hair that was in her pasta. We looked around, couldnt find anyone, and so kept that aside and continued with the meal. We decided to skip dessert but were offered a Blondie by the owner esp since it was my Birthday... it was good, but too sweet [white chocolate] 

The bill worked out to about 1600 Rs, which is not cheap... We left the place with mixed views and wondered if we would ever come back here.. Subsequently, I spoke to quite a few friends who had visited here and had similar views as us. Few others had also found hair in their food, service botchy and pricey. 

Last evening, friend came over with her hubby and son and announced that I was not to cook and we will head out somewhere.. Some act of fate and they picked That Madras Place! We decided to put our 1st experience behind and give the place another shot! But sadly, it is probably my last visit here. 

What happened you ask? Well after ordering Dynabites [ cheese jalepeno fried balls], for the main course, friend ordered the same Aglio E Olio for herself, Pasta Alfredo for her son. I ordered pumpkin ravioli( in lemon butter sauce) while my friend ordered chicken ravioli(in arabiata sauce).. Few mins later we were served our dishes. I took a bite of the ravioli and kinda knew it wasn't pumpkin and was most likely chicken(white chewy piece inside ravioli) & then Friend broke one ravioli to find pumpkin. We hailed a staff and after 10 mins we were served right dishes with an apology.. The man who was taking orders came over, smiled and said hopefully the meal is good and went away with that smile [marketing smile] 

The final correct dish- Pumpkin Raviolli in lemon butter sauce

I dint raise a hoohaa though I was beyond pissed off. Wth! Serving the wrong dish is one thing, but a Vegetarian served a non-veg dish is just inexcusable according to me.. I could imagine few other friends would have reacted in such a situation.  

Do I let this goof up slide? Yes, the final dish that came tasted good but my mood was off..  What would you do? The owner who was there, and am sure was aware of the goof up dint bother coming over to speak to us or apologise... 

Oh well... I guess one customer less does not matter to them~!! Considering the place does get quite a crowd, I even overheard the guy in the next table say "we saw and read reviews on zomato and decided to come here for dinner".... 

That Madras Place

34/29, 2nd Main Road, Kasturibai Nagar, 

Adyar, Chennai 

Ph: 044 42614380

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Pasta Bar Veneto rolls out new dishes..

When you think of something or someone, it is true that you end up seeing them often or that thing everywhere you go. Similarly, I haven’t been to Pasta Bar Veneto in ages, the 1^stvisit was years ago and in Alsa Mall. And then a brief visit to their outlet in Pondy. 2 weeks got the opportunity to visit the outlet in Burkitt Road. Who would have thought I would be back there once again. Yes it happened last evening!

Unlike earlier, these days I don’t mind going anywhere. Most places are a hop skip or jump away. It took me just about 12 mins to reach Burkitt Road from home and I was there before 7.30pm. Spotted the gang, said Hi hello, and everything else and we took a booth on the right side of the restaurant. We were greeted and shown the menu, including the new dishes that had been recently included. An interesting thing about the menu card here is that all the dishes have a code next to them.  Such a blessing, as it makes it easy for people who have difficulty in pronouncing the names to order. I shall take the G9 or E17 and your dish arrives with no confusion!!

We started the evening by ordering a few beverages. Hot chocolate, fresh lime soda salt [my standard order] and Green apple mojito. The hot chocolate came in the most gorgeous mugs and looked yumm.. I slurped my lime soda with glee and the mojito was also good [tad sweet for my liking]. With a little one to keep us smiling, we started the evening on a high note. While we flipped through the menu, our eyes locked at the Zuppa section [Soups]especially the Zuppa di Arachidi Zucca [pumpkin soup] [C3], and the other option was Zuppa di pollo [chicken soup] [C5]. I loved the pumpkin soup, but felt it was a tad salty [probably cos of the herbs that were sprinkled on top which had a bit of salt in them]..

Moving on, for starters we were served a crostini platter- two kinds- one with peas & potato[A4] and other had mushrooms & cheese[A5]. The former was a tad mushy and bland while later was good. We also tried their other mushroom starter- Funghi Saltati con pesto [ mushrooms tossed in garlic and cooked with pesto]-[A8], the pesto was very subtle in this, but being a mushroom freak, I loved it.

And then came the plates filled with more starters, 2 non veg and one more veg.. The veg was Brocolli and cheese grill [A9] which was yumm, the broccoli had been cooked just right. The non veg eaters had fish fingers[A14], pigs in a blanket except here it was chicken[A12]  and prawns batter fried. Amidst the food, we also chatted with the manager about the new dishes and asked him for recco for the main course. After much deliberation, we decided to go with 4 different dishes..

I chose the Macaroni & Corn bake  [D4], which was served alongside a slice of bread and it was quite good. It is quite a large portion and filled with corn and spinach as well, a tinge of red chilli that added to the flavours. The others went for non veg dishes- Panna con prosccuitto di pollo e piselli  [Cavatappi pasta[longer twisted version of macaroni]cooked with chicken ham and chicken sausages in white sauce], Salsa rosso con pollo  e funghi[E19]- grilled chicken, red paprika and mushroom that had been tossed in peri peri spicy sauce which was ordered with fettucini pasta and finally, the Involtini di pollo ripieno [F3] which was stuffed chicken breast on a thick tomato creamy sauce served with a side of grilled veggies. The main dishes were good….

Before we knew it, time had flown by and it was nearly 9.30. We quickly ordered desserts-   I chose the Apple Strudel with vanilla cream [I14], the others chosen were Mud pie [I6], Pizza dolce [ fruit pizza] [I2] and Poached pear in berry soup [I5]. Loved mine and the poached pear the best. The pizza was alright, dint like the texture and thickness of the sweet focaccia bread and the mud pie was confusing.

And with that the evening was done!! We had a  good time needless to say- good company, good ambiance, amazing music [yes i knew most of the songs J] and good food..

I would definitely recommend the Pumpkin soup and poached pear to anyone who is curious about Pasta Bar Veneto.  J

Address:

OLD No 59,New No #32,, Burkit Road,T.Nagar  Burkit Rd, Parthasarathy Puram, Thiyagaraya Nagar, Chennai, TN 600017

Ph- 044 4212 6680

Website: http://www.thepastabarveneto.com

Directions: Get into Venkatnarayana road, and go all the way down, and take the last but one right. Within 200yards you will find Pasta Bar Veneto on your right, adj to Canara bank 

Psst- the numbers in the bracket are the code for the dishes!! :D 

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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Tuscana.. un'altra [once more]

 For someone who has been bitten by the travel bug, am one of those who enjoys visiting new places everything I plan a trip. But since I was not really travelling, but just revisiting a familiar cuisine, I was ok to head back to Tuscana in Wallace Garden. This is a slightly smaller place when compared to the one on Chamiers Road. 

I have been here quite a number of times, sometimes with friends and other times for a meeting. This is the restaurant that introduced me to thin crust pizzas and panna cotta. From then on, I have had these dishes numerous times and quite like them. 

Another thing that was going to be different about tonight was that there was a new lady in the house, Neha had left and Priyanka was in her place. She wanted to meet the gang and introduce us to some of the new dishes that had found its place on the menu.

We were seated in the room near the pizza oven, which had quite a rustic interior. The walls were covered with paintings made by specially abled people and were up for sale. And then suddenly the  place was pitch dark, power had gone. But luckily restored in a few minutes! By then all had arrived and finally the evening was on its way. The 1st to arrive was an appetizer of sorts- a plate with crisp pizza base served alongside a tomato dip and some cut veggies. We were all quite hungry and the plates were polished within moinutes. Next up arrived the hot juicy garlic bread, it was called Baguette all’Aglio and was oozing with butter and garlic.  We had quite a few of these, which shows how hungry we all were.

Thankfully, there came along plates of fresh salads- Insalata Caprese and Insalata Toscana. the1st was a salad that we all loved- fresh slices of mozerella cheese, tomato, basil, and crisp chips. The other salad was a total contrast, it had heaps of lettuce, olives, crunchy pears, cheese and a splash of Chives.   

As the conversation flowed, we went through one more round of black out and then came the pizzas. There were quite a few pizzas, one with a variety of veggies- colour capsicums & onion, then came the Chilli pizza which I felt was quite spicy [ couldnt even finish the 1 tiny slice I cut, the heat of jalepenos was a killer in this] and I have lost count of how many glasses of water I gulped down. Phew... 

Along came the pastas, showing off their flavours and hogging the limelight.. First up was the Alla Norma (Gluten Free penne).. Next up, put your hands together for the show stopped, the winner of the evening- Aglio Aromatizzata, fettuccine that was filled with oomph. What a way to end the meal.

 Oh wait, i see something squarish small arriving on a plate. What is it? it is a chocolate cake? or was it a tiramisu.. Yes, it is a tiramisu, served alongside some gooey custard it was heaven. Unfortunately I cant say the same about its friend, the expresso panna cotta- dint like it too much, and the texture was tad weird as well, we literally had to cut through it to take a bite.  

And with that ladies and gentlemen we shall draw the curtains on yet another evening.. Was it good? Was it bad? well, it was definitely somber, the entire evening was missing the usual buzz and energy.. wonder why!! 

Tuscana is a place you to go for the thin crust pizzas and interesting salads. 

Add:

Wallace Garden 3rd St, Thousand Lights

Chennai, TN

044 4503 8008

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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California Pizza Kitchen

It was Saturday evening when a friend- Av popped in Whatsapp and announced that CPK was opening the subsequent Monday. For those who are unaware, CPK is California Pizza Kitchen. The two times I have been to Phoenix I noticed the huge banner with a “coming soon” on it. After our Bangalore trip, I learnt that CPK serves alcohol and so maybe they were waiting for license [just as HRC has been waiting]. But alas., they have given up or not pursued the same, for they are open in Phoenix Market City, Velachery.

So, coming back to the Saturday evening, this friend & I decided we will do Monday night dinner at CPK. Most others were tied up and we froze our plan. On Sunday evening, another friend announced she was at CPK and gave us feedback on the dishes and the place. Av who discovered they were opening on Monday was surprised they had opened on Sunday. But anyways, we stuck to our plan and Monday evening I was there in Phoenix around 7pm. Did some shopping at Big Bazaar and waited for Av to arrive.

The entry to CPK is from the outside. So, you can actually park, and walk all the way around the mall on the same side as Nandos and you will spot CPK right at the end. It is located near the children’s play area and near the dancing water fountain. There is also a huge monitor on top that was showcasing random sports events.

We walked in around 8 and the place was fairly empty. Chose a booth and made ourselves comfortable. The menu was brought and the waiter asked for our water preference and if we wanted a beverage. Av ordered Coke while I opted for the Strawberry Italian Soda [going against my usual fresh lime soda-salt] We also ordered the Lettuce Wrap. The drinks arrived within 2 minutes, followed closely by the starter. There was a plate with a few fresh lettuce leaves and another plate with peanut sauce and filling [it had paneer, seasonings, and sat on a bed of something that resembled friend rice noodles]. We had to place a few spoonfuls in the lettuce sheet, add some sauce, roll it up and chomp on it. I loved the flavours, and the crunchiness of the Lettuce was just perfect.

Spent a few minutes catching up on life and other things that dint matter, and Av shared her experience at CPK in the USA. Going with her recommendation, we ordered the Toastada Pizza [it is a hot & cold pizza, there is a thin crust base with black bean sauce on it, and above that is a healthy serving of shredded lettuce and tortilla chips] with a side of salsa that was divine. It arrived on the table and is possibly the ONLY healthy pizza i’ve ever had in my life.

The thin crust had a nice crisp texture and the hot & cold was perfect. Within minutes the plate was wiped clean and we were grinning. The only thing that kind of put us off a bit was the occasional bugs that found their way to the table- tiny mosquitoes [possibly because it was located near trees and water in the outdoor area]. Oh and it was a whole new experience having staff come over ask us how the drinks were, the starters and the main as well.

Since our friend had told us about the desserts, we opted for the White Chocolate Cheesecake. And it was delicious. With a healthy topping of grated white chocolate, the cheesecake was rich and perfect. Yes, it was different from others I’ve had but I liked this one.

Phew, what a fun evening it had been. We asked for the check, paid the bill and spent a good hour or two sitting on the bench outside yapping away to glory.

Price: This meal costed us Rs2100 [incl taxes]

Ambiance- Simple and elegant.

Service- Very good

Address:

California Pizza Kitchen

Phoenix Market City, Velachery

Chennai 

Ph- 044 65108888

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[Recipe] Quick Fix Pasta

I had been busy cleaning up the house, and other chores that it completely slipped my mind that I had to cook lunch. Only when I was talking to a friend who mentioned she was just winding up lunch did it hit me.  Walked into the kitchen knowing I had only a few items there..

An idea formed in my head and within 25 mins Lunch was ready. What did I make? A Quick fix pasta with the ingredients in my cupboards.

Ingredients:
Pasta - penne- 1 cup
Garlic- 1 pod crushed
Cabbage- few leaves finely chopped
Beans- cut lengthwise [1 inch long pieces]
Capsicum- 1/4- finely chopped
Baby corn- 3- finely chopped
Almonds or walnuts- 4 to 5 chopped up
Pesto sauce- 1 tsp
Sundried tomatoes- 1
Olive oil- 2tsp
Cheese- 1 small piece
Salt- to taste

The process:
In a pan, add enough water, a pinch of salt, a tsp of oil and allow pasta to cook  [al dente]. I went ahead and added the baby corn to this water to allow it to cook well [you can cook it separately]. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it out , saving 1 tbsp of the water.

In another pan I added 1 tsp of olive oil, the garlic and other vegetables, allowing them to saute for a few minutes. To this I added the pesto sauce, almonds, sun dried tomato and salt. Add the water [in which you boiled the pasta]  and finally sprinkle the grated cheese and serve hot..

It tasted good, even if I do say so myself...

Serving portion - 1
Cooking time- 20mins
Prepping time- 10mins

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A cookout with a difference at Dario's

I for one began cooking, or atleast entering the kitchen quite early. Mom & Gramma used to say - at the age of 3 I was making dosas and thus began my love for cooking. I began full fledged cooking in 10th or 11th Std, mainly making my own lunch and weekends/holidays would experiment.  But then today, when I see kids all around me, they not only know how to cook [a few select dishes] but are quite proficient in rattling out the most complicated names of dishes. Blame it on TV? No blame, it is a good thing~! 

After watching Masterchef Australia Juniors edition, I was all set to be blown away by kids from Chennai. And they indeed did just that. I was amazed at the amount of exposure and knowledge these kids had, especially since most of them were between 8-12yrs of age.   

The Kids cookout is a summer workshop from Dario's restaurant, spanning across 5 days. Parents had the option of signing their kids for the entire course, or pick a session and sign them in just for that. In all there were about 12-15kids in the session I attended on Monday. It was all about Desserts. The Dario's Chef and Anusha were holding fort and making sure the kids got some learning out of the sessions. There were a few, tiny ones that were lost in their own world, and while it was cute to watch, they did manage to distract the others... Kids will be kids, right?! 

I have been seeing, eating Tiramisu and Pannacotta maybe over the past 2years, prior to which I had no clues what they were, leave alone how they were made. So, watching the chef whip up the 2 desserts while the kids worked parallely was quite a sight.  

Anyways, the 1st dessert that Chef was prepping for was Panna cotta- with each step explained in detail, the kids then got a chance to pour the hot milky liquid into the little moulds they had before it was whisked away to be chilled.  Not giving them time to break out into a frenzy, the Chef moved on to the next one. Aptly called "pick me up" Tiramisu is quite a delicious dessert. But unlike in other restaurants, Dario's being completely vegetarian, the Chef was teaching the eggless version. 

While Anusha got the kids all excited in guessing what went into Fresh Cream, we were dazzled by the kids when one commented "we can make mascarpone cheese at home, right?" and another asked "where is it available in Chennai?" and one more said "I am going to make this at home one day". Kids do know a lot. It was quite insightful listening to the various explanations of the ingredients, being shown the product, the whisking of the cream to a stiff peak and following the entire process. I was amazed at how engrossed the kids were, they sat patiently waiting their turn, no screaming, no throwing tantrums. And once completed, some stylishly pulled out an iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy note and clicked a picture of their creation~!

As we made our way down the stairs and headed out of the restaurant, I wondered what was in store the remaining 3 days. There was also a small twinge of jealousy , I wished  I had been born in this day and age when there were so many opportunities and exciting activities.

So, if you are interested, 2 more days remain. Sign up now and let your kid come home with some interesting recipes or inputs on dishes that you have loved. 

For the workshop:

Please call 044-49193333 | Ms. Anusha - 9841615232

URL for further details: Kids cookout at Dario's

Dario's is a Pure vegetarian restaurant, you can read my view of the place here

Address:

No. 11, Kasturi Rangan Road, 

[Take the 1st right on the road and it is the building right next to Aswene Hospital]

2nd Street, Teynampet, 

Chennai-600018

Ph-  044-49193333

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Cheesy Parmesan Penne with Bacon

 

My children love mac and cheese. For the longest time, pasta was just about the pasta and the cheese.  Nothing else in there.  It's only been fairly recently that they will accept foreign material in their pasta with cheese. And by foreign material I mean chicken, bacon and red peppers. 

 

This also has what I call grown up cheese.  Lots of freshly grated parmesan topped with melty provolone cheese.  You could use Jack cheese but I just think that provolone has so much more flavor. 

 

 This makes a lot of food.  Two whole 9 x 13 pans.  When I cook, I like to cook a lot.  Feel free to halve the recipe but otherwise you can pop the second pan into the freezer for another night.  The leftovers from the refrigerator are awesome as well. So go ahead, make both pans.

Parmesan Cheese Penne with Bacon

1 1/2 lb. cooked shredded chicken
1 lb. bacon, crumbled
2 boxes (32 oz) penne pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 1/2 tsp. paprika

12 slices of provolone cheese, for the top

Sauce:
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. garlic
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine or marsala wine
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 cups heavy cream

Cook chicken. I cooked mine in the microwave in a covered dish for about 10 minutes until done, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper.  Then I used the broth from the chicken in the pasta dish.

Chop and Shred:
Chop red peppers. 
Grate parmesan cheese.
Cook bacon. I cut the bacon into chunks first and then cooked the bacon.  
Cook the pasta and drain. 

Sauce:
Saute garlic in butter.  Add chicken broth and wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook to a soft boil but stir constantly and don't over boil. It will thicken slightly but not completely. This is okay because a lot of it will soak in to your al dente noodles.

Combine everything with the paprika together.  You'll need a pretty large bowl for this.  Pour into 2 - 9 x 13 in pans that are sprayed with cooking spray. 

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Remove foil, top with slices of parmesan cheese. Continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes. 

If you're only cooking one pan, cover the other pan tightly with foil and freeze.  Thaw before baking.



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Brunch with friends at Madras Gymkhana Club

What can be better than spending a few hours in the company of good friends , food and fantastic conversations!! That is exactly what we did on Sunday.... The venue was decided as the Madras Gymkhana Club and we had decided to land there by 1pm... And for the 1st time, there are no photographs, that is how busy we were catching up and yapping away, in between mouthfuls of food.

The spread was quite good-Mulgitwany soup
Different kinds of bread
Salads- russian, pasta, mix vegetable
Onion raita
Thayir vada
Papads

Freshly made hot crisp dosa with chutney & sambar

Veg buffet-

Veg biryanu
Dal makhani
Panneer butter masala
Bhindi sabzi
Salan Bhaingan
Aloo fry

Continental dishes- 

Mash potato baked
Mix veg augratin
 

OthersPlain white rice
Garlic rasam
Curd rice+ pickles

In nonveg-
Chicken biryani
2 side dishes
A chicken dry item
And 2more (will ask friend what they were and update)

Desserts:
Strawberry mouse
Vanilla ice cream
Vanilla-mango cake
Gulab jamun

Total value for money
Food- 8/10
Service- self service
Ambiance-its huge hall, open space, plenty of natural lighting..

Address:

Anna Salai Mount Road, Chintadripet  Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Ph: 044 25368160

Only catch, find a friend who's a member!!

The Veg buffet is Rs250 while Non veg is Rs350.. I guess this is between 12noon to 3pm, we were there beyond 3 and the staff had begun cleaning the space..

During weekdays, the buffet is upstairs in Buttery ball (kids below 16yrs not allowed as they serve alcohol)

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Cooking with Sara Koshy

Ever since i became a part of the Chennai Food Guide group, well, more family, it has been an amazing journey. The only thing i have not been able to attend till date were the workshops, and i was about to change that...

Partnering with Gormei Market and Sara Koshy, CFG had begun this new series of workshops. The 1st one was held last evening at Gormei Market,, Sara Koshy created a few simple dishes within 2hours using the ingredients available on the shelves in the store. It was my 1st time at a Cooking show/demo [the last was when a friend & i enrolled in a baking and candle making class eons ago] 

If, like me you are hooked onto Masterchef Australia & for that matter other cookery shows, you will love this.

If you have drooled watching the chefs whip up delicious dishes within minutes, this class is one that you should not miss. 

With a small group of participants, a patient chef, unlimited access to the pantry [umm, the store in this case] the session was not only fun, it was interesting and informative.  A wonderful way to spend a few hours on the Saturday.

Sara showed us how to make Cream of Mushroom soup [except the soup was not blended and creamy], a Pasta Pomodori [ pasta cooked with few vegetables in a tomato sauce] and a simple Fresh Veg Salad.

The Mushroom Soup

• Took in total about 20- 25mins to cook
• Basic soup making recipe
  
• Fresh button mushrooms
• Sara used Organic Milk that was available in the store- Bhoomi milk [Rs 28, for a 1/2 litre]- this milk has a shelf life of upto 3days. And it is advised that you should boil the milk before drinking it [unlike the regular pasturised milk ]
• Butter was Milky mist

The Pasta Pomodori

• All vegetables were cut in same shape so they cook well 
• Prego Pasta sauce was being used- simple tomato one
  
• Sara suggested that while we add the Pasta after the water begins boiling, to add a pinch of salt but no oil [ she said the pasta will not stick, and the sauce might not either if you add oil] 
• The water was boiling with the pasta cooking in it that was referred to as the Rolling-boil mode 
• At the end, a drop of lime juice was added to the pasta after turning off the heat. [an interesting tip that i shall try]
  

The Fresh Veg Tossed Salad

•  Cucumber, Celery stalk, carrots, red capsicum, cherry tomatoes and lettuce leaves were the core ingredients
• Lettuce- never cut always tear the leaves apart with your hands. 
• Rub a raw garlic all along the base and side walls of the dish to add a bit of garlic flavour
• Salad dressing- apple cider vinegar, english mustard, olive oil[twice the quantity of vinegar], salt, sugar and pepper 
• Add all the ingredients, and then toss well.

Ta da... All the dishes were done in less than 2hours... It was then onto plating them, clicking photographs and trying them out!  

 

Gormei Market also gave each of us a T Shirt and some gift coupons... Which i and few others used up then and there...The store has just about every thing you could dream of- sauces, pasta, quinoa, rice, bread, cheese, herbs, organic ingredients, meat, biscuits, chocolates and so on..............   :-)

Watch this space to know more about the next workshop!! You don't want to miss it....

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Tuscana goes Gluten Free, Chennai

How many calories will that slice of Pizza add to my waist?

Is that Maida, dont you have something made with Bajra or Ragi? 

I have been asked to eat Gluten Free food, any idea where in Chennai i can find the same? 

Well, these are questions i have encountered in the past few months and well, today there is a place that answers all these.. "Tuscana" 

 Polenta cakes with mushroom filling..

 

 Risotto cakes that were served as starters

Tuscana has been one of my favorite places to eat at, and now they are just taking it one step further with this new initiative. Recently they launched the bi-lingual menu- English & Tamil.

 

And what an event the launch was, i left home and  it began pouring, most us reached the venue drenched, but what timing... Snuggled inside the restaurant, we eagerly waited for Vipin & Chef Willi to give us  some insight on Gluten Free, the products used in the dishes and get a taste of the final dishes. 

 

The different pastas- Rice and Corn based

  The four flour/starch used in the pizza/pastas

 Vipin & Chef Willi explaining the whole Gluten-Free concept, how it came about, the dishes and so on

What is Gluten?

 "Gluten" is present in flour like Maida and such. It is nothing evil, but just a protein composite in the flour that gives it the elasticity and thereon the texture. When  you knead the flour, the gluten is activated. When talking to a nutrionist friend, i discovered Gluten traps the Carbon di-oxide from yeast, making sure it works on the dough leading it to rise and become nice and soft. 

But, does this mean Gluten free food is flat and tasteless? No way... That is such a myth! 

 The vegetarian pizzas... 1st one with colour peppers & 2nd olives & Artichoke

Why Gluten Free? 

Well, sadly there are a few among us whose body does not digest gluten well. And the new range of dishes at Tuscana is such a boon for them.  They can enjoy them as much as the others, from main dishes to dessert. 

Gluten-free diet is a way of life for the person with celiac disease, a digestive disorder due to severe gluten sensitivity.  No one needs to tell someone with the disease to stay off gluten, the protein component in many grains.

However those suffering with joint pain, brain fog, loss of balance or other neurologic and auto-immune disorders may also benefit from a similar diet as some studies have linked these and other illnesses to gluten consumption. It is reported that one out of every 133 healthy adults in the United States has celiac disease and the accompanying digestive problems if they eat anything containing gluten.

 

 The panna cotta with Blueberry compote[ a Tuscana signature yummilicious dessert]

 

Whats special about Tuscana's Gluten Free menu?

Chef willi showed us the various flour used to make a Gluten Free pizza- Potato Starch, Bajra, Jower flour & Tapioca Starch. He said  the pizza takes about 8 mins to cook against the normal 4mins and similarly for the Pasta, he said it has to be cooked on order, unlike the normal pasta, which can be cooked and kept aside. 

They have a separate section dedicated to the Gluten Free dishes- utensils, cutlery and oven space as well.

 

How does it taste?

I was a bit sceptical, but the pizza tasted real good, now if you have eaten Bajra roti, you will identify the base texture and flavour. When we questioned Chef on the life of the pizza [store it overnight and eat next morning or few hours later] he assured us a few minutes in the microwave was all it would take and the pizza would be good as new..

The pasta was yumm, not as smooth as the normal pasta, but held the flavours beautifully. Very light and simple

 

Oh and they have desserts too.. We each got a Gluten Free cake [made with Almond meal and orange flavoured icing] when we bid adieu to the team at Tuscana.. Wish them all the best!!

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