Issue 17 - Home

Issue 17 | August 2013 | 4 Pages | For free circulation only
From the Editor
Our recent themed issues have
been a success and we will
continue with them. Here is a
preview to get your creative
juices flowing: September will be
'Peace and Harmony in the
World' as September 21 is the
UN International Day of Peace.
October will be 'Growing Old
Gracefully and Healthy Aging'
because October 1 is the UN
International Day of Older
Persons. November will feature
the lead up to Christmas and
holiday preparations and
December's theme will be
Christmas. We hope that you will
be inspired to submit a 600 word
article on any of our themes. We
also invite you to send messages
not exceeding 300 words for the
Christmas issue.
THE ASCENT OF THE HOME CHEF
by Sumera Bhalla (Goa)
Sumera Bhalla is a passionate chef and owner of restaurants in Goa. She started her culinary
escapades at the prestigious Dadar Institute of Hotel Management, followed by the Oberois and after
four years set sail overseas with the Royal Caribbean. After reaching her goal of becoming an
Executive Chef before the age of 30, she then quit to try her entrepreneurial skills by opening
restaurants in Goa. She has been happily settled in Goa for 8 years and is following her dream of
working with food and balancing a quality lifestyle by running restaurants with her spouse who is
also a chef.
Women have been the center of their households
from time immemorial. They have made fantastic
meals for their families and their children grew up
strong and healthy with
Oliver and his fellow orphans
sang, 'Food, glorious food!' in the fresh foods. As boys became
musical 'Oliver!' We repeat that men they would always
rousing refrain in this, our August think and talk about the
issue. Our articles are about food wonderful meals they had in
and we hope you have a mouth- their youth cooked with love
watering time reading them and and passion by their mums.
trying them out. We proudly feature That was the time when the
the stories of two women who have woman's role in the
made a success in the male kitchen was taken for
dominated hotel and restaurant granted. In today's day
industry: Sumera Bhatt and Nicole
and age chefs have now
Illa. Sumera became an Executive
Chef before reaching the age of 30. come into the limelight
She now owns her own restaurants. and it is not just hotel
Nicole is currently the Executive chefs - the home chef is
Pastry Chef for the Grand Hyatt in now the celebrated focal point. The advent of
Goa. Sumera's article is titled, 'The the various cooking serials on television has
Ascent of the Home Chef' and she encouraged more and more women to talk
shares her granny's Akuri recipe with us. about their household culinary powers with
Nicole's article is called 'The Baker's immense pride.
Soul' and she includes her mother's
Rhubarb Crumble Tart. My signature I have loved cooking since I can remember.
recipe for Cinnamon Buns was enhanced I loved learning from my mom and grand
by my lessons in advanced pastry and cake mom but in those days becoming a chef
decorating with Orna, Nairobi's most
was never considered a great option. If
famous pastry maker (google 'Orna's
you liked to cook then go ahead and be a
Kitchen'). Pat Faulkner contributes a warming
housewife. Don't think of it as a
recipe for 'Comfort Soup' and Dr. Jaya Earnest
profession. And as a woman - definitely
helps us make a healthy and colourful salad.
not! Luckily I stuck my head out and
Pamela Gonsalves contributes her never fail
went ahead and pushed aside the
'Lemon Drizzle Cake' and Bella Comelo shares
an unusual recipe for Cassava Bibingka. It is medical, engineering, and dental
easier to make than the traditional Goan recipe college prospects. Hardly a month
into the three year course I knew
and considerably lower in cholesterol. It is also
that this was my calling. I knew
popular in the Philippines.
could do this every day of my life
Visit
Bon Appetit!
and work would not be a
drudgery. Cooking was always
a pleasure.
(for the Editorial Team)
for daily news updates There is a vast difference in
Visit us at femnet.goanet.org
the job roles of a home chef and a hotel chef;
however the basic foundations stay the
same. Cook with good fresh ingredients,
cook with passion and serve food piping hot
and looking great. The end result is the same
- a satisfied guest or family member. Cooking
is one of the most therapeutic jobs. It is a
great profession and both genders excel in it.
The following is a very simple recipe of eggs
which I learned from my grand mom. This
was a Sunday
breakfast special with
piles of hot buttered
toast to go along with
it. The secret is a slow
flame while cooking
the eggs which
results in a beautiful
creamy texture like
velvet.
Granny's Akuri
1 onion, finely chopped
½ tomato finely chopped
1 chili finely chopped
Very tiny bit finely grated ginger
Chopped coriander
Chilli powder, haldi (turmeric) powder, salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
Heat a kadhai/frying pan, add oil, gently
sauté the onion and green chilli, add the
ginger, then a bit of haldi (turmeric), chilli
powder and salt. Allow it to cook off and add
the coriander and tomatoes. Cook till
tomatoes are completely pulpy and take it off
the flame. Add the three well beaten eggs
and return to a low flame. Cook gently
stirring continuously until the eggs are
creamy and velvety. Serve hot with lots and
lots of buttered toast. Yummy!
Issue 17 | Page 1
A BAKER'S SOUL - PASSION FOR PASTRIES
by Executive Pastry Chef Nicole Illa (Germany)
Nicole is a German national who is married to a Goan. She has worked in many famous places in the world pursuing her passion
for baking. She is currently the Executive Pastry Chef for the Grand Hyatt Goa.
For Chef Nicole Illa,
Grand Hyatt Goa's
Executive Pastry Chef,
there was nothing
more that she looked
forward to than the
walk home from
school. With her nose
pressed up against the
window and eyes
twinkling with delight,
the pastry shop was
Nicole's sanctuary as
a little girl. Even today
as she talks about that
little shop in her
hometown you will see
that sparkle in her eye
and a resemblance of
that little girl. “I
always enjoyed
visiting the pastry
shop in my home town
where my parents live and baking with my
mum at home. Whether it was cookies for
Christmas or cakes for birthday parties I
enjoyed baking and I was lucky to get a
chance to spend a lot of time in this pastry
shop during the school break. Ever since I
was little I knew I wanted to bake for a
living,” asserts Nicole.
her and
baking.
her
love
for
Chef Nicole moved from
pastry cooking trainee to
pastry cook in a span of
only three years. She now
h a s ove r 2 0 ye a r s '
experience working at
some of the most wellknown establishments in
the world including the
Ritz Carlton, Bahrain,
Moevenpick Hotel,
Jumeirah Beach
Residence and Hotel
Bayerischer Hof,
Germany. “Working in the
hotel industry is never
easy and it involves a lot
of hard work and long
hours. Only if you really
enjoy what you do can
you truly overcome any obstacle put in
front of you.” affirms Chef Nicole.
In 2010 she joined the Grand Hyatt Goa
family as Executive Pastry Chef. While
working all over the world
may have its perks; Goa
was a challenge. “Working
in the Middle East means
no seasonal variations as
many different products
from around the world are
easily available all year
round. Here items are
seasonal and you need to
work with that. I had to
learn about the different
seasons and products of
Goa and India as well.”
The support of her family and her
infatuation with sweet or baked treats was
all she needed to take that first step
towards honing her superior baking skills.
“I got the chance to start my career in one
of the oldest and most renowned pastry
shops in Germany where I got the basic
knowledge and guidance that helped me
build my career,” explains Nicole. Bakery
is an extremely male dominated
profession and the most competitive With almost a lifetime of pursuing her
sector in the food industry. However passion and the satisfaction of achieving
nothing and no one could stand between her goals, Chef Nicole Illa finds herself
blessed to be able to do what she loves.
The following is her mother's recipe for
Rhubarb Crumble Tart.
Rhubarb Crumble Tart
Ingredients:
Ÿ500 gm. flour (Maida)
Ÿ1 teaspoon baking powder
Ÿ250 gm. unsalted butter
Ÿ1 pinch salt
Ÿ½ vanilla bean
Ÿ1 egg
Ÿ150 gms. castor sugar
Ÿ750 gms. rhubarb fresh or frozen (or
cherries or green apple)
Method:
ŸSift flour and baking powder together into
a mixing bowl
ŸCut the cold butter into pieces and place
onto the flour
ŸAdd the remaining ingredients to the
bowl
ŸRub ingredients together until a crumbly
dough forms
ŸLine the base of a tart mold with baking
paper
ŸPlace 2/3 of the
dough into the tart
mold
ŸFlatten the dough
lightly with your
fingers
ŸPlace the rhubarb
on top of the tart
ŸS p r i n k l e
the
remaining crumble
dough on top of the
rhubarb
ŸPlace the tart in the
oven at 175 C and bake for 30 – 40 min
ŸRemove tart from oven and sprinkle with
some cinnamon sugar if desired
ŸDust with some powdered sugar and
serve with whipped cream
CASSAVA BIBINGKA
by Bella Comelo (US)
Cassava is a tropical root
vegetable cultivated in Latin
America and Africa. There are
a n u m b e r o f way s o f
preparing the root and it is
often treated like other root
vegetables such as potatoes.
In Kenya for example,
cassava crisps are as popular
as potato chips. Although it is
more common in tropical
countries, it is available in the
markets in big cities in most
countries. This is an unusual
recipe in that it calls for sugar,
Visit us at femnet.goanet.org
coconut milk and cheese. The
traditional Goan recipe calls for
20 to 40 egg yolks! The recipe is
as follows:
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 cups freshly grated cassava
(fresh or frozen)
2 cups thin coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt
½ cup of grated cheese for
topping.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F
degrees for 10 minutes.
Combine eggs, sugar, butter and
salt in a bowl. Add the grated
cassava and coconut milk.
Transfer to a baking pan.
Put the baking pan in the oven
and bake for 25 to 45 minutes till
almost done. (Insert a knife to
see if it comes out clean). Take
the pan out and sprinkle grated
cheese on top and let it bake for
another 5 minutes until the
cheese is melted and set.
***
Issue 17 | Page 2
VEGETABLE AND RED LENTIL SOUP
by Pat Faulkner (Western Australia)
Pat was born in Tanzania where her father was a doctor for over 50 years. She completed her later secondary and undergraduate
tertiary education in science and dentistry in Scotland and worked in oral surgery and community dentistry in the UK. She also
worked in Africa during an eighteen month road trip. She migrated to Perth, Australia in 1986 where she eventually returned to
university to study public and international health and now teaches in this area.
One of the things I love about colder
weather is that it is the perfect excuse to
make a big pot of soup, preferably served
with freshly baked crusty bread! I
associate it with my father's “long leaves”
from Africa. These came round every
three years and we would make the trek to
Europe and catch up with my parents'
siblings and their families either on
mainland Europe or in Scotland. Such
family gatherings were somehow always
associated with huge pots of soup – often
concocted by my mother, renowned in the
family as a great cook, who had the knack
of producing a never emptying stockpot
for the ravenous younger age group of
cousins. She never lost the skill of just
rustling up a seemingly constant supply of
the most delicious homemade soups. One
of my fondest memories of her is standing
over an enormous stockpot just adding
this and that to keep the supply going for
the 67 family members who milled around
her house during my father's 90th
birthday celebrations!! This soup carries
on in that tradition and in deference to my
resident vegetarians (my daughters) is a
vegetarian take on traditional lentil soup
cooked with ham hock.
Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons mild curry paste (I use
Korma Paste)
400 g can tomatoes
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock (I use
vegetarian friendly and MSG free stock
powder)
1 large carrot (180g), chopped finely
2 trimmed celery sticks (150g), chopped
finely
1 medium potato (200g), chopped finely
1 large zucchini (150g), chopped finely
¾ cup (150g) red lentils
½ cup (60g) frozen peas
1/3 cup (80ml) light coconut milk
You can add 2 tablespoons coarsely
chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish
but many people don't like the strong
favour and I usually omit it for this reason!
Method
Cook the curry paste in a large heated
saucepan, stirring about one minute or
until fragrant. Add undrained crushed
tomatoes, stock, carrot, celery, potato
and zucchini. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the
heat and let simmer, covered, for five
minutes.
Add the lentils to the soup mixture and
return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
uncovered for about 10 minutes or until
lentils are just tender. Add peas and return
to boil – I find this is enough to cook the
peas.
Remove from the heat
remaining ingredients.
and
stir
in
I usually cook twice the basic recipe as this
gives a good big pot that doesn't last long!
A SALAD OF HEALTH AND COLOUR
by Dr. Jaya Earnest, Founder Member (Western Australia)
As we grow older many of us are faced
with the battle of the bulge and we need to
reduce weight and eat healthily. Nothing
beats a simple salad that can be made
more exotic, non-vegetarian and healthy
if having family, friends and guests
visiting.
A small can of sliced beetroots
A small can of red kidney beans
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1 cup of crisp lettuce (the amount of
lettuce can be increased if one wishes)
Adding the cheeses: (these are
optional but add to the taste – use any
Over the years this tried and tested simple one of the cheeses below)
family recipe has evolved at home as my
Feta cheese cubes
husband, mother, children and friends
Ricotta cheese lightly pan fried with olive
have all provided additions and
permutations. I encourage you to try it
and experiment with the vegetables,
cheeses or meats that may be
available in your part of the world. It is
a salad that can be eaten in the
summers with fresh fruit and in
winters with some warm bread or hot
soup.
Salad of health and colour
Visit us at femnet.goanet.org
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 teaspoon raisins or sliced dates
Handful of walnuts
Small handful of sliced almonds
Small handful of pine nuts
To make the salad into a healthy meal
or for non-vegetarians
Add 2 boiled eggs sliced into pieces
Add pieces of ham
Some grilled & sliced chicken breasts
Some thinly sliced roast beef
Serving suggestion
Mix all the salad vegetables, beans
and corn kernels in a salad bowl,
except the beetroot slices which can
be added just prior to serving.
In the warm months and during the
mango season – slices of mango can
be added to the salad and add a
wonderful touch and flavor.
The vegetables:
1 large carrot washed and grated
1 or 2 Roma tomatoes cut into chunks
and scoop out the inner seeds
3-4 small red radishes washed and
thinly sliced
A small can of corn kernels
½ small red cabbage, washed and thinly
sliced
1 small cucumber diced into cubes
4 medium sliced mushrooms (optional)
or you can choose the combinations
you prefer)
oil and sliced
Paneer lightly fried with olive oil
Ordinary cheddar cubes
To make the salad exotic: (once again
these are optional – but a favourite of
mine, all can be used at the same time
As required you may add the cheeses,
nuts and dry fruit and meats.
You can add a salad dressing if you wish –
e.g. balsamic vinegar
Try it out and I am sure you will not be
disappointed.
Issue 17 | Page 3
LEMON DRIZZLE OR MARMALADE TOPPING CAKE
by Pam Gonsalves, Founder Member (UK)
Although cooking has never been my margarine
strong point, let alone baking, I
3.Add 225g caster sugar
discovered a cake recipe and made it my
and beat until pale and
own.
creamy
When I retired I decided to try my hand at
4.Add 4 eggs, one at a
some basic culinary skills so my family
time, slowly mixing
sent me to cooking classes. The lessons
through.
included making cordials from wild
flowers, chilli chutneys, jams and 5.Sift in 150g self raising
marmalade. This led to cake making and flour, 1 rounded tsp
finally to this simple recipe which has baking powder,
never failed me.
6.Add 100g chopped
I liked this one as the mixing and stirring is almonds or mixed nuts,
done all in one whole swoop and at the end
7.Add finely grated zest of 1 lemon and
of 40-50 minutes there is a cake ready to
mix until well combined.
eat. You can make it this way or tweak it
to your liking.
8.Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with
greaseproof paper and spoon in the
LEMON DRIZZLE OR MARMALADE
mixture and level the top with a spoon.
TOPPING CAKE
9.Bake for 45-50 mins. Insert a thin
1.Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas
skewer into the centre of the cake. It is
2.Beat together 225g softened butter or ready when it comes out clean.
FOR LEMON DRIZZLE
TOPPING
Juice 1½ lemons
85g caster sugar
While the cake is cooling in its tin,
mix together the juice of 1 1/2
lemons and 85g caster sugar to
make the drizzle. Prick the warm
cake all over with a skewer or
fork, pour over the drizzle. The
juice will sink in and the sugar will
form a lovely, crisp topping.
OR
FOR MARMALADE TOPPING
Whisk 75g icing sugar with 3tbs
marmalade and 100ml orange juice.
Repeat as above
Leave in the tin until completely cool, then
remove and serve. Keep in an airtight
container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1
month.
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON BUNS
by Janis Mwosa, Founder Member (Kenya)
Is there anything that smells as welcome
and homey as the fragrance of freshly
baked yeast breads? My generation was
lucky enough to have had grandmothers
who cooked. They baked their own bread,
pies and coffee cakes and shared them
with their
neighbours. The
tradition was
that the plate
which carried the
food gift was
never returned
empty. The lives
of these German
i m m i g r a n t
women may
have centered on
' k o c h e n ' ,
( c o o k i n g )
' k i n d e r '
(children) and
'kirche' (church) but as one of the 'kinder'
I felt greatly blessed to be near the
'kochen'. My grandmother would buy flour
and sugar in 50 pound quantities and
store it in huge pull out bins in her kitchen.
It came in pretty printed cotton sacks that
were later used to make skirts for my
sisters and myself. Saturday was baking
day and I would come over to help her as
she baked. She never measured but would
add things until they tasted right. She
gave me my own small ball of dough to
knead and shape until I was able to make
my own. I still bake my own bread weekly.
which are sometimes called 'snails' and
sometimes called 'Chelsea buns'. This is
the recipe I make most often for my grown
up children, their families and special
visitors.
Cinnamon Buns
Dough
4 to 4 ½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
2 tsps. instant yeast
½ cup butter melted and
cooled
¾ cup sour milk, mala,
buttermilk or yogurt
3 large eggs at room
temperature (beaten)
1 tsp. salt
Filling
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Butter for spreading on the dough
Instructions
Mix the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl.
Make a well (hole) in the center of the
mixture. Pour the warmed milk, eggs,
butter and the salt in the well and stir with
a wooden spoon or beat with a mixer with
a dough hook. Add additional flour if
necessary until the dough is soft but not
sticky and you can knead it by hand.
Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth
like a baby's bottom. (This could take
about 10 minutes and it is such good
My signature recipe is cinnamon buns therapy!) Pour a little cooking oil in a clean
Visit us at femnet.goanet.org
bowl and put the dough in the bowl turning
it over so the dough is lightly coated with
the oil. Cover the dough with cling film and
put it
in a warm place to rise. When the dough
has doubled in size after about an hour,
remove the cling film and punch the dough
down. (This was my favourite part as a
child and one I now allow grandchildren
with clean hands to do!) Roll out the dough
in a rectangular shape adding more flour
as necessary to prevent it from sticking.
Spread soft butter over the surface and
sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and
sugar. You can also sprinkle raisins on it or
diced raw apple pieces. Roll the dough up
in a sausage or Swiss roll shape and cut it
into 12 to 15 slices and place them on a
greased baking sheet. Cover again with
cling film and allow them to rise in a warm
place until they have doubled in size.
Brush them lightly with a mixture of egg
and water beaten together. Bake for 15 to
20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350
degrees F or 180 degrees C or until they
start to turn golden brown. Remove and
let cool. You can drizzle them with a
mixture of icing sugar, vanilla and milk if
you want or eat them plain. You can also
vary the fillings. I sometimes sprinkle the
dough with chopped chocolate to make
chocolate bread or make a filling with
ground almonds, sugar and almond
essence to make almond buns. It's almost
like having a croissant but with less work
and fewer calories!
Issue 17 | Page 4