Saturday 27 October 2012

I am a little tea pot....

A tea workshop.. huh! Why would you want to do that? That too, at Anna Nagar - were some of the comments that I had when I told folks at home that I was going for this. 

Kettle is a cute name for a place that serves different kinds of tea and of course, snacks and desserts. (it sort of reminded me of the nursery rhyme - I am a little tea pot... :) ) As Sindhu and I navigated the crazy roads (er.. the auto fellow did), we managed to find this place nestled in a quiet corner of Shanthi Colony, 10th Main Road, Anna Nagar.

I love tea, and have tried different types of tea during my stint in Pune. So, when this workshop was announced I was curious and really wanted to see what Kettle has to offer.

 




Lots of known people, some faces that were known only from Facebook profiles, and some total unknowns constituted the group. I'd thought the workshop will be on the lines of a classroom session where we'll be given vast knowledge on tea and how to brew, how to smell and taste (you know, almost like a wine tasting.. ahem..well.. :P ).

We started off with a black currant iced tea (which they claim is peach iced tea). The high tea was served at the table - this consisted of a couple of mini puffs filled with creamy mushroom with a herbed cheddar cheese, some potato wedges and a couple of sandwiches. The banana walnut cake was to follow later. All of these were great.

As we were drinking the iced tea, the tea makers at the counter started brewing the first tea. There was a bit of chaos at the counter, as the photo enthusiasts started shooting away, and there were requests to pour tea, to keep the timer here, to adjust the position of the kettle, so on and so forth. The tea makers gracefully obliged to all our crazy requests including taking the kettle, timer and glass outside in the sunlight to get some shots.

One thing to note while making iced tea is not drop water-based ice cubes into the tea. The tea should be frozen and then added to the liquid, so it doesn't dilute with time.

As we shuttled between 2 counters to get a glimpse of what they were brewing and how, I wonder if this was actually intended as a workshop. This was more like a bunch of us just visiting a place and ordering some food. The information provided about each of the tea wasn't sufficient; most of the information we already know. I think, a session more on the lines of smell, taste and brew and a hands-on would have made this workshop (and our travel all the way from the other end of the city) more worthwhile.

The tea that were shown to us were Black Currant, Earl Grey, Hibiscus, White, Green (Hara Talwar) and Apricot (which was the mystery tea.. yay to Shriram for getting it right and winning the Rs 300 voucher)

The hibiscus tea is supposed to be taken with honey is what they said. But all of us found it too honey-y and preferred to take it plain. The white tea is supposed to make you slim and get you a glowing skin :D (reminded me of those slimming tea ads on TV)

All in all, this was an experience. There's plenty scope for improvement, so the chaos at the counter can be avoided. More knowledge on tea should be imparted and the staff trained to answer the questions. Few questions earned a "we don't know ma'am" response. And would be lovely if you can start selling the tea leaves as well!

Loved the ambiance, cutlery & crockery.

PS: End of it all, as S says, theru monai nair kadai la poi oru cutting chaya adichathan tea kudicha feeling! :-)

Here are the pictures from the event!

Black Currant Iced Tea

Preethi, addressing the group


Going to make some tea! 


I am little tea pot... short and stout.. :-)



Puffs with Creamy Mushroom Cheddar filling

High Tea



Take away goodie bags (I got the hibiscus)

Dessert Counter





One of the green tea - Hara Muskaan (It's supposed to be smiling :P )

White Tea






Banana Walnut Cake




Tuesday 23 October 2012

Crown - Residency Towers - Jewel

The breeze ruffled my hair; almost a lover's gentle caress over my cheeks; as I close my eyes, I can almost feel you, so near, yet so far! I open my eyes to the vast expanse of the horizon, the water gurgling along in the infinity pool and I wished you were here!

That's exactly what this ambience does to you - the breathtaking view of the city coupled with the lovely weather makes you yearn - for the food! (no.. I really wished you were here :-) )

CFG Bloggers meet at The Crown, Residency Towers proved to be yet another delightful evening - good food, great company and icing on the cake - the weather. Few days of heavy rain made for a cool evening and up on the 14th floor, the breeze is unmatched.

Shadir, Aarti and I couldn't stop raving about how beautiful it was.



Mohan from Red Consulting was there to help us with the seating. He remembered me (although incorrectly :P) and Shadir from Fusion 9. We were earlier briefed that it was going to be a navratri festival, but apparently it wasn't! It was a menu put together to cater to a smaller budget. This menu is on until the 28th of this month.

At INR 500, the veg menu included a soup, choice of paneer / vegetables / dal, rice and rotis, and desserts and.. and... 1 cocktail (choice of whiskey, brandy, rum or vodka). The non veg menu is priced at INR 600.

Chef Sakthivel runs the kitchen. With his vast experience and knowledge, he has revamped the entire menu and now is looking to improvise and build a better customer base.

Usually it's us that bombard the chef with questions; this time around the Chef had a question for us - not being from the catering background, how do you write about the food! So, we launched into an explanation of how the customers aren't from a catering background, and while we may not go into the technicalities of preparation, we do write about the experience, the service, the pricing, the ambience so on and so forth.

Alright, now let's dig in. The cocktail had vodka (30 ml), orange juice, orange rind (a little too much that the drink refused to flow through the straw) and some mint; the first sip hit straight and then Aaroo and I realized that it wasn't mixed properly :D At some point, we asked the waiter to filter the drink and bring it.



The starters (note - this is not included in the set menu) arrived - the mushrooms were succulent and  beautifully cooked. The paneer and cauliflower were as they should be. The hara bhara kebab was good. But the potato was the sore point. Almost a wet flour-y texture and perhaps mashed too much is what we felt. The chef explained that it was coated with roasted gram (pottu kadalai) powder. If I were to go again, I wouldn't order this one. 

The continental starters included bruschetta, stuffed zucchini and a round piece of mozarella on another round slice of tomato. My pick - stuffed zucchini. The cheese, however, was a let down. Last to arrive was baby corn fried with tomato and spring onions and loads of curry leaves. This was sooper duper and is on my list of repeat order! 






The main course arrived in style - 3 types of Indian Bread - garlic roti, plain roti and stuffed kulcha (I think) - with 4 sides - dal makhni, one cauliflower gravy, one paneer gravy and one mix veg gravy. My pick - dal makhni - rich and flavorful! The paneer was rubbery and the mix veg gravy was a tad salty. Having eaten authentic biriyani, I thought this one was okay. Quite a bit of ghee and I loved the fried onion on top! 







And finally, the desserts. I told the chef I didn't want vanilla ice cream, so he sent butterscotch :-) 

Rasmalai, Kala jamun, blueberry cheesecake, mud pie, sizzling brownie and apple cinnamon crumble was on the table. 

My pick - Rasmalai and Apple cinnamon crumble. Rasmalai was excellent and if you love apple & cinnamon flavor - then this is a perfect dessert.

Sizzling brownie was a let down - there was very little chocolate sauce, the brownie was dry and the butter was salty! Kala Jamun was good. Mud pie was dry and bland. And the blueberry cheesecake (after having eaten Aysha's & Sangeetha Potty's cheesecakes) was more of a mousse, with blueberry jam. 




The Chef was there with us, during every course, explaining various nuances, talking about food, business, crowd, improvement areas and ambience among other things.

Bottomline - we may not be catering students or from a catering background but we do know our food, and how each dish should / can / may taste, having been cooking for friends and family over the past 8 years. And we learn everyday from experts like Chef Sakthivel and others, with whom we've had an opportunity to interact during our cookouts / workshops and Bloggers meets.



Saturday 13 October 2012

The Baker Showcase - Chennai - Grand Finale - 2

All those weeks leading up to this day - this very day, and finally those few hours were all that decided what we call a successful event!! I'd decided I wouldn't eat anything here today (Shhh.. I'm on a diet) and told my friends as much.

But.. but... who can resist those yummy macaroons or the cheesecakes or the pannacotta or the cup cakes - Boy.. we bought, ate, bought, ate and did nothing else!

Preethika and I landed at Crimson Chakra (venue partner) at 3 pm sharp. Some tables were ready to go, and a few diners were mulling over their lunch, wondering why these mad folks (Oh that would be KP, Nikhil, Preethika, Nanditha and myself) were running around like crazy!

The bakers started coming in, and we started helping them set up the tables. Uma and Preethika helped set the tables, Aarti was the bouncer (not letting anyone in before 4 pm), and Nanditha and I were running around to check if anyone needed anything. The 2 bald gentlemen (no offence) Nikhil and KP were at hand getting things organized.

I quickly stepped out to get some air, and I witnessed this. The crowd, patiently waiting, had actually formed a line (almost gave me a feel of Vaikunda Ekadhasi Sorga Vaasal and all we had to do was a "jerugandi" :P :P)



3 hours flew and we were running pillar to post to find out if the bakers and customers needed anything - from getting change for Rs 100 (Rashmee, I hope that helped) to reuniting a crying baby with her mom who almost forgot her daughter in a desperate attempt to buy the goodies before they were sold out ;-)

The bakers had whipped up a storm - lots of exotica and sinful delights - I think I am going to have run that marathon to burn off all that calories (Good luck Rashmee and Sangeetha for the Dec 2 marathon)

It was a fantastic team effort and a wonderful show yet again by KP Balakumar and Nanditha Sashidharan - keeping their sanity intact amidst a lot of insanity and craziness. Equally amazing was the enthusiastic show put up by the bakers and some absolutely organized & disciplined crowd.

A big thanks to Crimson Chakra and Nikhil - The Owner, The Man, for being the venue partner.

A sizeable amount was contributed to the NGOs - Deepam and Sahaayika. All the bakers contributed 10% of their sale, and thank you Ekta for contributing your entire sale amount today. That was super generous!

Obviously, there's lots more that went behind the scenes - today and all other days leading up to this event, and to that, a big toast to KP and Nanditha - Here's to lots more of these super successes! Cheers!

That just about sums up the entire event and the evening! (It goes without saying that some of us had dinner at Crimson Chakra :D)

PS: All photographs will be uploaded to the Guild. 


Friday 12 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Sai J Rajeev

Bharani - no the syllabus is not complete, not yet ! :)

Psst: This post goes in the old format, as Sai's goodies get eaten before even she could take some pictures :D ;-)

Sai is a professional tennis player turned full time baker, who once did forget to add flour to her cup cakes. Of course they did rise because of the baking soda, but popped into oblivion when you touched them. :-)  Having always been interested in cooking and baking, she would devour all the cooking shows on TV although she had never entered the kitchen until recently.

Read on!

D: Baking?
SJR: I have been dabbling in baking for a few years now but the idea to actually try and sell to people only germinated in 2010 and that, of course is a whole different ball game For the last year, I have been taking orders and am really enjoying it.

D: Specialties?
SJR: Well, I’d like to think that my signature dishes are my Chewy Fudgy Double Chocolate Brownie and my quiches.

D: How has HBG and the showcase helped you?
SJR: I think HBG itself is such a brilliant idea. Getting to meet or chat with so many other people that are doing pretty much the same thing you are doing is great. Also the fact that at the tap of a button you can get advice on baking is nice. The Showcase too is a fab idea and such a great way to advertise your stuff.


D: Where do you source your ingredients from?
SJR: Well, usually from Walltax Road, Nilgiris or Amma Naana. Of course, there are times when I buy stuff when I travel abroad too.

D: Future plans? 
SJR: My dream has always been to have a small, rustic sort of cafe of my own here in Chennai




Signs off Sai, Food has, in recent times, become one of my passions in life and baking something and watching your friends and loved ones wolfing them down is an absolute delight and makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Good luck for the showcase! See ya tomorrow! :-)

Meet the Bakers - Aruna Tanikella

Less than 24 hours to go! Can't stop drooling.

And I wonder how Aruna is concentrating, considering she has CFA exams on the 17th. All the best! I'm sure you'll excel!

Slide on!


Thursday 11 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Naveena Thangadorai

2 more days to go. Catch the breakfast show tomorrow morning 8 am, on 94.3 FM, with Preethika and Meghana Karthik.

As I wait with bated breath and an insatiable sweet craving, today we meet the pretty fondant queen - Naveena Thangadorai of Yum's the word.




Tuesday 9 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Ekta Anand Surana

The count down begins. 4 more days to go for the much awaited Baker Showcase. And here I am, juggling quite a few things, including a run to the passport office!

As we all think we do a lot of work and there's no time, here's one girl who has done so much and continues to do more. You amaze me every second.

Her kids think she's a super mum and her kids' friends think that if she opens a bakery, it would be 8 star (one more than a 7 star). And I think, Ekta, you are a super-girl. I bow to thee. I almost have this dialog running in my head "jahampana tussi great ho!" :D

Read on to see what all Ekta does, besides looking pretty! :)


Monday 8 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Yalini and Sujani

Less than a week to go, and I am already on a sugar high. And what's more, I get to write about one  two of my favorite bakers. Having already gorged on what this pretty duo bake, I can only say that I want more. 

Totally down to earth and warm people, they'd go to any extent to ensure you are a happy customer. I say this because, Yalini's husband personally delivered a cake for me, all the way from Vadapalani, despite the heavy rain! And to that, I am supremely thankful! 

I just can't wait to see you girls at the showcase. *hugggs*


Sunday 7 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Priya NM

I just finished a slice of vanilla cake (oh yeah I made at home, in the pressure cooker, using the Pillsbury ready mix) and sat down to finish this piece.

And now, I'm glad I don't bake because not only did I end up licking the batter bowl and spoon clean, but I also managed to eat 2 slices and I am sure if I started baking, I'd end up eating everything. Hats off to you bakers! :-)

So tonight, we meet Priya, who has been baking for quite a while now. Her daughter, Hansika, is a sweet little thing and follows mommy everywhere! :-)



Saturday 6 October 2012

Girls, Gossip, Dinner - CC on KNK

After a very successful gossip session at Rajdhani, EA, earlier this week, the girls decided to have some more fun. And a dinner marked the beginning. (Oh, there are many more to come; Shall be revealed when the time is right)

Many of them had not been to the KNK branch of Crimson Chakra, so decided to head out there after checking out the By Hand, From the Heart sale at Isphani Center. (I couldn't make it to the sale)

Kamalika and Preethika had to drop out but the rest of us decided to go ahead. Aarti, Tasneem Aunty, Jenny and Nigar (And yes, this group, including KK and Gans, is called Drama Queens :P)

Jenny had never tasted the famous elaneer souffle and her main intention on this trip dinner was to eat that.

OK, so here goes the order (and we confused ourselves and the waiter)

a. Curried Mushroom and Corn Sacks (and we thought it was a gravy! :O )
b. Fried Baby Corn in curry leaf batter
c. One Potato salad that came with some huge banana flower leaf (vaazhapoo)
d. Mushroom soup (by 2) (Nikhil / Naveen  - where is the tortilla soup that's available in the Adyar outlet? :O)
e.Smoked rice (Aswin Rao - everyone was talking about you when ordering this; am sure you'd have porai erified so much today)
f. panneer paranthas
g. lasagne
h. cheese stuffed ratatouille basilica (!? and this came super cold - so had to send it back to be re-heated)
i. elaneer souffle (by the boat loads)

Now, what can I say. Everything was perfect - food, service, ambiance! Except for that slight problem with the basilica thing and a pretty sour salad, every other dish was CC trademark. The potato salad had sour cream but it did feel a tad too tangy!

After a hearty meal and a decent bill, we walked out with a heavy tummy and some heavy bags with loads of tomatoes (courtesy Tasneem Aunty). Now I am looking for tomato recipes! Anyone?

And Naveen - Thank you. We had a great time and I hope you have a fun vacation in Colombo!





Friday 5 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Anjana Vidhyaa

8 more days to go! And my sugar craving is at an all time high!

And with that, today meet the strong, persevering, nothing-is-going-get-me-down - Anjana Vidhyaa!

Slide on!


Thursday 4 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Gazeenasulu Kunhamed

As we continue the series, we meet the beautiful Sulu, mother of 4,  doting wife and proprietor of Sweet Life.

Watch on!




Wednesday 3 October 2012

Meet the Bakers - Meghana Karthik

I am back, with a brand new series on the bakers. We are running close to the showcase now, and I wanted to start off this series with one of my favorite bakers - Meghana Karthik of Fresh Baked Goodness. A warm, funny and sensitive person as also an amazing baker, today we meet this filmmaker turned baker!

PS: Click on the right arrow to move through the slides :)