Adoniya 3 tiered wedding cake workshop.

My first 3 tiered wedding cake workshop 

I didn't want to miss the opportunity of making my first ever wedding cake under the able guidance of one of Chennai's most sort after and prolific bakers(Maaria Kulsum of Adoniya fame,a self taught hard working baker,whom I have known personally for the past couple of years)The class was well organised,few students,which surprised me,but understood along the way as we were given undivided attention and guidance through out the class.The class was held for two days,on the first day we were taught how to make gum paste flowers and peony.For me a it was a wonderful moment as I got to create flowers so beautiful and bright.The following day we learnt to torte,crumb coat and decorate our cakes.Two harrowing days of back to back hard work and Miss Maaria pushing us till we got everything right.The final product had me gasping for breath,not only at its sheer beauty,but that I could have made this as well.

To be honest,I had injured myself a couple of days before the class was to begin, and was wondering if I would ever make it through.Well I did attend and came back with one major observation which completely blew my mind and changed my views on baking.

Like most chefs/cooks,I would think that baking like cooking would literally be a cake walk,but was in for a rude shock at the amount of time it takes to make and decorate just one wedding cake.Miss Maaria(I love to call her that) was there to guide,coax,cajole and just get the best out of us.(Well I had her even yell at me)..

 I came back from the class with a new found respect for all bakers throughout the world.You guys are the best...the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into the final product which just starts off as flour,eggs and butter is just  overwhelming.Nothing you can do or say will ever diminish my respect for all bakers.

So to those who are reading this,my sincere request to you is please DON'T argue,haggle or bargain at the price you are asked to pay.I have personally observed that it takes a long time, hard work and dedication to create your beautiful cake.You can bake a cake anytime but to turn it into a masterpiece takes a lot of creativity and a sense of beauty.Do keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and is not meant to be offensive or argumentative to people who think otherwise...

I have many other bakers as my friends too,please do accept my respect for all the good work you do...Keep baking you lovely people and may your clan grow forever and ever !!!

https://www.facebook.com/Adoniyachennai

Namma Veetu Sappadu

From my home to yours !!!

There is such a wonderful community feel about the food you receive from the relatively newly opened "food takeaway restaurant" Namma Veetu Sappadu,that its hard to forget even after so many days.

Part of  Chennai Food Guide showcase,we were invited to sample a complete sea food meal.The online take away restaurant has many dishes to offer.A combo meal veg/non veg options- innumerable.But just to give you a bit of info on the food we received that day-hearty,warming and oh so delicious.We were offered an entire sea food platter,starting with a tantalising whole fish head curry,a pretty large head which I got to share with a friend who loves this as much as I do.I always feel that the head and the tail of any fish holds the maximum flavour...well its my personal choice but I know a few who balk at the idea.
Since it was a total viral fish display,we had it fried as well,good flavouring of Indian spices and fried to perfection,what I mean is that it wasn't over fried at all,but just right.

We had a masala fried prawns along with a prawn cutlet which was sneakily stuffed into a,what I presume is a fish patty.Both delicious and full of flavours. The prawns I personally felt could have been less cooked,as it tends to get hard with prolonged cooking.

Well I must mention that the food was delicious,full of flavours and gives you the feeling of home cooked food sans the `restauranty`flavour.I was so glad to have dishes that were not over burdened with spices,ever so often when its south Indian specialties,I find restaurants go overboard with their spices and liberally dose with a smacking of chillie and oil.You wont find that here..the food seemed like it was being cooked by a responsible chef who cared enough to make the food seem like it was cooked for the family.
Did I forget to mention the podimas or the smashed fish fry,this one was one of my favourites. Extremely tasty and a must try for all sea food lovers !!
My overall experince with Namma Vettu Sappadu was that the food was prepared with a lot of care and thought,delicious (yes I know i`ve used this word pretty often) and fresh as can be.I was told that the freshness is one of their key aspects as they prepare dishes only after the orders are placed.
It takes a lot of hard work and patience to prepare this kind of food,I wish NVM the best and hope they keep up with their quality.

Check out their page :https://www.facebook.com/nammaveetusaapadu

Foodology

This place has got to get the award for being the first of its kind in Chennai. Introducing Foodology to all,its the place to be,to learn to cook at your very own stations,with beautiful interiors and a wonderful chef to teach you through all the way.Well that's just the gist of it,so do allow me to walk you through what Foodology is all about.
The brainchild of an IT professional who still moonlights at her job,Foodology was started by Shree Periakarrupan for the sheer joy of cooking,teaching and food.A complete floor of an old home,has been converted into a full fledged 12 station kitchen.This is a place where you come to learn how to cook,enjoy the whole process and get to eat the fruits of your labour. There are 12 stations complete with induction stoves,pots and pans of every kind.The prep table is fully equipped with functional cutlery,boards,knives etc.You have an attentive staff ready to help you clear up your stations as well.

A bunch of us were invited to try our hand out at cooking up a meal closely instructed,supervised and monitored by Shree. We were taught Thai cuisine and Shree made the whole experience so delightful.We started with a delicious Green Colada drink,refreshing and crisp moved on to a spicy chicken galangal coconut soup.

The main course item taught was the Thai Green Curry Chicken,simple and an absolute delight to make.
For Dessert we had the Thai fried pineapple,another treasure from Shrees plethora of recipes.I must mention that Shree was the perfect instructor,guiding us at every step and leaving us with many important snippets along the way.

Post cooking,it was the time to enjoy the fruits of our labour. We had a long beautiful table all to ourselves and amidst laughter and cheer,we had a good meal.

For those of you who want to learn cooking and enjoy the process,do head over to Foodology. They are located at a convenient location at Adyar Chennai.They conduct cookery classes for Children,adults and couples as well.
For more information on their classes do check out their page.foodology.in

Some of the pictures are taken by my friend Karan,do check out his page as well.
facebook.com/KaysLT
Also a dear friend has written a post on foodology,you can check that out here.
http://aromasofkitchens.blogspot.in/2014/05/foodology-chennai.html

Moon and Sixpence

Located between two well recognised  hotels from the city of Chennai,( The Le Meridian and the relatively new ITC Grand Chola) rises The Hablis like a proverbial phoenix, right in the midst of the hustling and bustling GST road.

The Hablis is a new hotel to blossom on the ever-growing hospitality segment, what with the burgeoning population of the IT crowd. This important section of society has prompted the need for more and more hotels and has eventually led to the expansion of Chennai.

Invited for a Chennai Food Guide showcase to be held at the hotel premises and to check out the new Irish pub, Moon and sixpence (named after the novel of the same name by the famous British author Somerset Maugham) a group of bloggers/photographers and avid food connoisseurs, descended on the place with as much gusto and cheer as a cheering squad.

Well having never visited Ireland or ever had Irish coffee, and with a clichéd notion of all Irishmen and women are red heads with green eyes, I wondered how my evening would turn out. For one, my notion was corrected when we met a few Irish people who cleared my doubts, that it’s a myth and not as above. To say that the pub was right out of novels and books that I have read during my college days would be clearly an understatement. Wooden flooring, the deep smell of rich coffee, the old Irish sayings hanging on the wall, kind of transports you to another space and another time.

The pub is located on the first floor of the hotel. The lift leads you right into the passage lined with portraits of old Ireland and old Irish sayings. Further on it leads to a comfortable lounge with plush sofas, bar stools and a fully stacked bar. The bar,I was informed was very well equipped with all kinds of alcohol suited for any occasion or palette. Strangely enough,I was informed that children were allowed entry to the pub.

Further in there is a larger seating area, some cordoned off into cubicles with a DJ station and a make shift dance floor.A clear demarcated space is available for smokers at the far end of the pub.The pub,I was told can seat and hold close to 240 at any given time.Well,I must say, that's a big pub. 

The ambiance is by far what would draw crowds to this place, its subdued lighting, quaint tables and chairs and the softened music (probably for us I guess) is just brilliant.

As it was a CFG showcase and what was close to us as a group is food, let me begin by saying I have never had Irish food or for that matter been to an Irish pub,as such would be the last one to judge its food. However I know good food from bad and this food was excellent, well plated, fresh and absolutely delicious. The food started in sequence from the soups, starters to the main course and desserts; it was an endless sampling of just good food.Priced at an average of 450-500 per dish,each ones as spectacular as the next one. Don't just go there for a pub experience,but go as well for the quality of food and the visual splendor that the club is. 

The Moon and Sixpence, to my knowledge is going to be the next new revolution in the pub scenario. It has huge success written all over it and could be just the change Chennai has been waiting for.

So those of you, wanting a change in the pub atmosphere, do head over to The Moon and Sixpence, I am most certain you will enjoy your time there.

The pictures are courtesy good friend Roshan Kuruvilla Thomas...thanks Rosh.

Thanks to Karan as well.

http://chennaifoodguide.in/

 http://www.hablis.com/dining.html