The Art of Substitution and Manipulation

A couple posts ago – Summer, Oh Summer... Where Art Thou? I touched on establishing flavour profiles for individual ingredients. This is important to keep in mind because often ingredients can be replaced and substituted with things you have on hand.

Make sure you have a good look in your fridge and pantry before heading out to the store find exact matches for ingredients listed in a recipe.

For example, if you don’t have honey in the cupboard, but have an orange marmalade or an apricot preserve, simply use that instead. The sweet, stickiness of the jam will do the trick just as well as honey, and in fact lend further flavour dimensions with the fruit extract adding zing.

The key is to understand the function of individual ingredients in a recipe. Why has the ingredient been included? Is it purely on the basis of flavour, consistency, texture or the ability to change the other ingredients (like a binding agent, a rising agent, a lightening agent etc)?

The functions of an ingredient may range far beyond the list cited above, and it is important to think about the ingredient as it gives you a better understanding beyond that particular dish, but then on whatever you cook using that ingredient you have an idea of the characteristics of that ingredient and how it behaves and responds.

Honey, like Jam or Marmalade contains sugar – i.e. glucose and fructose. Sugar in any form has a caramelising property when it comes into contact with a heat source. The characteristic flavour of caramel is smoky, sweet goodness. Vegetables like onions and carrots that contain natural sugars caramelise upon cooking, given the right amount of heat and time to do so. In a marinade, caramelising agents are used so that once they coat the meat they will infuse the meat with the flavour that is associated with barbecuing – smoky, sweetness – a taste that the world has come to love!

In other instances, substituting an ingredient with another can be done purposefully to alter or change the recipe to yield a certain flavour, texture, colour or appearance that one may prefer or require for a particular reason. Again, an understanding of both the original ingredient as opposed to the substituted ingredient is vital for the success of the final dish.

For example using ready-made short crust pastry sheets instead of home-made pie dough will make no difference in the end result because they are basically one and the same. However, substituting short crust for puff pastry in a recipe must be done carefully as both have different qualities and are thus used uniquely to each other.

Summer, Oh Summer... Where Art Thou?

Seasons and weather dictate the availability of produce in the market and obviously this affects the way we cook, the recipes we turn to and the methods of cooking we employ.

It seems like lately, the city can’t make up her mind about what season she wants to be. Last weekend stood a true blue testament to February in Victoria – 40 degree day – perfect beach weather. By the time mid-week approached, unceremonious gales were blowing hard, rustling up the trees, pulling down the leaves and whistling in the wind. By Friday a swell had developed with thunderstorms and rain plaguing the city relentlessly. Then the weekend rolled in and the newspapers were splashed with headlines declaring flash-flooding across the city!

With the unpredictable state of Melbourne’s summer at the moment it makes judging what’s to be served for dinner, a rather tough ask! I have been juggling dishes in the past weeks, serving up a hearty Beef Goulash with Potato Mash one day, then a light Prawn and Bacon Fettuccine with Lemon and Feta the next, going from Winter to Summer, and back and forth – all in the span of one week!

Winter months see us toiling away, utilising the oven a whole lot – allowing the heat to permeate the kitchen and warm up the house while roasts crisp up, stews and casseroles bubble, and rich, creamy sauces simmer.

Contrastingly, light, tide-me-over meals of summer are designed simply to satisfy and stave away hunger and do-away with endless hours spent in a hot, sticky kitchen! It is usually the time of year people are keen to go-green – embrace vegetarianism, pack away the roasting pans and the Dutch-ovens, replacing them with brand new gas bottles for the barbecue and serve up an array of foods that can be served cold and prepared with minimalistic use of the stove top and oven.

Everyone eagerly awaits the arrival of summer, especially after the long, cold months of dreary winter – so when it heats up most folks transport their ingredients and dinnerware outdoors to bask the sun and enjoy the warmth.

While Melbourne’s summer this year has far-from-lived up to its expectations, here are some handy-hints to help you along your way, should summer come-a-calling!

Dips, Cheese, Cold Cuts, Deli Meats, Crackers, Flat Bread and Anti-Pasto usually feature heavily as snacky-foods that can instantaneously be turned into wraps, sandwiches or baguettes and easily toasted or served fresh.

Salads and stir-fry’s are another common feature of summer menus as the incorporate the fresh green leafy vegetables that have sprung into season. Choose from a variety of lettuces, aromatic herbs, crunchy carrots, juicy cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, pearly ears of corn and buttery avocadoes.

All you need then is a zesty dressing to bring it all together and whammo, you have a stunning, simple-to-make summer meal. As for dressings, I avoid the bottled stuff available at supermarkets, as they usually negate the positive points of eating salad since they tend to be full of sugar, preservatives and chemicals that do your body absolutely no good. Oh, and of course they don’t live up to their advertised expectations either!

Homemade dressings are as simple as mixing a few of your favourite flavours together and experimenting. Favourite concoctions I like to whip up include Red-Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Dried Italian Herbs, Salt and Pepper), Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Olive Oil, Balsamic Dressing and Mayonnaise) and Honey-Mustard Dressing (Honey, Seeded Mustard, Olive Oil, White Vinegar and Dried Italian Herbs).

The good thing about these dressings are apart from the Creamy Balsamic, is that all the others can be made in large batches and stored in squeeze-bottles to be used over a period of time since the ingredients are shelf-stable and do not require any refrigeration.

Please note, because the Creamy Balsamic contains mayonnaise and therefore requires can be stored for up to a week, refrigerated.

All this talk of summer and no mention of a barbecue! Seems ludicrous eh? There is no way that living Down Under one can ever possibly forget the all integral barbecue that is essential to any Aussie summer experience!

The Australians are masters of the grill. You name it and they will find a way of chucking it on the barbecue, and infusing the characteristic smoky, charcoal flavour. It doesn’t take much to get you hooked!

In my three years in Australia I have seen everything from eggs being cooked on the Barbie to stuffed eggplants! Possibly the greatest thing about barbecuing is that it requires very little prep-work and barely any cleaning up after. All you need to have a few basic ingredients handy. It is best to keep your pantry stocked for summer with the following, since most of these will last you well through summer and beyond. Ketchup (or Tomato Sauce), BBQ Sauce, Honey, Mustard of your choice, Mixed Dried Herbs, Paprika, Packaged Lemon Juice, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper.

With these few ingredients, you can create magical marinades that will have you jumping up and down with excitement, along with family and friends. Marinades are easy to make, simply use ingredients keeping in mind their individual flavour profiles. Take French mustard – it tends to typically have a sharp, poignant edge with a creamy texture, so it is best balanced by Honey – a rich, sweet, glossy ingredient that will contrast and thus marry well. To finish the marinade and give it complexity, a herb like Rosemary, that is hardy and buxom (able to stand up to the heady flavours of Mustard and Honey) is perfect.

Summer brings us bountiful, succulent fruits and these are obviously delicious eaten as-is, but also lend themselves to a variety of dishes. Fruit in summer is best used to spice up salads as well as marinades for meats that go straight onto the Barbie without too much fussing.

A couple of winning salads use fruit. Why not try sliced/ chopped apples as you would in a Waldorf Salad, or segmented orange with sliced fennel and rocket doused in olive oil and red-wine vinegar.

Another of my favourite summer salads incorporates watermelon which is just brilliant – cooling you down almost immediately. Almost 90 per cent of a watermelon is comprised of – you guessed it – water! So it is immediately refreshing. Pair cubes of watermelon with chiffonade of mint, a hint of lemon juice and crumbled feta and you are in for a real treat – it’s great on its own as well as with steak.

Stone fruit that is amply available around summertime like Nectarines, Peaches, Plums and Apricots are simply gorgeous when used in salsas, pesto, chimmi-churri and even in chunky salad dressing since it adds a wonderful natural sweetness and a kiss of summer to these accompaniments that are best served with grilled meats.

When cooking/ marinating meat for the barbecue stone fruit can be incorporate too, great for adding moisture and flavour to the meat. Try adding chunks of stone fruit in between skewers or kebabs as a zesty alternative to capsicum/ onion or why not stuff a loin of pork with de-seeded stone fruit along with herbs for a sensational roast.

Golden Ticket

“Home”, synonymous with family, nurture, care and love manifests itself in three forms – shelter, security and sustenance. As we progress from toddlers to teenagers there is a paradoxical shift of the same, and necessities over time become comforts and luxuries to be cherished.

While in the West flying the coop by the time one is in their early twenties if not earlier is the norm, Indians similar to Southern Europeans tend to continue to live at home, lapping up home cooked meals and enjoying being cleaned after and cared for.

Eventually however, everyone moves out, at least one hopes and aspires to (I can’t imagine anyone wanting to be the 40 year old virgin). And it is from this day that you embark on being an independent individual that you have automatically earned yourself a shiny, wonderful golden ticket.

I tend to use these golden tickets sparingly and save them for just the right time. For years now it has consistently been between November and December when Christmas is in the air and the festivities are eagerly being ushered in. There is already a jovial, happiness ringing through the air that is almost contagious, giving and caring is only quadrupled when you whip out a golden ticket.

If by now you haven’t figured out what the hell a golden ticket is – it is simply the pampering, oohing and aaahing that parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles shower down on you when you make your way back “home”. The grandeur of the visit of course is exacerbated by the distance from which you live from your family, as well as the frequency of your trips back home.

A boarder at the age of thirteen, the golden ticket is a thing I am very familiar with. Every visit back home since then, be it after my one year gap year in Denmark and my annual visits every year of Masters programme in Australia has meant coming home to a dinner of Fried Fish, Kerala Fry, White Rice, Kachimoore, Avial, Papad and White Curds, followed by my favourite Indian sweet – Gulab Jamun from Bhagatrams. A snooze in my childhood bed, that is periodically updated and it’s a matter of hours before I wake to my favourite breakfast of Appams and Chicken Stew.

This time however, it seems as if my golden ticket lost its sheen. I was offered leftover hot dogs instead of my usual welcome that I was looking forward to with baited breath. No special meal and moreover HOT DOGS! In the end we settled on going out for dinner to a new Kerala restaurant that offered the dishes of my childhood – I have nothing against the restaurant but could not fully enjoy it since its simply something best enjoyed at home the way I like it lovingly prepared.

Eat to Live ... or Live to Eat ?

Most people eat to live. And then there are some that live to eat, I am one of the latter, and am sure this comes of no surprise! To eat without balance, and by this I mean exercising judgment and one’s body is vital for a happy and healthy life. Hey, I’m no doctor, but it’s a simple prescription everyone knows, but not everyone likes to follow. Of late I have noticed the weight piling on, the angst of discontent with my current body shape and more so my fitness levels.

To be honest, I can’t go further without divulging all the information, or things simply will not make sense. Up until April of this year, six days a week, two hours each day, for the last seven years of my life have been spent dedicated to strenuous cardio, weights and abdominal workouts to ensure my body was in tip-top shape. And to this I must add that I was happy with what I saw in the mirror.

Over the last eight months working in kitchens, standing all day and exerting what seemed to be a hell of a lot of energy every day I neglected the gym and all/ any forms of exercise, yet eating the same enormously, extravagant meals I have always consumed. I just thought the kitchen was giving me a workout turns out cardiovascular motion cannot be replaced with working on the spot, damn!

While I have never been one for diets, my motto – eat extra tonight, run an extra mile the next day, I knew my time was ticking and it was only a matter of months before my rump became juicy enough to roast! Awful analogy I know, but I simply could not resist that one!

Anyways, coming back to me, my weight and enormous appetite has obviously got the better of me and with two Indian weddings within the next two months and my return to India – the land of slim, slender, sexy ladies the heat was and is most definitely on! And oops, I forget to mention New Years in Sri Lanka, with the requisite of slipping into a bikini duh!

About two weeks ago I decided it was time to turn things around. And so I took my first jog in months and boy was it a hit to my ego and my body, because not only was I left huffing and puffing like a penguin, but I was aching and sore the next few days. Getting in shape and gaining back that stamina was hard. What was undoubtedly harder however was trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.

While Melbourne was “supposed” to be warming up with spring midway and summer around the corner the weather was most definitely still wintery with chilly, cold nights and rainstorms deserving of Goulash and Mashed Potatoes, Massaman Curry with Fragrant Rice, or any other hearty carb-heavy fare, guaranteed to warm one up instantaneously. As you can see the odds were piling up against me, it was like I was fighting a losing battle.

Finally after much thinking, trials and tribulations I decided that instead of going from dishes like rich risottos cooked in chicken stock, with olive oil, lashings of butter and drowned in Parmesan cheese to bowls of fresh salad with the highlight being vinaigrette dressing, starving an hour later and finally succumbing to a disastrous midnight snack, that it was better to go half the hog and start with modest changes like taking away excessive amounts of dairy and carbohydrate from our diets, making our food delicious, filling and healthy, rather than being overly ambitious.

In all honesty I think this is the key, both me and my partner (who was initially shocked about my sudden change in dinner plans) felt happy and healthier and honestly I have lost inches, my clothes fit better and I have been at the receiving end of a fair few compliments.

If you are wondering what was on the winning healthy menu, here are a few of the meals I prepared the last couple week:

- - - Hokkien Stir Fry Noodles with Red Peppers, Carrots, Scallions and Beef Strips in a Sweet-Soy Asian Style Sauce

-- -- Beef Mince Tacos with heaps of shredded Lettuce, fresh Tomatoes, Salsa and Homemade Guacamole

- - - Grilled Chicken with Salad (and I had half a chicken left over which I used to make Chicken wraps and served with a leafy salad the next day)

- - - Steamed Cous Cous with diced Red Onion, Parsley and Tomatoes tossed in Lemon Juice and Olive Oil served with Lamb Chops

- - - Pan Fried Basa Fillets in a Lemon, White Wine Sauce with Parsley, Steamed Broccoli, on a bed of steamed white rice (used 1 tbp olive oil for 4 fillets)

- Seared Salmon Fillets with Asparagus and Carrots

Home is Where The Heart Is

I’m back! Am officially on holiday and am aiming to resurrect my food blog with the former enthusiasm, passion and dedication prior to my stint working in Melbourne as a full time chef.

So here goes my attempt to redeem myself with a catch up... Cheers!

Crossing the Java Strait as I fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Melbourne, where I began my journey this morning, my tummy is tight with knots, cramping like it always does when I am anxious. The aches in my stomach are no doubt the result of my recent incessant pondering over the notion of “home”, a matter that has been plaguing me since dinner last night.

On our way to our loved relaxed resto-bar Bimbo’s in Fitzroy, I could not help but want to take in all of Melbourne’s surrounds for the last time in 2010. I am not afraid to admit that whilst I have shared a love-hate relationship with the city of Melbourne over the span of this year, I could not help but feel a pang of sadness for a city that has definitely grown on me.

Days melded effortlessly into weeks and months with my time spent cooped up hours on end in the confines of Italian kitchens cooking up countless pastas and risottos, yet an undeniable connection with the city has triumphed over time. Melbourne despite its weary transport system and at times nonchalant people have snuck under my skin and won me over, especially because of the work-hard, play-hard ethos. And, I would be a fool to pretend for even one second that the city’s teeming restaurants, vibrant food markets that spoil one for choice, along with the continuous spirit of celebration that looms in the air has played no part whatsoever.

The question of who the reference to “our” refers to above may have arisen. Since April of this year I have become accessory to an Australian man of Irish-Maltese parentage, and he has completely and utterly captured my heart. Ok, I can assure you there will be no gushing and mushiness; I am simply bringing matters up to date as it is no secret that I have been MIA for some time now.

While we scoffed down $ 4 ultra thin wood-fire oven baked pizzas topped with oh so delicate flavours of smoked-salmon, spinach and mascarpone contrasted by a more robust choice of lamb, feta and rocket leaves, washed down with a local Cab-Shiraz, I think both Danny and I silently gave thanks for the time we have enjoyed together over the last six and a half months despite my work weeks averaging 50 hours! Beyond the belief that we are soul mates, we have become best friends and loyal partners, confidants and gastro-aficionados. We have managed to build a bond that feels airtight, bolstered by the resounding success of our once-upon-a-time spontaneous plan of moving in together and now added to us being us, we have a home to show for it, together.

Having had an abundance of intimate moments – just the two of us, I only assume it must be natural for me to feel slightly frazzled at the prospect of going back “home”. “Home” to the first and only notion previous to Melbourne of being “home” – that is Bangalore, India tomorrow afternoon.

Tonight I break my journey with an overnight stay in Kuala Lumpur, enjoying time with me, myself and I – symbolic of the interim period between my “new” life with Danny in our Melbourne home and that which separates me from my family and childhood rooted sense of home back in Bangalore.

My trip home has four main reasons. Number one and two are big, fat, Indian weddings, one within my extended family and the other my dearest, best friend Swetha – the first of my girls to get hitched. Of course, Christmas celebrations with my family, for which Danny will join me in mid December rates number three. And last, but not least, time for reflection, to figure out what 2011 holds for me career wise? I have been toying with the thought of going back to writing full time, or perhaps delving into events management, menu planning, or some kind of role involving travel and food, but basically putting cooking on the back burner for a bit and using my Gastronomy Masters and my Chef Certification in conjunction, somehow to get back to some of my original goals I had in mind when I first embarked on my journey Down Under.

Apart from spending time in Bangalore the next two months hold exciting travels too, with trips to Hong Kong end of this month and to Sri Lanka to usher in the New Year.

My Move to Melbourne

I can count the times in my life where I’ve been scared shitless, worried, anxious and or bothered things wouldn’t go my way. Those moments have luckily been few and far between and I account for them on a single hand.

It hard to imagine that this is the year I turn twenty-five, yes the big 2-5! It feels like my life has just whirl winded past me sometimes when I say that number aloud. I have loved my life so far, there are times I feel I have seen so much, yet ironically only moments later I realise there is so much to left to see and do. It is only natural living in a world as wide and wondrous as we do, is it not?

As I contemplate what to wear, my cupboard becomes messy and the ground strewn with clothing. Ultimately I become besotted with making a perfect first impression. Five ensembles later, I peer into the mirror and can barely recognise the woman staring back at me. That face – that girl is the same fearless girl that darted to Denmark from Bangalore at age 17 chasing a passion to travel, see the world and live life on her own terms. Yes, I am the same girl that decided to hone her inborn skills and study Journalism and make a career of writing while everyone else seemed to be choosing more lucrative streams – medicine, law or business.

Ah, yes I am that girl, the same girl that came all the way to Adelaide to turn a mere interest in food and cooking into a life-long love affair. But the funny part is travelling, studying, getting out into the world and doing what I loved most was the easy part. The daunting part has been re-entering the world of restaurants and food that I have always loved so much and regarded as a comfort zone.

Now is the time to leave behind the privileged paying customer status with the means to order whatever I fancy, and with this means saying goodbye to the swooning waiters and the charming polite conversation.

It’s funny because I always thought I was different to other Indians – never conscious of caste, creed and social standing. Recently I have realised upon warming up to the idea of gaining restaurant experience both back of house as a cook and front house as a waitress that the service industry is culturally conceived as demeaning from an Indian perspective and its ill effects have obviously sewn their seed in me a long, long time ago.

Armed with copious copies of my resume, I put my black knee-high boot clad foot forward, and marched into the city with a trendy ensemble to match. What says classy-chic better than pinstripes? I opted for a loosely fitted black and white dress shirt with girly ruffled collar paired with sleek, sheer tights set off with a string of pearls around my neck and matching studs. I thought it was efficient, sexy and alluring all at once – well it made me feel confident at least, and that’s half the battle won!

I was accepted graciously at every establishment, but I soon got the feeling I was more appreciated and better welcomed as a guest rather than a woman scouting for a job, trying to sell herself and her lack of experience, come what may.

In all honesty looking for a job can be demoralising, crushing and upsetting. Maybe I am going a little overboard here, but how the hell does anyone expect me to have relevant experience if no one will give me a go?!

So, you’re probably reading this, wondering what the hell is going on. Well, let me bring you up to speed. My time in Adelaide has finally come to an end. Le Cordon Bleu’s Masters of Gastronomy is what brought me to the capital of the South Australian state, and after completion I decided to stay on and do Certificate III in Hospitality - Commercial Cooking at Regency Park. Two and a half years down the line and I was eager and raring for a bigger city with more opportunities, brighter lights, livelier streets, faster pace of life and more than anything else to a place that is home to a multitude of increased eating options! And so without much of a thought it was off to Melbourne for Meagan.

It took me a couple days to sort out my stuff, tie up loose ends, pack up my life into boxes – well truthfully – several large, heavy boxes and send them over by professional movers interstate and well get my butt to Victoria. I have been lucky enough to have oodles of extended family and friends living here in marvellous Melbourne so the shift was totally stress free. As for accommodation – I could not be luckier living in gorgeous hilly Heidelberg that offers spectacular views with my Uncle who has generously given me the spare room at his place to use. A twenty minute drive by car to the city and a forty minute train ride on the Hurtsbridge line, the efficient Melbourne Metro Transport System make my life so easy! The suburb is wonderfully located affording peace, quiet, tucked away from the cities hustle and bustle, yet it takes almost no time to shoot down into the throttle of it all. I am most thankful to be rid of dealing with Adelaide’s dysfunctional and archaic transport that leaves much to be desired.

I arrived in Melbourne the Sunday afternoon before Easter and decided to give myself a week of downtime, sleeping in till two and three p.m. everyday, eating take-out food, catching up with old friends, chowing down on some good grub, exploring bits and pieces of Heidelberg and the city, investigating the local transport system and drawing up a list of restaurants to hit up around the cities various busy restaurant and cafe precincts. I also called a number of prestigious, well established, iconic Melbourne restaurants enquiring about jobs, telling them about myself and even emailed out my resumes to them, with my plan being to follow this up the week after with personal walk-ins and resume handouts.

As Easter weekend was around the corner my plan was to wait till mid-week after Easter ensuring all the holiday fever would have blown over and then my plan was to attack ruthlessly, restaurant after restaurant and secure a job ASAP since my visa is valid only up to September 2 (coincidentally my birthday) and I was/ am eager to make the most of my time in Melbourne by working and gaining valuable industry experience.

Having proofed, tweaked and perfected my resume I printed out a stack of them and was ready to start making the rounds. On Tuesday I went down to Burgundy Street that is Heidelberg’s busiest hub with a number of cafes and restaurants located along its length sparing no establishment with more presence, my resume and my eagerness to work. On Wednesday I spruced up and decided to give the daunting Crown Casino with all its fancy-pancy restaurants a go (the account I begin with is of this experience). I must have given out at least 20 resume that evening. Thursday, although I wanted so much to burry my head in the sand and stop breathing, I trudged on, and hit up the Italian restaurant quarter of Melbourne: Lygon Street.

And the result was ironic. It was just the day before that I had almost given up looking, almost given up on a dream. I was hanging on the verge of it all. Walking down Lygon Street was a breathe of fresh air. It was invigorating to be enveloped in street culture that is so alive and eclectic as opposed to the walled in constraints of a multi-storeyed building no matter how grand its facade or furnishings may be. For me The Crown’s upmarket restaurants with all its ‘glory’ represents a world where I have formerly enjoyed being pampered and looked after. Stepping into that world the notion of being part of the service staff seemed beneath me – and I realise how pompous that sounds! Lygon teaming with its many Italian and Euro inspired restaurants, lively chatter and strapping men calling out to me immediately set me at ease. No, it’s not that I enjoy being propositioned in any way, but rather the festive, friendly atmosphere blends the lines of service staff and customers, made me feel welcomed instead of patronised. It’s funny – in 24 hours I feel elated suddenly – lighter and I have a reason to smile again. Why wouldn’t I when I managed to bag two trials for work as a cook in the kitchen of Italian restaurants?

As they say, good things come to those who wait. For now, I am employed at Copperwood – 318 Lygon Street – taking each day as it comes, loving all the learning and experience!