BON APPÉTIT! What Are You Eating?

[chillumpuffer]

Dinner this evening is a CP home classic:

Chicken liver Parfait and thins and some plum chutney

Pan Fried Halibut with a cream,wine and dill sauce. Sweet Potato and carrot mash, Pan braised Leeks

A selection of cheeses. Blue Stilton, Dutch Gouda with Cumin, Manchego.  

Wines: A Californian Chardonnay from The Edna Valley 2014, a New Zealand Pinot Noir from Saint Claire Marlborough 2012

 

Edited December 3, 2016 by chillumpuffer

[ledzepfvr]

Quick won-ton soup. Veggies in a chicken broth and shrimp and spinach stuffed won tons swimming in the hot pool.

 

 

 

 

 

[chillumpuffer]

Sunday dinner is a Chubby roaster. Done over a trivet, the chuck will be moist and delish. The veg underneath will be the basis of my gravy. Roasties and sprouts and broccoli on the side

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

This birthday was a strange one. I could only start celebrating from yesterday evening due to work commitments. 

Since it's my mom's birthday today (10th December), I have planned a joint celebration today.

Some snacks, beverages and an incredibly special meal (thanks mom!) from last night:

Here we have some fried rice laced with pav-bhaji masala, peas and onions. A bowl of cauliflower kurma and of course, a bowl of Thayir Vadai!  

More updates to come. I will be covering desserts, my experimentation with Italian cuisine courtesy of one of my favourite Italian restaurants here in Bangalore and of course, my whisky of choice for the evening!  

Edited December 10, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[chillumpuffer]

14 hours ago, Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 said:

This birthday was a strange one. I could only start celebrating from yesterday evening due to work commitments. 

Since it's my mom's birthday today (10th December), I have planned a joint celebration today.

Some snacks, beverages and an incredibly special meal (thanks mom!) from last night:

Here we have some fried rice laced with pav-bhaji masala, peas and onions. A bowl of cauliflower kurma and of course, a bowl of !  

More updates to come. I will be covering desserts, my experimentation with Italian cuisine courtesy of one of my favourite Italian restaurants here in Bangalore and of course, my whisky of choice for the evening!  

I thought you were going to the Italian for your birthday Kiwi?  What is Thayir Vadai ? 

Playing golf this morning so the breakfast of champions is on the table: Grilled Kipper, Poached egg and baked beans

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

15 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

I thought you were going to the Italian for your birthday Kiwi?  What is Thayir Vadai ? 

Playing golf this morning so the breakfast of champions is on the table: Grilled Kipper, Poached egg and baked beans

Well CP, that was the plan on Friday night but I got off work only at 8 PM and got home only at 8:45 PM and felt way too tired to go out and celebrate!  

My mom was sweet enough to plan an entire special meal just for me!  

Anyway, I FINALLY booked a table for my mom, dad and me this evening at Little Italy. Today is my mom's birthday and I have a joint celebration planned!  

Oh and Thayir Vadai is Vadai (the Southern Indian name) or Vada (the North Indian name) marinated in curd (laced with chilly powder and pre-heated mustard seeds). 

Vada is a common savoury fried snack. I also refer to it as Indian Dumplings!  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vada_(food)

Edited to add: Thayir is the Tamil word for curd (salted yogurt in American terms  )

Edited December 10, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

I have a sweet tooth! I love cheese cake ice cream and chocolate Swiss roll!  

 

[chillumpuffer]

.... and so another Saturday evening rolls in. Mrs CP has badgered me all week for this. How can I resist Mrs CP?

Corn on the cob

Pan fried Rib Eye Steak. Red wine reduction. Garlic and Rosemary Rosties. Asparagus Spears

Tiramisu

A wonderfully rich Rioja and a Pinot Noir for drinks. I also have some sweet Indian Charas (Hash) to chill with. 

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

Italian Feast tonight at my favourite Italian restaurant here in Bangalore, Little Italy as part of the joint birthday celebration for my mom and I. 

My folks and I set off at 7:30 PM and we arrived just in time at 8 PM. I must say that it was super crowded and I am so glad that I booked a table, well in advance.

Basically, there are 4 courses:

Antipasti (entree).

Primi Piatti (first main course).

Second Piatti (second main course - can include two dishes including slices of a wood burn pizza).

Dolci (Desserts) 

Beware of the desserts and alcohol. These are bloody expensive and inflate the damn bill!! 

As usual, we had so many dishes to choose from, for each course that it was simply confusing and mind blowing! So, my lovely folks left the choice of dishes to me! Being a self-confessed foodie, this was a dream come true for me, tonight!  

For entree, we had roasted potato (with crispy skin) cooked in olive oil, sauteed with garlic and oregano and served with a gorgeous paprika flavoured mayonnaise. 

For the first main course, I went for Cheese Fondue, served with croutons and a variety of exciting and gorgeous boiled vegetables like belle pepper (the sweeter variant of capsicum, used to make paprika powder), broccoli (yep! Broccoli + cheese fondue = yum!), mushrooms, zucchini, corn, etc. See photos below  

On a side note, there were way too many lasagna variants for my liking on that menu for the main course! This annoyed me a little, as lasagna IMO, is such a common bloody dish these days (hell, even a cat like Garfield knows about it and loves it! How does that even happen?!), thereby making it pretty damn boring! Anyone who wants an AUTHENTIC Italian dinning experience should not order lasagna - be bold by trying something new for cryin' out loud!

Here's the cheese fondue in all its glory:

 

Here are all the gorgeous veggies and croutons (before being dipped or should I say submerged!  ) in cheese fondue:

 

After the submerging (as you can see, I went a bit mad here as I even doused the roasted potato from the entree with fondue!): 

 

For the second main course, we had a gorgeous and authentic thin crusted, wood burn pizza called Pavarotti, consisting of fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, temphe, mushrooms, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. I could tell that the parmesan cheese had been prepared from scratch! It was tangy beyond my wildest dreams! The pizza was a gorgeous creation. A work of art! 

 

The last dish as part of the main course was good old ravioli! Oh and since that cheese fondue was the highlight for all of us, we requested that the same sauce be served with the ravioli! The restaurant manager was only too happy to oblige! 

 

Edited December 10, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[chillumpuffer]

On 10/12/2016 at 5:59 PM, Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 said:

Italian Feast tonight at my favourite Italian restaurant here in Bangalore, Little Italy as part of the joint birthday celebration for my mom and I. 

My folks and I set off at 7:30 PM and we arrived just in time at 8 PM. I must say that it was super crowded and I am so glad that I booked a table, well in advance.

Basically, there are 4 courses:

Antipasti (entree).

Primi Piatti (first main course).

Second Piatti (second main course - can include two dishes including slices of a wood burn pizza).

Dolci (Desserts) 

Beware of the desserts and alcohol. These are bloody expensive and inflate the damn bill!! 

As usual, we had so many dishes to choose from, for each course that it was simply confusing and mind blowing! So, my lovely folks left the choice of dishes to me! Being a self-confessed foodie, this was a dream come true for me, tonight!  

For entree, we had roasted potato (with crispy skin) cooked in olive oil, sauteed with garlic and oregano and served with a gorgeous paprika flavoured mayonnaise. 

For the first main course, I went for Cheese Fondue, served with croutons and a variety of exciting and gorgeous boiled vegetables like belle pepper (the sweeter variant of capsicum, used to make paprika powder), broccoli (yep! Broccoli + cheese fondue = yum!), mushrooms, zucchini, corn, etc. See photos below  

On a side note, there were way too many lasagna variants for my liking on that menu for the main course! This annoyed me a little, as lasagna IMO, is such a common bloody dish these days (hell, even a cat like Garfield knows about it and loves it! How does that even happen?!), thereby making it pretty damn boring! Anyone who wants an AUTHENTIC Italian dinning experience should not order lasagna - be bold by trying something new for cryin' out loud!

Here's the cheese fondue in all its glory:

 

Here are all the gorgeous veggies and croutons (before being dipped or should I say submerged!  ) in cheese fondue:

 

After the submerging (as you can see, I went a bit mad here as I even doused the roasted potato from the entree with fondue!): 

 

For the second main course, we had a gorgeous and authentic thin crusted, wood burn pizza called Pavarotti, consisting of fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, temphe, mushrooms, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. I could tell that the parmesan cheese had been prepared from scratch! It was tangy beyond my wildest dreams! The pizza was a gorgeous creation. A work of art! 

 

The last dish as part of the main course was good old ravioli! Oh and since that cheese fondue was the highlight for all of us, we requested that the same sauce be served with the ravioli! The restaurant manager was only too happy to oblige! 

 

Looks fab Kiwi. Not sure fondue is exactly Italian but i'm sure you had a great time? A classic Chianti would have been a great tipple for the above

Tonight: A classic North Indian Chicken Curry and I am making my own Naan Breads 

[Strider]

Good god almighty Kiwi. You really went 'double-live-gonzo' this weekend!!! Fabulous!

CP is right, though...I believe fondue originally began in Switzerland.

[craigled]

Having some grapes. Oh i love them. Trouble is, Sometimes i have too many and give myself a dodgy belly.

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

21 hours ago, chillumpuffer said:

Looks fab Kiwi. Not sure fondue is exactly Italian but i'm sure you had a great time? A classic Chianti would have been a great tipple for the above

Tonight: A classic North Indian Chicken Curry and I am making my own Naan Breads 

 

20 hours ago, Strider said:

Good god almighty Kiwi. You really went 'double-live-gonzo' this weekend!!! Fabulous!

CP is right, though...I believe fondue originally began in Switzerland.

Thanks guys! It was such a wonderful evening! Double the birthday celebrations, double the fun (so glad my mom's birthday is the next day after mine!)  

You guys are absolutely right. Cheese Fondue is indeed from Switzerland. But interestingly, there is a variant of Cheese Fondue called Italian Cheese Fondue. The difference between the Swiss dish and what my folks and I feasted on that night, is the fact that rather than using a type of Swiss cheese like Gruyère (for instance), various types of Italian cheese such as Mozzarella, Fontina, Provolone, Romano, Parmesan or Asiago (or a mixture of these, if one's feeling particularly adventurous  ) can be used in place of Swiss cheese. The chef had used a combination of Fontina and Parmesan cheese that night, to prepare the cheese fondue! 

Here is the closest recipe that I could find to what the chef prepared at the restaurant that night:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/italian-fondue

Edited December 12, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[chillumpuffer]

Of course Kiwi - a veggie Italian. Funny that, because only this weekend a few chums and us were discussing cuisines around Europe. We all agreed that most European countries, including Italian, was really difficult in finding veggie dishes. I can think of a couple of pizzas but generally it's a meat, fish and wine diet, same in France and Spain and Portugal.

Tonight I am doing Lamb Shanks with a Mint and Rosemary sauce and mash. 

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

13 hours ago, chillumpuffer said:

Of course Kiwi - a veggie Italian. Funny that, because only this weekend a few chums and us were discussing cuisines around Europe. We all agreed that most European countries, including Italian, was really difficult in finding veggie dishes. I can think of a couple of pizzas but generally it's a meat, fish and wine diet, same in France and Spain and Portugal.

Tonight I am doing Lamb Shanks with a Mint and Rosemary sauce and mash. 

My dad and I eat practically everything, CP. Chicken. Lamb, Seafood....you name it. My mom on the other hand, is a vegetarian. She can eat egg based dishes though (she especially loves cheese omelettes) , but that's about as far as she'll go. There are non-vegetarian Italian restaurants here in Bangalore, but we chose Little Italy, so that my mom in no way, felt excluded on her special day!  

[chillumpuffer]

5 hours ago, Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 said:

My dad and I eat practically everything, CP. Chicken. Lamb, Seafood....you name it. My mom on the other hand, is a vegetarian. She can eat egg based dishes though (she especially loves cheese omelettes) , but that's about as far as she'll go. There are non-vegetarian Italian restaurants here in Bangalore, but we chose Little Italy, so that my mom in no way, felt excluded on her special day!  

I was a Vegetarian for about 10 years and would not eat eggs and cheese had to be Farmhouse cheese which does not use animal rennet. It was part of my full on hippy days. No leather (obviously) no animal fats, only pulses and beans and fruit and veg. I only got back into meat when I met Mrs CP in the mid 80's. To be honest those years of being veggie helped me understand foods which I have carried on in later life. I can rustle up a meal out of a few basic ingredients. As you will appreciate when travelling India it was never a good idea to eat meat anyway.  

[craigled]

Fish fingers and chips for tea later on. Lucky me. Not much food in. Until shopping day-Thursday. So the same tomorrow.

[chillumpuffer]

4 minutes ago, craigled said:

Fish fingers and chips for tea later on. Lucky me. Not much food in. Until shopping day-Thursday. So the same tomorrow.

You must have some dosh for a pie? I mean you're from Wigan !

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

14 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

I was a Vegetarian for about 10 years and would not eat eggs and cheese had to be Farmhouse cheese which does not use animal rennet. It was part of my full on hippy days. No leather (obviously) no animal fats, only pulses and beans and fruit and veg. I only got back into meat when I met Mrs CP in the mid 80's. To be honest those years of being veggie helped me understand foods which I have carried on in later life. I can rustle up a meal out of a few basic ingredients. As you will appreciate when travelling India it was never a good idea to eat meat anyway.  

I couldn't possibly agree with you more, CP! I love my fruits and veggies, too and I just can't imagine life without these!  You can (as you very rightly pointed out), rustle up something simple, yet delicious with the help of a few basic ingredients. 

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

Speaking of veggies:

My favourite vegetables are: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Onion (thanks to having salad with my dinner, nearly every day), Capsicum, Okra, Eggplant, Spinach and Broccoli

My least favourite vegetables are: Kumara (Sweet Potato), Beetroot, Sugar Snap Peas, Pumpkin and Carrot

I did not include Tomato in the list of my favourite vegetables (I was so tempted to!!) as apparently, it's a fruit!

Edited December 13, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[craigled]

20 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

You must have some dosh for a pie? I mean you're from Wigan !

Just about. What i am having is better than a pie. I live in Wigan now, But i am from Bolton. I must point that out. So not a real pie-eater.

[Strider]

It's definitely a three-coffee morning. 

[chillumpuffer]

8 minutes ago, Strider said:

It's definitely a three-coffee morning. 

What are ya freezing your bollocks of Seany boy?

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

Dinner tonight: Piping hot Sambar (a Southern Indian lentil based vegetable broth), Dalia, Green Beans and Cauliflower Curry, plenty of Salad and curd (suck it, rain gods!!). 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[Strider]

29 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

What are ya freezing your bollocks off Seany boy?

There. FIFY.