WGS 2013: The Art of DIning - Part 1

This year's World Gourmet Summit was held at Alkaff Mansion. Quiet place with lots of greenery. The good thing about it is the free parking.

The first chef was Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Chef Sanjeev gave an introduction of Indian cooking and the nuances of Northern, Southern Indian cooking. He mentioned that there are 6 taste in Indian cooking – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent. He demonstrated to us how to cook:

a) chicken on skewers (indian spices but the plating is influenced by Western influence)

b) Papadum and fish fried

c) Rice pudding with mascarpone cheese

The chicken is marinated in yogurt, ginger garlic paste and marinate for 2 hours. They are then skewered using a lemon grass and grill in the oven. He made a sauce using onions, cloves, cumin and salt, coconut milk and pepper, cinnamon, nuts, yogurt and chicken stock. The nuts will help the yogurt not to split. He added tomatoes but said not to cook too long so that the sauce remain light in colour. The sauce is cooked for 30 mins and strained. The plating is done very simply and attractively.

 

2013 World Gourmet Summit - Fusion Hands-on culinary workshop by Chef William Ledeuil

I attended the Hands On Culinary workshop by Chef William Ledeuil today at Sunrice Academy.  There were 10 of us and some of the participants are from overseas.

We learnt the following:

- Alaskan Crabmeat salad with green mango and red cabbage and pickled ginger with mango tumeric puree.

- Baked salmon skewered with lemongrass and tomato tumeric vinegrette

- Roasted yellow mango with pineapple marmalade

We learned how to make pickled ginger and the mango tumeric puree. The balance of sour and sweet is just nice in this puree. Then we move on to cut the crabmeat and mix with a combination of basil and corriander. Then chef used the rice vinegar cum mirin liquid to marinate the purple cabbage. We moved on to do a tomato tumeric vinegrette. It is refreshing as the sauce for the salmon is just tomatoes, tumeric and lemon grass with white balsamic vinegar. Definitely a healthier choice compared to creamy sauce. The dessert was easy to make and absolutely delicious.

What surprises me is the minimal use of salt, garlic and pepper in his dishes. It relies mainly on herbs and spices. Chef said we need to cook with our eyes and make our food as appetising as it taste.

I made a couple of new friends and had a good time at this hands on session and ended off eating the best things I have cooked.:)

Chef William Ledeuil

"Poor man's caviar"

My creations

Musee Rodin

The Rodin Museum is one of my favourite museums. It features the wonderful work of French sculptor, Auguste Rodin.

I started with the Garden. The Thinker greeted me.Awesome to see the "real' deal amidst a beautifully sculptured garden. Then I saw the Gates of Hell - I noticed that there were figures were separately crafted as individual displays.

The garden was beautiful and I caught sight of wedding vows being exchanged in one part of the garden. So beautiful....My favourite piece was meditation, inner voice, found inside the Biron Hotel. You'll notice that there is no hand because to meditate, one needs to be still.

After the long walk, I stopped at the cafe to have a coffee break and mini macaroons.

I like Rodin's sculpture because it is masterfully crafted and the theme is clear.  

 

The famous "Gates of Hell" 

 

 

The 3 figures from the top of the Gate of Hell

Note the details of the hand
 

The Burghurs of Calais

Meditation, Inner Voice

The Kiss

The Catheral

Paris Wine Tour

I booked a day trip to learn about wine in the Loire Valley with Paris Wine Tour. Our tour guide was JB and he was very patient and knowledgable.

There were about 8 of us on the tour. The first stop was a working goat farm where we saw the making of the famous Crottin de Chavignol produced in the Loire Valley. JB told us that the bluish mould on the rind was edible.

The second stop was Pouilly where they produced the Pouilly Fume sauvignon blanc wines. The vines I learnt grow in clayey limestone soil and the winegrowers do not irrigate the soil They let the vines grow deep into the soil to draw the spring water and due to the composition of the soil, the grapes and the wine have distinct aromas of the soil. We had wine tasting among the vines. 

We stopped at Sancere village for lunch and the village is very charming. We then visited the museum of wine making.

The last stop was a vineyard where they produce rose wine and pinot noir with gamay grapes.

It was a really good trip and an eye opener to the French's approach to wine making. I bought 3 bottles of wine - Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Pinot/Gamay wine....

Giverny - Monet's home and garden

Giverny, a village 80 km from Paris, 4 km from Vernon, is most famous for the French Impressionist, Claude Monet's home and garden. Monet painted many paintings of his garden in Giverny with its archways of climbing plants, water gardens with Japanese bridge, the pond with the water lilies.

It was a pleasant day out for me, making my way to Vernon via train and taking the bus to Giverny before walking to the garden. The garden was beautiful and the flowers were planted - it seems to me according to their colour scheme. It was so good to see so many varieties of flowering plants in a garden. Beyond the garden is the famous water lily pond. Though the water lilies were not in bloom, the pond was tranquil with the cascading trees and plants and Japanese bridge. I can imagine Monet getting his inspiration to paint under the magic of such a beautiful garden and pond.

Japan has a great influence on Monet and he was facinated with Japanese art as he went on to collect over 200 Japanese prints and paintings - displayed in his house in Giverny. He even painted his wife, Camille wearing a Kimono.

 

 

Flea Market in Paris - Porte de Varnes

On the first Sunday I was in Paris, I decided to go to a smallish flea market at Porte de Varnes which is in the 14th arrondisement, near my service apartment.

On reaching the flea market, there were already many vendors - people selling their pre-loved stuff. It was frequented by the locals, many whom were negotiating prices and buying stuff. I saw clothes, knick knacks, toys etc.

I bought pre-loved clothes (Naf Naf, Anne Fontaine, Tara Jamon, H&M) for a couple of Euros each. I was pretty pleased with my "vintage" purchases. This flea market reminds me of the multi-family garage sales we have back home.





These were the 2 stalls I bought the clothes from.

 

Friendly vendor...

Flea Market in Paris - Les Puces de Saint Quen

On my last day in Paris (after 9 glorious days), I decided to brave it and find my way to the Les Puces - the largest antique market in Paris. It is located in the 18th arrondisement and is in a poorer part of Paris. Quite a distance to walk from the metro Porte de Clignancourt to the huge flea market. The flea market gets very crowded during the weekends (I was almost pick pocketed at the metro on the way back). It has 7 markets within the neighbourhood and would take at least a day to explore. Each market has many interesting shops and lanes and nooks and corners to browse.

The flea market sells art and deco furniture, keys, beads, antique cutlery, kitchen appliances, table napkins/cloths, watches, jewellery, vintage clothes. The vendors are playing cards or having a meals and it has a nice neighbourly vibe. I liked the markets because there is so much to see and it is vibrant.

As I had no more luggage space, I did not purchase anything although I was tempted to buy a ring in one of the shops.

The market has clear directions for visitors.

 

I loved to browse at the various shops...

Clock face made from recycled manhole!

i loved to look at the antique silver cutlery.

 One shop sells just keys.