16 Nov 2012

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Friday november 16, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

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AWESOME ASIAN PASTA Whip up these simple dishes brimming with Asian flavours for a weekday treat

24 COVER PICTURE RECIPE

TOM YUM

BELACAN PASTA

PASTA (2 servings)

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160g spaghetti 3 tablespoons cooking oil 2 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced 120g prawns, peeled with tail intact and marinated with some sugar 120g squid, skinned and cut into slices 100g fish, deboned and cut into slices 2 heaped tablespoons tom yum paste 4-6 tablespoons lime juice 4-6 stalks bird-eye chillies, sliced thinly 1 tablespoon water 2-4 teaspoons sliced torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), for topping 1/2 cup mint leaves Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions, drain and set aside. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the lemon grass until it is fragrant. Add the seafood, tom yum paste, lime juice, bird-eye chillies, water and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Toss in the drained spaghetti to coat. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water to thin it down. Remove from heat, stir in the torch ginger flower and mint leaves. Serve immediately – Recipe by Debbie Teoh. Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio.

Taster Comments: This dish has an appealing sourish and spicy taste that makes it extremely moreish. I like adding more ginger flower and mint for a fresh taste.”

ALICIA LIM, Housewife

BELACAN PASTA (2 servings)

4 tablespoons oil 2 heaped tablespoons belacan (dried shrimp paste) 160g angel hair pasta 4-6 stalks bird-eye chillies, sliced thinly salt to taste 2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes, for garnish You can prepare the belacan powder for at least one week ahead of time, stored in an airtight container. In a non-stick pan, heat oil over low heat. Sauté the belacan till fragrant.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Using an electric blender, finely blend the toasted belacan until fine. You may double up the belacan amount for easier blending. Store any extra in an airtight container. Cook the angel hair pasta according to packet instructions. Drain the cooked pasta and toss it when hot with bird-eye chillies, dried chillies flakes and 2 to 4 teaspoons ground belacan. Add salt to taste if needed.

Be careful, as belacan is rather salty. If you find the angel hair a little dry, toss in 2-4 tablespoons olive oil. Serve immediately with extra chilli flakes on top, if wished. — Recipe by Debbie Teoh. Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio.

Taster Comments: This is great solution when I’ve nothing in my larder but you must like the pungent taste of belacan to enjoy this aromatic dish. For a substantial meal, I would add some cooked chicken with the pasta.”

ALICIA LIM, Housewife

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Lee Khang Yi

|

Crave Editor

During the weekdays, when you’re stuck in the rut, look at the larder and you will be surprised with a few ingredients, you can whip up that are deliciou Try a hand with our Asian themed pastas and the pungent flavours wll perk up your week. For television fans, we talk to Asian Food Channel’s The Big Break’s hosts about their new show, all for a good cause. For those who love to eat, try Shuraku for its casual Japanese eats or Kozee Cafe for its Hong K styled dishes. In our digital version, there is also tips on early Christmas shopping for every foodies, cookbooks from Kinokuniya’s books wonderland. E me at khangyi@mmail.com.my with any feedback.

FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2012

For Xma s cookboo k shoppin g deas, re ad our d igital edition.

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THE MALAY MAIL

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COOKING FOR A FUTURE

THE ASIAN FOOD CHANNEL (AFC) kicked off their original production, The Big Break on November 14. In the 13-part series, Resorts World Singapore (RWS) offers 12 underprivileged youths from six countries in Asia a chance to win the grand prize of a culinary scholarship worth over S$30,000 at AtSunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore. The show is also co-sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions (Unilever) as well as Del Monte Asia Pte Ltd. The show’s hosts are RWS Executive Chef Alan Orreal and Indonesian chef Farah Quinn. The idea for the show was inspired by the aRWSome apprenticeship programme, which RWS currently runs. “RWS has been wanting to a show for two years but we only approached AFC about the show, once we solidified our concept,” says Orreal.

According to RWS Communications Manager Lynn Lee, they wanted a show that was different and not fake. “It had to be real as possible for people to identify with it and inspire them to change,” says Orreal.

The show is Orreal’s television debut but he is no stranger to charity programs having spearheaded various projects in RWS. He joins Quinn who hosts a cooking show Ala Chef that airs on AFC. Quinn also has a big heart for the underprivileged. “Being in Indonesia, I’m exposed to poverty all the time and I travel to small areas, visiting schools and orphanages,” she says.

In the first episode, the two hosts traveled around to voluntary welfare organisations in Mongolia, South Korea, Malaysia, Phillipines, Thailand and Singapore, to select 12 contestants. According to Orreal, the countries were chosen to showcase the diversity across

the judges was sending a contestant home every week as they grew closer to the contestants.

“It was tough and very emotional for us to make a decision every week,” says Quinn. At the end of the episode, the youths will cry and hug each other after the announcement. “These young people really taught us just as much as we taught them and it was a very humbling experience,” says Orreal. Fortunately, no one loses, as the contestants go home with a bursary of S$2,000 from RWS to further their education that changes their life forever.

For the two judges, during the two months, filming the show, they saw the growth in the youths. “You could really feel their ambition, a wanting to push as it was not only going to affect them but the people around them,” says Orreal. For Quinn, she was amazed at how they picked up the skills and did the tasks even though it was difficult with just a few hours in tutorial. All the contestants were very close, bonding straight away with no rivalry and sharing notes among each other. “We emphasised that the show was not about the best winning but more about how much they can learn from the whole journey,” says Orreal. In the future, Orreal does not rule out a possibility for a second season as he and RWS are both game for another round.

THE BIG BREAK HOST ALAN ORREAL COOKS FOR THE CHILDREN IN MONGOLIA

the Asia region. And to be a little different, rather than Myanmar, Vietnam, they decided to select Mongolia and South Korea.

Prior to the judges reaching the place, pre-selection was already done by AFC. Eventually, as seen in the first episode, the duo picked the contestants, with each of them cooking or helping to cook a dish for the judges. According to Orreal, it came down to many factors. Attitude was one of the factors, the way the youths cooked and how they interacted with the other people. Sadly, at the end of the episode, it was only 11 contestants, as the contestant from Thailand failed to make it to Singapore due to paper work.

In future episodes, according to Orreal, the group will go through one or two educational experiences, whereby a time limit challenge will be set using the skill sets they had just picked. In each episode, it will feature a guest judge mentoring

THE BIG BREAK HOST FARAH QUINN WITH CHILDREN IN KUALA LUMPUR

the group, in addition to Orreal and Quinn. These international chefs include the world’s most Michelin star decorated Chef Joel Robuchon, Australian chef Scott Webster and Unilever’s Regional Executive Chef Yen Koh. Judging was not an easy task and in some cases, the duo admits of disagreeing on

certain things. “We did disagree on certain elements as being a judge, you can’t see everything happening for the contestants hence you have to trust the other judges’ experiences. While we may disagree, we always come to a consensus at the end,” says Orreal.

One of the toughest jobs for

Catch the Big Break every Wednesday, 10pm on Asian Food Channel (Astro Channel 703). In the upcoming episode on November 21, the contestants visit RWS for the first time and are taken for a tour around the Maritime Museum.

It will also be their first culinary tutorial and challenge.

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ADVERTISING SALES Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classifieds Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

( R ) RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA EXECUTIVE CHEF, ALAN ORREAL AND ( L ) INDONESIAN CHEF FARAH QUINN POSE WITH THASHINI RAMAKRISHNAN AND ELIZABETH AK GELUNGAN, THE MALAYSIAN CONTESTANTS OF THE BIG BREAK. PIC: SHAHIR OMAR

THE first episode unveils our own Malaysian contestants, 19year old Elizabeth AK Gelungan (Eli) and 17-year old Thashini Ramakrishnan (Biula). Both girls were handpicked for their passion for cooking. With Biula, she admits she joined the reality show, as she likes eating delicious food. “I wanted to learn the proper way to make delicious food,” she says. The teenager lives in a community building in Selayang with her family.

Her father is stricken with kidney failure and needs constant dialysis treatment, while her mother works as a cleaner to make ends meet. The outgoing girl hopes to ease her family’s financial burden with her par-

ticipation in the show.

For Eli, she was drawn to the culinary arts being influenced by her mother’s delicious meals for the family. Eli was born with a partially impaired left eye, to a father who is recovering alcoholic and a mother that suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. Despite a previous stroke, Eli’s mother works as a cleaner to support the family.

To ease the family’s financial burden, Eli took up a job in a cafeteria called The Good Café and she learned how to bake cake and pastries sold at the café. In the future, Eli aspires to become a full time pastry chef working in a pastry and restaurant.

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FRIDAY 16 november 2012

A NEIGHBOURHOOD

THE MALAY MAIL

tomato WITH pork sake bomb maki

FAVOURITE

BY Eu Hooi Khaw

A CAFE that has been around eight years must have a secret recipe for longevity in this tough business. Kozee Cafe & Restaurant may have hit it right with its wide-ranging menu of popular Hong Kong and Malaysian dishes, as well as some western favourites. It’s a neighbourhood cafe in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, and though I live there, I have never ventured in until my friend Audrey started telling me how she loved its Fried beef kway teow, Yin yang fried rice, Ginger fish with la la meehoon, its soups and the Sour lime with 7Up drink. The chef cum owner, I learnt later, is from Hong Kong, where he had been running a food business, and his wife, a Malaysian, helps him at the café.

First to quench my thirst, I had the refreshing Sour lime with 7Up (RM4) drink. The sour lime (ham kut) is made in-house, pickled in salt and water for three months before it is ready to be eaten. The preserved limes have an intense sour flavour with a salty tang, which is perfect match with the

imoNi

goma ice cream

THE FRONT OF KOZEE CAFE & RESTAURANT

fizzy 7Up. The refreshing drink left a delightful tingle on my palate. The sour limes are so popular here that people come and order them by the jars. It’s an old-fashioned remedy for a sore throat.

We started with some nibbles — Deep fried salad prawn, Yu tiao with fish paste, and Spicy and salted chicken, each for RM6.80. I liked the last two the best, with the crispy Chinese crullers against springy fish paste, and the fried chicken tossed in salt and pepper. I was curious about the Yin yang fried rice (RM11.50), a popular Hong Kong dish. The dish came with one part of the fried rice smothered with a tomato sauce with

Spicy and Salted Chicken

Assam Prawns with Petai

Sour Lime with 7UP Fried Beef Kwayteow

chicken, and the other part topped with creamy white sauce with prawns. I can imagine a child enjoying it even though I did like the tomato sauce with its balanced sweetness and sourness. Instead, I preferred the moist and tasty Pineapple fried rice (RM11.50), which had “wok hei” and a mix of prawns, egg, carrot and pineapple with every bite.

The café’s forte is their noodle dishes. Hot from the wok, the Fried beef kway teow or kon chau ngau hor (RM8.50) was served with a raw egg atop it.

We tossed the dark, glistening and smooth flat noodles with the egg, and got it coating the strands. There were beef slices, red chillies, spring onions and lots of beansprouts cooked with the delicious and not oily noodles, which has become a popular item on the menu. We also ordered a Fried cheong fun in an egg sauce (RM8.50), or what we usually term Cantonese style. Again the noodles were smooth, and delicious with the creamy gravy with beaten egg.

We also picked some dishes to go with rice from the menu.

One was the Fried choy po with minced chicken (RM9) which was yummy. It had chopped French beans fried with small pieces of crunchy choy po or pickled radish, minced chicken, peanuts and crispy fried ikan bilis. It was a mouthful of textures and packed with flavour that would be perfect with a bowl of white porridge.

The Fried kai lan with squid (RM8.50) was surprisingly good, as the addition of fermented soybean paste (taucheo) uplifted the simple vegetable dish.

In addition, we also ordered the Assam prawns with petai (RM16), which had the requisite tartness and spiciness.The pork-free restaurant also serves Western menu items like Fish and chips, Chicken Maryland, Chicken chop burger, Tuna & cheese toast and French toast.

Kozee Café & Restaurant, 31, Jalan Wan Kadir 2, Taman Tun Dr ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-77224898. Open: 10am to 10pm. Closed on Sundays.

COSY JAPANESE GEM Unpretentious and welcoming is what makes Shuraku in Solaris Mont Kiara, a great casual place to hang out. This four-year old eatery is modeled after a typical izakaya, or Japanese “pub” that serves mouthwatering food with drinks. Like a Spanish tapas bar, you get small bites in the form of kushiyaki, deep-fried items, grilled dishes, okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza), makis, yaki udon, rice and noodles here. For those seeking to imbibe, it also serves libations such as sake, shochu, Japanese cocktails made from chuhi (a type of shochu drink) and

negi cha siew

umeshu (plum liqueur), beer and even single malt whisky to watch down your meal. Look out for special deals for drinks.

The Japanese expatriates who live around the area have adopted this place as their neighbourhood joint. Its space has a quirky vibe, with hanging ropes on the ceiling, rustic wooden furniture and even Japanese cartoons playing on its television screens. The place is divided into different nooks to suit your mood from family style dining or just a boisterous night out with friends. Watch the grill action by taking a seat at the yakitori bar.

Smokers can pick the outdoor balcony decorated with paper lanterns to enjoy the breeze, as they nibble on their meal.

For a fun meal here, bring along friends to share the small plates for variety. Start with a variety of skewered meats, like the juicy charcoal grilled Pork belly (RM7). Or opt for the bacon wrapped items, like the Enoki with pork (RM6) with golden needle mushrooms or the Tomato with pork (RM6). Beware when you bite into the bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes, as they will spurt out their hot juices in the mouth. You can even order crispy chicken skin, gingko nuts and chicken meatball, all cooked a la minute at the charcoal grill. Prices for the skewers range from RM4 to RM8.

The Negi cha siew (RM16) is the Japanese version of grilled pork belly that melts in the mouth. It is topped with spring onions and yellow mustard to al-

leviate its sweet rich taste. One slice never seems to be enough as the soft smokey sweet taste is addictive. Good for accompanying drinks, is the Hotate garlic mayo (RM16) or grilled cheese scallops. Even the Sake bomb maki (RM28) with its crispy soft shell crab filling makes a good match with sake. For something unusual, try the Unagi tofu steak (RM20), where soft beancurd cubes are topped with grilled eel and seaweed strips. With the cool rainy weather we are experiencing, the Tonkutsu su gyoza (RM20) hits the comfort spot with its rich pork broth filled with silky dumplings stuffed with minced pork and vegetables.

The meal here can also be supplemented with healthy greens such as the Asupara (RM16) salad, canned tuna with sesame sauce and asparagus.

For a tangy taste, try the Buta kimuchi (RM15), pork sautéed with kimchi. The restaurant also runs seasonal menus and currently they are offering Autumn specials up to end of November.

One of the items we sampled from that menu is the Imoni (RM12), a comforting potato and meat stew. End your satisfying meal with a scoop of their homemade goma ice cream, studded with crushed black sesame seeds for aroma and texture.

Shuraku, 13-2, Jalan Solaris 1 (above Maybank), Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:0362030561. Open: 6.30pm to 12.30am. Closed on Mondays.

YAKITORI BAR QUIRKY INTERIOR

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Friday november 16, 2012 S P E C IAL

D I G I TAL

E D I T I O N

BOOKS FOR COOKS

W I T H

Kinokuniya Kuala Lumpur is offering special discounts on cookbooks from November 10, 2012 to January 1, 2013. We review some essential must-buys for your bookshelves.

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GRAB A COOKBOOK Tis the season to buy… and with Kinokuniya’s new promotion, you will be spoiled crazy with their selection of new cookbook titles that you can pick with a special price.

From November 10, 2012

to January 1, 2013, you can enjoy 30% off the selected titles (more than 680 books) with the purchase of another item of any value in a single receipt on the same day. In addition, Kinokuniya card

HAVE YOU EATEN?

members can also redeem RM5 rebate vouchers for every purchase of RM150.

These rebate vouchers, can be used towards the purchase of books only.

Kinokuniya Book Stores, Lots 406-408 & 429-430, Level 4, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-21648133. www.kinokuniya.com/my

Good for: Superb pictures and a touch of nostalgia to get you into the kitchen.

Billy Law (Hardie Grant Books, RM85, Kinokuniya) teow, and his hometown’s famous dish, Ipoh beansprouts chicken. Even contemporary local dishes, like marmite chicken and cereal prawns have found its way to these pages. The self-taught chef likes to tinker in the kitchen and believes there is no fixed rules in cooking and the possibilities are endless. The book contains recipes for everyone, from novices with easy to make dishes to more show-off dishes for a party. The recipes, also include a practical slant, and are written to be done in small steps, to make it less daunting for the beginners.

Law’s approach to some I truly believe there are no fixed rules in cooking.

Once you have grasped the basic theories of flavours and texture matching, the possibilities are endless, and that’s what makes cooking so enjoyable!”

Avid followers of Billy Law’s blog, A Table for Two (www. atablefortwo.com.au) will straightaway connect to his new book. Even though, you have no idea of Law’s adventures, including his famous stint as a contestant for MasterChef Australia (season three), this cookbook will first draw you in with the beautiful pictures, and slowly strike your heart with its Malaysian links. Law who originally lived in Ipoh before migrating to Australia shares many familiar local recipes, such as nasi lemak, char kuey

dishes is all about fun, with their quirky names and serving method like his oysters with cucumber sorbet and an interesting pepper spray, served in atomisers. MasterChef Australia fans will rejoice as Law includes recipes he cooked throughout the competition, like his Buddha’s Bowl, a dish he served the Dalai Lama.

He also shares a recipe he devised for the cooking show but never did get a chance to

BILLY LAW,

cook like his deconstructed tiramisu. Law who made a name for himself during the reality cooking show as the “dessert queen”, feeds us his sweet creations with a unique flair. Expect the unexpected like a vegemite cheesecake using an Australian favourite mingling with a pandan kaya lamington, where Malaysian flavours meet classic Australian. And not one to forget his roots, Law’s book is called Have You Eaten?, a Malaysian greeting he remembers from his past.

SALTY SNACKS Cynthia Nims (Ten Speed Press, RM59.90, Kinokuniya) Ditch the sugar for the salt with this petite cookbook that introduces homemade snacks to crunch on. Rather than the run of the mill items, Cynthia Nims provides the reader with a treasure chest of ideas. Her collection of 75 recipes covers savoury puffs, chips, crisps, crackers, breads and nuts.

There is also a section on various dips and vegetables. With all the hidden preservatives and flavour enhancers, it makes sense

to whip up your own snacks at home. In addition, Nims also expounds on history of various savoury snacks, and definitions in the book. Nibble on inventive snacks like crisp avocado with green goddess dip, coconut crisps with basil and chillies, and salted popcorn meringues.

She also shares nutritious snacks like parsnip and carrot chips and tempura green beans.

Specially for those suffering from gluten intolerance, Nims also whips up cumin lentil crackers, made from lentil and chickpea flour. The book is perfect for the upcoming festive season since parties galore will mean the need for these snacks. Imagine how you’ll be the perfect hostess with all these homemade goodies.

Good for: Snack lovers who want a healthy version to munch on.

HUGH’S THREE GOOD T Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, RM145, Kinokuniya) There’s always a crusade with Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall and now, he is on a mission to shake us out of our cooking rut, with just three basic elements. As he explains his theories, it makes sense on how less on the plate, is better for our palates and even our wallets. Since three ingredients are all a meal needs, Hugh emphasises on the need for the best quality raw ingredients. He also warns people there’s no hard and fast rule on his approach, as sometimes, it may be more than three ingredients. Like a breath of fresh air, the book makes a refreshing change from those books that expound on a mile long ingredient list. His tome gives you more than 175 recipes, but like Hugh says, feel free to explore and you may revolutionise the way you cook. Some flavour pairings

seem rather obvious since it is probably what we have been practicing for ages like clams, tomatoes and garlic. However there are brilliant flashes of ideas, like chicken, plums and soy, or even mackerel, oatmeal and rhubarb. As he explains, the oily fish works in harmony with the sharp fruit to undercut its oily taste. In addition, the well shot photographs and illustrations perk up the pages giving it a fun aspect. At the end of the book, Hugh also runs through a list of storecupboard standbys that makes it easy to just go to the supermarket and follow his list. For those who prefer to see rather than just read, Hugh also accompanies this with a television show.

THE KITCHEN DIARIES Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, RM124.90, Kinokuniya) Beloved fans of Nigel Slater can rejoice with the return of their culinary hero. Following the success of his Kitchen Diaries, Slater returns with another year of cooking notes to inspire us in cooking. Unlike the first book whereby it was an actual chronological diary, this volume is pieced together from Slater’s kitchen notes from several years. Nevertheless, this does not matter much since the notes correlate to the various seasons, and since Slater promotes eating seasonal ingredients, it is still relevant.

Despite the vast volume, Slater’s delightful prose makes great reading and inspiration.

His approach to recipes is also simple to follow and produces tasty results. Since we are approaching Christmas season soon, think of this book as a great present to inspire a friend or even yourself. Slater shares a delicious chocolate hazelnut slice, and an unusual orange pomegranate cake.

There’s even a mincemeat cheesecake, all filled with the boozy goodies of dried fruits. Slater approaches Christmas in a practical fashion, whipping up some items ahead of time, and shares his own planning tips. As you read his Christmas story, you’ll definitely start hoping the season is just round the corner.

surviving is My key to ain that ppable tr o st ly n u p p e th g is to a s cookin rule.

Christma e again’ m o c d n a you the “cut ipes that re of rec o n in st o lo re ir rn t afte A squ ie u q a n eo and can mak mas Eve to Christ p ition u d n n o ru c the ood g in p e e ill k s that which w s. Recipe y a d l ra stivities, for seve of the fe e rs u o c this over the to keep manage .” e cook san ATER NIGEL SL

Good for: Di love his pro

FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2012

THINGS ON A PLATE

29

Good for: Novice cooks or those looking for divine intervention for their daily cooking repertoire.

Inspired arrangements of Three Good Things ca n shine everlasting light on the humblest of ingred ients, transporting Them to a higher culinary plane so tha t They are greater even than the sum of Their parts.”

HUGH FEARNLEYWHITTINGSTALL

II

ie-hard Nigel Slater fans who ose and simple recipes.

THE MALAY MAIL

LILY VANILLI’S SWEET TOOTH Lily Jones (Cannongate, RM102.90, Kinokuniya) Artisan baker Lily Jones’ story is an inspiring one, that every baker wishes will happen to them. From a stall in East London and with no formal training, Jones’ bakes are now rocking celebrities like Elton John and Nigella Lawson.

Even 10 Downing Street is said to order cakes from the “queen of baked goods”, as she is popularly known.

Her bakes are famed for the unique flavour combinations (think chocolate avocado), all decked up in spectacular designs that are not fussy.

In her first cookbook, Jones gives a good primer on baking in her first pages, from the cake to the trimmings. Rather than just glossing over the methods, Jones also explains the science of the methods and ingredients with illustrations to demonstrate gluten

or even how to use a sugar thermometer. There’s over 100 recipes for cakes, tarts, Good for: The adbreads, biscuits, meringues, sweets and even ice creams venturous baker to inspire you. One can’t help looking to up their oohing over the pages, as you repertoire. want to start baking the pineapple and hazelnut upside down cake, bacon and maple syrup tea cakes, or even I have whip up the luscious no formal training or yellow mango and mint ice cream. background in food; my real Keeping to passion for baking grew from Jones’ pretty a simple desire to make myself ethos, even perfect desserts. I’ve always the book is a thought that if I’m going to eat stunner with something as indulgent as cake its fuschia it ought to be exactly how I like it, pink painted with just the right balance pages and of sweet, light, nutty the mint green or fruity.” cover.

LILY JONES

BOUCHON BAKERY Thomas Keller (Artisan, RM180, Kinokuniya) Keller works together with chefs Sebastian Rouxel and Matthew McDonald for the bakery that makes wonderful breads, cakes, pastries and cookies. Like his previous books, this tome will soon One of the become a baking bible things I advise home for many aspiring chefs and home cooks to do is make the same bakers. Don’t recipe over and over. If you just expect an jump from one recipe to the next ugly textbook to the next, you don’t really learn. as that’s not But when you do the same recipe Keller’s style. again and again, you become Instead, the attuned to the nuances of book may be all the way ingredients about techniques behave.” with step-by-step instructions but the THOMAS KELLER beautiful shots elevate

For many chefs, Thomas Keller is looked upon as their mentor for his precision cooking and vast knowledge. The owner of top class restaurants, French Laundry and Per Se in the United States of America, now brings his Bouchon Bakery’s secrets to his latest cookbook.

it to a classy book that inspires you to imitate the same. The book demystifies baking breads and choux pastry with detailed pictures. As the recipes have been tested again and again, results are perfect and precise, just like how Keller runs his organisation. He emphasises on weighting to get recipes correct. There is even a section on getting great crust for breads, with advice to assemble a kit to create the steam in the oven. The mix of recipes is an interesting one, with French madelines and puff pastry mingling with American classics like oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies. There

is a touch of childhood whimsy, as the bakery whips up their version of Oreos (TKOs in the book), or their better version of Nutter Butters and even Rice Krispies Treats. Even dogs are not forgotten, as they include a recipe for dog treats, a staple at the bakery. It seems the treats originally used leftover foie gras trimmings from French Laundry. Expect to learn how to bake better ba-

guettes, breads, croissants, pretzels, English muffins. The book also covers tarts, coffee cakes, eclairs, scones and macarons.

Good for: Techniques, techniques, techniques, to make a Thomas Keller creation.