Sunday 22 December 2013

Winter Food.

It's that time of the year again- beautiful weather, friends are back, winter fashion and most importantly, winter food. What's your winter staple? The cliched hot cocoa with marshmallows or a really lovely chicken consomme with some delicious tortellini? Everything seems so much more delicious in the winter doesn't it? Making fresh pasta is one of my favourite things to do in the winter. Speaking of, I'm going to have a really exciting Italian post coming up soon. By the way, how's the Masterchef Australia withdrawal treating you guys? I'm having it the worst I presume. Strike 9 and I don't know what I did before Masterchef started. So I do the closest thing to it, cook.

What I've done for you in this post is scouted out some of Jamie Oliver's (except the first one) best winter recipes so that you don't have to go crazy hunting for perfect ones. Sweet, savoury and comforting, these recipes are just great. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.




* Rich and Buttery Caramels:   
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/12/caramels-rich-and-buttery/

SO unbelievably indulgent. Perfect for the holidays!










* Feel Good Chicken Broth:

Nothing screams winter more than this dish.

Chicken Broth









* Garlic, Thyme and Anchovy Baked Potato: 

How lovely and comforting is this?








* The Best Hot Chocolate:

You're welcome.

Hot Chocolate

These are some of my favourite Jamie Oliver winter recipes and hence I've totally nerded out and given you the result of my research. They're just great. Apart from studying Jamie Oliver's books I'm trying some recipes of my own as well. To know what I'm cooking, follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I promise a few more delicious winter posts. Hope this weather's treating you well!

xoxo

D

Monday 2 December 2013

Best. Sale. Ever.

Hey!

Hi guys! I've missed you. I'm a little embarrassed to apologize cause evidently that's all I do so for a change, I won't (although I should). So did you guys hear about the sale I had over at The Bakers Dozen last month? It went so well and I was so so glad and humbled by the response. For those of you who didn't hear, let me tell you-

How?

My friends over at The Bakers Dozen; let's call them Sneh and Aditi :) have this cute little thing called Your Store At The Bakers Dozen where they encourage fellow bakers to showcase their stuff at their store. I know right? It's great. So when they told me that they wanted me to be a part of their second edition of Your Store @ TBD, I was, let me be honest, insanely nervous. I'd never undertaken a project of that magnitude on my own before. I had done a restaurant service back in Dublin but this was different, this was all me. But it was an amazing opportunity and I'd be a fool to let it go. After that, it was a whirlwind.

What?

I had to decide my menu, buy the ingredients, make sure it tasted good and decide on the quantity ALL BY MYSELF. It was quite a paramount task. Finally I settled on four different things and sent my menu over. The theme was British cause that's my favorite kind of food and I wanted to introduce it's authenticity to Mumbai. On the menu were four, very British, sweet things:


  • Banana Walnut Muffins
  • Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Classic Victoria Sponge
  • Treacle Tarts


 I've had many muffins in Bombay but I've never found one that was moist enough for me to want to finish it. Also, artificial flavouring can really ruin a muffin. Keeping this in mind, I made my Banana Walnut Muffins. Crisp and toasted on the top with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and moist inside with bits of banana. I was very happy with the finished product.



My Double Chocolate Chip Muffins had real, dark Belgian chocolate in the batter as well as chocolate chips. The idea was to make them rich and dark but still muffins and not brownies. I struggled a little with these but with the help of my college samplers, my second batch was perfect.




Banana Walnut Muffins


Double Chocolate Chip Muffins


A Victoria Sponge is really simple to make, not too much technique but great ingredients put together with a lot of care. If you have a dense sponge as opposed to a light, airy one, you've already lost half the battle. If you sandwich that with substandard jam as opposed to the mixed berry preserve I used, and a really sweet whipped cream as opposed to the light Chantilly cream that I used, you aren't going to have anyone eating it.

Victoria Sponge


The Treacle Tart was kind of my star item as no one had really heard much about it and I was really glad to introduce people to this really new flavour. It takes a lot of work, as do most tarts, but making them along with all the other things was really, really exhausting. I don't think I'd ever been that tired but then again, I'd never felt that content either.

Treacle Tart


Result.

Mumbai responded SO well I was overwhelmed. Everything was sold out on both the days but the second day is what really took me by surprise. I dropped my fare off at the Kemps Corner store at 8 am on my way to college and everything was sold out by half past 11. I couldn't be more excited. Twitter peeps were my favourite customers and they gave me their feedback after having tried my stuff. Oh god, it was just so amazing. My first, professional sale was a success and I was ecstatic.

Bing's Traditional British Fare for sale :)

Feelings.

For all those who came out to buy my stuff, I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting me and my food. My chef journey has definitely seen an upward climb thanks to you guys and for that, I've got loads of really exciting things coming up on the blog this month. It's going to be filled with recipes from some really great people. You're really going to not want to miss this.

As always, let me know your thoughts, comments and suggestions below or follow me on Twitter to stay tuned to my wannabe chef life!

xoxo
D

Monday 16 September 2013

Talk.

First of all I want to thank you guys for reading and the blog reaching 20,000 hits and completing 2 years. I hope you enjoyed the birthday posts just as much as I did :)

So here I was, feeling guilty about not having posted anything for a long time when I realized that I was too busy looking for something substantial. That's when I realized this isn't how this blog started out. I didn't always have exciting events coming up or recipes to share, I just talked. So this is me getting back to the old ways and making TALK a regular feature where I tell you of my latest food exploits and basically, just talk. Okay I've used that word way too many times so I hope you get the idea.

Entering my usual world after a stint at cookery school has really changed my perspective on things. I'm unbelievably organized in the kitchen, knives excite me and pulling of an ambitious menu isn't all that hard anymore. Before cookery school, I hardly found time to cook but now in spite of a pretty busy schedule I create something everyday. Oh speaking of, I think I've gotten pretty good at making profiteroles- a classic British tea item made from choux pastry. As you know my love for traditional British food, let me tell you that I pulled off Fish, Chips and Mushy peas! I was SO determined to get this classic right and I was pretty damn close (if I may say so myself). Crisp, beer battered fish, chunky chips and minty mushy peas- how beautiful.

Mexican is another cuisine I really learned a lot about this summer and I'm planning to make some nice soft tacos soon with lovely blue corn flour with a Chipotle chicken filling. I also made pasta from scratch which I was really happy with. I've also started sourcing these ingredients and it's been a real treat.

In my defense, I haven't really been THAT inactive. Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Twitter know what I'm up to, food-wise :)

If you have anything to add or suggest PLEASE do so in the comments below and I'll get right on it!

xoxo
D

Friday 16 August 2013

Unwrapping

RAHUL AKERKAR
Owner of my favourite restaurant chain, Indigo Deli this is Chef Rahul Akerkar's birthday gift for us and we love it! You know how much I love Indigo Deli and I'm absolutely thrilled with this recipe Rahul wants to share with just our blog readers!




Congratulations Devika & FFB on completing two marvelous years. May it grow in leaps and bounds! Love, Rahul”














PAN FRIED RAWAS, QUINOA UPMA & KAIRI CURRY INSPIRED SAUCE.


Portions: 4

I used quinoa in place of semolina that is normally used to make Upma - a common South Indian
breakfast dish traditionally cooked as a thick porridge from dry roasted semolina, with various
seasonings and vegetables. The Kairi (raw, green mango) curry-inspired sauce is an adaptation of a
distinctive “sweet sour” curry that my Maharashtrian grandmother used to make with jaggery, raw
mango and coconut milk. Rawas is a local, Indian Ocean fish found off the coast of Bombay, which
can be substituted with any other white, firm-fleshed fish.

INGREDIENTS:
Qty/unit Item Description
500 gm Rawas fillet Make 4 fillets approx. 125 gm each with skin on. Substitute
Red Snapper, Grouper or other white, firm-flesh fish
Juice from 1 lemon

FOR QUINOA UPMA
Qty/unit Item Description
150 gm Quinoa Mixture of red, white and black quinoa
200 ml Vegetable stock
15 gm Chopped onionsRecipes: Pan-fried Rawas, quinoa upma, and kairi curry inspired sauce. • Page 2 of 3

INGREDIENTS cont…:
Qty/unit Item Description
5 gm Chopped green chili
½ tsp Black mustard seeds
½ tsp Turmeric powder
5 gm Almond
5 gm Cashew nut
5 gm Raisins
5 gm Chopped parsley
5 gm Chopped chives
10 ml Olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
FOR KAIRI CURRY
Qty/unit Item Description
100 gm Raw mango
10 gm Basmati Rice
25 gm Jaggery
1 tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
½ tsp Black mustard seeds
8-10 Curry leaves
120 ml Coconut milk
300 ml Vegetable stock
30 ml Sunflower or peanut oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
FOR KAIRI CURRY:
• Peel the raw mango, cut the flesh off the seed, cut into large dice, and boil in half the
vegetable stock with half the quantity of turmeric powder, till tender.
• Drain off the water and process the softened raw mango in a food processor to a smooth
paste.
• Dry roast (no oil) the rice in a sauté pan on high heat, till it just browns. Remove immediately
and dry grind the rice to a fine powder in a grinder.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat up the oil and make a tempering of the fenugreek and
mustard seeds, then add the remaining turmeric powder and curry leaves.
• Next, add the raw mango purée to the tempered spices in the pan, combine well, and cook on
a low flame, until the purée just starts bubbling.
• Add the remaining vegetable stock and coconut milk to the pan and simmer the mixture on
low heat for a short while. Ensure a gentle simmering on low flame, to prevent the coconut
milk from splitting.
• Add the rice flour to the mixture and gently simmer, till the sauce starts thickening. Season
with salt.
• Add the jaggery to the sauce and continue simmering till it completely dissolves to give the
sauce its sweet-sour taste. Set aside and keep it warm until ready to serve..

FOR QUINOA UPMA:
• In a pan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil, and once boiled, take it off the fire. Add quinoa to
the hot stock, cover the pan with plastic cling wrap, and set aside for 15-20 min till the
quinoa softens.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the black mustard seeds to. Once the seeds start popping add
the turmeric powder, chopped onion, chili, raisins, cashew nuts and curry leaves to the panRecipes: Pan-fried Rawas, quinoa upma, and kairi curry inspired sauce. • Page 3 of 3
and sauté until the onions become translucent and the cashew nuts brown a little. Lower the
flame.
• Add the softened quinoa to the pan, combine well with the sautéed spice mixture, season with
salt and pepper, and finish it with the lemon juice and chopped herbs. Set it aside

FINISHING & CONSTRUCTION:
• When you’re ready to serve, season the fish with lemon juice and salt, and pan fry the fillets
in clarified butter, skin side down, till the fish is done and the skin is crisped nicely. Remove
from the pan, dab gently with a paper towel to remove any excess butter.
• Serve with the quinoa upma and kairi curry.






Thank you SO much Rahul for our birthday gift. We love it and I'm sure our readers do too :)

To know more about Indigo Deli and its brand new branch opening in Delhi, follow them on Twitter and Facebook respectively:-
@IndigoColaba
@Indigo_Colaba

Thursday 15 August 2013

Unwrapping.

POOJA DHINGRA

One of my first interactions in the culinary world was with Pooja, owner of Le15 Patisserie. I had my first feature of INSIDE in her kitchen and it was just so much fun! For all you guys who love desserts from Le15, you're gonna love this. A special recipe created just for us for our birthday! Love this gift.

"Happy Birthday FFB!! Keep up the good work! Congratulations on keeping the blog fun and interesting."

-Pooja









"BING" CHOCOLATE SURPRISE TRUFFLES



Makes 24 truffles

250g dark chocolate
110ml cream
5-7g orange zest
Cocoa powder for rolling

-    Melt chocolate and keep aside
-    Heat the cream in the microwave for 1 and a half minutes.
-    Add the orange zest and let it infuse for 5 minutes.
-    Heat the cream again for 2 minutes.
-    Add it to the melted chocolate and whisk till combined.
-    Cool and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
-    Make small balls and refrigerate till hard.
-    Roll them in cocoa powder till covered evenly
-    Remove the truffle and leave on a wax paper to cool.
-    Refrigerate for 20 minutes and then serve.

Thank you SO much for this gift Pooja! The reader's are gonna love this. Thanks for being a part of our second birthday celebrations!


Two.

So it's been 2 years since I started this little blog so excuse me now as I proceed to make a big deal about it :)

The blog started off with me overdosing on Masterchef Australia and trying to get some sort of discipline into my life. Keeping a blog up to date is work and soon I felt my blog judging me when I didn't post soon enough. So it became a monthly thing soon and sometimes more.

I found my dream during the course of these 2 years. The dream of becoming a chef and I've been working to get there. My stint at cookery school in Dublin has taught me invaluable things. I now own my own pair of chef whites :) A few other dreams also came true. I met and COOKED for Gary & George from the show that started this journey for me in the first place. I saw Jamie Oliver, my idol, cook live on Food Revolution Day! I can't express how fortunate I've been. First I talked about food from a critic's point of view and now I can slowly see it turning into a chef's point of view.

I also want to thank my friends and all those people who were so happy with me for following my dream. I can't be more grateful. Lastly, I want to thank YOU guys. For reading, getting in touch with me, complimenting me and encouraging me, today's posts are for you guys.

I'm going to start unwrapping a few posts on our birthday, hope you like them!

CAKE FOR ALL YOU GUYS!

xoxo

FFB

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Birthday Month.

So The Food & Fashion Blog turns 2 this August and we're really excited to have made it this far! We've got a lot of special stuff planned for our birthday and you guys are going to love it.

I have many people asking me for recipes on Twitter and Facebook and as you are aware, I've never really shared any.So, our birthday surprise is along those lines ;)

Also, if you guys have any recipes which you think deserve some exposure, send them in to us in the Comments below or via Twitter or Facebook.

FFB is all about great food and stylish food and we're so excited to have made it 2 years!

Thank you again all you guys for reading, sharing and retweeting.

STAY TUNED!

xoxo
D

Saturday 6 July 2013

Dinner 101.

I know. Don't. I'm unbelievably late. But I think the procrastination is kicking back in. You guys stuck with me through all that and I thought I'd gotten over it but I'm having some kind of relapse. I'm trying to fight it like last time but I guess it isn't working. Anyway, here I am. I've made it. I'm typing.

My first formal dinner after my 'certificate' so expectations were high. My emotions were high. But in the end I think I pulled it off. Tell me what you think!

MENU:

Appetizer: Chicken liver pate with crisp ciabatta.

Main: Roasted Vegetable Quiche and Salad with a Balsamic and Hazelnut dressing.

Dessert: Chocolate Fondant with Caramel ice cream.

I decided to keep my first ever menu simple. I'd have liked a few more dishes but it was too much to do for the first time by myself. And since I was making everything from scratch (except the caramel ice cream and ciabatta) I couldn't really risk it.

I cooked the whole day and this is how everything turned out.


I was quite pleased with this pate actually. Creamy, rich with a hint of alcohol.



Yep. I made the pastry from scratch. Bloody hard work especially with our weather. Loads of vegetables, lots of thyme and beautiful salty feta.



No one can hate this dessert. I'm telling you, it's the easiest way to please someone. Oozy chocolate cake with ice cream- everyone loves that, unless ofcourse you're friends with those weirdos who hate chocolate :P
I was really happy with the way everything turned out. I just wish I had had time to make some onion jam to go with the pate but I just couldn't fit that in. So, good meal you reckon? Let me know if you'll use this or what you would add otherwise. Don't forget to comment below or just tweet me @devikambing :)

Look forward to hearing from you!

Stay Hungry

xoxo
D

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Luncheons & Dinners.

Hello guys, it's been a long gap. Reality caught up with me finally and I gave in. College, jet lag and unpacking was NOT pretty. But I made it, of course, cause I cooked A LOT. Cookery school has taught me so much. Recipes look less intimidating, and disasters look more recoverable- It's been great. I've been trying recipes everyday, perfecting some and altering some and really screwing up some :P But it's great doing something you love cause you never get tired of it. Practice is what makes a great chef so I'm going to do lots of it. Jamie wasn't Jamie overnight after all :)

So let's get to the real stuff- Luncheons & Dinners.

Yeah I guess I've been watching too much Downton Abbey, but you get the gist. The most annoying thing about having people over for a meal is deciding the menu (is what I hear) but I happen to LOVE it. So in this section of the blog, I'm going to write about my menus for the dinner or lunches that I host. I hope it sort of gives you ideas for your own meals. Whether you get it made or make it yourself, at least you'll have a different, more exciting menu. Not everyone loves cooking and eating, most just love the latter so this is for those people, to help them narrow down on one good 3 or 4 course meal.

The ONLY sentence people say to me when I meet them is,"Dude, you have to cook for me." I'm not even exaggerating. It has become the new,"Oh my God, you've grown up!" and we all know how repetitive that can get after a while :) Don't get me wrong, I'd love to cook for you but if I don't know you, then I guess I'll see you at my restaurant ;)

So, my first dinner is going to be tonight, people who really believe in me so the pressure's really on. I'll give you a detailed account of my menu and how each dish turned out in my next post but if you can't wait, obviously I'll be tweeting and Instagramming everything- you know it ;)

So, in conclusion, it was a great summer but now it's back to work so let's do it with style. Wish me luck for tonight and if you have any suggestions or questions let me know in the comments below-

xoxo
D

Friday 24 May 2013

Food Revolution Day!

For those of you who don't know me, let me tell you that I adore Jamie Oliver. He is the epitome of everything that is right in the world of food. And since, I kind of have something to with that, he is my idol. No fancy stuff and no health obsession, just fresh, good food :)

The Food Revolution is a movement Jamie Oliver started to get schools to serve the kids fresh, wholesome food. He got most of U.K. schools to change their unhealthy ways and then took on the U.S. Now, the Food Revolution is a worldwide movement started by Jamie to get people to cook, eat fresh and basically have a good time.

17th May is Food Revolution Day and I was lucky enough to be in London for it. A street party outside Jamie's restaurant Fifteen, with a live cooking demo by the man himself. There are very few things that tear me up, and Jamie cooking, is one of them. He is just SO funny and passionate that you can't look away once he's begun. So here are pictures from the street party: good food, good weather and Jamie Oliver!

Streeeeeet Partyyyyyy

Fish Dog and Chips

Ultimate Eton Mess

Fresh Buttermilk Waffles with Strawberries and Champagne Cream


THE MASTER.




This was one of the best days ever. To know more about the Food Revolution, click here: Jamie's Food Revolution

xoxo
D

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Week 4.

DAY 1

PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE WITH RASPBERRY COMPOTE
Light, creamy passion fruit mousse with a tart raspberry topping. The perfect combination. 
DAY 2


CELERIAC VELOUTE
Yep, that's how we serve it in the restaurant biz :)
To make eating soup less monotonous, we added a quinelle of olive tepenade and a lovely light, hazelnut dressing. Winner.

PORK WITH PRUNES
This is a classic comforting stew. Perfect for a rainy day with rich, sweet flavours.
DAY 3: POP UP RESTAURANT NIGHT (I'll tell you about it soon enough)


DAY 4

POTATO PANCAKE WITH POACHED EGG, GRILLED ASPARAGUS & HOLLANDAISE
The perfect hangover curing brunch. After a night of service, this is exactly what we needed.


CHICORY, BLOOD ORANGE AND FETA SALAD WITH SPICY NUTS
Doesn't this just look like summer in a plate?

PANFRIED SEABREAM WITH MIXED PEPPER ESCEBECHE WITH AN OLIVE TEPENADE AND FRIED CALAMARI
My favourite fish dish we've made so far. An escebeche is something mixed with oil and vinegar, like a relish. The roasted peppers taste delicious and with the fried squid, this is a restaurant dish.

STEAK & CHIPS
Classic pub food.

ALMOND & PISTACHIO LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
My family just loved this cake. Dense, rich and comforting with a tang of lemon to compliment the sweet, rich cake. Love.

TART TARTIN
This is a classic French apple tart. Tedious, but delicious
So that was my last week at cookery school. I had the best time of my life here and will miss my fellow cooks and my mentors. It was a tiring four weeks but so, so worth it. I hope this isn't my last time in a working kitchen, I certainly hope not cause I love the #ChefLife.

A month of great food, work and happiness that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Hope you enjoyed my journey as much as I did :)

If you want to say anything, please do in the comments below!

xoxo
D

Thursday 9 May 2013

Week 3.

Sorry for being so late, but after I got done with school I got a little carried away having fun. So this is my third week at cookery school. I haven't missed day 3 but I was compromised with a huge cut on my right finger so couldn't make it to school. Yes, #ChefProblems :)


DAY 1

WELSH RAREBIT WITH POACHED EGG AND WILTED SPINACH
Oh god I just love this recipe. A mixture of cheeses and mustard spread on toast with a lovely, creamy poached egg and fresh spinach. I was shocked I hadn't tried this earlier. So simple, traditional and delicious.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CHILI YOGHURT
This is one of the best salads we learned. So rich in flavour but so light. Warm, summery butternut squash with a cool chili yoghurt. AMAZING.

MIXED MUSHROOMS WITH BARLEY, FETA & CORIANDER
This is such a hearty dish. Woody, delicious mushrooms go so well with the barley and coriander, it's unbelievable. It's the perfect side or starter. 

MACKEREL WITH A CELERY, CELERIAC & FENNEL SALAD
If you aren't too fond of big, complex flavours, you'll love this. Just salt and pepper for seasoning, this dish is fresh, simple and light.

PRESSED CHOCOLATE CAKE
The trick about this cake is saving a bit of the mixture and top the cake with it a little later so you get a beautiful moussey texture on top. Such a simple trick, classic.

DAY 2

BRAN CRANBERRY MUFFINS
Let me warn you, these aren't as healthy as they look. With a good amount of creme fraiche and flour, this is as yummy as your other muffins. The crunch the bran brings is what makes them different.

THREE CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH BROWN BUTTER
Making ravioli is one of the most fulfilling jobs. It takes a lot of work, but the result is just beautiful. A perfect dish. You'll be seeing a lot more of it.

PORK BELLY
A classic dish, the key in achieving the perfectly cooked pork is the fluids you cook it in and the amount of time you give it.

RUSTIC OPEN APPLE TART
We've learned a lot of apple tarts and this looks one of the best. Fresh, sour apples topped with caramelised sugar and crispy pastry.


DAY 4

PRAWN STIR FRY
A combination of Thai flavours but I could really do without the curry powder.

RED PASTE BEEF STIR FRY
I loved this dish, hot and spicy.

MINT & CUCUMBER PICKLE
This was SUCH a brilliant accompaniment with the rest of the spicy food. So clean, so fresh, so yum.

STICKY JASMINE RICE

GREEN THAI CURRY
This curry was made from scratch with no shop bought curry pastes. The poached chicken and the chicken stock gives it a depth in flavour.

DAY 5

RASPBERRY JAM
Who knew making jam was so simple? Fruits and sugar, that's it.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE WITH ONION MARMALADE ON HOMEMADE BROWN SODA BREAD
Such a refined starter. The flavours go together so well it's unbelievable. Win.


FISH EN PAPILLOTE
Summery and fresh. Grilled fish with summer veggies cooked in a paper bag. Delicate and delicious.

ECLAIRS
These were just so easy to make and so so yum. With yummy fillings like salted caramel, lemon curd and cream, who won't like these?
That was Week 3. Delicious isn't it? Hope you enjoyed this, the delay was just my procrastination acting up again. Week 4 is even better ;)

Stay Hungry

xoxo
D