BACK FROM HIBERNATION
After a long, long hiatus, this blog is trying to take on a new life. I have tasted so many different things in so many different places and it seems tragic that only a minuscule part of it gets into print. So this effort is to not only to put what's printed out there but also to write about the many little and large experiences.

Pigging out in Spain 

Restaurant Duque in Segovia (left) and its famous dish

There was hushed silence in the room. Very few things can induce such perfect silence amongst a dozen,
normally boisterous diners, but before them was one of such few things. A bit to the side was a smaller table and this is what held the diners in thrall. On it sat a roasted suckling pig in a large platter. That alone should not have been much of a spectacle, since it is a common enough dish in Spain, but this was in Segovia, at the Restaurante Duque, a restaurant founded in 1895, which adhered to certain traditions that ruled the carving of the pig. And hence the silence. Armed with a prettily decorated ceramic dinner plate, the Chef stood for a moment and then expertly used the plate as a carving instrument, strategically thrusting it into the pig and cutting it into segments. But that was not all: once done, he flung the plate onto the floor where it shattered into tiny pieces. “And that is how it is done in Segovia,” he said with a flourish.

Blood sausage with fava beans




                                     


                                                

I stood mesmerised by the drama and theatrics that went with what would have otherwise been just roast pork.I thought I would be queasy, but the panache, elegance and flair with which it was done put me more in the mind of an artist than anything else. Moreover, having just seen Segovia’s biggest attractions – the imposing Roman Aquaduct and the Alcazar, which became the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle and subsequently the company’s logo, I was not sure which was more fascinating. Not such a great pork fan myself, I preferred the other famous dish of the region, roast lamb, served in large ceramic shallow bowl, the tender meat accompanied by a fragrant gravy.

    Drinking wine, porron-style       

Earlier, I had tasted some of the unique sausages of the region, jamon, accompanied by red wine drunk in a unique vessel called porron, a cross between a jug and a watering can, which is shared among all those around the table. It made for an interesting exercise, with lots of hits and many more misses. For safety, we were advised to tuck table napkins tucked into the collars, to avoid the spectacle to having to explain the deep red stains down the shirt front. At the end of it, I came away with another culinary experience that promised to stay for long. 

Ummm....molecular gastronomy in Sydney!

Foie gras

This has been a long time coming. But the experience was too great to pass up. It’s the beautiful Four Seasons hotel in Sydney overlooking the lovely Sydney Harbour bridge and the stunning pearly white Opera House. And the restaurant is Kables, their signature restaurant. It was my first introduction to ‘molecular gastronomy.’ For me molecular gastronomy conjured up images of Anthony Bourdain’s show ‘No Reservations’ and it was an episode, I think, on Ferran Adria (of El Bulli fame) and carrot foam. (His famous words: “For the first time in my life, I am inhaling my food,” or something to that effect, but I chortled). Back to Kables. The meal lasted more than three hours. Course after course (don’t ask me what they were: each was so good to look at and to eat, and I was going ‘Ummm’ to many times that I promptly forgot their names) arrived at the table, was admired and quickly imbibed.

Sorbet

But some things really stick out in memory. Like the pasta made of chicken stock, champagne sorbet and light as rain foie gras. I can go ‘ummmm’ all over again. I can’t remember dessert, but the pre-dessert thingy sticks out: served on a little ceramic tile, it looked like a perfect bulls’ eye, but was in fact a clever assemblage of beaten yogurt and mango pulp. Oh yes, ummm.

Pre-dessert

But the highlight: the chef coming over to the table and demonstrating cooking with liquid nitrogen – it turned bread pieces crumbly, and they just melted on the tongue. The things chefs do !!

Cooking with liquid nitrogen !

When a restaurant runs out of gas......

This has got to be the most hilarious restaurant story, though at that time, it was anything but hilarious. I am a big Chinese food fan and I recently dragged hubby to a place that I insisted was fantastic. For some reason, perhaps because it was a weekday, the restaurant was deserted. And we were glad to have it to ourselves. A smiling waiter took our order: a starter and main course and left us alone in an already deserted restaurant. Meanwhile, we drank thirstily from the mineral water bottle he had supplied. For almost 15-20 minutes, there was no sign of anybody. And then the waiter came back, a very sheepish look on his face. “Sorry, but we can give you only the starter,” he said. We were confused. “The main course we ordered is not available?” we asked. “It’s not that: there’s enough gas to cook only the starter,” he supplied. For a moment, the two of us resembled gold fish in an aquarium: mouths opening and closing in stupefaction. While anger and amazement fought to overpower each other, we decided to just leave and asked for a bill for the water. And we got it: a Rs 50 bill for a Rs 12 bottle of water ! Hungry and furious, we offered to pay only the price on the bottle. Finally, a hassled manager decided to put in an appearance and offered to waive the bill; we did better and just left behind the half-full bottle. A few weeks later, I happened to go back to the restaurant, having ascertained that it had all the supplies. Sadly, both food and service have gone down the tube. And no, my previous experience did not colour my views!

Cuisine from the land of Genghis Khan and Tamburlaine

I had heard so much about Samarkand, on Infantry Road, that I was beginning to fear the expectation would outstrip the reality. But I am glad to say that was not the case. Hidden towards the back of a huge building, Samarkan’s location could be a classic case of blink-and-miss, if not for wide-eyed vigilance. At first glance, the restaurant seemed to be a poky place, and my spirits started to dip. But I quickly realised the initial feeling was probably because the subdued lighting inside was in complete contrast to the bright daylight outside. The restaurant is quite spacious, and done up in a quaint Northwest frontier sytle with faux torches and ambience.

The menu, (pix above) in the form of tabloid newspaper sheets, has interesting tid-bits of information about the name, the region and the cuisine. I was a little amused with the long, coloured breadsticks served at the table as soon as we were seated, but the food was lip-smackingly delicious. We tried tandoori salad, an Afghani fish starter, lamb biriyani, Dal Afghani, rotis and saffron rice. And I must say, every dish was lovely. I loved both the rice dishes – the biriyani was full of the gentle aromas of the spices and the tender lamb; the saffron rice was so delicately flavoured that it could be eaten without any accompaniment. The rotis were soft and fluffy and the dal, flavourful. I quite enjoyed the experience – do check it out.

A new convert to Sushi

I have never been a fan of Sushi. Well, that’s until The Sushi Book turned up in my post over the weekend. Published by ThingsAsian and written by Celeste Heiter, with some delicious photography by Marc Schultz, the book disabused me of some of the misconceptions I have harboured about Japanese food. I now know that Sushi does not mean raw fish and there’s really no need for chopsticks (my biggest challenge !!) to eat Sushi; that there’s Sushi with cooked meat and even vegetarian Sushi ! (Oh yes, you are permitted to roll your eyes at my ignorance).

I loved the book, and not just for the mouthwatering pictures (a couple are reproduced here). It is lucid, informative and almost makes you head to the nearest Japanese restaurant. I am guessing that’s the intention of the book, and does achieve its goal. Any cuisine is so much a statement about the culture it originates from, and the book provides really good insights into various aspects of Japanese tradition and culture. Next on my agenda is checking out all that’s in the book. There’s Dahlia and Harima in Bangalore – await my feedback from one them in a short while!

Fries for all seasons

Goa is like one big party – I know that’s as clichéd as they come. But it surely is, especially as it begins to get dark. And it doesn’t really end till the wee hours. I had heard a lot about Tito’s, but could not go this time as well. However, I was introduced to another lovely place, called Britto’s, which is also in Baga. More a trendy restaurant, than a partying place, it is extremely popular. With candlelit tables stretching almost to the water’s edge and lovely music in the background, Britto’s is the place for a romantic dinner for twosome or for a boisterous group to chill after a hectic day. What’s more, the service is quite quick, which is more than what I can say of most other places in Goa !! The food is yummy – superb steaks, continental, Chinese and Indian food. I especially liked the fries, which were more like the American homemade variety rather than Mac – chunky, golden, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Verrrrrrry nice !!

Kid in a candy store !!

‘Like a kid in a candy store’ had never done anything to my imagination. Partly because, I did not have much of a sweet tooth. But that was until I went to a candy store on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. And then I understood why the phrase, and why even sane, normal human beings can go ga-ga. It’s not as if I hadn’t been to one before. A cute one on Champs de Elysees in Paris and one in Berlin had opened my eyes to this fascinating world, but it was just that – fascination. The one in SF however, catapulted me altogether to a different level. The store itself was designed artistically, a rather retro-look, with barrels of overflowing goodies. But it was sheer mind-numbing variety, of candies and chocolates of every size, shape and colour that boggled the mind. I came away with so many even though I had no idea what I would do with them, but I just could not help myself. Like a kid in a candy store, alright !!