The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Breeder creates ‘game-changing’ hybrid squash Posted: 22 Oct 2012 09:55 PM PDT NEW YORK, Oct 23 — He's been called the Harry Potter of squash for his sorcery with gourds. For the last few years, Michael Mazourek's life's work has included the pursuit of the perfect squash, a project which this autumnmay have come to — pardon the pun — fruition.  A Cornell University plant breeder has created the amber delight squash, sweeter and more intense in flavour. — AFP/Relaxnews It's the first generation offspring of another hybrid developed early on in the programme, the honeynut squash, created with Barber's input. As chef of Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns, Barber builds his cuisine around sustainable, seasonal and local ingredients. That includes using products from their working farm at Pocantico Hills an hour outside New York City. When Mazourek came to Barber looking for a chef's perspective on his first-born squash the honeynut, the one request was for a product with a longer shelf life. The result? The amber delight, which can be stored well into the winter with a shelf life of three to four months and is resistant to the nemesis of gourds, powdery mildew. Amber delight Taste-wise, the amber delight is closely related to its parent squash the honeynut, described as rich, creamy and sweet with a dark orange flesh. "It's sweet and buttery," said Barber in an interview with Relaxnews. "It's squash times two, intensified with a concentration of flavours." But for Mazourek, there's still room for improvement. The professor says it was a misguided notion that led to breeding a milder version of the honeynut. He wanted to "dilute" the intense squash flavour, he said, to appeal to mainstream palates. "That's where Dan educated me. I tasted it the way he prepares it and it educated me on what's possible with the squash flavour." Barber recommends roasting squash in the oven to optimise their flavours. That's why the next generation of squash will be bred to have unapologetically 'squashy' flavours with no attempt to dilute its intensity, Mazourek said. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Ladurée reopens flagship store on the Champs-Elysées Posted: 22 Oct 2012 08:32 PM PDT  Ladurée is open for business on the Champs-Elysées a year after a fire gutted the flagship store. — AFP/Relaxnews It took a year to restore the café to its original glory after a fire broke out and engulfed the cafe, which has been a landmark since 1997 along what is perhaps the most famous boulevard in the world. To serve the throngs of tourists and local Parisian fans alike, a pop-up store was erected alongside the gutted boutique in the meantime. The renovation of the boutique, meanwhile, was an exercise in patience as everything from the carpets to banquettes, chairs, mirrors and banisters were restored to their original state in painstaking, meticulous detail by the same artists who helped build the first store. The only new addition is an extension of the main boutique at 13 rue Lincoln, which will serve as Bar Ladurée for those who may not have the luxury of time but are still looking for a quick, sweet hit. The world owes Ladurée for the invention of the macaron, which sandwiches a ganache filling between two airy, meringue-like cookies, usually presented in a rainbow of pastel colours and flavours. Hours for the newly renovated store vary from a 7.30am opening to up to a 12.30am closing time. It is not the first time the 150-year-old company has suffered the ravages of a fire. In 1871, the bakery was destroyed by flames — a tragedy that led to its conversion as a cake and pastry shop. In Paris, macaron fans are divided in loyalties between Ladurée and famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé, who is known for creating inventive, unexpected flavours. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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