The olive bar and kitchen, Mehrauli

We went to The olive bar and kitchen , for our post valentine dinner. For us dining on the 14^th was too commercial and hence we decided to do it later when the restaurants are a little more peaceful and much more attentive to your needs.

On way back from work, we decided to dine there. A quick call to the restaurant for table reservation was a put down as we were told they were completely sold out for the evening.

Being stubborn foodies, as we are, we decided to still give it a try. Fervently believing that they will have a table for two for an early dinner we headed straight.

Away from the hustle & bustle of the city the place has a definite charm to it.

It is just the perfect setting for a candle lit relaxed evening.

The ambiance is not too expensive, but simple yet very chic.

Even for an early dinner at 7:30 pm, there was quite a no. of people in the restaurant.

We were being served by a very polite and professionally trained server who neatly took instruction with special care to the details.

We ordered for a minestrone soup, a wood fired pizza with truffle essence, a mocktail avalanche and a pie with red currant sauce.

Our order was taking a little longer, so we were served freshly baked multigrain garlic bread and Pumpkin cappuccino. The pumpkin cappuccino was mediocre while the bread was the show winner.

A pestle & mortar was placed on our table which had some roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and loads of olive oil was poured over it.

This was effortlessly accompanying the freshly baked bread.

We were next served the avalanche which had very subtle notes of fresh ginger root and mint. The drink was enough to last our meal.

Later, the soup was served in a fire and water proof paper cup over hot charcoals.

The presentation was enough to warm you up. Especially me being very fussy over the hot quotient, I had no complaints. Next to it were placed two huge soup bowls with some broken pasta, chopped vegetables and parmesan bread over the side.

 We quickly pour the hot soup over it and were lost in the great depth the soup had to offer.

Next came our pizza, which was also very nice except that the toppings were not very generous.

Anyway, we were already 80% full so reviewing anything when you are above 40% full, is a crime!

Although we were more than full after the pizza, we couldn't resist ordering for the freshly baked pie with red currant sauce.

It was simply divine. The presentation was superb and the taste was fantastic! It was a delightful experience and food definitely was outstanding!

PS: You may have to wait for unusually longer times for your orders, but it is worth the wait as you get everything freshly baked and not just reheated crap.

Firni

INGREDIENTS

Full Cream Milk : 1.5litres
Rice: 1/2 cup
Green cardamom powder: 1t
Jaggery (Grated) : 1/4 cup
Sugar : 1/2 cup
Almonds( Blanched, peeled & cut) : 1/2cup
Pistachios (Chopped): 1/2 cup
Raisins : 2-3T
Saffron: 8-10 strands
Rose Essence:  few drops (I used a capful of Roohafza)

Directions:

Now to make this, you need to start working a day before! Don't worry, just soaking the rice.
Soak the rice overnight. Grind them the next morning. They have to be a lil coarse and not a fine paste.
Soak saffron strands in cold milk before you start.
Take a heavy bottom pan. Heavy, because the rice now since ground, have a larger surface area and will release starch very quickly. This starch will start thickening the milk and may start burning at the base.
Bring milk to boil.Add cardamom powder. Slowly add the rice paste while constantly stirring. Stirring has to be very carefully and constantly done so as to avoid scorching especially at the base. In around 7-10 minutes, the mixture will thicken to 'coat a spoon' consistency. You will be able to make out the difference.  Quickly add jagggery and sugar, little at a time. You will need to taste it several times before you are able to decide the right sweetness.Remember, since the dessert is served chilled, the sweetness will decrease by almost 5-7%.
Remove from flame and add those few drops of rose essence (or roohafza) and saffron. Add the dried fruits, saving half the amount of pistachios for garnishing.
Pour into a traditional earthen pot and garnish with pistachios and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Serve chilled!

Cafe Diva GK I, N Block

A visit to Diva is always eternal!
I rate it the best!
Taste: - 5/5 - They keep it very simple and very chic!
They make every effort to ensure that what you eat is their best. They use possibly the best ingredients and you get the same taste every time you visit them. The food which is supposed to be hot, is hot, always, the beverages always cold and the staff is very well groomed and courteous.

I love their Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup with Crispy Seeds which is always served very very hot. Coming to the salads, the Roasted Beetroot Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Candied Hazelnuts is superb! When you bite into the caramelized hazelnuts along with the roasted beetroot, you are transformed to a different world!
The wood fired pizzas are a class apart with a generous amount of toppings.
There is no egg-less dessert though.

Ambiance: 4 / 5 - It's clean,and with dimmed lights, the ambiance is very soothing.The place is always packed so its wise to have a table reservation. The waiting area is at the small bar where you can enjoy a drink and starters while you wait.

Service: 4 / 5 - Service is prompt, smiling and very welcoming.

The blushing raita

Beetroot Raita

INGREDIENTS

Beetroot    1no.(small)
Curd          200g
Mustard seeds   1t
Whole red chili    2no.
Ghee           1t
Salt              To taste


DIRECTIONS

1. Blend the curd with some water with the help of a whisker.
2.Puree the beetoot , mixing with a little water.
3. Mix the pureed beetroot with the whisked curd and add salt to taste.
4. Heat ghee in a long stemmed spoon and add mustard seeds and wait till you hear the crackling sound.
5 Add whole red chilli and stir till it swells up.
6 Try and bring some fire into the ghee.( be very careful so as not to burn)
7 Immediately put the above mixture into the raita and cover with the lid.
8 Serve chilled.

P.S : Whisking will help in air incorporation, which would give a very smooth creamy texture.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

Onion     1 large (chopped)

Garlic     5 cloves (minced)

Olive Oil   2T

Tomatoes,  6 

Potato        1 large (cubed)

Zucchini (yellow)    1no. (cubed)

Zucchini (green) 1no. (cubed)

Carrot         1no. (cubed)

Peas           1/2cup

Sweet Corn   2T

Paste   A handful (broken)

Basil        3-4 leaves

Black pepper   7-8 nos. (cracked)

Directions

1. In large pot, cook carrots, zucchini, peas, corn and potatoes in loads of water until soft (but not overcooked ).

2. Puree blanched tomatoes.

3. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic till nice golden brown.

4 Add pureed  tomatoes , torn basil and cracked pepper and cook till oil separates.

6. Add the cooked vegetables along with the broth.
7 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover & simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8 Add broken pasta and cook till the pasta is al dante.
9 Add salt to taste.

10. Serve hot with some grated parmesan.

Tomato Relish

Tomato Relish

 INGREDIENTS

Ripe tomatoes                          6(medium sized)
Onion                                       1(medium sized)
Jalapeno chilies                        2no.
Sugar                                        2T
Balsamic vinegar                      1cup
Olive Oil                                   2T
Salt                                            To taste









PROCEDURE

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes and jalapenoes into bite sized pieces
2. Sprinkle sugar over the mixture and drizzle vinegar and 1T olive oil on it.
3.Cover the  mixture and let it stand overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Heat 1T olive oil and caramelize the finely chopped onions.
5. Add the mixture along with all the liquid released overnight.
6. Add salt and cook on high flame untill all the liquid evaporates.
7. Laddle out while still hot, into sterilized bottles and keep inverted for a couple of hours.
8. The relish can be refrigerated for a week and be enjoyed as an accompaniement with some focaccia or freshly toasted/baked bread.

An afternoon at The Oberoi Gurgaon

The pleasant weather coaxed me for a coffee in the pattiserrie at The Oberoi Gurgaon. I love their waterbody and the hospitality. If you want to have some real serious quality bakery stuff, Oberoi is the answer.
 I started exploring the eggless variants in the pastries and tarts.
Only two eggless variants were available, Belgian chocolate pastry and the classic black forest.

The Black forest pastry

The chocolate was toooo dark for me so made up my mind for the black forest pastry. This choice, led to ammendment in my original choice of having a cappucinno. Thinking that may be the cappucinno and this pastry wont pair well, I settled for green leaf tea and let me tell you, this was a wise decision...The delicate flavour of the pastry was not ruined by intense cappucino and in fact my freshly brewed tea accompanied it so verry well...Ah the rains! I soo louve you!
I did not return empty handed from there, but picked up the fresh focassia instead.


PS: This has already triggered the recipe creator in me and I sooo badly need to make a relish to accompany this focassia.
I consider it as being my responsibility to make a Tomato relish  for this mean foccassia :)

Little pearls on Beet Bed

Truly a treat for the senses with the crunchy pomengranate pearls bathed in flirty notes of orange, honey and basil and resting elegantly on a bed of grilled beet.

INGREDIENTS



Pomengranate Seeds                                                               1Bowl

Beetroot whole                                                                           1no.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with cells                          1/2 cup

Honey                                                                                         1T

Hazelnuts                                                                                    10-12no.

Sugar                                                                                         1T

Red Skin Apples (Diced)                                                        1Bowl

Salt                                                                                             To Taste

Cracked Peppercorns                                                             1t

Basil Leaves                                                                            4-5 no.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                                             1T


DIRECTIONS


1. Wrap the whole beet in aluminium foil and place it in the wire rack of an oven preheated to 250 degree celsius for 10 minutes.

2. Mix together the freshly squeezed orange juice, honey,Salt, cracked pepper and extra virgin olive oil; briskly with a fork

3. Place hazelnuts and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan over high flame with constant stirring to avoid burning. Heat till the sugar melts, turns golden and coats the hazelnuts.

4. Mix together Pomengranate seeds and apple dices and pour over the above dressing.

5. Cover and rest it in the rfrigerator for 10-15 minutes

6. Cut thin slices of the roasted beet and plece in a shallow tray.

7. Place the above mixture over the beetroots in the shape of small moutain.

8. Add caramelized hazelnuts and garnidh with a Basil Spring.

Good food is omnipresent! You need to have the nose for it :)

Food has to cross several hurdles before it qualifies as 'good' food.
Here, we will talk about good food. Good food can be found anywhere, and at times at the most wierdest places. The places where your motive should not be food but it is definitely at the top in your secret wishlist...maybe the kadha prasad at a gurudwara or poori kaddu at a bhandaara.
Good food can be on a roadside dhaba, in a snobbish restaurant,in aunt's kitchen, the neighbourhood halwai,the new pattissery on the block, at a wedding buffet or even at an ashram!!
Good food is a food which satiates you thoroughly but...leaves you there...craving for more........
Here, we will discover that 'good food' from different walks of life.
Come....