Passion Fruit Macarons
It’s been far too long since I made macarons. The last time I made them was more than a year ago at Le Cordon Bleu in London – we made macarons using two different methods. The first one involved use of a French meringue (egg whites+sugar), which is made by whipping egg whites while simultaneously adding castor […]
Chocolate Toffee Tarts
A buttery tart is a thing of beauty. It’s main task really is to hold the filling, be it ganache or the pastry cream with fruits. But every little while you come across a tart shell that’s tender, buttery and crumbly – the kind that makes you realise its presence, the kind that goes above […]
Apple Tarte Tatin
Anything baked with apples almost always has my attention. The apple upside down cake has become one of my go-to recipes for dinner parties and there’s nothing better than a chausson aux pommes from Poilâne, warm and flaky, buttery and comforting. Last week, I had a really good pear and apple crumble at La Cantine de […]
Brown Butter and Vanilla Madeleines
Working at a restaurant is fun. It’s back breaking and can get exhausting, but fun. I love handling meat and seafood, and enjoy the service hour rush. But then, I also love the time when we’ve cleaned up after lunch service and make salted Bordier butter kouign amann. It’s a bit of a see-saw when […]
Technique: How to clean a squid
I cleaned two buckets of squid at the restaurant, got squirted in the eye with its black ink, and to remember it all, drew a little step-by-step to show the process. I hope you find it useful!
Marché des Producteurs de Pays
Paris has a funny knack of exceeding your expectations over and over again. Each time I think I’m content with my local outdoor food market (last week’s highlight was discovering a farm stand that sells pear juice), the city surprises with something even better. And so, I fall head over heels in love with Paris […]
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
I like the idea of a carrot cake more than carrot cake itself. With the warmth of cinnamon, the healthfulness of walnuts and carrots, and the hue of rust-coloured leaves, it quite easily fits the bill for a comforting autumnal treat. It’s perfectly good baked in a loaf pan and sliced as needed, and becomes […]
Joël Thiébault: The French Market Gardener
There are so many markets in Paris, all of which are all very, very good and leave you in awe and filled with inspiration. And then there is Joël Thiébault.
WEEK 7-10: Life As A Culinary Student
The moment of truth - chef tasting the final result. Mine's the one in his left. I wrote a diligent report of my weeks at Le Cordon Bleu until Week 6, and then I stopped. I really wanted to continue, but committing to something or getting into a rhythm doesn’t come very easily to me […]
Tiles of Lisbon
When in Lisbon, you can’t help but marvel at the gorgeous tiles on the buildings wherever you go. I would stop every time I saw a pattern I liked, and snap a picture of it.
Jam Making
I made jam. A gorgeous, deep ruby red raspberry jam. The kind of ruby red you get only when you make it at home. I am not a big jam eater, so I never really venture into this territory. I do have a few books on canning and jam making, in the hope that one […]
TRAVEL: Eating in Lisbon
As soon as I completed the Intermediate Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu, Arjun and I left Paris for Lisbon. We wanted to spend a week on holiday, something that was overdue considering the city around us had shut down for the summer for the past 6 weeks. I’d wanted to visit Lisbon for a […]