Pratima Foi’s Dakkho (A slowly simmered Vegetable stew enriched with pulses and Legumes)

 

This is a recipe for the dish I took to the Mumbai Food Bloggers Terra Madre Day Potluck celebrations on Saturday night. Dakkho, is a stew of almost 40 ingredients. I have inherited this recipe from my Bua (Maternal Aunt) Pratima Parikh and it is one that is close to my heart because it has so many memories attached. My father loved this dish and whenever my Foi visited, Dakkho would be on the menu at least once. We’d got to the market to buy the vegetables, in fact I even went with dad to do that once! And then the vegetables would be piled on the large dining table and everyone would congregate around to help cut everything up or just chat over endless cups of chai supplied by our long suffering maharaj, who would then cook up a HUGE cauldron of it. We would sit down to eat bowlfuls of it. It was also ideal for Terra Madre Day because it uses all of the vegetables and leafy greens available in this season. (This recipe uses 3 pulses and legumes but I actually used handfuls of all the dals I had in my kitchen). I ate this for the next three days and even after it was over, I could have done with more. The husband made adorable mini Paos to go with it. Make it and bless my foi for keeping it alive and passing it on to me!

Serves: 8-12; Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

25 g black eyed beans
100g tur dal
100g chana dal
25 g potatoes
25 g cauliflower
25 g cabbage
25 g tindola
25 g okra
25 g peas
25 g carrot
25 g French beans
25 g chowli
25 g eggplant
25 g white gourd
25 g parval
25 g karela
25 g kankola
25 g suran
25 g sweet Potato
25 g cucumber
25 g papdi
25 g mooli
25 g turiya
25 g green tur dana
25 g rataloo
50g red amaranth leaves
50g  spinach
40g colocasia Leaves (More if small)
50g small bunch of dill
50g coriander leaves
50g mooli leaves
50 g karonda
50g green onions
75g onions
30g whole bulb garlic
15g ball of tamarind the size of a lime
lemon juice to taste
salt to taste
½ tsp each mustard seeds, cumin and anise
1 tbsp ginger paste
3-4 green chillies

1/3 cup each oil and ghee
 

Method:

In a large saucepan, heat 1/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup ghee. Add mustard, cumin, anise, onion and garlic. When the onion turns golden, add ginger paste, dal, all the vegetables and chillies; mix well and allow to come to the boil. Lower flame and simmer until everything is cooked. Stir in the tamarind and lemon juice. Serve steaming hot with rice or pav.

Light and uplifting Buttered Vegetable Soup

Chop all your vegetables into really fine dice.

I was prepping for my Beginners cooking class at Le !5 Patisserie's Central kitchen last Sunday when Pooja, the owner came in to have a chat. She was feeling a little ill with a tummy upset but was hungry so I said I would make her a quick vegetable soup since I had everything I needed ready for it. When my son was a toddler, I made it a rule to feed him head of time. I would then have him 'join' us for dinner, giving him a few of the cooked vegetables from this soup-something easy to eat by himself. (At that age kids love doing things on their own and this colourful mix was something that would keep him busy) It also exposed him to a variety of vegetables. Its stayed with me as my 'go to' soup when we want something light and nutritious. I came home and made it all over again last night  along with a chicken stirfry and salad. Simple flavours, quickly done.You are welcome to vary your selection of vegetables as you want. Keep in mind however that root vegetables lend themselves to slow cooking but delicate vegetables like capsicum and broccoli take mere seconds.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
a few spices- bay leaf, peppercorn whatever you feel is appropriate
1 tbsp each chopped garlic and grated ginger

1/2 cup peas (optional)
1/2 cup french beans, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup boiled potatoes, diced
5-6 cups water or stock.
1/2 tsp butter

Salt to taste
Herbs to garnish (Coriander, Parsley or Chives/spring onions)
Method
Heat olive oil or butter and add the vegetables saute on a low flame till tender and almost cooked. Add a stock cube and water or stock and bring to a boil. Simmer untill vegetables are cooked and stir in butter and adjust salt. Garnish with herbs and serve.

My mise en place - u can also add a little pasta to the soup after the water boils.

Heat oil or butter and add spices of choice.

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Serve garnished with chopped herbs.

Why don’t you… Stock up for the festive season!

So after I filed the book - which I would like to say for the last time, but like a child not wanting to leave its parent, it keeps coming back- I was staring at my computer for the 5^th day in a row, attempting a sixth rewrite on a blogpost (thank God for computers and the delete key or I would have made a serious dent in the environment by chucking wads of paper into the bin!) I wailed out loud to my husband looking for direction. 10 years of knowing me have stood him in good stead however because, without missing a beat he said “You  know how we always say that quickly prepared dishes sometimes turn out better than the most elaborately prepared recipes? Maybe you are just trying too hard.”

Maybe I was… There is so much similarity between writing and cooking. Both are activities that come easily to some, who seem to have thrive in the kitchen, but are harder for others who have to keep at it. And the best writers and the finest cooks have probably had that moment when all the elements are present in a piece of writing or a dish and yet it lacks that one element that will take it from just plain good to superlative. And in both cases, there comes a point when one should just let things happen by themselves. Let the chemistry happen as they say. So until something more appetizing comes along I thought I would share some kitchen basics that are routine for me.

I have made it routine to spend a couple of hours on weekends stocking up on essential base preparations. That way there is always something in the refrigerator to fall back on if I don’t want to do a meal from scratch or help doesn’t turn up. It also allows one to quickly put together dishes for impromptu guests, a regular feature in the coming festive season. And they also offer a light option for days when we OD on those Festive sweets and savouries. Here are two tried and tested recipes for things I like to keep handy. 

 

 

Good Homemade Stock is VERY handy. As I say in all my cooking classes and demos, adding stock to a dish that asks for “water or stock” is a better choice rather than water because the stock brings its own flavour to the dish as opposed to water which dilutes the flavours of a dish. Stock is essentially flavored liquid. Besides dedicated recipes, stocks an be used to; thin out curries, sauces and gravies, add flavour to rice, pasta or any grain that needs to be boiled adding marvelous flavor, 'saute' in use the same amount of liquid as oil required in the recipe carefully watching because stock evaporates while oil doesn't and to make gravies for dishes and pasta sauces.

I used to shy away from commercial Indian stock cubes because they contain MSG but organic stock is now easily found as is my favourite Massels stock cubes. These cubes work in a pinch so they are good to have on hand but I usually have a pot of spicy stock bubbling away on the back burner as I sort through other veges on market day. 

Vegetarian stock - Coarsely chop vegetables ½ kg celery, 750g onions, ½ kg carrot, ½ kg capsicum, 25 g turnip and place in a 5 litre pot add 25g crushed garlic, 3 whole cloves, 1 bay leaf, 6 whole peppercorns, 60 g coriander, a few green chillies (as spicy as you want), 1 inch piece ginger crushed and if handy a full bulb of lemon grass crushed with the leaves. Cover all of this with cold water (upto 5 l) and bring to a full boil, then reduce to simmer and cook uncovered until liquid is reduced to half. For a chicken version add two packets of soup bones - available from Godrej and one whole chicken curry cut. When done, use cooked chicken meat in a chicken salad or sandwiches and discard bones. Strain, divide into a couple of muffin trays and freeze. Unmould resulting blocks of frozen stock and place in a zip-lock. This will allow you to use as many as you need at a meal. The leftover vegetables need not be discarded pick out the spices and lemongrass, whiz in the mixer, season add a little cream and have as a cream of vegetable soup!

And here is an idea for a quick weekday meal I put together with stock. Take 1 chicken breast and 400 ml stock (per diner). Poach chicken in stock for 12-15 mins, strain out and set aside. Add 80 gms noodles per diner to the boiling stock and while they are cooking slice chicken breasts and dress in 2 tsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp sesame oil, ½ cup each of green onion and coriander chopped fine and allow to stand. When noodles are done, divide into individual bowls per diner, top with 1 sliced chicken breast each, divide leftover stock into each bowl and serve with dressing spooned over. Lemon wedges, sliced green chillies, fried onions and chilli oil on the side allow everyone to tweak individual servings to taste. 

Here is a tried and true pasta sauce that I always have handy. It also has tons of vegetables camouflaged into it so kids get their quota of veggies.

Whizz 3 green chillies, 1 inch piece of ginger, ½ cup garlic, 1 cup each of chopped green onion, capsicum, coriander and celery stalks and all in the mixer to a fine paste. Heat 1 cup oil in a large pot and add this mix in. Cook until oil rises to the top and moisture is dried out. Add 2 cups finely chopped onions and cook till they begin to brown. Add 2 cups each of grated carrot, cabbage and cauliflower and cook till moisture is dried out of vegetables. Blitz 2 kgs tomatoes in the microwave or blanch in water, puree in mixer strain and add to cooking sauce. Cook till water is dried out and oil rises to the top. Season with salt and pepper. This sauce refrigerates well for a week – if it lasts that long.

For pasta heat up ½ cup sauce per person thin out with 200 ml stock, add 80 gms cooked pasta and heat through. Eat as is or topped with cheese. You could add 200 gms sautéed  chicke to the pasta. Besides using it for pasta I use it as a handy sandwich spread or dip as it is or with a little cheese mashed in, in place of pizza puree, to thin into soup with stock, to sauté chicken in, add boiled potatoes or cooked dal and garam masalla for a quick subzi.

Have a happy healthy and safe Diwali !

Asian Coleslaw

 

Asian coleslaw (Serves 4-6, time 20 mins)
Cabbage, has to be one of the most underestimated vegetables we have in the Indian kitchen. But as the foundation of this Asian style coleslaw it gets a delicious new leasse on life. Make ahead of time (it only gets better the next day) just add bean sprouts, onions and garnish before immediately prior to serving. Add spicy cooked prawns, chicken, tofu of mushrooms for a full meal in a bowl.

For the Dressing
½ c natural vinegar
¼ c honey
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp grated gingerroot
1 tbsp finely chopped chilies
½ tsp chili sauce

For the Salad
½ head cabbage, grated/shredded
½ head red cabbage, grated
1 cup assorted vegetables sliced into matchsticks (carrot, babycorn,
French beans)
½ cup assorted peppers sliced thinly
1 pkt bean sprouts
1/3 c chopped green onions
For garnish
½ c herbs, (coriander, basil and mint) finely sliced into chiffonade
½ cup toasted peanuts crushed coarsely
½ cup toasted sesame

Method:
For the dressing, Put everything into a small screwtop jar and shake well.
Leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge.


To make the salad; Combine cabbage, vegetables and capsicum in a large bowl. Add
dressing and toss well. Refrigerate. When ready to serve add bean sprouts, green onions and toss well. Garnish and serve.

Add a little Zest to your life!

I met Matt Preston from the fabulous TV show Master Chef Australia for lunch on his recent trip toi Mumbai and wanted to bring him a gift. Knowing that he loves limes and Sea Salt, I decided to create ‘A Perfect Bite’ of a Marmalade in his honour. And in a bold move I decided to intensify its citrus flavour by replacing the water marmalade recipes usually call for with citrus juice. Which meant. a lot of citrus to be juiced. Which ALSO meant my favourite ingredient in abundance - Citrus Zest.

Ever since I discovered Zest there has been no turning back! It all began I discovered a little magic wand, the Citrus Zester. It looks like a retarded back scratcher but is a nifty tool that harvests fine curls of the aromatic upper layer of skin from any citrus fruit, cleanly, in large proportions, without scraped knuckles and /or bitter pith! Now that I have clued in on it, I am hard put not to Zest Citrus. I add a bit of zest even if a recipe calls for juice only, it underscores the citrus flavor and announces the presence of citrus both visually and texturally.

We all use citrus juice, especially lime or lemon juice, its an important ingredient in cooking, with its ability to uplift even the most dismal dish. But it tends to be a one-note wonder adding sourness and flavour from whatever little oils of the skin make it into a dish.

Their most aromatic attribute – the skin – is relegated to soap dish to sparkle vessels with or discarded, taking the best of the fruit with it. The rind or peel of Citrus are the part of the fruit packed with maximum flavour thanks to volatile aromatic oils found in them, rich with floral, tangy tones against a background of slight, sophisticated bitterness. They are also incredibly rich in valuable phytonutrients and vitamin C which makes them ideal to help the body absorb the iron and protein in dishes they are added to. In fact I have even taken to adding zest, to my Dal tadkas. Yes you read right I put zest in a Dal Tadka! Orange Zest in Masoor dal and Kafir lime in Mung dal tadkas! 

Zest is very inportant in my CitruTzar masala.

Ironically, Indian cuisine just has not tapped the potential of citrus zest. Considering the sheer amount of time we’ve been squeezing Citrus for juice ! (limes originated in the Assam region of India). Having had them around for so long, you’d think we'd have discovered its Zest. It's even more tragic when one takes into account the fragrant varieties we have to our disposal in India; Uttaranchali Kagzi or Bada Nimbu, Gul Guls in Delhi, Bengali Gandharaj and Narthankai from South India. 

Zest can be scraped off with a zester but failing the possession of one the finest end of your grater will do. In my zester deprived days I preferred a sharp potato peeler. Peel of the thinnest outer layer, in large strips avoiding the pith or the white bit right underneath and chop up smaller. The outermost, coloured part of the peel is what you want. Aptly called zest, this bit of the fruit lives up to its name in what it brings to a dish. Zest can be scraped off with a zester but failing the possession of one the finest end of your grater will do. In my zester deprived days I prefered a sharp potato peeler. I'd peel of the thinnest outer layer, in large strips avoiding the pith or the white bit right underneath.

Mince fresh Zest, along with other fresh herbs/spices so ils can blend.

All citrus fruits can be zested, lemons are most popular but Mosambis and Oranges - especially Malta Oranges offer intensely fruity aromas. Even Grapefruit yields wonderfully complex zest. Vivid colors are usually, but not always, an indication of flavorful zest; in the case of our own nimbus, the greenest ones offer best Zest, not the yellow ones, which are dried out somewhat. (Also Lime zest loses some of its kick when cooked so be more generous with it) but when added fresh to a Nimbu or Kala khatta gola, it can't be beaten!

Dried Citrus peel sold as tea in Itanbul's Spice market.

When choosing fruit for zesting look for firm fruit with clear glossy skins, nick the peel of fruit you're considering to release the volatile oils in the skin. It should have a bright sharp wonderful bouquet. If it’s dull, skip it and pick another. Wash fruit well before zesting and zest just before using because the volatile oils are strongest then. It's much easier to zest a whole fruit so zest prior to juicing.

Here are a few ideas for using Zest :- 

If you do not have any time just put Zest into an open mouthed jar and top with olive oil. In a few days you will have a wonderfully aromatic citrus oil that can be added to salad, drizzled over soups or used anywhere that it will not be heated up. (Heat will kill its flavour).  

Another easy way to preserve zest that I discovered while making Matt’s Marmalade, is as Citrus Finishing Salt. It makes a lovely condiment just combine 1portion Citrus Zest with 1 ½-2 portions sea salt. Its an AWESOME condiment to finish anything from Nimbu Paani to soups, salads, stirfries, just about anything that calls for a little salt leaving a hauntingly zingy flavour in its wake. Fold it into Mayonnaise in place of regular salt for a citrusy dressing for chicken or salad.  I have used the Citrus finishing salt to season both Spinach and Pak Choy with delicious results. I also loved it with blanched vegetables. 

You can also make Citrus sugar, lemon sugar in particular, zest a lemon into fine sugar, mix well and pour into a container. Zesting releases the natural oils of the lemon and those oils absorb quickly into the sugar. Sallow mixture to dry then close bottle. Refresh as you use by adding regular sugar and or zest and stirring great in tea and lemonade, its great for rimming glasses for cocktails, topping brulees and stirring into desserts. Apologies, I do not have a picture for the sugar currantly, but to compensate please click through here to read my fellow food blogger Saee's FABULOUS POST ON ORENGETTE COFFEE CAKE TO DIE FOR! 

Links and GYAN

My column on Zest in HT, My story on Tadkas for Crest

And if you fancy winning packets of my Anna Rascalla and Citrus Tzar spice blends! Click through here to see what you need to do! 

Shooting pictures for my book - Memorable moments

That perfect moment!

My HT Column this month was inspired by Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara. In it I said that everyone has a retirement plan, including me. But losing someone I loved last year taught me that there are no guarantees. There are no guarantees that our retirement plan will synchronize with fate’s designs for us. So in line with the thoughts of that column I want to share with you another life’s experience. If you have a recipe of your moms you have always meant to write down or a dish your grandmother cooks that you have wanted to learn, do it, NOW, don’t push it off to another day.

My words came home to me a few days later while I was shooting the pictures for my book. My Mumbai Cookbook is a memoir though which I explore the cook I am today. It travels through my culinary journey from childhood to today. Writing a book, especially the kind of book I am writing is a journey. And like all journeys, each step you take, changes you. You break into guffaws at 4 in the morning when you write a funny line, you melt into tears in the middle of the day when a sad memory leaves translates into words on your screen. By the time you are done, you feel like you have given birth and in a way you have because writing a book is just like having a baby only more drawn out.  

I thought I was done with the emotional upheavals of the journey when I completed the writing of the manuscript. I was wrong. Last week I had the most memorable two moments of my book writing journey.

On the first day of shooting, I shot for the chapter on my Nani. We loved going to Nani's house as children. "Nanis" (maternal grandmothers) are an institution in India. In part I think this has to do with the fact that we live with our "Dadi" (paternal grandmothers) whereas we go on short visits to our Nani. Visits usually filled with indulgence, love and very little disciplining, (unless we did something really bad!). It was no different for me where my Nani was concerned. My Nani is also a phenomenal cook who taught herself modern ‘English’ cooking and I feel that I inherited my sense of culinary adventure from her. Today, when I taste a dish and figure out what has gone into it just by tasting it and then recreate it from instinct I have her to thank for it.

She has also been terrible ill off late and the day of the shoot would be trying for her. So I had planned to have her teach me how to make a signature recipe of she learnt from her mother. Teliya Bataka. This is kind of an instant pickle in which mustard is rubbed with water until it is frothy and smelling pungent. Cooked potatoes are then added to the mix along with oil, turmeric and salt. A simple recipe but as Nani guided my hands, with her fragile but strong grip, my mother sitting on the other side, a sudden silence seemed to decend on the room and the light seemed to change. All of a sudden, Mrigank, started clicking away furiously, mumbling yes, yes, perfect! A minute or so later he was done and I got the most perfect shots with my grandmother ever! I will never forget the feeling of Nani’s hand on mine, her instructions in my ear, the grainy wet mustard against my fingers, the cold steel of the plate and the pungent smell rising to my nose.

My mother always said that I should do my best and leave the rest to God. It is advice I have followed diligently in every task I have undertaken. I do think God was looking down on us in that moment...

The other memorable moment took place on the last day of the shoot, we were shooting the last shot of the day. A Spinach soup that was my fathers favourite dish made by me. It was one of the things I used to make in my early days of cooking exploration. His last words to me before he died were about how much he loved that soup. I had made it once when I was stuck writing the chapter on him. But I could not bring myself to serve it up and used it to make Palak Paneer instead.

The day of the shoot I remember pushing it to the end of the shoot anticipating it would be the HARDEST to shot to style, after all it is nothing but a bowl of dark green liquid. But it wasn’t! In seconds Mrigank had the angle and light he wanted and called me to garnish it. And the cream slid off the spoon and onto the bowl in so perfect a swirl I had to tease it with a toothpick to make it look natural. As I placed slivers of onion on with a tweezer as a final touch, my hand didn’t shake for even a second. My sister Neha and I have talked about how we have felt Papa’s presence around us sometimes. And that day I knew my father was with me in that room, guiding me at that moment.

That night after 15 years of being together my husband and son tasted that Spinach soup my father loved for the first time. And they loved it. My husband and father met just once before he died but that day I could envision Dad at the table with us sipping that soup alongside his son-in-law and grandson.

I have a dedications page in my book. But there are a few people I need to thank just now for helping me along on this journey. My family, of course, for putting aside their lives to write down recipes and pose for my shoots. And Pinky Chandan Dixit of Soam who has always stood behind me with her full support in every endeavour.

But most importantly, at this moment I would like to thank Mrigank Sharma who came into my life as a food photographer and stayed to become one of my closest friends. I know that he will hate me for this but, Mrigank, Thank you, for giving me this week from your life to translate my ideas into visuals so beautifully, and the idlis and samosas and for shaving on the last day so I could get that behind the scenes picture of you! You are a special person and I am glad we are friends! 

To the rest of you reading this blog. Grab the present with both hands. Do those things you always mean to do but end up putting off for later. Life won't give us another chance. Cook that dish, document those recipes, keep those promises to yourslef and those you love!

Nani’s Teliya Bataka

What is especially beloved about this recipe is that my Nani learned it from her mother, who loved to make instant pickles. Guests would be served an array of instant pickles including a raw Okra one.

Ingredients:

500 g Potatoes - cooked, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tbsp / 45g oil

2 tbsp/30g Split mustard seeds, powdered

½ tsp / 2g Asafoetida

½ tsp/ 2g Turmeric powder

8 tbsp/200ml water

Salt to taste

Method:

In a flat plate or wide bowl, combine water, oil and powdered mustard. Using your hands, rub it well against the plate until frothy and your hands are tingly. Add the Asafoetida and turmeric to the mix and stir well. Add potatoes and mix thoroughly. Allow to sit for one hour before serving cold or at room temperature.

The Teliya Bataka (Mustard Potatoes)

Shooting Nani's Chundo

Nanis Faraali Khandvi for fasting days made with buttermilk and arrarot.

Papa's Spinach soup

That perfect swirl!

All set!

Mrigank doing what he does best!

GYAAN and links


The first of my columns "SPICE ROUTE" in Hindustan Times. It will appear on the first Sunday of every month. Please do read. http://fb.me/1b95m0AjQ 

Mrigank Sharma's website www.indiasutra.com

Photo feature of my Masterchef pilgrimage in Australia last year.

Masterchef season 2 had great influence on our little family, it combined food porn, high drama, teamwork, competition, learning and served to bring our little family together in front of the TV every night. We were all hooked.The first thing Natasha would ask on waking up every morning “Aaj Masterchef aayega na ?” (Masterchef will come today no?). And if you asked her who she liked best she’d say “George” in the cutest way! (Matt and Gary she calls Masterchef!) And Aman still hands out compliments like “I give you a 9/10 for this dish Mom” or Mom you should go on Masterchef with this dish!” And there was the WHOA moment for us the day Marion won her immunity pin when he popped up with “I like her, she’s cute!” Oh Boy! When did he grow up that much? And Shekhar became very particular about presenting food well and started to compliment food beautifully. I personally thanked Matt Preston for that bit of my husbands learning when I went on my Masterchef Pilgrimage on my trip to Australia a few months down the line. 

And season 3 has kicked of today, friends have already seen it on Youtube but I wanted to watch it with the family on TV. Its great to see the camaraderie between Gary, Goerge and Matt continues. Natasha has recognised her favourite George and I am looking forward to what season 3 will bring.

In a toast to Season three, I thought I would post a photo feature of my Masterchef Pilgrimage.

My trip started in Melbourne, where all three judges live, but with my work schedule I did not get to do much about my Masterchef pilgrimage in Melbourne. I did get a chance to watch Tetsuya at work however and meet Matt Preston(which was totally the highlight. I did the full fan thing, getting him to sign his book Cravat- e- liscious and taking him a Cravat as a gift, which he wears in one of the episodes.  

But what I could not do in Melbourne I managed to do in Sydney. The day I arrived I dined at Sydney restaurant Flying Fish, owned by Peter Kuruvita who made an appearance in MasterClass 5 and showed the contestants two completely different bug (Australian native shell fish) dishes– one with an accompanying shaved fennel and edamame salad and a main dish featuring a spicy ginger and chilli sauce. 

The Flying Fish Restaurant & Bar is situated at the maritime heritage site of Pier 21, Jones Bay Wharf Pyrmont in Sydney. Surrounded by breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour, Flying Fish has been constructed from an original heritage wharf site designed by Michael McCann's stunning two-storey loft design and unique lighting set against a spectacular waterfront setting. It all made for an evening to remember and delivered a new and unique Sydney dining experience. Peter Kuruvita has created an exquisite menu of local fresh seafood and seasonal delights. 

Of course being in Sydney I just had to take the opportunity to visit Adriano Zumbo’ new café/lab in Rozelle, Sydney. So the next day after a sumptuous breakfast at the Sydney Fish Market, I visited Adriano Zumbo’s Lab which is housed in a corner building in a suburb of Sydney and can be a little hard to find. Enter and you find yourself in the wonderfully quirky almost eccentric world of wonderful treats that is a reflection of the naughtiness in Adriano Zumbo’s smile. A fantasy world of graffiti painted walls, lit by bare light fittings with one wall dominated by a chalkboard menu full of specials, beakers that double up as water jugs and cakes, pastries, gourmet pies and breads that change daily with menus being written by hand.

And then when I was done with dessert, I made my way to lunch at the Aria restaurant overlooking the Sydney Opera House owned by Chef Matt Moran. Matt Moran’s contemporary Australian menu is inspired by his passion for sourcing the finest seasonal produce available – a principle taught to him first hand by his rural upbringing. Hence the ARIA dining experience offers the freshest Australian produce prepared using innovative and contemporary methods to appeal to a wide range of palates.

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