Why appetizers matter more when you're dining

DC :ANI | 20th Jun 2013

According to a new study, first impressions of experiences have a greater impact when consumers share the experience with others.

"When consumers consume an experience alone, the end of the experience has a greater effect on their overall evaluations. On the other hand, when consumers consume an experience with others, the beginning has a greater influence on how they judge the entire experience," write authors Rajesh Bhargave (University of Texas, San Antonio) and Nicole Votolato Montgomery ( University of Virginia).

Experiences (vacations, concerts, meals) often have multiple components that can be judged separately. 

For example, a consumer visiting a museum might like some paintings but dislike others, or a diner at a restaurant might love the appetizers and main course but hate dessert. How consumers judge experiences may depend on whether they are shared with others or consumed alone.

In one study, consumers viewed a series of paintings while either seated alone or with companions. 

One group was shown a series of paintings beginning with the "least enjoyable" painting and ending with the "most enjoyable," while another group was shown the same paintings in the reverse order.

Consumers who were seated alone preferred the series of paintings with the "most enjoyable" painting presented last, while those who viewed the paintings with companions preferred the series with the "most enjoyable" painting presented first.

The order of events in an experience can greatly influence overall enjoyment. 

Tour operators, museum curators, event planners, spa and resort managers, and others charged with creating consumption experiences should consider whether consumers tend to engage in the experience alone or with others.

"While consumers sometimes engage in experiences alone, they often share them with others and their overall evaluations are shaped by the social context in which they occur. Companies should consider the social context of a consumption experience, because consumers think differently and form different memories and evaluations when they feel bonded to others," the authors concluded.

The study was reported in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Fusion hits headlines as simple foods get a tricky twist

Combining flavours for that unique taste

Shonali Muthalaly The hindu :20 June 2013

Fusion hits headlines as simple foods get a tricky twist

You’ve probably heard of the cronut by now. Part croissant, part donut, this hybrid pastry created by Dominique Ansel at his namesake bakery in Soho, New York, has been in the news all month. Reportedly a feat of culinary physics, it involves frying the notoriously flaky croissant in grapeseed oil at an ‘undisclosed temperature’ till it’s crisp, light and fluffy. Much ado about nothing? Tell that to the ‘cronutphiles’ who start lining up outside the bakery from 5 a.m., three hours before it opens. To the black market scalpers who wait in line everyday so they can sell the $5 desserts on eBay. To the people willing to pay $100 to eat one.

As delicious as it may be, a large part of the fascination for the cronut is simply because it’s so unexpected. What’s better than pop food? More pop food of course. That’s what inspired classics like bacon ice cream. Or drunken donuts filled with liquors. Or Momofuku’s cereal milk soft serve, combining the comforting flavour of breakfast cereal with the eternal allure of ice cream.

But why look towards New York for trends? We’ve got some unexpected combinations of our own right here. All with dedicated fan followings.

Desi sandwiches

Move over Jane Austen. The British may have dibs on the sandwich when it comes to elegant tea parties. But once you have tasted an Indian street-style version, those delicate cucumber versions will pale in comparison. Slathered with fiery green chutney of fresh mint leaves spiked with chillies and lemons. Sometimes this will be topped with slices of boiled potato dusted with chaat masala, salt and red chilli powder. Finally, a generous pinch of crisp ‘sev,’ which adds a pleasing crunch to the intricate concoction.

Chocolate samosa

I first ate these in London more than five years ago at Zaika, run by stylish Chef Sanjay Dwivedi who wanted to prove that Indian restaurants could move beyond the clichés. His gourmet tasting menu ended with a trio of tiny chocolate samosas drizzled with a raspberry sauce. The samosa, he said, were a challenge to create, since the chocolate filling had to be dunked into boiling oil along with the casing and emerge soft, but unscathed. Today they come in dizzying variations. Served with cherry chutney. Topped with sorbet. Stuffed with nuts, fruits, toffee. People have realised that the samosa crust can be a receptacle for anything. It’s usually made with a combination of flour and ghee. The less rigorous among us can cheat by just folding chocolate into Phyllo dough and baking it.

Vodka pani puri

Made a debut almost a decade ago, and now it’s so popular you see them everywhere from demure traditional weddings to raucous college parties. The enthusiasm for them is easy to explain. Vodka. Chillies. Chaat. It’s an irresistible triumvirate. Add to this the fact that it’s incredibly easy to make in India. All you need to do is to source a pani puri maker. And then spike his pot of chaat pani with a few healthy glugs of vodka. Or tequila. Or whiskey. The possibilities are endless.

Peda lassi

Snicker bar shakes are a dime a dozen now. It was once innovative to blend a chocolate bar into a glass of milk. Now everyone has realised it’s the easiest decadent drink to make at home. For a desi version, try the peda lassi, which has far more intricate flavours, but is just as easy to make. Popular in Benares, where they are churned out regularly from pavement lassi bars, this is a rich concoction of curd, milk and pedas (a sweet made of a mix of khoa, sugar, cardamom and nuts), blended together with ice. Indulgent enough for you? There’s more. The final touch is a spoon of thick, fresh cream on top.

Doodh cola

If you think the peda lassi is unusual, then you have got to try this. It’s traditionally made with Thums Up, India’s home grown cola. But, honestly, you can use any cola. Mix one bottle with about a glass of milk. Add powdered sugar and crushed ice. Then churn it all together. Once it gets less fizzy, the cold, cloudy concoction is poured into a glass so it’s frothy. In Calcutta where it originated, it’s served in dramatic mud pots.

Most dramatic way to beat the Indian summer? Well, for now. Because, I’m willing to bet that in yet another street corner there's yet another small entrepreneur dreaming up the Next Big Thing.

Keywords: The Reluctant Gourmet column, fusion food, food trend

Brave new world of vegetables

Vasundhara Chauhan :the Hindu:18 June 2013

Those were the days… when you went to a Chinese restaurant and asked them not to fill the dish with green capsicum, Simla mirch.

 Now you have to say Please, no red, green or yellow peppers. I know they’re pretty, they’re crunchy and add lovely texture to a starchy dish of chow mien, but please, their flavour takes over completely and you don’t know whether you’re eating hoisin sauce or tandoori masala.

 Let alone steamed fish or vegetables. But this is the way of the world. When we’re eating out or even at home, when we’re entertaining, we feel obliged to use “exotic” vegetables. I miss the days when party fare meant stuffing Simla mirch with qeema instead of homely potatoes or cooked urad dal.

Bell peppers, Capsicum annuum, come in all colours — from green, red and yellow to purple, brown and black. Apparently all green bell peppers would eventually turn red, if allowed to ripen. 

All red and yellow vegetables and fruit contain carotenoids, anti-oxidants and a cupful of these red and yellow sweet peppers, raw, gives us almost a hundred per cent of our daily requirement of vitamin A, and three hundred per cent of our daily requirement of vitamin C.

Health benefits apart, the reason I tolerate them is because they look so lovely — as someone said, they’re the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable kingdom. Deep, vivid colour, shiny red, yellow or orange, smooth and firm, heavy for their size, firm to the touch, they look as if their vigour will add to ours. 

A handful of them, chopped raw in a salad, add freshness with their crisp bite. It’s only the smell, strongest in the green, which I find hard to take. 

Unlike chillies, bell peppers aren’t “hot”. They contain negligible amounts of capsaicin, which imparts “hotness” to peppers. Grilling them removes the strong grassy flavour and adds sweetness. So, grilled and marinated, a bell pepper’s personality changes: it becomes gentle while remaining beautiful.

And broccoli. Party menus meant serving early bhindi, okra, in April and gobhi, cauliflower, in September. Now it’s broccoli — in salads, “Italian”, even as a desi vegetable with turmeric, cumin andgaram masala, as a side dish with chicken curry and dal makhani. But somehow I don’t find broccoli offensive; apart from its heath benefits, it tastes so much like cauliflower.

The other bugbear is what we do with baby corn, a cereal grain taken from very young corn (maize). It’s delicious as it is, raw and sweet, in a salad; in this case, nothing can improve upon nature. But, like our clothes, we can’t leave well enough alone. 

The succulent, crunchy little thing is ornamented and embellished in curries, batter-fried as an hors d’oeuvres, basically, cloaked and masked to destroy its natural taste. It’s not a separate variety: it’s merely harvested early, while the ears are still immature and very small. Unlike mature corn, whose cob is tough and inedible, baby corn is eaten whole, cob and all.

 All corn produces baby corn but some seed varieties, developed specifically for baby corn, give higher yields. One of these is chosen and planted and, as soon as corn silk emerges from the ear tips — or a few days after — the ears are plucked off by hand. 

Corn matures very quickly, so the harvest of baby corn has to be timed carefully to avoid ending up with more mature corn ears. When a variety is planted to yield common sweet or field corn, the second ear from the top of the plant is harvested for baby corn, while the top ear is allowed to mature. In both cases, the ears are tiny — from 4 to 10 cm each.

ROASTED BELL PEPPER SOUP

(Serves 4/ Makes 6 cups)

5 red bell peppers

5 ripe red tomatoes, chopped (11/2 cups)

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt

Pepper

Heat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with foil, arrange bell peppers and roast them for about 45 minutes or until very tender, turning them regularly so they roast evenly. They will get charred black. Remove from oven and let cool completely. If not using oven, char peppers on an open flame, turning regularly with tongs, until blackened all around. Remove skin and seeds, and roughly cut the bell peppers. In a blender, add bell peppers, tomatoes, stock and salt to taste. Blend until smooth. Add more stock or water if you want your soup to be less thick. Serve chilled, after refrigeration, or hot, after reheating.

GRILLED RED BELL PEPPERS ON BRUSCHETTA

(Makes 6 pieces)

1 red bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine

2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt

Pinch of sugar

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Char bell pepper over a high flame, as you would a baingan for bharta. Remove charred outer skin, cut open into halves and remove ribs and any white fragments. Slice into thin strips. Add rest of ingredients. Serve on toasted, unbuttered slices of French bread.

After charring, seal bell pepper while still hot in a large food grade polythene bag, leaving enough room for the pepper to breathe. The steam loosens the charred outer skin, making it easy to remove. In five minutes, open and wipe clean with a paper towel. Conserve flavour — do not wash.

Yellow bell peppers or blanched, peeled tomatoes also make appetizing bruschetta toppings.

vasundharachauhan9@gmail.com

Keywords: Gourmet Files column, Vasundhara Chauhan, bell peppers, bell peppers recipe

A tasty coriander chutney

ALL FLAVOUR AND NUTRITION: Coriander leaves. Photo: K. Ananthan

Samir mulaokar :The HindU :19 June 2013

A tasty coriander chutney that’ll leave the family asking for more

Coriander leaves are referred to as fresh coriander, Chinese parsley and cilantro. The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many South Asian foods such as chutneys and salads, in Chinese dishes, in Mexican cooking, particularly in salsa and guacamole and as a garnish, Chopped coriander leaves are a garnish on several Indian dishes. As heat diminishes their flavour, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to a dish immediately before serving.

The leaves are a wonderful source of dietary fibre, manganese, iron and magnesium as well. In addition, they are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and protein. They also contain small amounts of calcium, phosphorous, potassium, thiamine, niacin and carotene.

Health benefits  SAMIR MULAOKAR

Coriander is traditionally used in the treatment of swellings, diarrhoea, high cholesterol levels, digestion, mouth ulcers, anaemia, menstrual disorders, eye care, blood sugar disorders and skin disorders. The anti-bacterial compounds in coriander help fight against Salmonella and protect against food-borne diseases.

Citronelol in coriander is an excellent antiseptic. In addition, other components have anti- microbial and healing effects which do not let wounds and ulcers in the mouth get worse. Cineole (essential oil) and linoleic acid, present in coriander, possess anti-rheumatic and anti-arthritic properties, beneficial for swelling caused due to malfunctioning of kidney or anaemia.

Now, for a recipe.

Coriander Chutney

Ingredients

Coriander leaves: 1 small bunch

Grated coconut: half cup

Salt to taste

To temper:

Coconut oil

Urad dal

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Broken cashew nuts

Method: Blanch the coriander leaves for a few minutes and then refresh them in ice cold water. Blend the leaves with freshly grated coconut to a fine paste. Temper urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and broken cashew nuts in coconut oil and keep aside. Adjust the seasoning of coriander chutney and garnish it with tempering.

The writer is the Executive Chef at Vivanta by Taj – Fisherman’s Cove

Keywords: coriander recipes

Eating Out : Jalpaan, Chennai

FOOD Jalpaan, a new vegetarian restaurant in the city, offers an unusual combination of North Indian and Italian food

Iam not sure if the Moulin Rouge in Paris is as crowded. Elbowing our way through a flight of steps we reach a waiting area that’s swamped with people. “Table for two please,” we ask sweetly, only to be drowned out by three other women who shake their fists. 

Soon we are ushered in and seated. 

We are at Jalpaan, a new vegetarian restaurant in the city. It’s a week night, but the place is packed. 

All the noise levels and the brightly lit up interiors can make you feel as if you are part of a chaotic stage production — children squealing, waiters trying to keep pace with the flurry of orders, impatient diners making numerous trips to the mocktail counter...

Jalpaan offers a mix of North Indian and Italian cuisine. 

For starters, we order a karara paalak chaat, a cheese fondue, and a baadam thandai that has crushed almond, cardamom and saffron but tastes much like the instant badam mix that comes out of packets. The chaat has a large crunchy chunk of paalak fried in besan and immersed in a pool of sweet curd. This is probably one of those rare occurrences when greens make us reach out for second helpings. 

The cheese fondue on its arrival causes many a head to turn in our direction. It takes two waiters to put the fondue set and its many accompaniments on our table. Croutons, potato wedges, salad, olives and a piping hot pot of molten gruyere, emmental and cream cheese — this is a filling meal by itself.

Time to flip through the menu again. It’s cleverly designed with tempting food shots on every page. We order the lazeez kumbh (mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheese) based on its photo, along with sarson ka saag, butter naan and their speciality potli biriyani.

 Unfortunately, the lazeez kumbh is a disaster. The glistening butter naan is fine and as for the saag, well, for someone used to sarson ka saag fresh from the farms in Punjab, this comes as a disappointment. 

Doused in butter, it’s fine taste-wise, but lacks rich flavour.

The potli biriyani comes sealed within something that resembles a bhatura. The waiter dramatically slashes it open and serves us the mixed vegetable biriyani. Spicy, tasty but the amount of oil in it is worrisome. 

We offset the spicy meal with litchi ki teheri. Finely shredded bits of litchi in rabri — this dessert is divine and doesn’t let you put your spoons down easily... just don’t let your trainer know about this meal.

Jalpaan is located on 21, Greams Road. For details, call 2829-1181

PRIYADARSHINI PAITANDY :The Hindu:22 June 2013

Mint lounge :Cottage Cheese and Vegetable Sheesh Kebab with Harissa Dip

Live Mint :Pavithra jayaraman :16 June 2013

Chef Abhijit Saha, co-owner and chef at Caperberry, Bangalore, makes ‘paneer’ with a Mediterranean twist

Cottage Cheese and Vegetable Sheesh Kebab with Harissa Dip

Serves 4

For the harissa

200g dry red chillies, boiled and kept aside

K tsp oregano

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp garlic, chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

For cottage cheese skewers

32 pieces of ¾-inch dices of cottage cheese

16 pieces of O-inch dices of leeks

32 pieces of O-inch inch dices of bell peppers

2 tsp of dry oregano

2 tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tsp all-spice powder

6 tbsp hung yogurt

5 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp harissa (optional)

Salt to taste

Method

To make the harissa, put all the ingredients in a food processor and make a coarse paste. Add salt to taste. Keep aside.

Sprinkle one tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch each of salt, roasted cumin powder and all-spice powder over the leeks and peppers and set aside. Now, in a large bowl, mix the hung yogurt, harissa, oregano, the remaining cumin and all-spice powders, two tablespoons of olive oil, chopped garlic and salt to taste. Add the cottage cheese to this mixture and marinate for half an hour. Then alternately thread the cottage cheese and leeks and peppers on the skewers.

Cook the skewers on a medium-hot grill, basting from time to time with the remaining olive oil, and serve with harissa dip on the side.

My Chennai :Tawa tales: the making of a barotta

The barotta is fluffed up to make it soft while remaining crisp on the outside. Photo: R. Ragu

The Hindu : Apporva Sripathi :15 June 2013

The flaky and oozing-with-fat barotta is a common sight at every busy street corner in Chennai. Apoorva Sripathi visits one such stall in Triplicane and brings the experience back to you

It is 6.30 p.m. when my friend and I troop into Sri Sai Ram Fast Food stall in Triplicane to meet the owner S. Dhinakaran. Our sole purpose is to watch the making of the 'barotta' — a street food ‘tiffin item’ as ubiquitous to Chennai as the filter coffee or malli poo. We get introduced to Chandru, the ‘barotta master’ (or chef, if you may) the chap behind these flaky wonders.

The walls, an interesting yellow, are spattered with oil and other ingredients. We train our eyes on Chandru who deftly kneads maida (all-purpose flour), water, salt, baking powder and eggs into a giant ball of dough. He allows it to rest for a bit but not before slathering a startling amount of oil on the surface.

View the ‘how to’ slideshow at http://thne.ws/barotta-pix

He divides the dough into equal portions of tennis-sized balls, and coats them with, yes, more oil! With practised ease, he swiftly shapes them into small discs with a greasy rolling pin and stacks them one on top of the other. We watch open-jawed as his hands expertly flatten the discs into a translucent and thin pizza-like base. These are quickly coiled into concentric circles to resemble delicate rosettes.

Meanwhile, a square-shaped tawa sizzling with oil calls out with a hiss. The rosettes are flattened with the rolling pin and placed on the tawa brushed with more oil. Tossed around till both sides are browned, Chandru places a few barottas together and fluffs them like pillows before serving these with piping hotsaalna.

By 7.30 p.m., customers start walking in – from the men living in ‘mansions’ to fathers grabbing some take-away for the kids to eat at home. At Rs. 7 per barotta, the stall does brisk business, in much the same way it has for the past decade. Chandru’s smile is infectious as he gets ready to churn out more barottas, but then we are too busy wolfing down the delicious preparation.

What: Barotta

Where: Triplicane’s Sri Sai Ram Fast Food

How much: Rs. 7 per piece

Apoorva Sripathi

Apoorva loves the written word. 

An avid tweeter, blogger and Instagrammer, she enjoys trying out new recipes and coming up with some of her own. 

After studying journalism at M. O. P. Vaishnav College... 

E-mail: apoorva.sripathi@thehindu.co.in

Keywords: barotta, Chennai street food, Chennai food

My Chennai : Mid Night Chennai

. Photos: S. R. Raghunathan


The Hindu :Sudhishkamath: wed 19 june 2013

If you're looking for a meal after midnight, Sudhish Kamath tells you where to find the best places in Chennai.

Late night hunger pangs? Did a movie ahead of dinner? Yes, there are always five star hotel coffee shops that operate round the clock with limited menus. But if you want a taste of the typical Chennai experience, you need to hit the streets and go all out local. After watching the new Fast and the Furious movie, we drove around the city way past midnight to explore dining options.

Midnight Express, TTK Road

Shuts at 1 a.m but is open for takeaways later than that. At around 1.02 a.m, the shutter is mostly down but the waiter asks us if we want vada curry, egg dosa or kal dosa as a takeaway.

Known for its Chettinad curries, Midnight Express is popular for its half boiled eggs. They have a midnight special chicken roast apart from their chicken, mutton and egg biryanis.

What’s the fun taking home food when there are so many dinMidnight Expresse-in options in the city? So we ride on.

Hi Look, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar

This is a hole in the wall place you might miss as you are heading from Madhya Kailas towards IIT but ask any IITian and they will tell you how the students swear by Hi Look for late night cravings.

The place looks shut but IITians told us we would get food there till 2 a.m. The time is 1.15 a.m.

We peep in to enquire and they welcome us in. “Open 24 hours” brags the young man who asks us what we want to eat.

The place is popular for its bread omelette stall inside. It’s a basic functional omelette but the chutney gives it a unique flavour. Oh yes, the mango juice is to die for. We are done with our meal in ten minutes.

Hotel Crescent, Nungambakkam

We miss this one. At 1.32 a.m, we see the staff clean up the place, the chairs all placed upside down. Located on Village Road, Nungambakkam between Nungambakkam High Road and Sterling Road, Crescent is one of the most popular late night hangouts for those who want more options.

The Crescent restaurant. Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

The ghee rice and fish curry is a favourite with the crowd. Meat eaters also swear by the parotta-chicken gravy combo. If you are vegetarians, try the appams but after midnight, you may not get the whole range of vegetarian options.

Buhari, Anna Salai

One of the city’s oldest joints recently got a facelift and is now one swanky place. We manage to sneak in just in time for the last order at 1.45 a.m.

Quite stuffed already, we just settle for half-boiled eggs, egg podimas and tea. Buhari is one of the most iconic of all the late night joints since it opened in 1951. We learn that the famous Chicken 65 is actually a Buhari speciality that they introduced in 1965!

There’s also Hotel Sangam right next door and both these restaurants are always full till 2 a.m.

Mathsya, Egmore

If you eat egg or meat, you may find half a dozen options in the city but if you are a pure vegetarian, there’s nothing else other than Mathsya.

Open till 2 a.m., the place is always packed. The regulars know how to squeeze in through the backdoor even after they close doors. Tonight, it shuts at 2.30 a.m., thanks to a gang that has walked in at 1.45 a.m.

Compared to the other joints, Mathsya is probably the most family and women friendly with a mix of family crowd, late night movie goers and pub hoppers.

Mathsya has been open till late night since the Sixties. Legend has it that the tradition began during the blackouts during the Indo-China war.

Keywords: late night restaurants in chennai, Mathsya, Buhari, Hotel Crescent, Hi Look, Midnight Express

How two former i-bankers of Indian origin are re-engineering dosas to please American palate

(Jawahar Chirimar and Sam…

Sanjay Vijayakumar, ET Bureau Jun 8, 2013, 11.10AM IST

Two former investment bankers, who have together managed about $1.5 billion (nearly Rs 8,500 crore) in assets, are convinced that the dosa has what it takes to help Indian cuisine enter the big league in the West.

For more than a year now, Jawahar Chirimar and Sam Subramaniam, who have more than 20 years of experience each in investing and managing firms, including some glitzy restaurants, have been experimenting and trying to redesign the dosa to make it more appealing to the Western palate.

This Diwali, they will launch the first outlet of Soho Tiffin, which will have interesting combos of dosas in the form of wraps, in New York. They have tied up with Chennai-based restaurateur M Mahadevan to open five restaurants in New York over the next 12 months with an investment of about $5 million (Rs 28 crore).

"For Americans, our (Indian) food is too heavy and spicy," says Chirimar, who is from Kolkata and has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. "As a result, most Indian restaurants here are frequented by those coming from the subcontinent. An American usually does not go to these restaurants more than once a week or month," says Chirimar, who has worked with Citi and Lehman Brothers in the United States.

Chirimar also co-founded IREO, India's first foreign real estate fund whose capital is now over $2.5 billion (about Rs 14,200 crore). Subramaniam, who was part of the IREO fund-raising team, had in 2008-09 led the formation of a joint venture between investment banking companies Avista and Houlihan Lokey in Asia.

Chirimar says the concept behind Soho was to recreate Indian dishes in a quick-service format that can be eaten daily and is healthy. Both Chirimar and Subramaniam felt the dosa would be the perfect vehicle for such dishes as it is versatile and healthy.

"Dosa is a very versatile meal as a wrap. Because what we have done is we have created multiple dosa batters. In addition to the traditional dosa batter of lentil and rice, we are running a focus group to check three other kinds," says Chirimar. "There is one with dal and whole wheat, one with dal and oats, and a third with dal and black rice."

Chirimar is confident that by highlighting the nutritional value of the dosa—fermented dishes are better for digestion— and by realigning the fillings to the American taste, Soho Tiffin's dosa can do for Indian food what Chipotle Mexican Grill did to Mexican food.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, which derives its name from the Mexican Spanish term for a smoked and dried jalapeno, is a restaurant chain located in the US, UK and other countries that specialises in burritos and tacos.

Before Chipotle was set up in 1993, there were many Mexican restaurants in the US that catered to the Spanish speaking population. However, non-Spanish Americans rarely visited these places as they felt the cuisine was too hot.

"What Chipotle did is that they changed the spice level and the presentation of the Mexican food. That has a created a very large retail chain in more than 1,400 locations and the stock has done phenomenally well," says Chirimar. Chipotle today has a market capitalisation of about $11 billion (about Rs 62,000 crore). "More important than the stock rise, it is the fact that Chipotle was able to take a cuisine that a very large number of Americans did not have access to and make it part of their everyday eating experience. That is the real success. We are trying to do something like that with the dosa."

Americans are estimated to spend 41% of their food dollars on foods eaten outside the home. This is up from 26% in 1970. Adults and children consume an average of one-third of their calories from eating out.

The Soho dosas will be much thicker and have some fillings such as lemon rice, soya, chicken, beef, fish and potato masala. Also, instead of sambar and coconut chutney, they will be served with different kinds of dips. The health-conscious can choose dosas that are below 400 calories, while those in the mood to indulge can settle on the heavier 800-calorie dosas.

Once done, the dosa will be 8 inches long and about 3 inches wide in the form of a wrap that will be cut into two halves. "Our target audience will be officegoers and students, which means affordability.

Five Questions to Chef Nobu

Photograph: AFP


Live Mint :Sidin Vadukut :Fri, May 31 2013. 01 50 AM IST

Chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa talks to Mint Indulge about his culinary experiments

Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa is one of the world’s finest chefs. His restaurant line that showcases a unique blend of Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and techniques is world renowned and hugely sought after. Recently, chef Nobu was in Dubai to hold an exclusive, ultra-gourmand dinner for a select group of friends, family and guests at the Nobu restaurant at the Atlantis at The Palm Hotel and Resort. Mint Indulge asked him a few questions via email.

1. You are a chef who has attained everything there is to attain in the world of fine cuisine. What keeps you motivated? What is your next challenge?

My family of chefs who I work with keep me motivated every day. I travel for 10 months of the year visiting the teams across my 26 restaurants that are located in five continents. The young chefs who are eager to learn are the next generation of chefs who will change the culinary world, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my knowledge with them and watching them grow.

Most recently, we have launched the first Nobu Hotel under Nobu Hospitality. The hotel is located in Las Vegas at Ceasar’s Palace and we are looking forward to opening more properties across the world.

I believe that to be a chef, you have to have passion and patience but, most of all, you must love food. The special ingredient in my cooking is my kokoro, which means “heart” in Japanese. To be a successful chef, you need to put your kokoro into your cooking.

2. There also seems to be a new fondness for the simple and the home grown. Perhaps this is buoyed by a greater awareness of food origins and the dangers of mass retail. Do you feel that there is a return to simplicity?

My cooking is based on the practice of simplicity. I believe the art of using simple techniques in the kitchen brings out the best flavours in ingredients that allows me to create dishes combining Japanese and South American influences.

It is very important to me that my restaurants use locally sourced produce as much as possible in the countries where they are situated. At Nobu in Atlantis, The Palm, we have created a Japanese garden where we grow our own herbs and vegetables.

3. What is the last dish you imagined that you’re particularly proud of? And what is the best meal you’ve eaten this year so far? Where was it and why did you like it so much?

It still amazes me how popular the Black Cod with Miso dish is. In this dish, the black cod is paired with a miso sauce, which is a mix of miso paste, sake, mirin and sugar in which the fish is marinated for three days to enhance the flavour. It means a lot to me when people all around the world tell me it is their favourite.

My favourite chef is my wife. All of the dishes she cooks for me are my favourite—they’re simple and delicious.

4. Let us talk about your restaurant at the Atlantis. How do you approach such a restaurant? How do you work the location, the environment and the local clientele into your restaurant concept? Nobu Dubai has been operating since the launch of the Atlantis, The Palm, in 2008, and it’s always great to visit the restaurant...I try to do it at least twice a year.

It is the first of my restaurants to open in the Middle East and it reflects the style my restaurants are known for, including the open sushi bar and wood-burning oven. The most recent component to the restaurant is the Japanese garden, which is a spot for reflection and tranquillity. In the garden, we grow fresh herbs that are used for cooking in the restaurant.

Dubai has a competitive dining scene and it’s key to stand out and offer something different and that’s what I think we do there.

5. You have so much experience and seen so many geographies. Are you still moved by how your restaurants are experienced by clients? Do you find differences between how your restaurants are received in different places? Anything peculiar about the way your restaurant in the Atlantis serves clients?

The concept of Nobu across the world is the same; the cuisine is a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and you will taste this at every restaurant. However, each menu varies and offers a slightly different selection of dishes depending upon what can be locally sourced.

I also put trust into my chefs and give them the freedom to influence the menu. For example, in the Nobu at the Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai, there are a number of dishes exclusive to the restaurant, including Langoustine shiso salad, beef tenderloin with dry miso, and scallop and foie gras with vanilla den miso.

7 Immunity-boosting soups

 The Hindu :Lilly babu Jose :Kochi :5 th June 2013

Some immunity-boosting soups to keep you warm and 

healthy in this gloomy, wet weather

With the monsoon having set in, it is the perfect time to experiment making some yummy soups. 

Here are a few recipes that might even help you keep off wet-weather ailments such as colds and fever. 

These immunity boosting soups are delicious and can keep your spirits up, too.

 1.Celery soup

Ingredients:

Celery (cleaned and finely chopped) – 1 head

Small onion (peeled and finely chopped) – 2

Flour – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

White pepper powder – to taste

Milk – 600ml

For decoration:

A few young celery leaves

Method

Put all ingredients, except the celery leaves in a mixer and puree until smooth. Pour into saucepan and bring slowly to boil, stirring constantly. Pour it through a sieve, return to the rinsed-out pan and reheat gently. Add the seasoning. Garnish each bowl with a few celery leaves.

2.Cauliflower and green peas soup

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 small

Water – 600 ml

Onion (peeled and minced) – 1

Salt and pepper – to taste

Nutmeg powder – three-fourths tsp

Butter – 50 gm

Flour – 2 tbsp

Milk – 600ml

Green peas frozen – 100 gm

Egg yolk – 1

Method:

Break the cauliflower into florets. Put the cauliflower in salted water and rinse it with fresh water. Put them into a saucepan with water, minced onion and the seasoning. Bring to boil and simmer, cover for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Remove the florets with a slotted draining spoon and mash into a puree.

Melt the butter in a clean saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually stir in the water in which cauliflower is cooked, add the milk and bring to boil, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat, add the cauliflower puree and frozen green peas and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the seasoning if necessary and stir in slightly beaten egg yolk. Return to the heat for one minute, stirring constantly, but do not allow to boil.

3.Carrot and orange soup

Ingredients:

Carrots – 500 gm

Orange juice – 2 tbsp

Orange rind grated – 2 tsp

Butter – 25 gm

Garlic crushed – 1 clove

Onion (peeled and minced) – 1

Tomato puree – 1 tsp

Salt and finely powdered pepper – to taste

Cornflour – 1 tsp

Cold water – 2 tbsp

Milk – 150 ml

Chopped parsley – to garnish

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan; add the crushed garlic, minced onion and grated carrot. Stir and cook, covered, for five minutes over a low heat. Add the water, orange juice, rind and tomato puree. Season to taste. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Dissolve the cornflour in water and stir into the soup and simmer for another five minutes. Liquidise the soup in an electric blender or pass through a sieve. Stir in the milk. Garnish with chopped parsley.

4.Lebanese cucumber soup

Ingredients:

Cucumber peeled – 2 large

Garlic (peeled and crushed) – 2 cloves

Salt – to taste

Sugar – a pinch

Yogurt – 1 litre

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Mint (finely chopped) – 3 tbsp

Freshly ground black pepper – to taste

Method:

Grate the cucumber coarsely, place in a sieve, sprinkle salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl, add the sugar and stir in the garlic. Gradually pour in the yogurt, stirring constantly. Then stir in the lemon juice, two thirds of the mint, and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the remaining mint as a garnish and grind a little pepper over the soup to finish. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

5.Cream of onion soup

Ingredients:

Onions (peeled and thinly sliced – 450 gm

Vegetable stock/chicken stock/water – 900 ml

Butter – 25 gm

Salt and pepper powder – to taste

To garnish

Flour – 1 tbsp

Milk – 150 ml

Fresh cream – 2 tbsp

Freshly chopped coriander leaves – a few

Method:

Heat the butter in a cooker; fry the onions gently without colouring, until they start to soften. Add the stock or water and a little salt and pepper. Make sure that the cooker is not more than half full. Bring to high pressure and cook for five minutes. Reduce the pressure quickly. Blend soup in a liquidiser or press through a sieve. Return the soup to the open cooker. Blend the flour with milk, add to the soup and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the cream just before serving . Garnish with chives or coriander leaves.

6.Red bean and pepper soup

Ingredients:

Red kidney beans – 100 gm

Vegetable stock or water – 900ml

Bacon (chopped) – 50 gm (optional)

Onion peeled and minced – 1

Red capsicum (deseeded and chopped) – 2

Tomatoes (skinned and quartered) – 4

Salt and pepper – to taste

Bay leaf – 1

Method:

Put the beans into a pan. Bring 450 ml of the stock or water to the boil, pour over the beans to cover and leave to stand for one hour. Heat the cooker gently and fry the bacon in its own fat. Add a little more fat if necessary and fry the onion and red capsicum without colouring. Add the tomatoes, beans with their soaking liquid, the remaining stock or water, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Close the cooker, bring to high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce the pressure slowly. Remove the bay leaf and then blend the soup in a liquidiser or press through the sieve. Return to the open cooker to reheat. Season.

7.Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients:

Chicken – one leg portion

Small onion (peeled and chopped) – 2

Carrot (cut into small dice) – 1

Egg noodles – 50 gm

Thyme dried – half tsp (optional)

Chicken stock or water – 900 ml

Salt and pepper – to taste

Parsley chopped – a little to garnish

Method:

Cut the leg portion into two pieces – thigh and drumstick. Place the chicken, vegetables, noodles, thyme, stock or water and a little salt and pepper into the cooker. Make sure that the cooker is not more than half full. Close the cooker, bring to high pressure and cook for four minutes. Reduce the pressure quickly. Take the chicken out and remove the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into small pieces and return to the soup. Reheat the soup and add the seasoning. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Keywords: Immunity-boosting soups, soup recipes