Fashioning food

I’m madly passionate about food… I suppose it’s in my genes — my grandmother owned a confectionery store, and I spent many wonderful childhood hours in the kitchen helping my mother and aunt, both of whom were great cooks. From as far back as I can remember, the house was clouded in the aroma of baking with treats to sample and mixing bowls to lick clean. And my grandmother left behind a virtual treasure trove of cookbooks that I pore over to this very day.

My mother and her mahjong playing friends were the ones who encouraged me to turn what was basically a schoolgirl hobby into a profession — and then unwittingly became my guinea pigs! I used to experiment with brownies, savory tarts, cakes and sweets, served to them at their weekly gatherings — which, in the large part, they seemed to enjoy. Not all my attempts were successful, though. I once served one of the group some Pulling Taffy that stuck her jaws together for nearly an hour! But apparently, it tasted just fine…

I started professionally at home, on my own, with a loan of Rs 100 from my mother. My first order was an orange cheesecake — sold for the princely sum of Rs 30 (and a loss of Rs 70)! Initially, I specialized in cakes and desserts, but soon progressed to catering for all courses and kinds of food. Today I work with three assistants and professional staff, but still insist on running my kitchen as a home-style operation — assuring the highest quality standards and maintaining a personalized, home-cooked touch in all our products.

A typical day sees me out first thing in the morning, sourcing all my ingredients. Fresh produce comes generally from Crawford Market — supermarkets are not for vegetables! Fish, meats and poultry come from selected suppliers, and cheeses and speciality meats directly from importers. All perishables are, as a rule, procured on the day of preparation itself...

From a single dish to entire buffets we offer all kinds of cuisine options: Continental, Oriental, Fusion and Indian — including, of course, Parsi specialities. These include hors d’ouvres, canapés and starters, salad bars, entrée selections and desserts for all sorts of events.

In general, we cater complete meals for our clients — all the courses including, more often than not, cocktail snacks. A typical menu would include four starters, two salads and appetisers, three entrées (one of which is usually Indian) and two desserts. Most people seem to prefer a mix of cuisines, with a predominantly Indian rice course. We generally cater for special occasions and events, and have accepted orders for guests ranging from two to 2,000 people!

Other than private parties and gatherings, we also do high teas, cocktail parties and high-end corporate launches and events. We also undertake a number of turnkey projects, providing all the necessary add-on services to the food itself. These include arranging the chairs, tables and flowers, providing all the serving staff and setting up comprehensive bar services.

Special menus are created by me for each order — in consultation with my clients — and can therefore cater to very specific palates and requirements. No two menus are the same! Dishes can be designed to order, or chosen from a large selection of our speciality items (which we circulate to our clients once a quarter). I also create special seasonal menus, based on the availability of special seasonal produce, or designed for festive occasions and events.

Food is also a fashion and needs to evolve constantly. I therefore enjoy changing and innovating in what I cook. I travel a reasonable amount and constantly look for inspiration in local flavors, wherever I find myself. I also immerse myself in food and lifestyle books and magazines from around the world, constantly experimenting…

Many people have asked me what exactly it takes to be a great chef and, in all honesty, I don’t really know. All I do know is that, like me, you need to be passionate about all things food — love the discovery, love the preparation, love the taste and love the experience of sharing something you have made with family, friends or even strangers…

Here are three exciting recipes you might like to try out yourselves on New Year — one each for a salad, an entrée and a dessert. All the recipes serve four.

PERSIAN COUSCOUS SALAD

Couscous (1 cup — soaked in 2 cups boiling water for 1½ hours)

Coriander leaves (2 tbsp — chopped)

Mint (2 tbsp — chopped)

Spring onions (2 tbsp)

Red pepper flakes (½ tbsp)

Zataar (middle eastern spice — ½ tsp)

Apricots (100 g — finely sliced)

Pomegranate seeds and pistachio flakes (for garnish)

For the dressing

Olive oil (4 tbsp)

Honey (1 tbsp)

Lime juice (1 tbsp)

Salt (½ tsp or to taste)

Squeeze out water from couscous and mix with coriander, mint, spring onions, chilly flakes, zataar. Toss in dressing. Sprinkle with apricots, pomegranate and pistachio flakes.

GARLIC AND ORANGE FISH

Fillets (4 — red snapper)

Flour (2 tbsp — for dusting)

Salt (1 tsp)

Oil (4 tbsp)

Garlic (16 cloves)

Saffron (½ tsp)

Black pepper (½ tsp — ground)

Sherry vinegar (1 tbsp)

Orange juice (1 cup)

Orange peel

Parsley

Mint

Pat fillets dry and dust with flour mixed with 1 tsp salt. Heat two tablespoon oil and fry fish for two minutes on each side — set aside on heated platter. Heat remaining oil and sauté garlic till light brown. Add remaining flour, saffron, orange juice, salt, pepper and chopped orange peel to sherry vinegar, cook till sauce thickens and pour over fish. Garnish with chopped parsley and mint. Serve with saffron rice or minted baby potatoes.

BAKED PRUNE CUSTARD

Prunes (100 g – chopped)

Brandy (¼ cup)

Condensed milk (1 tin — 400 g)

Cream (500 g — whipping)

Cinnamon (¼ tsp)

Vanilla essence (¼ tsp)

Almonds (¼ cup — flaked)

Soak prunes overnight in brandy. Mix condensed milk with whipping cream, cinnamon and vanilla essence. Pour into a one liter flan or baking dish. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake at gas mark 5 for 1½ hours. Chill overnight before serving.

Shireen Adenwalla can be contacted at: Truffles +91 66348671 / +91 9820058792, e-mail: shirin@bom2.vsnl. net.in