I have been longing to cook something for my friends, family members & relatives, ever since I came to India for my vacation. Though I have been disappointed by the conduct of a couple of people, but at last, I took this stupendous task of cooking for 7 people. I got some ingredients from Dubai, specially frozen porcini mushrooms, frozen forest fruits, pecorino romano, grana padano, mascarpone—either not available in Calcutta or the price is sky high!!!!
For the first course, I prepared Risotto Al funghi—porcini risotto. It was excellent & my relatives, who didn’t have risotto in their life before, tasted it & I earned some compliments[see…people have now started pampering my ego…]. Yes, it was really creamy---thanks to mascarpone, which I popped in, instead of finishing off with cream.
Now, moving on to the main course, I was in a dilemma—fish??or meat???Well..if meat then options are endless, since I can’t serve beef[Hindus are not supposed to eat beef—don’t talk about me—I am just a blasphemer!!!] & mutton---then I will have to make a stew…not grilled or something..similarly, for pork, specially when swine flue has resurfaced in Kolkata. So the only option I was left with was chicken. Grilled chicken…simple & classy. Served with mashed potato & ratatouille. Samrat didn’t like the risotto much & said, “I like this better than the risotto”.Time for desserts…rounding off the meal with a sweet note. I prepared another Italian Classic—Panna cotta- [not latte panna cotta]. This is quite akin to the crème caramel—the difference is it is without eggs & no steaming!! Instead, it is stabilised with the help of gelatin, free of eggs….& I created my own version [or variation..whatever, you would like to call it]. I flavoured the Panna cotta[which means, cooked cream] with Bailey’s Irish cream liqeuer. Yes, it was nice—not the regular vanilla flavoured & I served it with forest fruits compote. Simple & Sexy—like me!!! ;)
Samrat liked it better than the main course—which I told him, before he had his share of desserts….
Yes, I cooked after 2 weeks…since during the vacation, I was reluctant to cook—rather rely on mom to cook whatever, she wants me to eat..seldom eating out…
I have some heavy cooking challenge coming in a day or two…in one it will be pure Indian meal..Mutton Biryani, for my aunt who has come down from California on vacation & loves to eat Mutton Biryani…& in other one, it will be for another aunt..who has been craving for my cooking…n for them..I have something special in mind…kinda fusion cuisine…Indian food ala Francaise…difficult to digest???Just watch out…
Recipes???send me mails…
Till then…
Buon Appetito!!
[Written on July 25th, 2010]
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