Showing posts with label shrimps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shrimps. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Italian with a 'Twist'


Yet another cooking demonstration at Nature Basket and this time it was an ‘Italian Cooking Demo with a twist’ by Chef Thomas Zacharias from Olive Bar and Kitchen

When I received the invitation on my phone, I should have understood that it would be crowded. I should have gone earlier to occupy a comfortable seat. It was an Italian food demonstration; so naturally many people would be interested.

But I took a mid-day nap and reached the venue at the dot at 4:30

The place was jam-packed with the crowd leaking into the passage way. There was no place to move and many of the women just took U-turn and walked away. The women who stood in the crowd were equally irritated and complained of imaginary pushes and pokes. Some were scary lot who kept adjusting their hand-bags closer to their breast and spend more time  at watching people around them rather than to concentrate on the demonstration. One late-comer scolded the management of Nature Basket for having invited her to such a crowded place with so little space.

 "Have it in a larger room next time, if you wish to invite me, understand?" she said as she pouted, fumed and walked away.

I was curious to know about this ‘twist’. I waited in the crowd just listening to the instructions and the comments that were made in the audience, but unfortunately, missed most part of the demo because I went away for a coffee to the next door restaurant and returned after 30 minutes. Towards the end, I was able to find a seat, left vacant by woman who wished to leave mid-session.

Well the ‘twist’ in the demo was the sauce that was cooked in cream and shrimps. The taste was sweet and sour; the lemon zest gave it tangy taste which induced the desire to ask for second helping of one more spoonful of this spaghetti.



Tangy shrimp Picante sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large shrimps roughly chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp fresh red chili, finely chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2cup heavy cream
1tsp fresh basil
Water as needed
1tbsp lemon juice
10large shrimps, halved and diced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon zest, grated.

Method

Step one
Cook spaghetti as instructed on packet and keep it aside

Step two
Stir fry shrimps with salt and pepper and keep them aside

Step three
Heat oil in a non-stick pan, sauté finely chopped shrimps with salt and pepper. Add chopped garlic and fresh green chilies.

Step four
Add tomato paste to the mixture

Step five
Add fresh cream and basil leaves, mix and stir.

Step six
Allow it to cool and puree the mixture in the food processor till completely smooth.

Step seven
Add the puree mixture back in the pan, and heat it. Add lemon juice and lemon zest.

Step eight
Add the boiled spaghetti to the sauce and cook it

Step nine
Serve with stir-fried shrimp that were cooked in step two.


Friday, October 12, 2012

Dined a Spanish Cuisine at Olympic Village at Barcelona

When in Spain, eat what Spanish eat, no?

The fun part of travelling around the world is to taste the local cuisine. During my last visit to Bangkok, my family and I headed straight from the airport to a restaurant to take our first bite of fried rice. Even the guests who visit me in Mumbai go crazy on batatawada, pani-puri, ragda pattis. I don’t blame them, they crave for the local food and they would go wild if there was no fear of bad stomach.

There are many countries where we have to develop a taste for that particular cuisine. When I went to Spain for the first time, I found the food very bland. There was no spice or chilies in the food. Many times I would carry a chilies sauce in my purse when I went out to eat. But gradually I developed a taste for it and now when I visit Spain, I do try some local cuisine.

On my last visit to Spain, I stopped by Barcelona for four days. My hosts took me out for lunch to try a typical Spanish cuisine. Twenty years ago, Barcelona was the host for Olympic games. An Olympic village with apartments and restaurants were developed at the seaside. Here was the venue for rows of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine. The place was well lighted and there was much activity till late evening.

It was raining and the weather was chilly. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were surrounded with the warmth and the happy atmosphere. Tourist and business people occupied the large round tables that were evenly spaced out. Transparent plastic curtains enclosed the area to keep out the rain. On the backside, behind the transparent curtain were the bar and the kitchen.

The service was quick and the waiter was alert. The olives and freshly baked bread coated with garlic and tomato appeared on the tables before even we could decide on the menu. The order would be the mixture of vegetarian and non-vegetarian.


To start with, I opted for Sangria, a fruit cocktail mixed with red wine with a bit of bubbly soda. Unfortunately, during the meal, with many more variety of food appearing at our table, I accidently dropped off my glass of Sangria and was not able to enjoy this after few sips.

But the rest of the meal was quite enjoyable.

I stretched my fork to pick up Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. This ham, (cured for more than 36 months, I was told,) is from free-range pigs that roam oak forests (called dehesas), and eat only acorns during this last period. The exercise and diet have a significant impact on the flavor of the meat. Salty and crisp, it tasted best went combined with freshly baked toast.


Gambas a la ajillo, the shrimps stir-fried with garlic in olive oil were tender and sweetish in taste.



Calamars a la Romania, the ring shaped squids, coated with egg flour batter and deep-fried. These were crispy and tender.

 I had never tasted Chiperones, which is actually small deep fried fishes, “have this, you will like the crispy, crunchy taste” said my BIL, but we were served baby octopus instead, I liked that as well.

When the Paella arrived I was taken by surprise. Now I had never known the existence of black rice. This is the specialty of Valencia and the black color is from black squid ink that is used during preparation. The rice was salty, crisp and well grilled filled with assorted seafood and chicken.

For the vegetarians, there was goat cheese salad, vegetarian paella and vegetable pinchitos, (the grilled chunks of cucumber, white gourd, brinjal and tomatoes).








Spanish meal is never complete till it ends with liquor and dessert. I was too full to order anything. However the liquor is good for digestion and the tiny glasses were too attractive to give a miss. We finished it with the piece of cake coated with cinnamon and powder sugar.





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