Toast to your Valentine! :-)

Yes, yes, We know! Love’s in the Air and all of us are grinning silly ; either thinking about your valentine or watching other people have silly smiles on the faces that they just can’t seem to wipe off

Anyways, we could not help but ask ourselves, so which would be the most romantic place in Bangalore to take your guy/girl out for a night to remember! There were quite a few options and we could not narrow it down to one. So here are the top 5 that we decided at Zoink, these are the places which is bound to bowl over your darling to fall in love you.. All over again!

In no particular order here are our picks…

1. Under the Mango Tree : Apart from the rustic romantic ambiance lend by the mango tree, they are also offering a five course meal. Starting it off is corn n chilly tangy broth followed by light  salads, smoked chicken and Waldorf. Then come the  high light of lobster raviolli in creamy wine sauce & sundried tomato pate (Ymmm!!!) and Hawaian cottage cheese with hot turkish salsa.

And also to set the mood are wines to complement and desserts for completing the indulgence! Priced at Rs 1200 per couple we think it’s a bargain! Call 22111112/3/4 or 9686601021 for making reservations.

2. Olive Beach*: Set smack in the middle of the city ( Near Brigade Road) is a tiny Mediterranean oasis off to which you can whisk away your sweetheart to whisper sweet nothings to. And no need to stay hungry while you gaze into her deep brown eyes, instead reward your other senses with dishes like Smoked salmon Tartare with Toasted Sesame Brioch or Pit roasted chicken with pomegranate glaze. Then both of you can feed each other bites of Pistachio crusted lamb tenderloin,Lobster tail ravioli with saffron butter or Tomato and red pepper risotto with provolone. Toast to your love with raspberry sorbet. All this for Rs 3000* per couple.

3. Ebony : They keep asking you to treat your angel to heavenly food among the clouds and we sure agree with them. The food is exquisite and the view 13 floors up, while not at cloud levels, is high enough for you to feel the high! This has been one of the all time favorite spots of Zoinkers and we are sure you’ll not be disappointed one bit!

4. Huckleberry *: ‘Cook for love’ is the theme all over here at this joint in Indra Nagar making the dinner a wee bit more personal and special. The treat is a 4 course dinner including wine pairing for each course and the dessert course can be made by you for your sweet heart ( with excellent assistance from chefs who know what they are doing even if you dont! ) Either ways, Valentine or not, their brick baked pizzas are beyond scrumptious and a must have for anyone who loves good food. You just cant go wrong here paying Rs 2400* per couple

5. The Lalit Ashok : This one just takes the cake – Moon lit garden with your own private tent and romantic dinner awaiting both of you inside. What could be more perfect?! They also give you the choice between Mediterranean and Indian cuisine. You can have a bottle of bubbly while gazing at the stars or better still, at each other! To book your private tent call 080 – 3052 7777 now!

Well, so what do you think of our picks? You know a secret hideout which is juust purrrfect for Valentine’s? Do share the secret with us!

* Book through PoshVine for these experiences!

Happy Chocolate Day!

It’s World Chocolate Day and we’re uber excited (not that we need a reason to have chocolate, but if you’re looking for some, then click here).  We’ve been shopping for all things chocolate and whipping up a storm in the kitchen. And we thought maybe you’d like to chocolate up your meals tonight too. Here are some Zoinkalicious! Recipes you’d love to make at home :

1. Tall, Dark and Handsome: 

Start off your meal with a chocolate liqueur drink which pairs very well with pretty much anything. Who doesn’t love a chocolate drink anyway?

Ingredients:

• 1 packet cocoa mix, for glass rim
• 2 shots vanilla vodka
• 1/2 shot coffee liqueur
• 1/2 shot chocolate liqueur

Method:

1. Wet rim of martini glass on a damp paper towel and dip into cocoa mix; set aside.
2. Add remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir and strain into martini glass.

2. Spinach Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

For vinaigrette:

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

For salad:

• 8 cups bagged baby spinach, washed
• 1 1/3 cups freshly diced mango
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. In a large bowl whisk together cocoa powder, sugar and vinaigrette. Add spinach and toss to coat.

2. Add mango, cranberries and walnuts. Toss together and transfer to a serving dish.

 

3. Chocolate Crostini with Sea Salt:

The biggest challenge with presenting this chocolate sea salt crostini recipe is getting people to stop thinking, “dessert,” and start thinking, “great special occasion savory snack.” For this to work as a savory bite, the chocolate must be very dark, bittersweet, and world-class.  Also, use only extra virgin oil to give it that perfect taste.

 

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces dark chocolate
• 1/4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 12 thin baguette slices, toasted
• medium-coarse sea salt

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate with the orange zest and olive oil in a small, heavy-bottom pot over ultra-low heat (if you’re a double boiler-lover, feel free to use one here), swirling it around occasionally.
2. Give it all a good stir once it’s super soft but not completely melted and take it off the heat.
3. Spread chocolate mixture on baguette slices and sprinkle with a generous pinch of sea salt.

 

4. Chicken in Chocolate Sauce: 

No, don’t wrinkle that face. Unsweetened cocoa powder with the sherry, spices and garlic glaze the chicken beautifully leaving you with an unforgettable taste in your mouth. The silkiness of the chocolate  combined with the  tenderness of the chicken is absolutely orgasmic.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken pieces, cut in strips
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 6 ounces dry sherry
• Salt and pepper
• Bay leaf
• Cloves, to taste
• Cinnamon, to taste
• Thyme, to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

1. Sprinkle chicken strips with spices. Add garlic and sherry and let marinate.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan and brown chicken pieces. Add onion and continue cooking over low heat.
3. Add marinade. Cook 20 minutes. Stir in cocoa. Cook 10 minutes. Remove chicken with slotted spoon. Reduce sauce, serve over chicken.

 

5. Super Gooey Chocolate Brownies:

Nobody can resist chocolate brownies, especially super gooey ones. The crispy choco base over the brownie and the gooey moist centre makes this for the perfect comfort dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 120 gms. unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour, or pancake mix
• 1/2 to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Method:

1. In a saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool 15-20 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into a well greased 9 x 12 inch pan.
2. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and cut into squares.
3. The brownies will solidify over time, to re-moisten, microwave for a few seconds and sprinkle over some icing sugar to serve

 

So these are our Chocolate based recipes this Chocolate Day. Try them and let us know how it goes!

Recipes Courtesy:

http://www.cooks.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://www.cdkitchen.com
http://www.nourishnetwork.com

Uncooking anyone?

We’ve all had our turns at the stove where everything we did messed up and stank from here to high heavens. And that’s about the time when either we wish we had not started this venture or we could, errr.. uncook it. And amazingly enough, someone has unlocked the key to ‘uncooking’. You heard me right, it’s ‘Uncooking’! And we have the fathers of fine dining, ie the French, to thank for. Well,  one French guy in particular called Hervé This.

A little about Hervé before we go on. Heard of Molecular Gastronomy?* Well, this is the physical chemist who, along with physicist Nicholas Kurti, came up with the concept. He breaks down the science of everyday cooking, thus discovering more efficient way of assembling a recipe. For example, it’s been an old debate among cooks, how to make  béchamel sauce ie white pasta sauce without lumps; whether to to add roux (cooked butter and flour) to milk or vice versa. Also whether the milk should be hot or cold. Turns out one of the polymers is not water soluble and another dissolves only in hot water. Dissolving starch in hot water creates a gel that makes lumps. The solution? Add the roux to cold milk. Who knew that the dreaded chemistry lab would help us make that perfect pasta!

Check out his CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY recipe. It has only chocolate and water with sugar optional! Now if that the not the shortest ingredient list you have seen for a mousse then I don’t know what you been making!!

INSTANT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (CHOCOLATE CHANTILLY)

As easy as Chocolate Chantilly?!

Recipe by Herve This & Heston Blumenthal

Ingredients

4 servings

• 9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 4 tbsp sugar, optional

Method

1. Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
2. Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
4. Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately.

And you can also flavor it with cinnamon or add a tablespoon of liquor like Grand Marnier, Chartreuse or Tia Maria. Just make sure the amount of liquid stays the same (subtract the amount of liquor from water). Or boil the water first, take off heat, place a couple of Earl Grey tea bags, let infuse and then use it as your liquid. You’ll have Earl Grey scented mousse in no time. Watch this video for finding out the perfect consistency from the man himself,Heston Blumenthal and he tells you why it works!(Applause!!)

Best part is that since it doesn’t lose it’s consistency it can be used as filling for cakes or any kinda bakes!

Anyways, got side track there, din’t we? Back to ‘uncooking’. We are not at a place where we can uncook that really complicated  ‘pate en croute’ yet, but we can start with the humble egg. And you can try this at home, just that it takes about ,say 3 hours! It’s just easier watching the video!

Check out how to uncook an egg:

Ps: ignore the last 5 secs.. have no idea why Chucky! :-/

Well, that’s a lot of new things you learned today! Let us know how you liked it!

* If you have not, then more on that in later posts!

5 Salads You’d Hate to Love! :)

“Me? Salad? No way!” – Yeah, we hear the same voice in our heads more than often too. But there are some salads that have somehow, appealed to our palates in more than one way. The crunchy textures, the tangy taste, the fatty dressings on the vegetables and crispy bacon in the salads – make us hate to love these salads. We’re sure you’d agree too

1. Cobb Salad 

This is a “composed” salad, meaning the ingredients are arranged on the salad as opposed to all being tossed together. Originally it was a way for the restaurant to simply use up leftovers, but it soon became the Brown Derby‘s most popular dish. 

Ingredients:

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 avocados, peeled and diced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Method:

1. Fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, and when cool enough to handle, crumble and set aside.
2. Arrange a bed of lettuce on the serving plates. Arrange the eggs, bacon, chicken, avocados, tomatoes, and Roquefort cheese in straight rows on top of the lettuce, covering the surface completely.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil whisking constantly to form the dressing. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad, and serve immediately.

2. Thai Beef Salad 

This gourmet version of Thai beef salad is full of the authentic flavours of Asia. It has the succulence of the beef, the crunchiness of the peanuts, the heat from the chillies and the sweet tang from the sugar. Not to be missed!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch coriander 3cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 long red chillies, seeded, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 lemons, zested, juiced
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 55g (1/4 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 700g beef sirloin, cut into 1cm x 4cm strips
• 80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil quick
• 1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mint leaves
• Chopped roasted peanuts and cooked rice stick noodles (optional), to serve

Method:

1. To make nam jim, trim roots from coriander and rinse well. Pick leaves and reserve. Process coriander roots, ginger, garlic, half the chillies, lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and brown sugar in a food processor until well combined and finely chopped.
2. Combine half the nam jim with beef in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.
3. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large wok over high heat. Add half the beef mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until beef is browned and just cooked through. Remove from wok and repeat with the remaining 2 tbs oil and beef mixture.
4. Place onion, cucumber, reserved coriander leaves, mint, remaining chillies, beef mixture and remaining nam jim in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with peanuts and serve with rice stick noodles, if using.

Note:

• Nam jim is a chilli-based Thai dressing with a balance of spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavours. Allow 30 minutes

Tip: Allow 50g dried rice stick noodles per person. To cook the noodles, place in a heatproof bowl, cover with hot water and stand for 10 minutes. Drain, then toss with 1 tbs sesame oil.

3. Potato and Asparagus Salad 

Potatoes are always a crowd favourite, no matter where you go. This salad has our favourite vegetable tossed in with creamy mayonnaise and herbs that are a delightful play on your tastebuds. With the goodness of asparagus, and spikes of herbs, this salad is an easy way for you to impress your friends too!

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes, peeled, halved
• 2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 1/2 cup (150g) whole egg mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Cover the potatoes with cold water and boil for 15 minutes over high heat or until just tender when tested with a skewer. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus spears in boiling water then plunge into iced water. Drain and set aside.
3. To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onions and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
4. To serve, arrange the potato and asparagus on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the mayonnaise dressing. Serves 6.

4. Cha-cha Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is so full of surprises and tang that it really is a Cha-Cha Chicken salad. You’ll love this salad if you love the delicious sweet-savoury combination in salads. The flavour of the cooked chicken in enhanced with the sweetness of the pineapple and cranberries. While the cranberries won’t be available in local markets, you can pick them up from the gourmet supermarkets like Nature’s Basket, Gourmet, Sorbet and sometimes Namdhari’s Fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple
• 2/3 cup orange-flavored sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped roasted, salted almonds
• Garnishes: fresh herbs, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches

Method:

1. Whisk together cream cheese and mayonnaise, curry powder and salt in a large bowl; stir in chicken, pineapple, and cranberries just until blended.

2. If desired, spoon mixture into a plastic wrap-lined 8-inch round cake pan; cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Invert chicken salad onto a cake stand, and remove plastic wrap. Gently press chopped almonds onto sides of chicken salad. Garnish with berries.

5. Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad

A cumin-lime vinaigrette spiked with a tiny amount of tequila adds a little something extra to this gorgeous grilled salad of peaches and fresh mozzarella cheese. As the seasons change, consider substituting heirloom tomatoes, plums, and other soft fruits for the peaches (traditional peaches work better in this dish than white peaches, which have more sugar and water and don’t hold up as well on the grill).

Ingredients:

• 5 peaches (not white)
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tequila (optional)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 (6-oz.) package watercress or baby arugula, thoroughly washed (or any other salad leaves)
• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 16 (1/4-inch) slices
• Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

Method:

1. Peel and chop 1 peach. Cut remaining 4 peaches into 28 (1/4-inch-thick) rounds, cutting through stem and bottom ends. (Cut peaches inward from sides, cutting each side just until you reach the pit. Discard pits.)

2. Process chopped peach, green onions, cilantro, honey, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, chilli powder, and, if desired, tequila in a food processor 10 to 15 seconds or until smooth. Add oil, and pulse 3 to 4 times or until thoroughly combined.

3. Coat cold cooking grate of grill with some oil, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Brush both sides of peach rounds with 1/3 cup peach dressing.

4. Grill peach rounds, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.

5. Arrange watercress evenly on 4 plates. Alternately layer 4 grilled peach rounds and 4 cheese slices over watercress on each plate. Top each with 3 more peach rounds. Drizzle with remaining peach dressing. Garnish, if desired.

And, those are top 5 Zoink! salads you’d hate to love. We’re sure you have many more on your list. Do share them with us, and leave your comments below!

Recipes Courtesy:

http://www.myrecipes.com

http://www.taste.com

http://www.americanfood.com

The Joys of Comfort Food!

You know when you have those bad days and you feel Murphy is stalking you and you really feel like banging your head somewhere? Happens to us too. Imagine after that awful day, you seat yourself amidst the warm interiors of your home and bite into some wholesome goodness of food that brings back sweet childhood memories and takes you to your ‘happy place’. Your happy place. And this Zoink! post is going to be just about that – truly loved comfort food.

With everyone being busy to finish work by year-end deadlines, targets to be met, plenty of gifts to be bought and lots of crazy family togethers to attend, we figured that a reminder on the simple comfort food you like will put the cheer right back in you this holiday!

P.S. These foods are in a random order, so there is no ranking here.

Yummy Parathas!

1. Parathas:

This love affair began for us when we were children and volunteered for child labour in the kitchen and happily flattened out those dough balls (while we stole some to make our own dough models). Delicious Parathas stuffed with onion/potatoes/cauliflower/fenugreek topped with that blob of ghee make us very happy, even now.

Bless your soul, Maggi Noodles!

2.  Maggi:

Nothing speaks comfort food to Indians than hot and delicious Maggi. This nationwide loved dish is immensely popular and  has more than a thousand variations among many homes, and is the one dish many find solace in. Maggi with cheese, with chillies and capsicum, with corn and paneer, with chicken strips and tofu, with butter and sweet and sour pickle – the list is endless. And so is our appetite for Maggi. It remains the number one comfort food for many of us till date.

Creamy delicious mashed potatoes!

3. Mashed Potatoes:

You know that creamy consistency of starchy delicious potatoes that you would just ball up in your mouth when you were in the kitchen with your Mum? We remember it too. Those hot potatoes mashed up nicely, smoothened out with heaps of butter, cream and milk, and a pinch of nutmeg, to give it that immaculate flavour. Somehow, no dinner was complete without this.

Mom's hot, comforting Chicken Soup!

4. Hot Chicken Soup:

Mum’s perfect cure for you when you were sick, and something you’ve never outgrown. Drinking the perfect, well seasoned hot chicken soup takes us back to those childhood days when we were sick, cuddled up in bed, and Mom would walk in with a large bowl of her cure-it-all soup and nurture us with plenty of TLC. And we want all of that TLC again. Hence, there will always be a special place that chicken soup occupies in our hearts.

Rajma Chawal

5. Rajma Chawal

For a lot of the North Indians, Rajma Chawal is what speaks of home. The aroma of this rajma with all of those special masalas conjure up a sort of a Homecoming dance by many North Indians, who appear to look deeply languished, but ready to fall in love again. Somehow one bite of this delicious red rajma gravy with that semi-burnt spicy Bhindi makes us agree wholeheartedly.

Curd Rice with Pickle!

6. Curd Rice:

This is the South Indian equivalent of the Rajma Chawal. As children, many were allowed to skip whole meals as long as they downed curd rice. It’s a part of the meal that is considered indispensable to most South Indians, as it was what their mothers fondly fed it to them narrating all these animated fun stories and assuring them that they’ll all be ‘heroes’ some day We still spot many curious customers at restaurants who stare at that larger than life European/Indian/Chinese buffet and grin when they find their precious curd rice and run to it like gleeful Rugrats.

And that, is Zoink!’s comfort food that makes us happy. Sure, with a country as large as ours (read: subcontinent) there are going to be more than a hundred different types of comfort foods that appeals to all of our readers. And we can’t wait to hear them all from you. Do leave your comments below! J

And, wish you all a happy and Zoinktastic! New year!