The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Behold, the Australian Women’s Weekly Cake Table! Posted: 24 Dec 2012 05:16 PM PST  The famed cake table of China House often drew crowds as diners would stop and admire the selection even before they are seated. – Pictures by K.E. Ooi GEORGE TOWN, Dec 25 – There's luscious tiramisu, creamy cheesecakes, decadent chocolate confections, all manner of fruit made into cakes—apple, rum and raisin cake or coconut cake with lime curd… yes, name a cake of your fantasy and you're likely to find it on the Cake Table at China House. At any time of the day, you will find a crowd gathered around a long table groaning under a variety of rich, unique and utterly gorgeous cakes, pastries and baked goods inside Kopi C of China House. Loosely nicknamed the "Australian Women's Weekly Cake Table" by owner Narelle McMurtrie because of its vast variety of unique cakes and baked goods reminiscent of that ubiquitous magazine of a certain generation's childhood — the Australian Women's Weekly! Never heard of the magazine? Doesn't matter... this particular section of the restaurant is the first to draw diners' attention even before they are seated. This is because at any point of time, this table is laden with a smogasbord of desserts and baked savoury goodies like pizza, quiche, bread and pies... it's a gorgeous (not to mention tempting) table and very often you find people taking photographs of it too.  Check out the spread on the long wooden table at China House. Instead of serving the usual boring chocolate cakes or plain cheesecakes day in day out, the bakery churns out about 30 different types of cakes, tarts, slices, breads and pastries every day. So, if you fall in love with a particular cake, say the chocolate raspberry layer cake, you may not get to taste it on the next visit but you will probably be satisfied with the chocolate berry torte or another similar cake with the perfect combination of chocolate and berries. But their signature cake — the one that everyone must try at least once when they dine at China House — is the creamy tiramisu.  More than 10 of these tiramisu cakes are baked and sold every day. Cakes are not the only dessert that this restaurant has to offer as it also has a wide range of homemade ice cream and we are not talking about simple flavours such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. If you've ever wondered what it is like to add chili padi to ice cream, you should absolutely drop by at China House to try it out. Another local flavour not to be missed is the gula melaka ice cream, certainly not something you can buy off the shelves at supermarkets!  Care for a slice of delicious chocolate berry torte? Not just a restaurant or café, China House is more of a lifestyle space consisting of various sections such as Kopi C Espresso, BTB Restaurant, art gallery, The Canteen and Bar and The Courtyard Café and Burger Bar. Open from 9am till late, especially if there are performances at The Canteen, this eatery and bar is very much the in-place for the young and modish crowds at night or simply for those who appreciate wholesome great food and wonderful desserts in a relaxing environment all day long.  A slice of tiramisu coming right up. |
| One chef, one ingredient: Jacques and Laurent Pourcel on lemons Posted: 24 Dec 2012 02:11 AM PST  Laurent and Jacques Pourcel are the chefs of Jardin des Sens in Montpellier (Southern France). – All rights reserved Whether it be peas, apricots, or sea urchin, the answers are as varied as the chefs themselves. This week, twin brothers Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, chefs of Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, Southern France, chose lemons. Relaxnews: Why did you choose this ingredient? Jacques Pourcel: I chose lemon because it is an essential ingredient for our preferred type of cuisine. My twin brother and I favour a sun-drenched cuisine that draws on the flavours of the southern Mediterranean, a cuisine of defined tastes, strong flavours, colour and passion. R: What's your favourite memory associated with the ingredient? Laurent Pourcel: Lemon is something we were constantly exposed to throughout our childhood. We were born by the Mediterranean Sea and as a family we would eat considerable quantities of fresh fish and seafood, always accompanied by a hint of lemon juice and olive oil, the perfect accompaniment. As the years went by, lemon juice and the tartness it bestows has been a recurrent thread in the creation of our dishes. Later we discovered the flavours of its peel and learned to play with its acidic quality and our eyes were opened to its numerous forms and varieties. From the yellow lemon of Menton to those from Morocco, from lime to kaffir, Yuzu and citrus caviar – it's a citrus fruit that is full of surprises. R: When is the best season for cooking them? JP: A key advantage of lemons is that they transport well and can easily be stored. Coming from all around the world, each fruit has its season depending on its provenance. Whether from the South of France, Spain, Morocco, Asia or Australia, lemons are essentially in season year round. R: What's the best way to cook with them? LP: The lemon's juice will provide an acidity that will essentially be used with fish and seafood preparations ... Adding a bit of lemon juice in a sauce, right before it's served, will give your dishes a little kick. Uncooked juice also is an important component of fish marinades for instance, for carpaccios, or simply on raw shellfish. Lemon juice can also play a key role in food preservation. Commonly used in pastry preparation, it's a must for lemon meringue pies, fouace brioches, cakes and biscuits. JP: In our cooking, we take lemon's versatility even further. We use preserved lemons, in both sugar- and salt-based preserves – two distinct preparations that allow us to flavour our dishes and give them our signature flavour. We use lemon preserves quite extensively, mostly sugar-preserved ones, because they are easier to incorporate than salt-preserved ones, which are traditionally Moroccan. Whether sugar- or salt-preserved, we use lemon confit as a condiment. R: What other product can you combine them with to impress your guests? JP: Salt-preserved lemons work well with meat dishes, especially stews and braised meats. Sugar-preserved lemon is more easily paired with foie gras for instance, or fish or pasta dishes. R: What are the most common mistakes people make when cooking with them? LP: Whether in sweet or savoury dishes, using too much or the wrong amount can ruin dishes and preparations. When using lemon juice, too much acidity will mask other flavours, so it's necessary to taste the dish to avoid adding too much. Also, don't let the juices reduce too much – otherwise they become inedible. R: How do you integrate this ingredient into your restaurant menu? JP: For a few years, we've featured lemon confit on our menu as an accompaniment to a filet of sea bass cooked over low heat with a side of green asparagus from the Languedoc region. We also often use it to accompany our seared foie gras; we think it's the perfect match. R: What wine (or other type of alcohol) is best paired with it? JP: It's not easy to choose an accompaniment for a preparation based on the lemon flavour alone. A wine needs to go well with the main product that makes up the dish. A wine flavour in the sauce, for instance, would help guide the choice of wine. Of course, to go with a fish dish with a hint of tartness I would favour a Chardonnay from Languedoc. – AFP/Relaxnews |
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