Every time we host a client visit, we always end the itinerary with a team lunch at the Madras Cricket Club. My boss, whom I absolutely adore and is completely clueless of my regard for him, seems to collect club memberships in every city. In Chennai, he hops between the Presidency, the Madras Club, Gymkhana, some weird golf course in Guindy and the Madras Cricket Club! There goes 5 years of my salary just in club memberships!! This is the second time that I have been to one of these events organized by our office … actually, I organize them for my office!
This particular event was close to heart as we were hosting our premier client and I absolutely love their work culture, their commitment to building relationships, and their VP Asia Ops (have been crushing on his voice forever!! :D). Unfortunately, my virtual darling wasn’t able to visit, however the MD and another senior manager did.
I was absolutely delighted when the MD brought a special message from the VP, just for me … ‘lil ol moi’ … On top of enjoying the seething envy of my rivals, I was lost in my head with visions of pink floating petals, sparkling fluffy clouds and me ‘baywatch bouncing’ towards a beautiful faceless man on a white unicorn; ready to carry me off into publishing paradise!!
By now, I am sure that you are wondering whether you are reading a food blog or a 16 year old’s diary!! I promise, I am getting to the food, just as soon as I stop smiling at my hallucinations !
Anyhoooo … the team lunch was organized for about 35 people at the Cricketers’ Lounge. I like the MCC for its space and history; the lounge itself is a very casual arrangement suitable for a maximum party of 45. The food was a pre-selected buffet of the Cricketer’s welcome drink, Garlic Chicken (which I sniffed), Fried Rice, Naan, Butter Paneer, Cauliflower Manchurian, Daal Makhani, Dahi Chawal, Pickle, Mango Ice Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream. And you won’t believe the price, Rs. 180 per head! I guess the ‘5 years’ salary’ membership benefits somewhere!
The food is generally good; your taste buds won’t explode with culinary delight, but one feels supremely satisfied at the end of the meal … my favorite was the mango ice cream. I also enjoyed the Butter Paneer and Cauli-Manchurian.
I am not particularly the club type, however, I maaaaaaaaay move in that direction in the prosperous stage of my world domination!! :D
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wine and Cheese Party
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to a Wine and Cheese Party. I was quite excited about it as I hadn’t been to one in years. In fact the last W&CP was during my law days when I was a hotshot legal-rep who socialised with all the bigwigs of the WCHR world. Good times, good times!
This particular W&CP was at a friend’s house, who, apparently has these dos quite often. The first thing I noticed when I entered the party space was that everyone was spread quite far apart. There weren’t that many people, 12-13!
W&CPs are all about the people. It is not the wine and the cheese that makes the party, it is the ambiance, the conversation, the music, the arrangement and the energy of the host ...
The party started when I got there; I became the jester and the joker. The menu was limited to cheddar, brie, blue, crackers, olives, pears, french bread, garlic bread and a few packaged snacks. I can’t blame the poor host for the wine as Chennai is not alcohol friendly and it is ridiculously difficult to find good wine at reasonable prices. The spread out seating arrangement did not work as the small group got further divided into little cliques and conversation topics were limited to the cliques’ common knowledge.
Overall, it was a pleasant evening, but certainly not a successful Wine and Cheese Party. What makes a good W&CP? Here goes ...
1. The ambiance: The mood of the W&CP is set by the ambiance. If it’s going to be a fun rambunctious evening, there has to be tasteful balloons with some games. If it is a ladies night, floral arrangements are a great way to set the mood for self-pampering. If it is a slightly more formal get-together with colleagues, a dining table is a must. A casual mixed gender get-together can be a mix, match and extension of all of the above. Colour of furniture and decoratives are important, darker tones with dim lights create an intimate setting, while lighter tones and brighter lighting can be used for formal W&CPs.
2. The arrangement: There is only 1 rule, everyone should be seated in a way where they can see everyone’s faces and converse across the dividing space without too much disturbance.
3. Energy of the host: You either know how to throw a party or you don’t. Even in the most casual setting, formal one-to-one introductions must be made. The “everyone meet so-and-so, so-and-so meet everyone” is the worst thing that a host can do ... The host must mingle, breakdown cliques, make sure everyone is well fed, and watch for signs of boredom.
4. The conversation: Usually, mature guest have a lot to say; if not, be prepared with a few interesting topics of conversation.
5. The music: Do not play what you like. Play music that sets the mood of your party. I would suggest upbeat jazz for a W&CP.
6. The menu: My favourite part. A robust wine and cheese party menu should have 3 distinct courses.
a. Hors D’oeuvres: Can’t start a party without the starters ... I would suggest humus with bread sticks or fresh veges, mushrooms, chicken/lamb/paneer satays, baby potatoes with herbs and dip etc ... And how can we forget canapés, no W&CP can start without them(http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Canape_Recipes)! (http://entertaining.about.com/od/horsdoeuvres1/Hors_Doeuvres_Appetizers.htm)
b. Main & Sides: the focus of the food part of the party is the cheese, so all the sides must complement the selection. Variety of fruits should be available, individually arranged; fruits such as grapes are a great complement to cheese. Bagel-brie-grape is a fabulous combo. For the seafood junkies, there is nothing like the French bread-smoked salmon-Philadelphia combo. An array of processed meats makes a great side to cheese and wine. Crackers are a must. Mushrooms, baby corn, potatoes, all infused with different herbs ... ooooo, my mouth is watering! Now, the next big question - Which cheese goes with which Wine: here’s the list!
Baby Swiss - Asti Spumanti
Baby Swiss - Tawny Port, Madeira, Sherry
Boursin - Gewurztraminer
Brie (Vintage) - Champagne, Sweet Sherry
Brie (U.S.) - Cabernet, Beaujolais
Camambert - Cabernet, Chenin Blanc
Caraway - Gewurztraminer
Cheddar Mild - Champagne, Chardonnay
Cheddar Strong - Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc
Chevre - Gewurztraminer, Champagne
Colby - Riesling, Champagne
Cream Cheese - White Zinfandel
Danish Blue - Cabernet
Edam - Riesling, Dry Champagne
Feta - Beaujolais
Goat Cheese - Vouvrais
Gorgonzola - Sauternes - Bordeaux
Gouda - Riesling, Champagne
Gruyere - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Havarti - Bordeaux
Monterey Jack - Riesling
Munster - Beaujolais, Zinfandel
Provolone - Chardonnay
Roquefort - Tawny Port
Stilton - Port
Swiss - Gewurztraminer
c. Dessert: Can’t end a party without dessert; people won’t know when to leave ... :D ! My suggestions, chocolate mousse/black forest/chocolate truffle, selection of chocolate, ice creams, fruit, Danish pudding (ooooooooo, I love that) :D ...
Now I really have to have a W&CP !! June can’t come fast enough!! Woohooo !!
This particular W&CP was at a friend’s house, who, apparently has these dos quite often. The first thing I noticed when I entered the party space was that everyone was spread quite far apart. There weren’t that many people, 12-13!
W&CPs are all about the people. It is not the wine and the cheese that makes the party, it is the ambiance, the conversation, the music, the arrangement and the energy of the host ...
The party started when I got there; I became the jester and the joker. The menu was limited to cheddar, brie, blue, crackers, olives, pears, french bread, garlic bread and a few packaged snacks. I can’t blame the poor host for the wine as Chennai is not alcohol friendly and it is ridiculously difficult to find good wine at reasonable prices. The spread out seating arrangement did not work as the small group got further divided into little cliques and conversation topics were limited to the cliques’ common knowledge.
Overall, it was a pleasant evening, but certainly not a successful Wine and Cheese Party. What makes a good W&CP? Here goes ...
1. The ambiance: The mood of the W&CP is set by the ambiance. If it’s going to be a fun rambunctious evening, there has to be tasteful balloons with some games. If it is a ladies night, floral arrangements are a great way to set the mood for self-pampering. If it is a slightly more formal get-together with colleagues, a dining table is a must. A casual mixed gender get-together can be a mix, match and extension of all of the above. Colour of furniture and decoratives are important, darker tones with dim lights create an intimate setting, while lighter tones and brighter lighting can be used for formal W&CPs.
2. The arrangement: There is only 1 rule, everyone should be seated in a way where they can see everyone’s faces and converse across the dividing space without too much disturbance.
3. Energy of the host: You either know how to throw a party or you don’t. Even in the most casual setting, formal one-to-one introductions must be made. The “everyone meet so-and-so, so-and-so meet everyone” is the worst thing that a host can do ... The host must mingle, breakdown cliques, make sure everyone is well fed, and watch for signs of boredom.
4. The conversation: Usually, mature guest have a lot to say; if not, be prepared with a few interesting topics of conversation.
5. The music: Do not play what you like. Play music that sets the mood of your party. I would suggest upbeat jazz for a W&CP.
6. The menu: My favourite part. A robust wine and cheese party menu should have 3 distinct courses.
a. Hors D’oeuvres: Can’t start a party without the starters ... I would suggest humus with bread sticks or fresh veges, mushrooms, chicken/lamb/paneer satays, baby potatoes with herbs and dip etc ... And how can we forget canapés, no W&CP can start without them(http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Canape_Recipes)! (http://entertaining.about.com/od/horsdoeuvres1/Hors_Doeuvres_Appetizers.htm)
b. Main & Sides: the focus of the food part of the party is the cheese, so all the sides must complement the selection. Variety of fruits should be available, individually arranged; fruits such as grapes are a great complement to cheese. Bagel-brie-grape is a fabulous combo. For the seafood junkies, there is nothing like the French bread-smoked salmon-Philadelphia combo. An array of processed meats makes a great side to cheese and wine. Crackers are a must. Mushrooms, baby corn, potatoes, all infused with different herbs ... ooooo, my mouth is watering! Now, the next big question - Which cheese goes with which Wine: here’s the list!
Baby Swiss - Asti Spumanti
Baby Swiss - Tawny Port, Madeira, Sherry
Boursin - Gewurztraminer
Brie (Vintage) - Champagne, Sweet Sherry
Brie (U.S.) - Cabernet, Beaujolais
Camambert - Cabernet, Chenin Blanc
Caraway - Gewurztraminer
Cheddar Mild - Champagne, Chardonnay
Cheddar Strong - Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc
Chevre - Gewurztraminer, Champagne
Colby - Riesling, Champagne
Cream Cheese - White Zinfandel
Danish Blue - Cabernet
Edam - Riesling, Dry Champagne
Feta - Beaujolais
Goat Cheese - Vouvrais
Gorgonzola - Sauternes - Bordeaux
Gouda - Riesling, Champagne
Gruyere - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Havarti - Bordeaux
Monterey Jack - Riesling
Munster - Beaujolais, Zinfandel
Provolone - Chardonnay
Roquefort - Tawny Port
Stilton - Port
Swiss - Gewurztraminer
c. Dessert: Can’t end a party without dessert; people won’t know when to leave ... :D ! My suggestions, chocolate mousse/black forest/chocolate truffle, selection of chocolate, ice creams, fruit, Danish pudding (ooooooooo, I love that) :D ...
Now I really have to have a W&CP !! June can’t come fast enough!! Woohooo !!
Zara Tapas Bar
My friends have been drilling me to come out to Zara for the last 2 years and I never really bothered to. Bars hold very little attraction for me as I am neither the type to studiously nurse a drink nor am I the resident fish. However, this particular day was different, Bambam needed to chill, I am always happy to be with my bro, it was already 10:30pm and earlier that day B-boy had enticed me by mentioning that Zara was a Tapas bar!
If anyone knows how to mix the right drink with the right food, it’s the Mediterraneans. Spain, Portugal and Italy have rampantly influenced global tastes; with a colourful colonial and adventurous history, they have amalgamated the best of cuisines from across the world. One of my favourite elements of Mediterranean cuisine is the Tapas, a Spanish tradition of social drinking which includes a fabulous variety of appetizers. Here, the word appetizer would be obsolete, as the Tapas spread is a complete meal in itself.
Strategically, there are two locations for Zara, one at Cathedral Road which closes at 11:00pm and the other at the Airport which, pretty much, greets the dawn. So, off we went, setting off from my office in T. Nagar at 11:00PM to the Airport Zara … The drive was brilliant, the roads empty, until we hit the airport!
When we walked into Zara at 11:30ish, the place was nearly empty, the décor dark, the lights dim, typical mid-scale bar ‘without’ an obvious bar. I must say the leatherite seats were very difficult to get into and get out of!!
Bambi seemed to know the manager so we did some ‘ha ha hi hi’ and settled in to choose our drinks. Since I was more interested in the food, I looked around for the food menu until Bambi pointed it out right in front of me on the place mats.
Now thaaaaat is a huuuuge ‘No No’ !! There is one thing I absolutely detest, moving around my cutlery so I can order my damn food!
Once I got past my annoyance, I glanced through the menu and found it quite interesting. The menu had Spanish names for the dishes with good ‘easy to understand’ elucidations. B-boy had mentioned the Calamari (though, how a hardcore vegetarian knows good calamari, is an absolute mystery!). So we settled on Spinach Coquettes, Cheese pops and Calamari. I would have loved to try the other items, however, that will have to wait till I plan a big Zara party with lots of people so I can eat off all their plates! :D
Being a new born in the vege world, I wanted to avoid the meat, but had to taste the calamari. So I popped one of the small channa sized rings into my mouth and chewed with guilt overflowing. It was cooked just right, but was slightly over seasoned with salt. My only real complaint would be the size of the rings. Real calamari is almost as large as an onion ring and there is something sinfully delicious about a mouth full of fried squid!
The best part of the meal was the Spinach croquettes. Absolutely scrumptious!
Overall, it was a great evening spent with my bro, talking about life, love, business, and friendship … Life is good!
Zara Tapas Bar
First Floor # 74, Cathedral Road
Chennai - 600086.
Tel: +91 (44) 2811-1462
Zara Tapas Bar
Anna International Airport (Departure)
Above The Food Court, Meenambakkam
Chennai - 600 027
Tel: +91 (44) 2256-0779
Some interesting tidbits on Tapas:
The word tapas is derived from the verb tapar, which means "to cover". Apparently, the original tapas were slices of bread or meat used to cover sherry glasses to keep away flies from the sweet alcohol in Andalusian taverns. This evolved when bartenders started creating thirst inducing snacks to serve with sherry to increase alcohol sales. Pretty cool, Medieval Business Management 101 !!
If anyone knows how to mix the right drink with the right food, it’s the Mediterraneans. Spain, Portugal and Italy have rampantly influenced global tastes; with a colourful colonial and adventurous history, they have amalgamated the best of cuisines from across the world. One of my favourite elements of Mediterranean cuisine is the Tapas, a Spanish tradition of social drinking which includes a fabulous variety of appetizers. Here, the word appetizer would be obsolete, as the Tapas spread is a complete meal in itself.
Strategically, there are two locations for Zara, one at Cathedral Road which closes at 11:00pm and the other at the Airport which, pretty much, greets the dawn. So, off we went, setting off from my office in T. Nagar at 11:00PM to the Airport Zara … The drive was brilliant, the roads empty, until we hit the airport!
When we walked into Zara at 11:30ish, the place was nearly empty, the décor dark, the lights dim, typical mid-scale bar ‘without’ an obvious bar. I must say the leatherite seats were very difficult to get into and get out of!!
Bambi seemed to know the manager so we did some ‘ha ha hi hi’ and settled in to choose our drinks. Since I was more interested in the food, I looked around for the food menu until Bambi pointed it out right in front of me on the place mats.
Now thaaaaat is a huuuuge ‘No No’ !! There is one thing I absolutely detest, moving around my cutlery so I can order my damn food!
Once I got past my annoyance, I glanced through the menu and found it quite interesting. The menu had Spanish names for the dishes with good ‘easy to understand’ elucidations. B-boy had mentioned the Calamari (though, how a hardcore vegetarian knows good calamari, is an absolute mystery!). So we settled on Spinach Coquettes, Cheese pops and Calamari. I would have loved to try the other items, however, that will have to wait till I plan a big Zara party with lots of people so I can eat off all their plates! :D
Being a new born in the vege world, I wanted to avoid the meat, but had to taste the calamari. So I popped one of the small channa sized rings into my mouth and chewed with guilt overflowing. It was cooked just right, but was slightly over seasoned with salt. My only real complaint would be the size of the rings. Real calamari is almost as large as an onion ring and there is something sinfully delicious about a mouth full of fried squid!
The best part of the meal was the Spinach croquettes. Absolutely scrumptious!
Overall, it was a great evening spent with my bro, talking about life, love, business, and friendship … Life is good!
Zara Tapas Bar
First Floor # 74, Cathedral Road
Chennai - 600086.
Tel: +91 (44) 2811-1462
Zara Tapas Bar
Anna International Airport (Departure)
Above The Food Court, Meenambakkam
Chennai - 600 027
Tel: +91 (44) 2256-0779
Some interesting tidbits on Tapas:
The word tapas is derived from the verb tapar, which means "to cover". Apparently, the original tapas were slices of bread or meat used to cover sherry glasses to keep away flies from the sweet alcohol in Andalusian taverns. This evolved when bartenders started creating thirst inducing snacks to serve with sherry to increase alcohol sales. Pretty cool, Medieval Business Management 101 !!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Biryani Tasting Party - Chennai Food Guide
Since my last post, I have been to countless joints in and around Chennai; just haven’t had the time to blog about all of them. I will get to them at some point in time.
One of the best experiences I have had so far in Chennai has been at the house of Sam Paul, a well-known business man and foody in Chennai. He and his wife, Babitha, are two of the warmest, most hospitable people I have met.
We bumped into Sam at 2:00AM at the Taj Mount Road on Easter Sunday. Bananna introduced me to them, and about 5 minutes into the conversation, I fell in love with them. At the end of the chit-chat, Sam invited us to a Chennai Food Guide Members get-together at his house where Babitha was organizing a ‘Biryani Tasting’ party! I was super excited, especially when Sam mentioned his two Great Danes!
So, after church on Sunday, Bananna, Bambi, B-boy and I got together and off we went to Sam and Babitha’s house.
Babitha greeted us at the door, we said hi to Sam, and we strategically moved towards the food!! I was surprised at the number of people and at the fact that most of them seemed to be our age group (I am so proud of my generation!).
The spread was torturously mouth watering and I was dying at the sight of the scrumptious crab !! Most people who know me would be stunned at this revelation; I turned vegetarian about a month and a half ago. Seriously, I can’t imagine how vegetarians enjoy Biryani!
Luckily for me, B-boy is a hardcore vege and his plight is always amusing, which takes my mind off my drastic decision!! :D
As I edged towards the vege counter, Sam caught sight of us; the next few minutes were wonderfully comical!! While I looked on in horror tinged with longing, Sam piled my plate with all the deliciously meaty Biryanis and crab that could fit on it. He also gave me a look that said, “you better eat everything on this plate”. He handed the plate back to me and trotted off to socialise.
I must admit, I was such a good girl; I separated all the meat from the rice and slipped the meat onto Bambi’s plate! The crab had to crawl into Bananna’s!
Even without the meat, the food was gorgeous!! I didn’t get a chance to taste the vege items, must ask B-boy more details. Babitha’s arrangements were wonderful; perhaps the secret ingredient was the warmth that was extended by all the people we met. It was so easy to walk up to people, introduce myself, chitchat, and set coffee-dates!
Seriously, foodies rock! We know how to live life!! Infact, every foodie I have met in my life are so open, warm and happy! Love it!
My day was made when Sam brought out his Giant Great Danes, Scooby and Scrappy. Even though my shirt got totally slobbered, I was hanging all over Scooby!! Next time, have to take them for a walk and burn off all that gorgeous food! :D
One of the best experiences I have had so far in Chennai has been at the house of Sam Paul, a well-known business man and foody in Chennai. He and his wife, Babitha, are two of the warmest, most hospitable people I have met.
We bumped into Sam at 2:00AM at the Taj Mount Road on Easter Sunday. Bananna introduced me to them, and about 5 minutes into the conversation, I fell in love with them. At the end of the chit-chat, Sam invited us to a Chennai Food Guide Members get-together at his house where Babitha was organizing a ‘Biryani Tasting’ party! I was super excited, especially when Sam mentioned his two Great Danes!
So, after church on Sunday, Bananna, Bambi, B-boy and I got together and off we went to Sam and Babitha’s house.
Babitha greeted us at the door, we said hi to Sam, and we strategically moved towards the food!! I was surprised at the number of people and at the fact that most of them seemed to be our age group (I am so proud of my generation!).
The spread was torturously mouth watering and I was dying at the sight of the scrumptious crab !! Most people who know me would be stunned at this revelation; I turned vegetarian about a month and a half ago. Seriously, I can’t imagine how vegetarians enjoy Biryani!
Luckily for me, B-boy is a hardcore vege and his plight is always amusing, which takes my mind off my drastic decision!! :D
As I edged towards the vege counter, Sam caught sight of us; the next few minutes were wonderfully comical!! While I looked on in horror tinged with longing, Sam piled my plate with all the deliciously meaty Biryanis and crab that could fit on it. He also gave me a look that said, “you better eat everything on this plate”. He handed the plate back to me and trotted off to socialise.
I must admit, I was such a good girl; I separated all the meat from the rice and slipped the meat onto Bambi’s plate! The crab had to crawl into Bananna’s!
Even without the meat, the food was gorgeous!! I didn’t get a chance to taste the vege items, must ask B-boy more details. Babitha’s arrangements were wonderful; perhaps the secret ingredient was the warmth that was extended by all the people we met. It was so easy to walk up to people, introduce myself, chitchat, and set coffee-dates!
Seriously, foodies rock! We know how to live life!! Infact, every foodie I have met in my life are so open, warm and happy! Love it!
My day was made when Sam brought out his Giant Great Danes, Scooby and Scrappy. Even though my shirt got totally slobbered, I was hanging all over Scooby!! Next time, have to take them for a walk and burn off all that gorgeous food! :D
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