BEBINCA ...STEP BY STEP RECIPE BY CHEF SAMANTHA NUNES AT THE GOA MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA

'A traditional rich Goan dessert, Bebinca is a must have at any celebration . Making Bebinca requires tons of patience - a layer can only be added when the one below it is cooked - but it is so much easier if you have a KitchenAid stand mixer to work with for all the pre-prep' says Chef Samantha Nunes as she makes this delightful and yummy Goan Delight.

Water: 250 ML; Sugar: 500 Gms; Egg Yolks: 10 nos; Refined flour: 150 Gms;  Nutmeg Powder: 2 Gms; Coconut milk: 500 Ml; Pure Ghee: as desired.

In the KitchenAid stand mixer bowl pour coconut milk

Adjust the whisk

Add the Egg yolks

Add the Sugar syrup

Turn it on the KitchenAid Stand mixer to whisk

Add the flour ( nutmeg powder is added to the flour)

remove bowl from stand and strain for any lumps

In a pan over heat pour ghee

when the ghee melts pour a cup of the batter and spread evenly

when it looks like this take it under the grill or salamander

Under the grill

 Bake till golden brown, spread another spoonful of ghee and pour another cup of batter and spread evenly

keep baking and layering for lots of layers

This is what your bebinca will come out as

Bebinca by the beautiful backdrop of the Goa Marriott & Spa Hotel

Chef Samantha Nunes stands proudly with the Bebinca....with the stunning Goa Marriott Resort & Spa in the Background

And I dine proudly with my childhood hero and star of India...Goan Rock star Remo Fernandes at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

AKIRA BACK

Panning across two levels of the hotel, this signature restaurant specializes in Japanese cuisine with Korean essence and Stands out in its effort to merge visual arts with gourmet art …

LOWDOWN

This is an impressive establishment for entertaining. With chic design blended with an eight-metre tall sake wall which houses some of the finest sakes and wines in the sub-continent, the ambience is simply stunning. Akira Back imbues flavours from the ancient back alleys of Tokyo and metamorphoses them into a contemporary gastronomic experience. Replete with a robatayaki grill which originates from a centuries-old country style of cooking by Japanese fishermen, the restaurant distinguishes itself. One can also enjoy an evening of flavour and flair at the restaurant’s al fresco dining in the inner courtyard. For those who do not know, Chef Akira Back is a Korea native and former professional snowboarder who was raised in Aspen, Colorado, and brings his sense of adventure and boundless creativity at his namesake restaurant Akira Back, an innovative Japanese restaurant with Korean essence.

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

Specially designed for the restaurants, diners also get to watch chefs in action while they dip their meat in sauce. The cooking methods are true to thousands of years of oriental tradition, yet the flavours are quintessentially twenty first century – modern, subtle and thrilling.

Chef back has tailored traditional, regional spirit to the modern gourmet with the accomplishment of an enthusiastic chef in search of new experiences and has created dishes like Tuna Pizza, seared Foie gras, wasabi pepper tenderloin to name a few. Sashimi is the restaurant’s forte clearly; obviously not only the freshest sea-food will do, but also the best quality, served beautifully. The tasty morsels of ‘maguro’ (tuna) are delicately smooth and ‘shake’ (salmon) is divinely creamy in texture and taste. If you are a soup lover go for the Miso soup, it’s truly decadent. A speciality here is also the Sake steamed flounder; the soft flesh of the fish is steamed with a black bean yuzu soy sauce and is most tender. I was mesmerised by the style and plating of the dishes, influenced by the origin of the dish, each offering is carefully arranged on beautifully handcrafted dinner ware. For dessert try the yuzu tart its superlative. All in all, for top-notch food, service, view and ambience, Akira back is a restaurant to patronise.

CHECK IT OUT

Akira Back is at JW Marriott, Asset Area 4 - Hospitality District, Delhi Aerocity,

New Delhi - 110 037 

For Reservations: +91 (0)11 45212121

Meal for two: INR 4,000 without alcohol.

Timings: Lunch: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. & Dinner: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

ABOUT CHEF AKIRA BACK

Chef Back’s love of travel and culinary exploration took him to Japan and throughout Europe where he worked under world leading celebrity chefs. When he returned to the US, then he was named the first Korean to be the Executive chef of Nobu Matsuhisa in Aspen. Following the famed Yellowtail by Akira Back at the Bellagio, Chef Akira is spreading his culinary wings with 3 new restaurants. Kumi by Akira Back at Mandalay Bay, Akira Back New Delhi JW Marriott Aerocity, and on early this year Akira Back Jakarta will be the new outpost for his culinary journey.

 published in tlf

AT THE CORNER COURTYARD, KOLKATA, KYLE SPEAKS ABOUT KITCHENAID & JOHNNY ...

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

Quite the draw for those wishing to find natural landscape backdrop to proceedings as the countryside itself is charming.

Kota Kinabalu is not only the gateway to lush jungle and abundant wildlife in Sabah’s heartland, but is also a luxury adventure destination in its own right, whether you stop here for a few days before your trip to the interior or to relax for a few days afterwards. Tropical islands, sandy beaches, lush wetlands and parks, and golden-domed temples, these are just a few of the things you can look forward to seeing here. This gorgeous resort city is tucked into the west coast of Malaysia, and it is one of the hidden gem tourist locations in the country.

FUN GALORE

Sabah is located on the east of Malaysia and the only way to get there is with an airplane. We were extremely lucky that Malindo Air was offering a really good rate to Sabah. Of course there are other flight options but the best fare that one can find is from Malindo Air. The new airplane which comes with an entertainment system and a USB charger port… How convenient! A visit to KK is not perfect without swimming in the Poring Hot Springs, Which are 40km northeast of Kinabalu Park in the lowlands, as opposed to the Parks highlands. Our drive took about two hours to get to the Park. The view was phenomenal, and the Hot Springs have baths along a hillside. Simply get in one, turn the water on and wait for it to fill up so you can soak away stress and relieve aching muscles in the spring’s sulphuric minerals. Beside the Hot Springs there are several other attractions around like a butterfly farm, an orchid conservation centre, a tropical garden, a Rafflesia flower site & the Poring canopy walkway. The canopy walkway is not what the tourist sites will have you believe. It is no ‘stroll amidst the lush canopy of the Menggaris trees’ and are actually 157.8 meters long and 41 meters high. A little tree top walk and good views, yes. The walk itself is over 1km in length; over 500m uphill through the jungle, a good hearty walk that left me breathless, but was lots of fun.

ISLANDANDERS

Kota Kinabalu has a few gems lying less than 30 minutes off its coast. A bundle of small islands that are a part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park that are connected via speed boat make for a great day trip and break from the city. Getting to the islands is easy – you walk down to the jetty where there’s a large room with small booths where people sell tickets for a speed boat to the islands. You can also arrange to rent snorkelling equipment and do snorkelling/diving trips here as well. If you just want the speed boat to get you over to the islands, most companies advertise the same price, just make sure the one you choose has a boat leaving soon! Just let the company know what time you want to be back on the mainland and they will book you on that speed boat to come back.  At the Island if you want to catch a glimpse of what lives under the sea, don a Snorkel and flippers and head out as the water is remarkably clear and the underwater flora and fauna before your masks turns into a kaleidoscope of brilliantly stunning colours. You can swim over hardly touched healthy young corals, discover big marbled groupers lurking in the shadows and even encounter turtles. Craving more thrills, go Scuba diving, a practically religious experience for divers. You can in your local sarongs walk along the beach to the over water restaurant for a mouth-watering taste sensation of arguably the finest BBQ you can find in Malaysia. All in all it’s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy and wander the beach.

THE BEACH SIDE

Kota Kinabalu doesn’t exactly seem to hide its charms. ‘If you’ve got it flaunt it’ could well be the sea side town’s motto. Famed for its beach stretch and even more famed for its vibrant nightlife, it is a popular vacation destination. Start your evening with drinks at the lounge in your hotel and move on. Nightlife and party enthusiasts never have a tough time searching for a place to enjoy the evening with narrow alleys filled with unique bars and restaurants to choose from. By the way you might be more than happy to find Massage parlours as a further point of relaxation and for the ultimate indulgence one can retire to massage beds and saver the true Asian feel. Their special mineral oil sets the mood and a cup of green tea completes the experience. Voila!

FAST FACTS

BEST WAY TO REACH

Newly launched Malindo Air, most economical and comfortable with plush leather seats and wider seat pitches of 32 inches flies directly to Kuala Lumpur from India and has a connecting flight to Kota Kinabalu. For more information and pricing log on to www.malindoair.com

VISA & CURRENCY

Indians need a Visa to enter Malaysia. The currency is the Malaysian Ringgit. One Malaysian Ringgit is equal to approximately 20 Indian Rupees.

MUST KNOW

Usher in Visit Malaysia year 2014 and gear up for an exciting line up of events and festivals. There will never be a dull moment as Malaysia’s multicultural society comes together to celebrate religious festivals, parades, carnivals, cultural extravaganzas, sporting events and many more.

published in Tlf

THE VALENTINE LOVE STORY

‘Good Morning Honey, Wish you a Happy Valentine’s day’, calls up Adam and wishes his fiancée. Extremely pleased Eve says, ‘Same to you sweetheart’. In a rush to go get ready Adam says ‘Got to go for work, but I hope you remember our plans for the Evening, we’re cooking dinner together, I’ll pick you up at Eight, or maybe a bit early, cooking together will take some time,’ he adds wickedly. ‘All right see you then, and have a good-day, I got to go too’, answers Eve.

Adam has something else on his mind, he takes a half day, (he’s worked late in the evening a day before to make up for it), and guess what! Eve has done the same. So off to the market they both go (separately of course), to buy the ingredients for the dinner, they have planned. Knowing how health conscious Eve is Adam plans to surprise Eve with a smoothie and pasta for dinner (before she arrives) and Eve knows that Adam simply loves fish cakes, so she plans to make that.

Sharp at 7:45pm, Eve hears the bell ring, and she gives a last minute look at the mirror before opening the door. ‘You look gorgeous as usual’, says Adam ‘Let’s go, hungry aren't we?’ he says in good humor. ‘Sure we are, and cooking will take a while. Bye mom, I’ll be back around 11’, says Eve to her mother and they both rush off.

On reaching Eve quietly goes to the kitchen and puts her packet, but well there’s a surprise for Eve.

The table is laid, candles are lit and so is the dinner!! And Adam is equally surprised and happy with what Eve has got for him. As they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

Adam seats Eve on the dining chair and says ‘I’ll be back in a jiffy’, Eve can hear him whistling and true to his words he’s back with 2 glasses of strawberry smoothies. ‘This is amazing, and how did you make it?’ questions Eve. ‘It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 if you own some KitchenAid products baby!’

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

For a couple

INGREDIENTS

Yoghurt: 450gms; Honey: 2 tsps.; strawberries (sliced): 250gms.

Method

] Combine all ingredients in the KitchenAid cordless hand blender.

] Use the Puree until extremely smooth.

HOT FACT: Strawberries improve blood flow; and feed the capacity of sexual and carnal desire. Strawberries tipped with chocolate can get the ultimate in desire!

After the smoothie, both go to the kitchen together, Eve with the KitchenAid stand mixer makes the fish cakes while Adam rustles up the pasta for his darling. And they start with their favorite main course. ‘You would have made an excellent Chef if not a chemical Engineer, and what may I ask is the recipe for this, it’s just the way I like it,’ says a mesmerized Eve. ‘Sure sweetie, and here it goes,’ shares Adam.

PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS IN BASIL SAUCE

Makes 2

Pasta: 150gms (made using the KitchenAid pasta attachment); Basil leaves: 10 Gms; Lemon juice: 15 ml; Salt: as reqd; Olive oil: 8 ml; Mixed mushrooms (regular, oyster, shitake):130 Gms; Vegetable stock: 75ml; Rocket leaves: a large handful; Parmesan shavings: Accompaniment/garnish.

Method

] Boil pasta for 5-6 minutes. Drain and keep warm

] Chop basil finely and put into a small bowl with the lemon juice and 4 ml of the olive oil.

] Heat the remaining oil in a thick based frying pan and fry mushrooms over high heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and continue cooking until the mushrooms have softened and stock evaporated.

] Pour basil sauce over the mushrooms. Add the cooked pasta and rocket leaves to it and toss. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with parmesan shavings.

‘And darling how do you make the fish cakes, I just love them’, says Adam. ‘It’s really simple and easy when you know it.’

FISH CAKES WITH CUCUMBER RELISH

Makes about12 cakes

Fish fillet (sole): 300 Gms; Red curry paste: 25 ml; Egg: 1 no; Granulated sugar: 5 gms; Corn flour: 30 Gms; Kaffir lime leaf: 1 no; Coriander (chopped): 15 Gms; Green beans (finely sliced): 50 Gms; Oil: For frying.

Relish

Rice vinegar: 60 ml; water: 60 ml; Sugar: 50 Gms; pickled garlic: 1 head; cucumber (quartered and sliced): 1 no; spring onions (finely chopped): 100 Gms; Ginger (finely chopped): 20 Gms.

Method

] Relish: - Bring vinegar, water and sugar mixture to a boil, stir till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Combine the rest of the relish mixture in a bowl and pour vinegar mixture.

] Combine the fish, curry paste and egg in the KitchenAid chopper attachment and process well. Transfer to a bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

] Mold and shape mixture into cakes.

] Heat oil in a wok or deep fat fryer, fry the cakes for 4-5 minutes or golden brown, serve hot with relish.  

‘So, honey what we do for dessert, should we make that together?’ suggests Adam naughtily. ‘Yes, sure, we’ll have fresh a wild berry sorbet, that’s simple, easy to fix with the KitchenAid ice-cream attachment and just delicious and very valentine!’ adds Eve with innocence.

WHAT MEN WANT!!!

In my last post I wrote about what women want on Valentine's day…here’s to men now!!

WAY TO A MAN’S HEART IS THROUGH HIS STOMACH

Send him a dinner invite at his workplace, with timings et all. Set up the table with the best linen, crockery, cutlery, Champagne glasses etc. But of course it should be a candlelight dinner and you should be dressed to kill. Present him the menu card when he sits on the table. Aphrodisiacs like caviar, chocolate, strawberries should be on the menu. Start with Champagne the best aphrodisiac and you can be sure of no complaints. The dessert can sure be had in bed!  

BOYS LOVE TOYS

Some gifts cost little to nothing, while others are expensive. Whatever your desire or budget, you can be sure to get interesting gifts that will be remembered for years to come. Gift your man the latest technology phone, I-pod or laptop and he’ll love you for it. Men are Gizmo freaks and love to explore anything new. As a matter of fact to really make the day special, and one to remember, give a gift personalized. You could even do monogrammed stationery or better still some bed linen or just an embroidered pillow, or monogrammed bed linens. You could even gift him a cut out of a heart from some nice Cardboard, cover it in layers with some nice paper, make it look fancy, be creative and don’t forget to add your own personal sentiment to it. Trust me it will be in his memory box years.

GO DOWN MEMORY LANE

The most creative thing you can do for Valentine's Day, is decorate a huge piece of white poster board with memories. You may take chocolate wrappers that you may have saved from the first date, love notes received from your man, a receipt from a dinner date that you may have paid for (since he was broke), a stuffed animal from one of those claw machines (which may have cost him at least 500Rs to win), movie tickets, and many other such reminders of the special times you have spent together. Pin them up in the shape of a heart and it’ll be wonderful to relive the romance and go down memory lane together. 

GO THE ITALIANO ROUTE

Prepare an Italian meal with your own hands, play some background Italian music, enjoy it with a bottle of Italian wine and end it up with cups of amaretto flavored coffee for a taste sensation - top it off with a sensuous scented bubble bath for two.

BALOONS GALORE

Insert sweet surprises into red heart shaped balloons before inflating them - add a small Valentine’s message too. Tie daintily with red ribbons and attach to his computer chair, tie in all places where he goes in the morning for him to find it on Valentine’s morning. He’ll love you for it and then pretend you are not married and plan a date in the evening.

Whatever way you do it, remember to say “I love you” as often as you can as for a Woman it is probably one of the most treasured gifts she could receive. It doesn't cost a penny and your love is essentially the best gift you can give of yourself.

WHAT WOMEN WANT!!!

On the eve of the Month of Love.....let me share

5 EXCITING WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY

Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to focus on love. Make your "Focus-on-Love Day" extraordinarily romantic, so here are some different things you can do to add a little spice to your Valentine's Day.

HAVE A COMBINED SPA EXPERIENCE

Want to feel pampered and special? Spas are the right places to help one rejuvenate, relax and charge oneself. There are lots of exotic indulgences the luxury spas have on offer. A Spa treatment is just the thing to bring to bring the zing back and make one feel romantic on Valentine’s Day and what can be better than having it together.

DRESS UP AND STAY IN

Since most of us work, order dinner from your favorite restaurant at home. This works especially well if you have children. Once they go to bed, you could have a late, quiet dinner for two. Don’t forget to dress to kill for the occasion. Lady should wear her most beautiful black evening dress, while the man can wear a Black suit with a white shirt and match it with sexy cologne And while she’s doing her make-up and hair (women take a while to these extra things), she’d be elated if her man put on some quiet, background music, lit the candles and sets a romantic setting. In fact create a love gazebo at home complete with romantic candles potpourri love cushions, sequins, curtains and much more. Another added feature to this could be a fireplace. If you have one, light one. The fire surely will add a romantic flare to the evening, especially if it is cold in February. If you don't want to do a full course dinner, wine and cheese works well too, or whatever beverage and snack you and your loved one prefers. Any way you do it, setting the scene for a romantic quiet time together will convey the feelings of love and companionship, you want to express. Trust me after those killer looks and dinner, you’ll surely end up dancing and sitting on the couch, telling how much you love each other and it will end up as the most romantic evening of your life.

BOOK A CINEMA HALL

PVR CINEMAS - DIRECTOR'S CUT

You could do this for your spouse, it’s different and it’s fun Write up little notes about how you feel about her and what she means to you and place them around the house along with a candy heart or a red rose .To make it more exciting add a riddle at the end of each note about where to find the next note, some could be naughty ones too, just like in a game of Treasure hunt. In the last note, write “see you soon” along with two tickets for a romantic movie and a Limousine filled with red roses waiting for her to be picked up. Wait there for her at the cinema hall, give her a red carpet welcome and if you could manage to book a hall like PVR’S Gold class Lounge “just for the two of you”, she’ll be simply overwhelmed. 

FLOWERS & CANDLELIGHT DINNER

Though an age-old idea but it sure hits off well with women… You could Serenade the love of your life with flowers. Get the flowers delivered accompanied by a violinist and cello player to play your special love song. Candlelight dinner for two at a restaurant is a good idea. You could book a table at your favorite restaurant.

 BED & BREAKFAST 

A GUEST ROOM AT HYATT REGENCY MUMBAI

Another romantic venture that says I love you to your spouse is a romantic getaway. Take her out for a Bed and Breakfast package in the most posh and elegant hotel nearby your city or in the city itself. The Bed and Breakfast experience is for those who like meeting other people and being a little pampered with a nice, big breakfast. It’s for those who like the idea of room service and a Jacuzzi; a hotel room is the way to go. Get splashing- Enjoy a bath, Jacuzzi, together. You have quiet time to yourselves, in a place where your focus can be and stay where you want it, with each other. But if you want to really get away from it all and really want to go all out, a weekend getaway may be just be it. Remember to check up with your local travel agent about great weekend escapes or you could even do a net search.

      

Whatever way you do it, remember to say “I love you” as often as you can as for a Woman it is probably one of the most treasured gifts she could receive. It doesn't cost a penny and your love is essentially the best gift you can give of yourself.

WRITERS HAD A BALL AT THE WRITER'S BALL AT LE MERIDIEN JAIPUR ON 21ST JANUARY

When I woke up on the 21st morning after a comfortable sleep on Le Meridien Jaipur's cozy bed, I drew the curtains and saw that it was raining cats and dogs and all the arrangements that the Hotel had made the previous day ( in terms of decoration) for hosting the writer's ball ( for those who don't know this year the venue was moved to the sprawling Le Meridien close to the Amber fort) in the lawns ...alas had been ruined and even if it meant Sun the rest of the day, the lawns couldn't have completely cleared of the muck. I kept wondering as to what the Hotel would do now as most of their area was totally blocked owing to the 'Emami' wedding. I saw Anjali Mehra (Area Director Marketing & Communications South Asia at Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts) and Vikas Malik ( Regional Director Food & Beverage, South Asia at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc) working on Plan B for the evening with their team.

As for us ( the invitees), we went over to the festival, had a delicious lunch at Laxmi Mishtaan Bhandar, did some shopping , got dressed and came down for the party...

And what a party... the team had transformed the 24 hours restaurant 'Latest Recipe' on the lobby level and the area connecting on the first floor adjoining a terrace into a party zone in a couple of hours. Kudos for that I must say! 

Big names like William Dalrymple, Sanjoy Roy, Namita Gokhale, Parveen Dusanj, Tripti Pandey and Kabir Bedi were all seen having a great time. Writers were dancing with full gusto to the tunes of a Rajasthani band led by famous artiste Chugge Khan, who sang songs like Duma Dum Mast Kalandar and Rajasthani folk songs like Kalyo Kood Padya and Mhari Odhni. 

The icing on the cake was the Big Indian Emami Wedding fireworks which could be seen from the terrace. 

As for me I had great company and couldn't help dancing to the music myself. 
It was also a pleasure to catch up with my friend Prashant Gupta ( General Manager at The Trident Jaipur). All in all being Starwood's designated brand for art and culture Le Meridien proved to be the perfect venue to host this ball, even the rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the team and they rocked !!