Whitejacket

In a young city that has so many up and coming hotels and restaurants which need to come up or get out, there is a common misconception that EATING out is the same as DINING out. Leaving out those who simply feed, eat and NOT dine, let me share a recent dining experience with the rest of you.

A restaurant that is honest in its service and food. A restaurant that doesn’t need a highly overrated local magazine to tell them if they are doing well or not. I guess it also takes a high level of diners for restaurants to improve. A restaurant that can simply rely on the best way of advertising - by word of mouth. Why? Just because they are that good. Period.

This is REFLETS, another overseas venture from Michelin-starred chef, Pierre Gagnaire. To be honest, we didn’t keep our hopes up too high as there have been more misses than hits with the restaurants here. Tucked away in the new Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City, Reflets is one of those few establishments which manage to set itself higher than the rest, or by Dubai standards, way up there. And they’re only just 5 months old.

After a drink at the lobby bar, we made our way to the restaurant via its private elevator. We were amazed by the beautiful décor that greeted us as the elevator doors opened. The 1st ‘Theatre of Dining’ in this culinary sad city.

A small corridor leads you past the hostess’ counter and a window that allows guests full view of the kitchen. The moment we stepped into the dining room, we knew it was going to be an evening of theatrical splendour.

The deep-mauve carpet, velvet-embellished leather chairs, textured and mirrored walls; the towering glass wine showcase overlooking the room and the sommeliers’ tasting and decanting table at the heart of the room, for all to view in awe; the cool, pink glass chandeliers and…… the mother-of-pearl-covered walls. One can’t help but imagine it as a set out of the Moulin Rouge or maybe even a modernised version of the opera in the Palace of Versailles. The staff were just as amazing as the décor, plus friendly and professional. In the safe hands of Head Sommelier, Julien Coron, I did not need to stress over wine choice.

Introduction to the play started with a small platter of teasers.

Squid ink potato croquette – smooth and crisp, easy on the palate.
Gingerbread biscuit – full-flavoured with good texture.
Onion “marmalade” with white wine and anchovy – salty and tannic, good after the biscuit.
Arugula wafer with raspberry jam – interesting, but worked.
Cornet of hummus with green peppers – the smoothness and flavour of the hummus worked well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Gingerbread butter
Dark beer jelly – bitter and spiced.

Act 1: Cream of cauliflower flavoured with dried bonito; bouillabaisse jelly. Red mullet biscuit. Purple cauliflower.
A gel and the biscuit was a symphony of tenderness, broken only by the pickled cauliflower. Well-balanced and light. Each mouthful sends a flash of aroma through the olfactory stimuli.
Pairing- 2007 Terra di Vulcano, Falanghina, Mario Bisceglia

Act 2: Ravioli of foie gras and bisque of blue velvet crab. Spring onions and cepes. Puree of chervil roots.
The marriage of flavours between the foie gras and crab was further enhanced by the complexity of the cep. The parsnip puree and onion was the icing on the cake - not clogging up your taste buds (receptors), but complementing it dearly. A dish to die for!
Pairing – 2007 St Peray, Les Caves de Tain

Act 3: Wild seabass, poached. Thin layers of aubergines marinated “Stiletto”; Tarbais beans.
The butter poached fillet had a great texture, not soft and flaky. Obtainable when the fish is cooked to perfection. The acidity of the braised aubergine broke the meaty fish. Another winner.
Pairing- 2005 Rully, Vieilles Vignes, Girardin

Act 4: Pink Velouté: a cocktail of tomato and acidic fruits; shellfish and crab bavaroise. Polenta flavoured with Colombo spices.
The spoon of crab cream with the texture of the seafood, not sure what it was it reminded me of Ark shell. It was soft on the palate which was then brought up with the intensity of the velouté. The sharp and smooth velouté, with a mosaic of chopped seafood was there to make its statement. Tangy seafood went perfectly with the Riesling, cleverly recommended by Julien.
Pairing- 2005 Riesling Kabinett, Weingut Schloss Vollrads

Intermediate: Atlantic blue lobster seared with ginger; red pepper, mango and green apple with coriander. Tomate “Otti” and tandoori marshmallow.
Now again, anyone close, knows I DO NOT LIKE mango and everything about it. I do not use it in my cooking, period. But the mango does not come through too strongly in this one. Tender and delicate lobster accompanied with a tandoori-flavoured sweet-spicy marshmallow. The velvety bisque was intense with South East Asian flavours, reminded me of Nonya (Straits-Chinese) flavours from home. Sweet, sharp and savoury with a light spicy note. Yet another winner.
Pairing- 2005 Montlouis, Clos du Breuil, Francois Chidaine

The main act: Beef cheeks, lacquered. Roasted scallops and braised turnip. Cabbage leaf and sweet potato cream. Frothy pop corn and corn ice-cream.

I started this course by first scooping into the corn ice cream and the pop corn froth which, I think was charged in a siphon. It really was very light. As explained, the beef cheeks here are marinated in wine for 2 weeks and slow cooked for about 2 days. All in all here, lying before me is a 16-day work of genius. The wine pairing, just like the cheeks and its braising liquid lashes out its odorant molecules in the mouth, kind of like a midday rush in a bustling business district. It hits you fast and but not too much, and the pop corn with the jus was absolutely fantastic.

Although the dish was already a champion on its own, the scallops did pop it up a notch or two. It was kind of like a VIP ONLY party. Tender cheek and scallops, again broken by the texture of the braised but crunchy turnip and the unique texture of the pop corn in jus. The kind of dish that I could eat every night.
Pairing – 2004 Cahors, Cuvée Particulière, Château Lamartine

Act 6: Cheese Course
Cheese was not included in the Le Grand Menu d’Automme but being a fan of French cheeses, we decided to have it as an addition. There is a choice of 3 regions of cheese offered and we opted for the Auvergne selection.

Cantal – Was paired with white chocolate pearls and a gelée of ginseng. The earthy note from the cheese cleverly balanced with the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitter from the gelée.

Saint-Nectaire – Was paired with apple compote and a tarragon ice cream. The sharpness from the compote and sweetness of the ice cream broke down this nutty and creamy cheese.

Fourme d’Ambert – Simply paired with a toasted brioche. Nothing much was needed for this powerful yet supple cheese, just a buttery brioche which brought out the flavour of this already flavourful cheese.
Pairing – 2004 Rhona Muscadelle, Graham Beck

Act 7: Pre-Desserts
Not the regular dessert one would have, it was the grand dessert. The sweets were started with a selection of small pre-desserts.

Tomato compote with orange cooked with vanilla, topped with almond meringue.

Bonbon of prune, Orange with meringue and orange powder, Dacquoise of white chocolate, olive and olive oil.

After what we thought was a grand pre-dessert, we were “stormed” yet again with The Grand Dessert, the grand finale to a theatrical night of fine food and wine.

The Grand Finale

Small Tea Passion fruit – light passion fruit and mascarpone, not too sweet and delicate overall.

Happy Birthday Bowl – Jelly of grapefruit and confit, sorbet of grapefruit and pear, with cooked pear. Bitter-sweet, with variations of soft textures.

Orange Rectangle – Burnt bread parfait, with fresh and confit of orange. Classical marriage that is always welcomed by the senses.

Espelette Chilli – a chilli which is from Basque, with an AOC. Here flavours a ganache with pana cotta and MANGO. (Due to obvious reasons I just had a small taste, though the chilli comes through strongly).

Chocolate Hiver 2008 – Guanaja ganache and leaf, with a soft biscuit, praline and red pepper. Bitter-sweet goodness all round. Something I hope to have again, upon my return here.

Post-Theater

Thereafter, we enjoyed and soaked our near 5 hour theatre attendance at REFLETS, with a glass of French Coffee (coffee and cognac) and petit four. And a final palate cleanser at the bar of a chilled tea infusion with margarita salt.

After this experience, I truly know what it means when dining is the equivalent to a play in a theatre. Not one where only the food takes centre stage, or the décor is over-the-top and outshines the dishes and the service. Or one where the service lets down the whole experience. This one was balanced, where everything was in harmony, kind of like the intro to a good Metallica or GnR song. Every guest received equal “love” and honesty from all the staff. Etienne Haro, Restaurant Director explains why they close on Sundays. That every guest pays the same amount, so it’s only fair that every night when they are open all the key people are present. No element should be missing.

Not just another money pump, Reflets truly is a “restaurant with soul”, concentrating on what most places have forgotten - offering an extraordinary dining experience through their dishes and impeccable service. The basic factor for any restaurant. Special thanks to the team, the chef, Etienne and Julien, that indeed was a great birthday dinner made extra special by their vision which, truly deserves an encore attendance.

Just as we were warmly welcomed, we parted with equally warm goodbyes and just an overall sense of “peace” and balance.

[More photos here]

The art of cooking is no doubt interesting. The science of it is equally intriguing. Chefs cook, chefs taste, chefs plan their day, but how often do chefs actually dine? The most important thing that all chefs work towards seems to be the least practised.

As chefs, it really is our personal responsibility to dine out. Not just to hide in the kitchens. In the past, everyone said that chefs needed to be out of the kitchen and into the restaurant to mingle with the guests. Some have evolved and some still stay hairy and hunched-backed in the room of stainless steel. Now that the first step has been taken, we need to take that next step out the door and into another restaurant! Dining out, as I have found over the years, is a great way to unwind and to learn.

I once knew a chef who told me, “Dining out assures me that I can cook better than the chefs at restaurants I go to…”, and if not, then that would be a wake-up call to improve, wouldn’t it?

We learn and grow when we dine out. From the mistakes made by others and to be astonished by the trend setters. Not all have to be great experiences; I have been here for 2 and half years and dined around a lot in Dubai. But sadly only two of the many places I visited were good. Bad dining experiences aren’t just the result of the meal itself, but, good grief! the sloppy ‘big-arse’ service too. The point is, if a chef does not dine out to appreciate a meal from a guest’s perspective, how can he assure his guests a great dining experience? I wonder how long it will take for some chefs to take note of this.

The very first trip made in dedication to cuisine, the senses, dining and having that Michelin experience. We make our way to the Great Britain to feast at the restaurants of the 3 biggest chefs in the UK. Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux.

Not knowing what to expect, we enter the door and walk through the small hallway. Our first ever 3 Star dining experience had begun. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

Feelings of excitement and curiosity run furiously through. Greetings from the staff calm our nerves. They are inviting, extremely professional and most importantly, genuine. As it was a celebration of Bernadette’s birthday, a special table is reserved for us. Jean-Claude, the Maitre d’, greets us at the table and puts us further at ease. This exceptional host goes about entertaining and speaking to the diners. Each time he leaves a table the guests are smiling. The guy even sings a birthday song for Bernie at the end of our meal, in a calm, composed yet thoroughly entertaining manner.

A Michelin star restaurant often gives the impression of being stiff and tense. Not here. The mood set at this 3 star establishment which also happens to be one of the top 20 restaurants in the world today is calm and relaxed.

We order the Menu Prestige, which is the tasting menu, plus champagne to start with and wine pairing for each course.

Amuse bouche – Cornet of lobster with avocado. Potato chip with pesto.

Chilled tomato consommé with spring vegetables - Very fresh and light.

Foie gras and Duck terrine – Absolute attention to detail in this dish. From the arrangement of the salad to the seasoning of the micro leaves. Served with a light as air toasted brioche. [More photos here]

Lobster, Salmon and Langoustine Ravioli – A Gordon Ramsay signature which has become a classic of his. Full of flavour with a hint of fresh basil, perfect texture from the pasta. Somehow one is not enough!

Roasted Turbot – Nice Roasted Turbot which has a sweet flesh with a citrus sauce.

Barbary Duck – I am crazy about this dish! The crisp skin and moist flesh of the breast. The cream cabbage and the sauce is savoury. Accompanied with the sweet/earthy beetroot, the earthy black trumpet, sweet/savoury shallots and the bitterness of the navé all hit the right spot. One dish with all the basic taste senses. Absolutely brilliant!

Lamb Loin with confit of shoulder – Tender and succulent loin and the restructured pre-braised shoulder is pan fried for a crisp outer layer. The consistency and flavour of the sauce is perfect.

Cheese Trolley – A favourite of mine in any meal at any restaurant. The winning formula at Ramsay’s is the nice selection and the service. For the first time I have ‘Plaisir au Chablis’ and love it! So I ask the waitress where I might be able to buy this cheese or similar alternatives. She writes the name of the cheeses down and suggests a few places.

Ramsay Crème Brulee – Bernie’s pre-dessert instead of the cheese course. Light and smooth. With pears and a nice hint of spice.

Champagne and strawberry soup – Arrives in a tall glass with a glass straw. The popping candy is hidden away somewhere…..Playful and flavourful.

Apple Tarte Tatin – This is the motherload!!! Thin, crisp caramel puff pastry with tender caramelized apples. The portion is rather big but I’m not complaining.

Petits fours – Turkish Delight; Super bouncy like a waterbed. Strawberry ice cream coated with white chocolate. And a silver stand with ‘silver balls’ of bitter sweet chocolates.

Birthday special – Bernie is presented with a Mango sorbet with a candle and a birthday song from the perfect host, Jean-Claude.

Although we were the last to leave, we were never made to feel rushed (our dinner booking was at 10.15pm and we left at about 12.40pm). In fact one of the front-of-the-house staff chatted with us for a while and showed me the kitchen. There I learnt they have a total of 50 chefs and that the kitchen was renovated in 2006. It was a well maintained kitchen, of course.

I am certain that there are so many other 3 star restaurants out there with the same quality of food and service, but to find another one that can be this genuine? That will be the challenge. Will definitely make it a point to visit London again for another experience.

The highly anticipated 3 star Michelin Heston Cuisine at The Fat Duck. Nicely tucked away in the small ‘one-street town’ of Bray. I guess much of the structure has not been meddled with since he bought it in 1995. The setting of the restaurant is very classic English-cottage-style. From the ‘duck-foot/fork-feather/knife’ sign hanging outside to the wooden beams of the interior structure of the restaurant. Apart for the paintings on the walls and the food of course, which made it anything but classic. With the intense flavours and effects, The Fat Duck is truly in a league of its own. The best part about the food is it isn’t overdone. His dishes are cleverly designed to excite both the palate and senses. And he serves actual dishes (not minute tasting portions), which is great.

We have the tasting menu of course, with a wine pairing, and start with a glass of delicious Taittinger Demi-Sec each.

Nitro Green Tea and Lime – We begin the course with a palate cleanser – a mousse of green tea and vodka which was solidified in LN2. A lime perfume is sprayed over the table to enhance the lime flavour. Nice and refreshing. It shows here how important the sense of smell is for taste.

Orange and Beetroot – 2 Squares of jelly arrive – one red and the other orange. It is playfully suggested by the waitress to begin with the ‘orange’. The orange-coloured jelly is actually yellow beet and the red jelly is blood orange. A dish that tricks our eyes.

Oyster – It is set in a passion fruit jelly with lavender petals and horseradish crystal.

Ice cream – A micro quenelle of pommery mustard ice cream with a red cabbage gazpacho. Slightly spicy.
[More photos can be viewed here]

Drama – The full setting for the next course arrives.

A bed of oak moss with 2 packs of oak moss films. A small bowl of Heston’s famed smooth quail jelly and a crispy toast of truffle. We start with the film, and then the waitress pours the oak moss tea onto the oak moss bed and the smoke effects with the flavour of oak moss start draping our table. Then we savour the jelly and toast.

Porridge – Another signature, which has become a classic of Heston. The snails are nicely tender and flavourful with his garlic butter and oats porridge. The julienne of crisp Joselito ham enhances the flavour and texture of the whole dish.

Foie Gras – The foie gras is pan seared and crusted with shavings of almond, chopped chives. Along with it, a swipe of cherry coulis (I think, if my taste buds were not too numb from alcohol) and a swipe of almond fluid gel (stabilized with Gellan, served warm). Plus a cherry with a fine vanilla pod stem.

Sea – Then, each of us are presented with a large seashell containing an iPod with earphones. Shortly after an elevated glass dish is presented. We are instructed to put on the ear phones, and listen to the calm sounds of the sea – waves washing up to shore, and sea gulls calling in the background. Not to sound too corny, but instantly the scene of a sunset came to mind (at least for me). The dish is supposed interact well with the senses, to have the feel of actually enjoying the dish at the seaside. I am not certain, but the dish seems to taste slightly sea salty…or it might just be my imagination, which means he may have met the objective here… hmmmm…

The dish is composed of an oyster, clams, fried baby eels, 3 types of seaweed and a flavoured Maltodextrine to resemble the sand and shore. Plus foam which is just lightly salty, like the juice of an oyster to resemble the sea or foam from the waves.

Salmon – A slow cooked piece of salmon which is encased in a liquorice gel. I am guessing from Kappa Carrageenan, which gives a firm, brittle texture. Vanilla Mayonnaise and artichokes. The plate arrives and the liquorice bark is grated over the salmon and olive oil is drizzled over. Smooth fish and tender gel. The vanilla mayonnaise adds to the satin feel of the whole dish.

Pigeon – Surprisingly this dish reminds me of Christmas. Must be the smell and taste of the pigeon and spices from the kitchen back when I was in training. The texture of the pigeon black pudding has a nice slight bounce but tender. Should be from the pickling of the meat, I think…again. Overall, flavourful and satisfying.

Hot Iced Tea – Yet another signature, which has become somewhat of a classic for Heston. Where one side is chilled and the other is warm. Really cool.

Mrs Marshall’s Margaret cornet – This next course, comes with a pamphlet explaining when and by whom the first iced cream was really invented. It is a good read. Then the cornet, which is designed with much detail is served. Sweet and slightly salty. Smooth and crisp.

Pine sherbet fountain – A small paper cup arrives with a vanilla pod straw. It contains a kinda sherbet powder.

Mango and douglas fir puree – Ok, people who know me well enough should know that I seriously detest the texture, taste and smell of Mango. I guess it will not be too nice if I explained it, so I should and will keep it to myself.

But here, I try it anyway, because it’s The Fat Duck!!! The mango is not too strong in flavour, and it is on a Lychee Bavarois. Overall, it goes well together, and the texture of the Bavarois is really good. But I still do not like MANGO!

Parsnip cereal – The first part of our breakfast for the evening begins. We are presented with a little box that contains a packet of cereal. I guess, the root is sliced horizontally and dehydrated. If this is the case, then it explains the sweet note, which a parsnip naturally has. Eaten as per a normal breakfast cereal. Light in taste and delicate in texture.

Eggs – The famous nitro scramble eggs with toast. The waiter arrives with a grill stove, a pot, and a tray of eggs. The eggs are all branded with The Fat Duck logo. The eggs seem heavier than regular chicken eggs. The true magic is when he cracks it open – the liquid appears to be a beaten egg mixture. Amazing. It is then “scrambled” with LN2.

It is served together with a pain perdu, perfectly caramelized and tender in the centre, a crisp bacon slice, and an Earl Grey Tea jelly which resembles raw egg white. Again, another dish which deceives the sight.

Petits fours - Mandarin aerated chocolate, Violet tartlet, Carrot and orange lolly

Yet another excellent dining experience brought to a whole other level. 3 Michelin stars, Check!

After the 2 days of Ramsay’s Haute Cuisine and The Fat Duck’s Heston Cuisine, we prepare ourselves for Michel and Alain Roux’s Waterside Inn. Another 3 Star Michelin restaurant. Here the setting is calm, as we dine in for lunch where the restaurant has an open view of the River Thames. Some guests even arrive in their boats which dock directly in front of the restaurant.

Elegant classic setting, where the food is not handled too much. Another style of cuisine that balances up our UK culinary expedition.

Diners are invited to sit at the terrace and start of with drinks and canapés before their meal. So we relax at the terrace, snacking on canapés, sipping champagne, watching the ducks and occasional boats go by. That’s a holiday!

We are escorted to our table at the restaurant and order the Menu Exceptionnel.  We have a nice table which allows us a lovely view of the Thames and nature around.

Foie Gras – I start with a foie gras terrine with Fig chutney and almonds. Smooth, tender and straight to the point.

Mango - Bernadette has the Langoustine and crab with mango. I do not try for obvious reasons. She says it’s nice and fresh. So I’ll leave it as that.

Scallop – I have the seared scallop & einkorn risotto with sorrel and white truffle shavings. Nicely cooked scallops with the flavourful risotto.

Lobster – Lobster medallions with white port and ginger. Somehow the taste reminds us of home cooking. “Hao you jiang”, which is ginger and oyster sauce. Hmmm…

Sorbet – A ball of icy sorbet of rose arrives to get us ready for the mains.

Duck – Challandais duck with lemon confit, thyme jus and a puffy ducky on the side. Sadly the duck is a little over cooked, but the overall flavour is good.

Lamb – Bernie has the roasted lamb loin with pine nuts, served with aubergine confit and saffron jus.

Sweets – I have a plate of a trio of desserts, a smooth pistachio crème brulee, chocolate parfait with MANGO and a raspberry parfait.  Bernie tries the raspberry soufflé, light, flavourful, neither too sweet nor tannic.

End – We then “retire” back to the terrace for coffee and tri stand of Classic French Mignardises and ended the afternoon admiring the calm scenery and ducks.

After 3 huge fine cuisine sittings, it is time to enjoy some good old English Pub Food. What will a “Great British Feast” be like without experiencing pub food? And what better way to do it while in Bray, than to visit The Hinds Head, Heston’s Pub situated just metres away from The Fat Duck. He bought it a few years back.

The Hinds Head actually used to be a hotel way back, and even welcomed members of the royal family as guests. Prince Philip even staged his stag night here. So as you can tell, it’s a place of rich history. The young wait staff even tells us the about the rumoured sightings of the infamous “white lady” at the Hinds Head. Anyway…… Some dishes served are taken from Heston’s “In Search of Perfection” TV series. So it is great to sample some of them.

Devil – We try the Devils on Horseback snack first. It’s a hot traditional English snack, where a date puree is rolled with bacon and seared through till crisp. Sweet salty note.

Oyster – We also try the fresh Colchester oysters, which is on a salty note and slightly creamy.

P&H – Pea & Ham soup. Rich in flavour with a smoky note. The best part is it is not too thick.

Fish – I had to try the fish pie which is from his Perfection Series. The pie is served slightly over the warm note, about 50degrees, so as not to overcook the fish. This leaves it nice and tender, topped with fried breadcrumbs and seafood foam. I must say, it is nice.

Pot – We also have a Lancashire Hotpot, which is composed of braised lamb topped with sliced potatoes and it has an oyster in it. The young wait staff explains that the oyster is added for tradition’s sake. Back in the day, oysters were cheaper then lamb so the hotpot use to contain oysters and a little lamb. Interesting isn’t it?

Tart – Another from Heston’s Perfection Series, Treacle Tart with milk ice cream. I remember, this was the episode where he made ice cream from freshly squeezed cow’s milk in the milking shed with dry ice!! It is nice and chewy, sweet. Not so keen on the milk ice cream though. Must be that scene of the ice cream making. An interesting note, The Hinds Head has a rich food and wine tradition. It used to be quite famous for Treacle Tart back in the day, like in the 1960’s. Even when the queen once dined there, she was served this famed tart.

[View all the photos from the entire “Feast” here]

Air Cookie

Hot Green Tea Ice-cream

Bonito Cotton

Carrot Soup

Chocolate Maki

Rock Melon Mi-Cuit

Cold Soba

View more photos here.

‘Linguini’ Carbonara

Prawn Skin Cannelloni with Salmon

Watermelon Mi-Cuit

Peanut Butter n Jelly

Ginger ‘Styrofoam’

Peach Melba Toast

A few creations from last month:

Miso Crystal

Prawn ‘Cheetos’

Cigar 1 - Blue Ash & Fin

Cigar 2 - Salmon Miso

Croque-Monsieur

Foie Gras Pop

Only just managed to upload some food shots (from March-April) to the Photo Gallery. Here are a few:

Miso Soba

Konbu Dashi

Squid ‘Udon’

Burnt Miso

Liquid Barley Jelly

Lychee Foie Gras

I’ve created a new photo gallery for the website - it’s more accessible and user-friendly, and now you can leave comments on any photo!

I haven’t had the time to get into the script to figure out how to tweak it so that it blends with the rest of the Whitejacket design, and may even just leave it as it is since I already love the uber-clean and sleek layout of ZenPhoto’s default theme.

Right now there are just two albums - Progressive Cuisine and Neo-Classical Cuisine. In time, I may add a couple more albums featuring proper individual shots of tools/kitchen equipment and ingredients.

Basically, NEW gallery, added features, plus a couple of new pictures as compared to the old photo album. CHECK IT OUT!

Note: If you visit Whitejacket’s homepage (www.whitejacket.net) and the buttons/links to the Photo Gallery still point to the old one (/gallery/avantgarde.htm), it means your browser cache is still loading the old files, so please hit CTRL + F5 on your keyboard to Force Refresh the page to view the latest version (don’t worry, it only refreshes the page you’re currently visiting and won’t harm your computer or any browser settings).

The origin of the crossed bun is still a little vague. Most believe that Christians ate these buns on Good Friday - the cross symbolizing the crucifixion. However, some believe that crossed buns were eaten in ancient times by the Saxons to honour the goddess Eostre. [The name “Easter” is said to originate from Eostre, goddess of fertility, whose name was derived from the ancient word for “spring” - eastre]. Although food history has always intrigued me, I shan’t delve further into this particular one relating to religion and teeming with pagan symbolism, for fear of sounding too much like a character from a Dan Brown novel.

The Holy Week leading up to Good Friday usually meant that my home would be filled with scents of raisins, cinnamon and warm bread as my Mom rolled out tray after tray of Hot Cross Buns from the oven. She makes them the traditional way of course, perhaps with just a few tweaks to the recipe to suit our tastes. I only enjoy eating them at this time of year simply because we baked them only around this time of year. So this year, being away from home, and with a sudden craving for chocolate, I produced my version of something hot, crossed, and almost sacrilegious. [Some believe that chocolate is so ‘heavenly’ that if it’s not the “food of the gods”, it must be the devil’s doing].

I can’t give you a proper recipe since I’m not the professional chef in this household. I simply mixed Pilsbury’s dark chocolate cake mix with water+vegetable oil+eggs=cupcakes. Topped with cooking chocolate melted with butter (and some leftover chocolates from Christmas). Finally, Milo (powdered chocolate) sprinkled over a makeshift X-stencil.

Santa’s really in the soup now

The Easter bunny had better not overstay its welcome too or we’ll have a similar post about chocolate covered fruit cake for Christmas.

HAPPY EASTER!

Finding the “perfect” apple for apple pie, based on apples available in Dubai. I believe the perfect apple-pie-apple should be full of flavour, with good texture and some acidity.

The contenders and results on a scale of 1-5, based on Flavour (F), Texture (T), Acidity (A), Water Content (W):

1. Golden “Val Venosta” (Italy) - F:0.5 / T:0 / A:4 / W:4
2. Golden Del “Washington” (USA) - F:0 / T:0 / A:3.5 / W:4
3. Golden (Iran) - F:3 / T:1 / A:0 / W:3
4. Golden Jumbo “Le Crunch” (France) - F:3 / T:1 / A:2.5 / W:4
5. Pink Lady (New Zealand) - F:5 / T:3 / A:3 / W:2.5
6. Ariane (France) - F:5 / T:4 / A:1 / W:3
7. Red Gala “Stemilt” (USA) - F:3 / T:2 / A:1.5 / W:2.5
8. Royal Gala “Le Crunch” (France) - F:0.5 / T:5 / A:1 / W:4
9. Red “Riviera” (Italy) - n/a (apple was overripe)

The winner: The Pink Lady

Note: It was my first time tasting the Ariane from France and I was immensely impressed. Amazing flavour!

Ariane

The Royal Gala “Le Crunch” from France was the crunchiest apple I’ve ever eaten! Although lacking in flavour, it’s good to keep it in mind as a healthy snack as it’s juicy and crunchy, with subtle flavours reminiscent of nashi pear.