Food and wine pairing {Loire blogger competition}

First of all, a huge thanks to all of you who wrote in congratulating me on the ad appearance. I am overwhelmed and loving my lil blog family even more. I will definitely post the ad on the blog and make sure none of you miss it :)

I was sent two bottles of Loire wines- the Muscadet and Rose d'Anjou- for a blogger challenge wherein I had to match the wines with food of choice. I only recently started this whole pairing business and even though I'm not an expert, I kind of have a few favourites I'd like to pair with the food we have. Now that summer is in full swing, the white and rose wines were gladly accepted and we put them to good use.

Before we go into my food selection, here is a bit about Loire Valley wines. The region, mostly central France, is situated along the Loire river and is home to some great wines. There are 65 appellations that include all types of wine- red, white, rose, sparkling, still, dry, sweet and so on. As opposed to other wine growing regions in France, the wines here are thoroughly affected by the Loire river and are lucky enough to benefit from the minerals matured by the clay minerals in the river. This results in wine that is truly distinct with a lot of intensity and variety.

I love a good white once in a while. From preferring the really sweet ones to the dryer ones, I think my taste in wines have kinda improved with time. The cool thing about Muscadet wine is that it is left to age all winter to bring out as much flavour from them as possible and it sure didn't disappoint us. The wine is very light in colour and I was sure it was gonna be dry, but then one sip you take and its one of the sweeter wines...something I wasn't too thrilled about, but then I decided to pair it with some spicy chicken malai tikka kebab and I thought we had a winner. You smell the wine and its like summer in a glass. Crisp and delicious with some fruity flavours (I definitely got citrus, but I cant really pin point the other flavours present). The husband thought it was more floral and agreed that the spring-like tones of the white wine was definitely brought out by the strong masala's used in the chicken. Contrary to usual pairings of the Muscadet with seafood, I picked chicken tikka because it is something we regularly have at home and to find wine that would match food that you are so used to is the winner for me.

The Rose d'Anjou with its pretty pink colour was too good to resist and so that's the bottle we devoured first. I preferred the medium sweet flavours of rose with the spicy chicken malai tikka. It completely broke down the oiliness of the tikka and replaced it with sweet fragrant taste of berries. After a few sips we realised it would have been great with dessert as well. So after glugging down half a bottle we kept the remaining to test with dessert. I made some cherry clafoutis tarts and decided to serve with the wine. It wasn't too bad, especially because the tarts were not cloyingly sweet and so didn't over power the subtle sweetness from the Rose d'Anjou. More than anything, I'm a sucker for rose wines as its the first type of wine I got familiarised with. Sweet memories (no pun intended) ;)

Both the wines were thoroughly enjoyed and they are perfect for the summer days, especially for those barbecue parties where you have a lot of grilled meat and vegetables. More than anything, its a pleasure to know that fabulous wines like these are not exorbitantly priced, and at 8.99 (Muscadet) and 7.99 (Rose d"anjou) a bottle, they make a bloody good deal. I served the light meal of chicken malai kebabs with cous cous salad (thanks to Nupur for the fabulous recipe) and washed it down with the wine. The white would be a good after meal aperitif as well, the husband says as an after thought. But I'm absolutely happy with the pairings I figured out :)

Recipe for the chicken malai tikka kebabs were adapted from Soma's eCurry- a recipe I've tried so many times and has never failed me. I followed it to the dot, except for the red food colouring which I didn't add. The cherry clafoutis tart recipe can be found here. I made it for the Great British Chefs website to celebrate National cherry week :)

With thanks to Loir wines for the sample bottles.

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The big news..

Ok... so here goes..

Beginning of this year a couple of us food bloggers were invited for a one day casting event hosted by Finish dishwasher tablets. Those who are on my facebook list will know what the event was about.. if not anything, you will definitely remember "the day I ate an octopus" album which pretty much was the highlight of the day for me. Well, apparently, that was just the tip of the ice berg. Little did I know that the event would give me an opportunity to be the new face of the Finish ad. Yes, you heard that right..the casting day which involved a lot of cooking and one on one interviews was to select food bloggers to appear in the Finish ad, and me along with Danny of Food Urchin were the lucky ones. The ad is due to air in August. :)

So emails went back and forth talking contracts, what to cook, how the ad was going to be shot, what we were expected to do, prop lists etc etc. We even had a wardrobe fitting day which was so so much fun. I tried on all these fabulous clothes, shoes and accessories and sashayed around, and given a choice I would have worn each dress for each shot, but unfortunately that's not how it works. After breaking our heads, we decided that I should make paneer tikka masala pot pies, tandoori fish with curried chips (a fusion take on the traditional fish and chips) and macarons. I also had a food stylist working with me to source props for the food I was going to photograph and she even came home and collected some of my prop to make the hired kitchen look a bit more like mine. 

I was so nervous about having to cook in front of people and I almost broke down thinking about all those things that could go wrong on THE day. Nothing goes down in my life without drama. The macaron shells were to be made from home and the filling procedure alone was to be shot. Me being me, decided to wait till the day before to tackle the macaron monster (well at that time it was). All hell broke loose when the macarons decided to have a mind of their own. You can read the detailed story here, but to cut it short, I had to dig out 5 decent pairs from the 4 batches I made, to work with. Here's something about me...I work best under pressure, which is why I leave a lot of things to the last minute. But that day, I cursed myself fir not being organised and having it all under control. You may think I learnt from my mistake, oh well, that's a whole post on its own ;)

So anyway, came THE day and I was a nervous wreck. I was dropped off at the venue at 7.30 and everyone was busy setting up the place. I was so intimidated by all that was going on but everyone there put me at so much ease that by the end of the day it was like one big family. They ushered me off to the dressing room and I was made to look presentable. I don't think I wore that much make up even for my wedding and was pleasantly surprised at the final outcome. We started shooting at around 10 am and WOW, what an experience it was. I will never ever under estimate the work done by cast and crew, be it a 30 second ad or a 3 hour movie. You see an ad and you think, oh is that it, that's pretty easy. Well, how do I even explain what its like. Its anything but easy. I was lucky because I had very little "acting to do". The director, who was prompting me with questions and telling me how to go about the whole process was so so helpful. He thoroughly put me at ease right from the beginning by telling me to just be me and to inform them if I felt uncomfortable at any point. Strangely for me, after that initial starting trouble, it was a breeze. I did a few cooking scenarios, talked about cooking and recipes, did the whole styling and photography thing and finally the blogging bit. The whole concept was very fresh and something I've not really noticed before.

Over the next couple of weeks the lovely people over at Finish will be introducing me to their Facebook fans and I will be doing some cool stuff out there like giving tips and whipping some some recipes and stuff. So do check out the Finish Facebook page if you dont want to miss any of the action

Talking about my experience with the New Finish Quantum Power Gel.. its quite awesome. No I'm not saying it because I was part of the ad campaign, but because I have first hand experience with how nicely it works. Especially for Indian cooking which uses a lot of oil and spices. You know how these pressure cookers are right? I used to chuck them into the dishwasher after cooking dal or rice and it would never come out clean, making my job tougher. I used to hate having my dishes come out with food still stuck on it, that at one point I even thought it was easier to just wash them by hand. Finish somehow did the trick for me...well mostly. Really oily pots and pans and even glasses came out perfectly clean. Out of the three - original, lemon, and apple and lime blast- my favourite is the apple and lime blast which just smells so so good. 

Because I use a lot of props for my food photography, I always have loads of dishes to wash at the end of the day and I don't think twice about chucking them into the dishwasher because I am sure they would come out clean. Also, glasses need to be sparkling clean, otherwise its easy to spot those ugly marks when the pictures are uploaded on to various platforms. The Finish Quantum with Power Gel tablets also come with salt function which means you don't need to keep filling the machine with salt, something we don't miss at all. It used to be a pain to store the huge packs of salt and also keep filling them, especially after we load the dishwasher and then realise that the salt levels are low. I also find the compact square design of the gels very convenient to store. I was given the Finish tablets to compare with and try it on dishes with different food products and except for one or two instances where the food was just too stubborn to come off, I was truly satisfied with the outcome. I switched and have definitely seen the difference. Now its your turn to give it go :)

It was definitely an experience of a lifetime and I would like to thank all the fabulous people behind it for helping me with the whole process. I hope I did a good job :)

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What I've been up to...

I threw a summer party beginning of the month and this was the table

Things have been pretty crazy at my end with a few new projects I've undertaken and a part time job with Bobo Macarons in full swing. I must say, although its a complete shift in profession, I am so so so enjoying it, especially the baking bit. Of course I have a long way to go but having a really patient boss helps when it comes to learning something new. 

There is also some really exciting news coming your way (no, not involving babies and such), and I cant wait to share it with you all. I will be revealing it end of this week, so head back here around that time and you'll know what it is :) :) I know..the suspense is killing me too, but you just have to wait :)

I am in the process of giving my blog a new face lift because like everything in my life, I got bored with the look. After breaking my head on a logo and after trying out so many different options I decided to go with the one on the header. I also got my business cards printed and although I'm not damn happy with the outcome, it serves the purpose for the time being. My friends convinced me its "soo totally me" and so I think I'm a bit relieved. 

I have also been attending a lot of really cool events with my partner in crime Suchi of Kitchen Karma and I thought I'll pen down some of the fun events I attended. Its going to be a photo overdose post, so scoot if you are bored already :)

AGA Rangemaster

We attended a fancy evening of cocktails and canapés at the glamorous Violin Factory in Waterloo to celebrate the launch of a couple of new products from AGA Rangemaster. Truth be told, I don't think I'll be able to afford an AGA any time soon, but yes its up there on my wish list. Highlight of the evening was meeting the adorable Mary Berry of Great British Bake Off fame. She, I think, is one of the most down to earth celebrity chefs I've come across. Not that I rub shoulders with them every other day, but you know, in general. She is the new face of AGA and entertained us with a fun talk about her experiences with the brand. 

Dotcomgiftshop Blogger's Christmas evening

Yes, you read that right, Christmas plans are already under way for a lot of brands. The event was to showcase the selection of Dotcomgiftshop's Christmas gift ideas and also their new AW 2013 collection. It was a prop haven for prop obsessed people like me. We also got this really pretty cup and saucer which I converted into a table centrepiece at my summer party.

Food For Media's Media Market Place

Last week the entire Bloggers' Buzz team attended the Food For Media's Media Market Place event which was like a networking event with loads of interesting brands and such. We had a very productive day talking shop and also got to take home some fabulous goodies. The bread from Flour Power City Bakery was perhaps my best. Its been 5 days since I've got the loaf, and its still soft and tasty. Another interesting find was the Divino gelato made with the finest of fruits and served in the fruit itself. So its like a peach gelato is served in a peach and you can eat the entire thing.  Other brands on display were Bonne Maman, Squires Kitchen, Little Devil, Farrington Oils, The Saucy Fish Co. and so on...

Gordon Ramsay Bread Street by Royal Doulton

Photo courtesy Suchi

To date this is definitely the highlight of my blogging career- to have met THE Gordon Ramsay. We had an exclusive breakfast with GR to celebrate his new Bread Street by Royal Doulton tableware and took home a gorgeous coffee mug by the brand and an autographed book by the chef himself. We were so excited that when he came to talk to us, we just giggled like smitten school girls. The breakfast was amazing with Suchi's eggs Benedict topping the charts and my ricotta cakes with banana and butter a close second. The collection will be available at leading stores soon and since I've started with a mug it would be unfair to not complete the set wouldn't it? That's a hint Roshan :) 

With thanks to all the brands for inviting me to these events.

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Potato and chickpea cakes

Are you all enjoying the weather wherever you are? Too hot? Too cold? Too much rain?? or is it just perfect? Too many questions??? :) :)

We have had gorgeous sunny weather for the past few weeks and its been good. Well most of the time that is. I have been out galavanting with friends, attending events and generally being busy which sometimes drains me out in the heat. But I'm not complaining.. Work has taken a back seat for the time being and I'm glad it is so, because I really do need to figure out how to handle the backlog of work that has accumulated over this past few months..yes, you read it right, months. I'm slowly finishing it off and hopefully will learn how to manage time more efficiently. My husband would be very glad I've even declared this in public because he has the biggest issue with me not managing time responsibly and planning well.

Coming to the recipe. No offence to all the vegetarian, but I have the toughest time cooking for them. Its not because there are no recipes available, but because I suck at it. My vegetarian dishes don't really come out nice and paneer, potatoes and spinach are the only options I usually play around with. Its become boring and I've run out of ideas. This combination of potatoes and chickpeas however was a welcome change. The recipe is by Alfred Prasad from Great British Chef's Vegetarian Recipes and a very easy one at that. Few ingredients needed, can be put together in no time and you get a decent vegetarian starter.

I had a bit of trouble with cooking the patties, since there was nothing to really hold them together like egg white or bread crumbs. So after two failed attempts at getting perfect shaped cakes, I decided to try the method mentioned in the recipe (I know, I should have just stuck to it the first time) and then it worked. I happily ate the first two that didn't turn out well without any complaint though. The recipe is apt for kids, but I don't have kids and so chucked in a green chilli which was such a fab idea. Serve it with just ketchup and you have a perfect snack to please your guests

Recipe halved from Great British Chefs

Potatoes- 2 large

Cooked chickpeas- 100 gms (I used canned)

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Slice the potatoes into quarters and steam in a dumpling steamer for about 15 minutes or so. I find steaming much easier than boiling. But feel free to boil till tender and a fork goes through easily.

Cool for a while and then peel. Break the potatoes with a fork, but don't mash it completely.

Into a big bowl add all the remaining ingredients except oil and mix well using a masher or even better, your hands.

Again, they need not be completely smooth, a few chunks here and there is fine,

Heat the oil in a frying pan.

While that's heating, shape the potato mix into small discs.

Cook each cake in the pan, making sure you press it down so it gets cooked evenly.

Drain on paper towels and serve hot with ketchup.

Notes: Don't add a lot of oil, the cakes will only fall apart and make life difficult. The 1 tbsp oil was enough for all the potato cakes, but if you feel you need more oil, add bit by bit and fry.

The recipe calls for refrigerating the cakes after shaping them, which i didn't. I'm thinking this would sort the falling-apart issue.

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Tomato and cucumber salad with Fleur de Sel

Its only after I starter food blogging did I come across so many different types of ingredients and methods. Fleur de Sel, meaning flower of salt, was one such ingredient that made me wonder what it tasted like. The numerous recipes that called for Fleur de Sel, like salted caramel and chocolate tarts, I had no choice but to use normal sea salt since I just couldn't get my hands on Fleur de Sel.

Eco Market is an online marketplace where you can buy natural products directly from the sellers that make them. I think its a really cool concept and so didn't think twice when they asked if I wanted to review any of their spices, herbs, and seasoning. I had spotted Fleur de Sel on the list and thats exactly what I wanted. It came as part of the French stack from Steenbergs, a set of 3 organic French culinary essentials - Fleur de Sel, Herbes de Provence and black pepper. Neatly packed in small glass containers, these would definitely make a great gift for those with a culinary side. 

It was my first time with fds and I didn't know what to expect. I opened the bottle to find really moist salt flakes, and worried if it was supposed to be otherwise, I immediately wrote to Sophie, owner of Steenbergs. This was her reply: 

'No that is exactly how it’s meant to be. The salt is sun dried in traditional salt pans in the Algarve so it always retains some moisture, as opposed to factory dried which removes it all. The salt is part of the slow movement group and has nothing added or taken away.'

She also added, 'The Fleur de sel means it is the cream of the crop, the flakier salt that goes to the top of the pan. Not for grinding.'

That was so helpful and off I went to make something with the gorgeous looking salt. It had to be a salad, simple and summery with a generous sprinkling of fds. This tomato and cucumber salad thoroughly did justice to the authentic taste of the salt with the saltiness cutting through the acidic tomatoes and cool cucumber. The pepper container hasn't been open as yet, but I did use the Herbes de Provence for my roasted potatoes and they were delish. 

If you have tasted fds, then its very difficult to actually go back to using normal sea salt. That said, they don't come cheap. Although I would like to sprinkle it on every possible salad, fruit and chocolate, the fact that it is expensive and not readily available in my local grocery store makes me stop and think twice. But hey, that's what Eco Market is for right? :)

Over to the recipe. There is no precise measurement for the salad, you kind of eye ball it and add/ reduce stuff. 

 

Mixed baby plum tomatoes- 400 gms, sliced in half

Salad cucumber- 1 large, peeled and diced (around 1 cup)

Red onion- 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Oregano- 1 tsp

Olive oil- a generous splash

Lime juice- 2 to 3 splashes

Fleur de Sel- 1/2 to 3/4th tsp (adjust as per taste)

In a salad bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients, one after the other.

Toss them well so that the oil and lime juice and oregano gets mixed well with the vegetables.

Just before serving, sprinkle the Fleur de Sel on top of the salad and serve generous portions.

We had it with some grilled fish and garlic bread.

PS: A special thanks to Finla for the gorgeous bowl in the picture. Its been treasured :)

With thanks to Eco Market and Steenbergs for sending me the sample stack to review.

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