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Curious Cook: December festivities

I was in Bulgaria recently during St. Nicholas’ Day, known locally as Nikulden, which is a significant winter festival celebrated every 6th of December. St. Nicholas is one of the most revered Christian saints in Bulgaria, with many churches and monasteries dedicated to him. He is particularly honoured as the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, oceans, seas, and rivers. Therefore, the day holds special importance in Bulgarian culture, making it a day of feasts, entertainment, and family gatherings. Traditionally, Bulgarians celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day with a festive dinner, where fish dishes, particularly carp stuffed with rice, walnuts, and onions, are commonly served. Other customs There are a wide variety of interesting ways to celebrate the Christmas holidays around the world, apart from the usual large bird roasts like turkey in the United States and Britain, and even the capon in France. For example, Sweden’s traditional Christmas dinner is called a Julbord, a buffet of cold fish, cold meats, cheese, pickles, and cuts from a serious ham called Julskinka. Preparing this ham is a labour of love; it takes several days to brine a hunk of salt-cured fatty pork meat, which is then cooked (boiled or baked), cooled down, glazed with a mix of egg yolks, mustard, and breadcrumbs, and then baked until the glaze is golden and crispy. Seafood dishes like fritto misto are popular during Christmas in Italy. — ALEX FAVALI/Pexels Italians prefer to serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, as a way of paying homage to the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. The seven dishes can vary considerably but typically may include stuffed clams, cold seafood salads, scampi, stuffed calamari, fritto misto (fried seafood), fish and vegetable stew, roasted garlic and herb shrimp, etc. For Christmas feasts, the Danes like flæskesteg, which is roast pork with crispy crackling, often served with brunede kartofler which are small potatoes caramelised in sugar. Flæskesteg is the base for a delicious hearty dinner, and one day we might try making the risalamande, a rice pudding served with whipped cream, almonds, vanilla, and cherry sauce.Icelandic people typically have a “Yule meal” of roast leg of lamb and laufabrauð (or “leaf bread”), an intriguingly thin crispy flatbread cut into delicate patterns and then fried. The lamb in Iceland is not the normal species one would find in common supermarkets but a pure breed brought over in the 9th-10th century from Norway and raised locally since then. It is very much a gourmet meat, and stunningly delicious. In Poland, the Christmas Eve dinner is often meat-free, and the meal begins when the first star appears in the evening. It is a 12-dish feast, representing the 12 apostles and the 12 months of the year, and opens with a brightly-coloured beet soup called barszez, followed by various dishes such as pierogi (steamed or boiled Polish-version of wontons), mushroom dumplings called uszka, carp (the meal is meat-free but not fish-free), and various other sweets, including poppy seed desserts. Goa in India was a Portuguese colony for several centuries and a sizable population there celebrates Christmas by serving a spicy stew called sorpotel, a pork (including offal such as liver and heart) dish slow-cooked in cinnamon, cumin, and various fiery chillies. The heat from the dish is often later countered by sana, which are coconut cakes infused with liqueurs. The Catalonia region of Spain celebrates Christmas lunch with a sopa de galets, a hearty soup where meatballs compete for space with giant pasta shells in a complicated broth made by slowly simmering ham and beef bones, chicken breast meat, pig trotters, and various vegetables for many hours. Then freshly minced beef and pork rolled into meatballs are plonked into the broth to cook with giant pasta shells called galets. Sopa de galets is a full-flavoured traditional Catalonian Christmas dish that is typically slow-cooked for hours to extract maximum flavour. — Filepic Christmas in Ethiopia is called Ganna and is celebrated on the 7th of January after a 43-day fast. The feast after the fast usually includes the national dish rooster doro wat, a flavoursome chicken stew cooked with an Ethiopian spice mix called berbere (which contains fenugreek, cardamon, coriander, and other local spices) and lots of clarified butter. No cutlery is needed for this dish as it is usually eaten by hand with the help of lots of injera, a soft fermented flatbread. South Africans serve a particularly decadent dessert for Christmas called Malva pudding. This dessert is also served on other special occasions and is basically a sponge cake layered with apricot jam. However, for Christmas, it is also drenched in brandy or Amarula, a liqueur made from the local marula fruit. Then while the pudding is still warm, it is additionally coated with a thick sweet butter-cream sauce, turning the cake into a dense gooey sugary alcoholic pudding, ideal for people who like cardiovascular events. Many people would know about the Italian penchant for panettone during Christmas but in Sicily, they prefer buccellato, a round cake made with figs, almonds, and pine nuts. It has an unusual distinctive flavour due to the addition of marsala wine to the pastry dough before baking. An unusual Christmas dish that dates back thousands of years before Christ is the Ukrainian porridge dish called kutya. Traditionally, kutya is a bowl of boiled wheatberries, poppy seeds, and honey, but walnuts and various dried fruits are now often included. It is the most important of the 12 deeply symbolic dishes served in Ukraine for Christmas. The others include dishes such as varenyky (stuffed dumplings), holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls), solyanka (sweet and sour fish soup), kolach (a braided round bread), etc. And the weirdest, most recent Christmas “tradition” may be found in Japan where it seems millions of Japanese just need to eat fast food chicken for Christmas. This fad began in the 1970s when the first KFC shops opened in Japan and a canny store owner started to offer a “Christmas party barrel” as a promotion. As a country with no previous Christmas traditions, the Japanese adopted this Christmas practice wholeheartedly and now KFC Christmas barrels need to be ordered up to two months in advance, possibly helping to raise the incidence of heart disease in the country. Interesting device I came across an interesting device invented in 2021 by Professor Homei Miyashita of Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan. The device is called Taste The TV (TTTV) which the inventor claims can simulate food flavours, allowing users to literally taste what they see on the screen. TTTV operates through a carousel of 10 flavour canisters that are programmatically controlled to spray onto a targeted spot in combination to recreate the taste of a particular food. The flavour sample from the target is then transferred onto a hygienic film, which is rolled over a flat TV screen, enabling the viewer to see the “food” and then taste the simulated flavor by placing the tongue on the film over the screen. In South Africa, a dessert called Malva pudding is served during Christmas time, the highlight being that it is drenched in brandy. — CHARMAINE ZOE/Flickr It might be easy to dismiss Miyashita’s fanciful idea of recreating all kinds of taste sensations using only 10 canisters of flavours, but he has been working on the subject for more than a decade. In 2011, he published a paper called Augmented Gustation Using Electricity where electrical charges applied to chopsticks and drinking straws were found to change or enhance the sensation of various tastes in the human tongue while ingesting food, claiming to be able to “use electric taste actively as a new seasoning to augment gustation”. Personally, I found his claim that TTTV can remotely train people to become sommeliers to be a little far-fetched mainly because wine appreciation is far more than simple gustatory sensations. There are very significant elements of olfactory and texture sensory interactions involved in understanding wines, and I cannot imagine licking a film of plastic can convey the aroma of a claret nor the creamy texture of a well-aged wine. Also, one would suggest that many foods have unique qualities that cannot be synthesized under any circumstance. An example may be the tingling sensation of Sichuan peppers, which induces a very curious sensation called paresthesia in the tongue and lips. This is due to a compound called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which causes parts of the mouth to experience a vibrational frequency of 50 Hz (50 times a second) in the mouth. So sadly, although TTTV may be usable for simpler taste sensations, it is highly unlikely that it can ever be adapted to conveying the joy of, for example, eating a flæskesteg in Denmark. Have a happy holiday season! The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.

Food

Curious Cook

Complimentary

Long

Chris Chan

2023-12-24 00:00:00

Curious Cook,Chris Chan,Christmas meals

The columnist looks at what people all over the world tuck into for Christmas.

https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-for-thought/curious-cook/2023/12/24/curious-cook-december-festivities

Reduce the overindulgent feasting with these three strategies

Holiday meals are often synonymous with excesses of all kinds, including sugar, salt, fat and alcohol. While there's no question of depriving yourself during the festive season with dishes that are sometimes only eaten at this time of year, it is possible to replace certain foods and ingredients to make the meal healthier, and the aftermath less uncomfortable. Remember to drink water Of course, you can't force water on every guest at the Christmas table, but this mealtime basic is a must. It's important to stay hydrated to avoid certain discomforts when you wake up the next morning, and contrary to what you might think, we're not just talking about hangovers. Water not only aids digestion, which is important for this kind of event, but also promotes the absorption of nutrients, reduces the risk of dehydration and controls appetite. We tend to forget it, but water helps curb hunger, so you eat less at mealtimes. In addition, water should replace a glass of alcohol here and there throughout the day/evening. The best thing to do is to drink plenty of water before the big meal, alternate alcohol and water as necessary during the meal, and then drink plenty again afterward. And while champagne and other festive fizzes are Christmas staples, non-alcoholic cocktails and wines are becoming increasingly popular, again saving you all kinds of woes. If you do opt for alcohol, it's advisable to stick to wine and fizz, whatever the kind, rather than alcoholic cocktails, which are usually sweeter. Snack on crudités For some people, vegetables in any form have no place in the holiday festivities. But they can make indulgent meals much healthier and lighter. Why not offer them as before-dinner snacks, when stomachs are grumbling and guests tend to nibble away endlessly? As a host, it's perfectly possible to limit the amount of food available to snack on before a big meal in order to avoid excess. Still, vegetables allow you not to deprive yourself or your guests, and can quash hunger pangs with no regrets. In this case, it's best to opt for raw vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, radishes, celery, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower, among others. And serve them with dips that are as light as possible, such as hummus, guacamole, tzatziki, tapenade, or better still, yoghurt or sour cream enhanced with herbs and lemon. As an alternative to salty snacks, why not serve nuts and dried fruit as healthier and lighter nibbles before the Christmas feast? These are a great option, since they're also packed with health benefits. Make smart choices It's hard to deny yourself Christmas delicacies, especially when everyone else is indulging. But sometimes, you just have to make smart choices, especially if you know you have a delicate stomach or liver. In any case, it's important – if possible – to avoid too many foods rich in saturated fat. In this respect, it may be wise to choose between paté or pigs in a blanket, and smoked salmon, in favour of the latter. Smoked salmon is also a source of saturated fats, but at a lower level than sausage or charcuterie. It should be added that salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are particularly good for heart health. For a balanced meal, choose lean proteins such as turkey or chicken (skinless), which are lower in fat, rather than richer meats such as duck or goose. Whenever possible, serve with grilled or steamed vegetables. If you're preparing the meal, it might also be a good idea to replace refined sugars with unrefined ones or natural alternatives like honey, for example. In all cases, it's important to take short breaks between each course, and to chew thoroughly, so as to feel full more quickly. – AFP Relaxnews

Lifestyle

Nutrition

Complimentary

Medium

2023-12-23 00:00:00

Nutrition,Diet,Christmas

You can avoid the miseries of too much good food and drinks by making these healthier choices.

https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/health/2023/12/23/reduce-the-overindulgent-feasting-with-these-three-strategies

Christmas side dishes guaranteed to wow guests

When Lroy Lim goes for Christmas parties, he confesses that he always skips the main dish as most iterations fall short of his expectations. “In keeping with the Christmas spirit, most people would look at the main dish as being the most important dish, but as a person who likes food, I generally avoid turkeys. Because for me, a lot of places don’t really do turkey well – they end up dry or tough. So most of the time, I skip it and go for the sides instead. “The sides play a very important role because to me, meat alone is one-dimensional. Meat is meat. You can’t do a lot with it. You can spice it, you can marinate it, but it always ends up having around the same flavour profile. You don’t really do much with it. “Whereas with the sides, you can play around with it more – you have a lot more options. You know, you can use potatoes, cabbage, brussel sprouts, corn – there’s a whole variety of options,” says Lim. Lim is the executive chef of Ignis KL, a popular restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that highlights local ingredients using grilling and barbecuing as the main cooking mechanisms. As a consequence of eschewing main dishes, Lim is fastidious about ensuring that Christmas side dishes are true stars in their own right. Lim says home cooks have plenty of opportunities to play around with side dishes unlike mains like roast turkey which typically end up tasting the same. His mashed potatoes for instance may look like, well, mashed potatoes but this is a dish in a league of its own. The spuds are richly buttery, silken smooth and just glide down the gullet like velvet while the fried chicken skin scattered atop the dish adds a hedonistic, crunchy quality to the meal. It’s one of the best mashed potatoes you are likely to have tasted anywhere in the world and if you choose to make this at home, rest assured, fights will break out over who gets the last, dying bits. “I’m French trained, so I think most French-trained chefs would know the recipe. It’s a classic from Joel Robuchon who is a three Michelin-starred chef. So the thing about this is, so far, it’s my favourite mash. If you ask me if I want mashed potatoes, the one mash that I think about is always this mash. This is my go-to. It’s very heavy, it’s very creamy and it’s very smooth. “If you look at the recipe, it’s pretty much half potato, half butter and I added sour cream and fried chicken skin on top. So there are variations of it that you can do, but the concept is still the same. It has to be one part potato and one part fat of any sort to get this rich effect,” he says. Lim’s grilled red cabbage in mulled wine is another intoxicating (quite literally) concoction that features cabbage that still has a firm crunch to it alongside a flavour profile that offers hints of smokiness and the spice-riddled festive flavours of mulled wine. It’s very, very good and incredibly easy to polish off. “This is one of the first dishes I had when I was studying in Europe. So this is my version of the dish. I grilled the cabbage to give the vegetable a bit of char and smokiness and then it has a bit of sweetness from the glaze. And there is that rich wine flavour as well as the spices in it and I add a bit of parmesan cheese to give it a bit of saltiness,” he says. Lim’s yule log is a modern take on the classic yule log and is a delightfully light sweet treat. Even Lim’s yule log deviates from the norm. Instead of a traditional log cake, his version utilises tuille to mould a chocolate-coated crisp cylinder that is filled with a citrus based mousse and topped with candy cane bits, chocolate and crumble. It is light, not too sweet and the contrast between the crispness of the tuille and the softness of the filling offers so much holiday satisfaction. “So, most yule logs that you find are cakes. And I am not a fan of cakes, but I like crispy stuff like chips. So this is a slightly modern version. But it can be as complicated or as simple as you want, because at the end of the day, what you put inside the log can be anything. “You can put fruits, crushed Oreos – literally it’s open to whatever you want to do. The sky’s the limit,” he says. MASHED POTATOES 250g Holland potatoes 50ml milk 200g cold butter, cut into cubes salt and pepper to taste sour cream, as desired fried chicken skin, to garnish Pre-heat oven to 120°C. Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until soft. While the potatoes are hot, peel the skin and cut into medium sized chunks. On a baking tray, place the potatoes and bake for 3 minutes. This is to dry out the potatoes. While the potatoes are still hot from the oven, mash the potatoes with a masher or a fork in a bowl and pass through a sieve (don’t skip this part). Place the potato mash in a medium sized pot. In a saucepan, heat up the milk till hot but before boiling point and mix half of the milk into the potato mash with a whisk. In the same saucepan with the potato mash and milk, gradually add in cold butter cubes while mixing the mash over very low heat. If the mashed potatoes start to split, add in spoonful of hot milk into the mix and whisk. Once all the butter is mixed into the mash and well emulsified, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream and fried chicken skin. GRILLED RED CABBAGE 1 red cabbage Cooking liquid 1 cinnamon stick 8 cloves 3 star anise 1 tsp black peppercorns 250g cranberry juice 250g red wine 250ml chicken stock ½ an orange, cut into slices 50g butter 75g brown sugar 30ml red wine vinegar Glaze 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 5 cloves 1 tsp coriander seeds 250g cranberry juice 25g honey 25g store-bought strawberry jam Garnish 50g crispy bacon bits 30g hazelnut, toasted and chopped 50g parmesan, shaved Cut the red cabbage into wedges and stab the cabbage in parts. Rub salt into the cabbage. Leave it to cure for 1 hour before washing off the excess salt. To make the cooking liquid, toast all the spices in a pan over medium heat until fragrant. Add in the remaining ingredients. Increase the heat and bring the cooking liquid to boil, burn off the alcohol then lower the heat to a low simmer. Add the red cabbage into the cooking liquid. Braise until the cabbage is soft, approximately 30 to 40 minutes and remove it from the liquid. Leave it to cool in a bowl. Prepare the glaze by toasting the spices. Add the honey and cranberry juice. Reduce the glaze for a few minutes until it is syrupy then add in the strawberry jam. Set aside. Pan-sear the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy and cut into small pieces. Grill the cabbage over charcoal while brushing the glaze over it until it is charred or pan sear the cabbage in butter and glaze the cabbage after. Serve with toasted hazelnuts, parmesan and crispy bacon bits over the cabbage.

Food

Food News

Complimentary

Long

2023-12-22 00:00:00

Lroy Lim,Ignis KL,grilled red cabbage,yule log,mashed potatoes

An experienced chef shares his knock-their-socks-off Christmas side dish recipes for the festive table.

https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2023/12/22/christmas-side-dishes-guaranteed-to-wow-guests

Vegetable-friendly Christmas side dish ideas

As a child, chef-owner Shawn Koh who helms farm-to-table eatery Caffe Sprouts in Kuala Lumpur remembers his family’s Christmas table being loaded with all sorts of festive goodies. “I always celebrated with my family and friends and we had a mixture of local and Western food. Like we would do a roast turkey or roast chicken and then mashed potatoes and sometimes satay and noodles too,” he says, laughing. Now that he is all grown up, Koh says he realises just how important side dishes are to a Christmas meal, as without fully thought-out sides, Christmas mains like roast turkey, roast chicken, leg of lamb or prime beef would come across as one-dimensional, regardless of how well they are cooked. “It is very important. From a chef’s point of view, the side dishes are the ones that make a menu shine. So everyone can do a roast chicken, it’s just a matter of what flavour you put inside or what brine or marinade you use to make the chicken tasty. “But what really differentiates one chef from another is the side dishes. So different vegetables, different starches, different breads, different sauces, all this will complete and make a meal special,” he says. Koh says there are plenty of different ways to incorporate side dishes into a Christmas menu. For example, home cooks can opt for more traditional options like corn bread, which Koh makes utilising Cameron Highlands sweet white corn. His corn bread is oh-so good and offers some grit (from the corn meal in the mixture) and interestingly, can be both savoury or sweet, depending on the dipping sauces on the side. From a chef’s point of view, the side dishes are the ones that make a menu shine, says Koh. “This is a more traditional dish. So, with the cornbread, people normally eat it with gravy, but you can also eat it with some salted butter. We do it here with a little bit of maple butter and also some cranberry sauce. And sometimes we serve it with a little bit of fresh tomatoes, so actually it’s versatile – you can eat it with almost everything,” says Koh. Koh also says home cooks can veer away from “been there, done that” side dish varietals in favour of more experimental Christmas selections. This will give their guests some familiar flavours in brand new guises. Koh’s shepherd’s pie croquette for example features a crisp outer layer that shrouds an interior filled with sweet potato mash (a departure from the usual potato mash) as well as minced lamb. It is addictively good and also far less filling than more traditional variants out there. “My aunt used to make shepherd’s pie for Christmas itself but then I realised it is more like a main dish. So if you make it into a croquette, it kind of becomes a side dish to accommodate your main event – like your chicken or roast lamb. And instead of normal potatoes, we use sweet potatoes to give it a sweeter finish, so it’s a great idea,” he says. Koh’s seemingly simple but disarmingly good side dish of carrots in raisin butter sauce highlights how vegetables can be shining stars when done right. This dish gives carrots the opportunity to really come into their own, highlighting both their malleable texture as well as the rich attributes of the raisin butter, which give it an almost oleic, syrupy contrast. “This is one dish that I’ve been cooking professionally for many years. This is just a different variation of it. The way I actually learned it was slow-poached carrots with a burnt butter sauce and a raisin puree on top. “But we simplified the version over here where we slow-cooked the carrots and then we just saute the rehydrated raisins with the butter and then we glaze it on top of the carrots. It’s nice, it’s fun, it’s simple to make and it’s enjoyable. Everyone loves it!” he says Koh says if he could offer one tip to home cooks in terms of nailing these recipes at home, he would say to follow the recipes exactly as they are because they have been tested over and over again. “I think most of the time, if you really follow the recipes step-by-step, you will definitely get it right. But some home cooks think ‘Oh, let’s try this shortcut!’ And then it won’t turn out right,” he says, laughing. CORN BREAD 2 cups flour 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup sugar 1 ½ tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt ½ cup melted butter ½ cup oil 1 ¼ cups milk 3 large eggs 2 Cameron Highlands white corn, kernels only Pre-heat oven to 190°C. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt) until evenly mixed. In a different bowl, mix all wet ingredients together (melted butter, oil, milk, eggs) until evenly mixed. In the bowl of dry ingredients, create a well in the middle. Slowly add the wet mix into the well bit by bit. The mixture will first resemble crumbs with sticky patches but should eventually become a wet dough. Cover the dough and let rest for 1 hour. After 1 hour, mix in the corn kernels. Line a bread tin with parchment paper. Pour the dough mix into the bread tin. Bake at 190c for 20-25mins (check texture and doneness with a cake tester.) Once done, rest it on a cooling rack. It will be ready for consumption after 30 minutes. POACHED CARROTS WTH RAISIN BUTTER SAUCE Slow poached carrots 2kg carrots, cut into batonettes 100ml corn oil 100ml water 30g garlic 3 sprigs thyme 50g sugar salt to taste Raisin butter glaze 100g dried raisins 150g butter, diced Pre-heat oven to 190°C. Line up an aluminium pouch with parchment paper. Place all ingredients (except ingredients for raisin butter glaze) inside the aluminium pouch. Fold up all sides and make sure that it is sealed with no air pockets for heat to escape. Bake the whole aluminium pouch in the oven for 35 minutes. Once done, remove pouch from oven and let parcel cool down. Dish out the carrots and plate it up. Pour the liquid that’s in the pouch into a pan. Add dried raisins into the pan of liquid glaze from the pouch. Cook on medium high heat and let liquid reduce. Once the liquid has a nice thick texture, reduce the heat and slowly add in butter and whisk the liquid, turning it into an emulsion. Continue whisking on low heat until all the butter is whisked in. Once done, remove from the heat and pour on top of the poached carrots. Serve hot.

Food

Food News

Complimentary

Long

2023-12-22 00:00:00

Shawn Koh,Caffe Sprouts,Christmas side dishes,shepherd's pie croquettes,corn bread,carrots in raisin butter

A chef specialising in farm-to-table meals shares tried-and-tested recipes for Christmas side dishes.

https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2023/12/22/vegetable-friendly-christmas-side-dish-ideas

Dazzling holiday feasts that delight

A WONDERFUL time like Christmas calls for an equally wonderful indulgence. At Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang, there are lavish buffets and exquisite meals sure to enliven your merrymaking. Those with heartier appetites might gravitate towards its Spice Market Cafe for Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner where bountiful seafood, sushi, sashimi and cold cuts serve as prelude to the main act. That showstopper can be found at the carvery station, with Roast Prime Ribs with Beef Jus and Roast Whole Lamb with Mint Jus served with Yorkshire pudding and roasted veggies. Succulent Roast Lamb (front) and Roast Prime Ribs (back) are among the stars of Spice Market Cafe’s Christmas buffet. The fall-off-the-bone tender ribs are basted with barbecue sauce for a smoky nuance while the succulent lamb gets the rosemary treatment for more robust flavours. Hot dishes are a mix of Western and Eastern offerings, with Mexican Chili Beef Stew, Herb-Crusted Lamb Cutlets and tandoori items among the possibilities. Decadent desserts such as Lemon Wreath Cake and Christmas Fruitcake complete the joyful feast. For Christmas Day, the cafe offers buffet brunch and dinner with similarly lavish spreads. Menus vary, but the Roast Beef with Mushroom Sauce is primed to make an appearance. Gourmands can also head to Feringgi Grill for five-course Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Set Dinners. The amuse-bouche promises to be a surprise as the caviar adds a taste of luxury. Mains are a choice between juicy Duck Breast or melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu Tenderloin. Joyful desserts to end a festive meal. Next, make your selection from the Cheese Connoisseur’s Cart, before ending on a sweet high with dessert and chocolate pralines. If alfresco dining is your thing, Pinang Restaurant and Bar’s beachside BBQ Buffet Dinners for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are good alternatives. Enjoy flame-grilled slipper lobsters, garlic-marinated king prawns and Cajun-spiced minute steaks alongside scenic sunset views, weather permitting. Spice Market Cafe’s festive buffets are priced at RM308nett for adults and RM154nett for children (aged six to 11), inclusive of free flow of house wines, beers and juices. Feringgi Grill’s set dinners are priced at RM488nett per person and includes a glass of champagne or mocktail. Pinang Restaurant’s buffets are RM208nett for adults and RM104nett for children, inclusive of a cocktail or mocktail. All dinner promotions are from 6pm to 10pm, while brunch is from noon to 3pm. Planning a festive gathering at home? The resort’s Rasa Deli offers takeaways until Dec 31. The special Baked Beef Wellington au Jus (RM458) as well as Baked Salmon Coulibiac and Roasted Lamb Leg (RM438) are available with 48 hours’ advanced order. Otherwise, stop by between 11am and 6pm to grab jars of Christmas cookies (RM58) or whole cakes (RM138). SHANGRI-LA RASA SAYANG, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, Penang. (Tel: 04-888 8788) This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.

Food

Food News

Complimentary

Medium

2023-12-22 00:00:00

Food News

A WONDERFUL time like Christmas calls for an equally wonderful indulgence.

https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2023/12/22/dazzling-holiday-feasts-that-delight

Wishing for a fairy-tale Christmas

DESSERT for dinner? Why not, when a whimsical spread of Snow White-themed cupcakes, sable cookies and popsicle cakes is attractive enough to tempt diners to head directly to the dessert table. This year, Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel & Residences has gone all out to celebrate Christmas inspired by the 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated movie. Diners at the hotel’s Sedap restaurant can partake in a variety of sweet treats such as Miniature Christmas Cupcakes, Vanilla Chestnut Meringue, Magic Red Apple Mousse Cake (inspired by the iconic poisoned apple) and Spice Poached Pears Pie. For those seeking indulgence, there is a chocolate fountain adorned with marshmallows shaped like Christmas trees. From Christmas Eve up to Jan 6, an impressive array of local and international delicacies is lined up. Start with Lobster Bisque, which has a delicate balance of the ocean’s brininess and the buttery fragrance of cooked shellfish. The broth is thick with a prominent seafood flavour and bits of corn add texture. Continuing the seafood theme are main dishes such as Pan-Seared Salmon Fillet with Creamy Green Pepper Sauce and Seafood Cioppino with Saffron Potato. Slow-Braised Beef with roasted vegetables and trimmings. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star We found the seafood in both dishes to be fresh, retaining its flavour and texture. There are also plenty of meat options from chicken, duck, beef and lamb among the festive offerings. A favourite is Grilled Rack of Lamb, served with Argentinian chimichurri sauce – the meat is tender and generously coated with the tangy, herbaceous sauce. A surprise hit for me was Stuffed Chicken Roulade as the chicken was tender and still juicy. The stuffing had also infused into the meat and went well with the jus. Other dishes to try include Irish Beef Goulash, Slow Braised Beef with sides as well as Duck Leg Confit with cherry, quinoa and orange sauce. Sedap’s Christmas Eve buffet dinner on Dec 24 from 6.30pm to 10pm is priced at RM238 per adult and RM119 for children between six and 12. Santa will make an appearance bearing gifts for the little ones. On Christmas Day, buffet lunch is from 12.30pm to 3pm (RM208 per adult and RM104 per child) and buffet dinner from 6.30pm to 10pm (RM238 per adult and RM119 per child). New Year’s Eve Countdown buffet dinner, from 6.30pm to 10pm, is priced at RM238 per adult and RM119 per child. New Year’s Day buffet lunch is priced at RM188 per adult and RM94 per child. Then up until Jan 6, there is afternoon tea buffet priced at RM90 per person. At the hotel lobby is a life-sized Gingerbread Snowy House displaying Snow White Christmas goodies to purchase. SEDAP, Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel and Residences, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2170 8888). Business hours: 6am to midnight. This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.

Food

Food News

Complimentary

Medium

2023-12-22 00:00:00

Food News,Sedap restaurant,buffet,pullman,christmas,snow white

DESSERT for dinner? Why not, when a whimsical spread of Snow White-themed cupcakes, sable cookies and popsicle cakes is attractive enough to tempt diners to head directly to the dessert table.

https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2023/12/22/wishing-for-a-fairy-tale-christmas

Get into the Christmas spirits: Gift ideas for the spirits and wine lover

There are only a few more sleeps left to Christmas, and if you still haven’t gotten around to getting gifts for your loved ones, then you need to get going now! If you are looking for a gift for someone who likes some spirits in his Christmas spirit, then here are some good suggestions of spirits and wines to get for them. Tell it with Martell In case you haven’t heard, Martell is celebrating its 130th year in Malaysia with an elaborate pop-up at Pavilion Bukit Jalil from now until Dec 31. Besides the chance to see a RM5mil bottle of cognac, you can also purchase limited edition bottles there commemorating the anniversary. For this Christmas season, however, we recommend the limited edition Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac Gift Set by Christoph Niemann. It’s a stunningly artistic design that adds a further dash of festive cheer to not only the Christmas season, but all the way until Chinese NEw Year as well! There are also other limited editions such as one for the Martell Noblige, which is Martell's contemporary response to a discerning, more youthful audience in search of disruptively elegant spirits; and a vibrant one for Martell VSOP, a tribute to Martell's long standing savoir-faire, with a design inspired by Pop Art influences. RSVP for the Pop-up experience now with the Martell Swift Concierge at 130years.martell.com. Bag a whisky Ever wanted a bag to help carry your bottle of whisky to parties or on your holidays? Well, The Singleton of Glen Ord has released not one, but two options for you! During this festive season, you can get a bottle of The Singleton 12 Year Old that comes with a cooler bag that will keep your whisky safe, and is also reusable for any bottle that fits, ensuring your favourite drinks are chilled throughout your festive gatherings. The Singleton 12 Year Old that comes with a cooler bag. If you need something a little bigger, then check out The Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old, which comes with a teal-coloured caddy bag with convenient cup holder slots, making it easy for you to bring your whisky party anywhere. The Diageo Festive offerings are available on Diageo Malaysia’s Official Shopee Store. Champagne hotel stay Why settle for a normal staycation when you can have a champagne-themed one? Iconic champagne house Moët & Chandon recently unveiled a limited-edition bottle designed to brighten your festive season, and has collaborated with W Kuala Lumpur to transform it into a celebration haven. Under W Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Sparkle All The Way room packages, guests can enjoy a lavish, luxurious stay in uniquely themed Moet & Chandon suites, which come in three different room sizes (Cool Corner, Spectacular Room, or Marvellous Suite). Each room package includes daily breakfast, in-room balloon arrangements, Moët & Chandon luxurious & plush bathrobes and Christmas hamper, and bespoke amenities featuring a flower bouquet & macarons. Those who stay in the Spectacular Room or Marvellous Suite even get a personalised bottle of Moët & Chandon. Each room package includes daily breakfast and in-room balloon arrangements, among other perks. Beyond the rooms, a pop-up experience and installations on Level 8 of the hotel provide an more extraordinary experiences for the guests, including the very first Moët & Chandon champagne vending machine in a KL hotel The new limited-edition bottle is designed to celebrate the Champagne region’s unique terroir, and also as a tribute to the Maison’s 280th anniversary. Adorned in white and gold, with gilded grains ascending towards the heavens, the new limited-edition design graces two expressions in Moët & Chandon’s champagne portfolio: the signature Moët Impérial, and the Moët Rosé Impérial. If you're planning to book a stay, better do it soon, the package only lasts until the end of December! JungleBird treats Have you been invited for a Christmas pot luck but have no idea what to bring? Check out KL bar JungleBird’s newly launched range of festive condiments and accompaniments, perfect for “even the most righteous of feasts, all handmade with love in small batches''. And since it’s being produced by a bar that is consistently in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list as well as being famous for being KL’s premier ‘Rumah Rum’ (Rum House), you can expect these seasonal offerings to be a little more, well, spirited than usual. JungleBird's alcohol-laced festive condiments would make a great addition to any Christmas feast. The Duck Liver Parfait, for instance, is made with locally sourced duck liver enriched with a spiced Ruby Port & Brandy reduction, topped with an aromatic sage brown butter. The Festive Preserve is a sweet and tangy fruit jam of cranberries, juicy peaches and fresh citrus peels, steeped in VSOP Rhum Agricole and warm Christmas spices Last but not least, the Apple And Onion Jam is a chutney of onions and tart granny smith apples slow caramelised in red wine & balsamic vinegar, finished with a Calvados & Cognac glaze. Available for collection at JungleBird or delivery direct to your doorstep. Call +603-2011 5715 or drop them a DM on Instagram (@JungleBirdKL) to order. Gin for the connoisseur Looking for a premium gift for a gin loving friend? Well, look no further than the award-winning Isle Of Harris Gin, which truly takes the term ‘ultra-premium gin” to another level. Instantly recognisable by its beautifully iconic glass bottle, Isle Of Harris Gin is entirely handmade on Scotland’s Isle Of Harris. The gin uses nine premium botanicals, including key botanical Sugar Kelp, a seaweed gathered sustainably by hand from local sea-lochs, which gives the gin a complex, maritime flavour. Isle Of Harris gin is instantly recognisable by its iconic bottle. The bottle itself is a true work of art, influenced by the people of the island, the rugged, dramatic location, reflecting the subtle colours of the landscape. The best part is, you can also get Isle Of Harris in a Highball Gift Box that also comes with two free highball glasses for you to make some beautiful gin and tonics. You can get the Isle Of Harris Gin gift box as well as other gin gift boxes from Wholly Spirits (@whollyspirits).

Lifestyle

Living

Complimentary

Long

Michael Cheang

2023-12-21 00:00:00

Tipsy Turvy,whisky,cognac,Martell,Singleton

If you are looking for a gift for someone who likes some spirits in his Christmas spirit, then here are some good suggestions of spirits and wines to get for them.

https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/tipsy-turvy/2023/12/21/get-into-the-christmas-spirits-gift-ideas-for-the-spirits-and-wine-lover

Hearty meaty affair this Yuletide

MANY have childhood memories that are rooted in Christmas celebrations. Le Meridian Kuala Lumpur executive chef Antoine Rodriguez said his fondest memories revolve around this festive period, when a family friend would dress up as Santa Claus. “Growing up in France, we believed in Santa Claus as our parents told us that if we were good, he would come with presents. “My siblings and I would happily anticipate Santa’s visit,” said Rodriguez. Living in Malaysia for 20 years, the chef has been creating good food memories for the hotel’s guests at the Latest Recipe restaurant, especially during Christmas. French Croquembouche Vanilla Mascarpone is the star of the Christmas dessert table. It has been his routine for many years to celebrate at the hotel as he cooks up a storm for the guests. “I want guests to enjoy quality food that is not overly prepared yet rich in taste. It is a celebration and people must be able to enjoy. It is important that we give them that experience,” he said. He said there’s a good range of meat carvings at the Christmas buffet spread. “We have the Tomahawk Australian beef, Denver lamb rack, veal and Norwegian salmon. “There will be five to six types of meat at the buffet’s carving station,” he said. Indian food and other local delights also feature at the buffet as diners enjoy local dishes too during festivals, said Rodriguez. Rodriguez holding up the Australian tomahawk. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star Among the highlights at the Asian corner are the butter prawn with egg-yolk crumbs, and wok-fried short noodle with black pepper prawns. Some of the dim sum options are Sesame Prawn, Lychee Seafood Ball and barbecue chicken buns. To offset all the protein during this festive season, the chef has a line up of salads such as salmon flakes with apple and raisins, and basil pesto farfalle with smoked chicken. I enjoyed the Baked Salmon Coulibiac, an aromatic fish mousse-and-dill puff. The baked salmon was not overly cooked and the fish retained its moisture while the puff pastry encasing it had was perfectly crisp. A must for seafood lovers. Cheese is another star in most buffets and the French chef has ensured an impressive variety at Latest Recipe, with a selection that includes Bresse Blue, St Albray and gruyère. Over at the seafood corner are mouth-watering fresh oysters and premium sashimi such as salmon. French chefs are always proud of their desserts and Rodriguez is no exception. Among the highlights is the French Croquembouche Vanilla Mascarpone. The presentation of the Croquembouche is stunning as it’s decked like a huge cone drizzled with caramel. The festive buffet dinner from Dec 25 to 30 and on Jan 1 is priced at RM228nett for adults and RM114nett for children. The Christmas Eve buffet dinner is priced at RM268nett for adults and RM134nett for children. The Christmas Day buffet brunch is priced at RM238nett for adults and RM119nett for children. LATEST RECIPE, Level 5, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2263 7434). Business hours: 6.30am to 10.30am (Monday and Tuesday); 6.30am to 10.30am and 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Wednesday to Friday); 6.30am to 11am and 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Saturday and Sunday). This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.

Metro

Metro News

Complimentary

Medium

2023-12-21 00:00:00

food,Christmas,Le meridian KL

MANY have childhood memories that are rooted in Christmas celebrations.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/12/21/hearty-meaty-affair-this-yuletide

Year-end buffet that combines best of East and West

A ROAST prime rib can be an indulgent experience, especially if served with traditional holiday sides like roasted vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. A beautifully seared crust giving way to tender, succulent meat is one of the hallmarks of a good roast. Such was the case during a recent visit to Kwee Zeen’s Christmas buffet in Sofitel Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The roast is one the highlights at the carving station. Its outer edges were well seasoned, providing a nice contrast to the tender meat. Roasted Sea Bass with Garlic Prawn. The meat was medium-well in doneness, yet still juicy combined with the flavours of herbs and seasonings. On the other hand, the Slow-Braised Beef Cheeks Ragout was flavourful but the meat could be a little bit more tender. The stew was tasty; savoury with earthy spices and sweetness from cherry tomatoes. The buffet spread is a blend of Asian and Western flavours, featuring favourite Malaysian dishes. Seafood lovers can relish fresh lobsters, prawns, mussels and more at the ocean bar on ice. Other dishes to look forward to include Smoke Beef Steamship, Seafood Wild Rice Pilaf with smoked chicken and Slipper Lobster l’Americaine. One to look out for is the signature Udang Beradab. The Pahang dish is made on the spot and is widely known as Udang Masak Raja, and mostly served during weddings and special occasions. There is also an extensive dessert buffet, with the the Durian Mousse Cake being the highlight. It has a creamy and light texture, combining the richness of durian with the softness of the mousse and cake layers. The festive buffet and brunch menu at Kwee Zeen start from RM168+ per adult and half the price for children. There is also a festive Sunday brunch throughout December priced at RM188+ per adult. The Christmas Eve dinner as well as Christmas Day brunch is priced at RM228+ per adult, while Christmas Day dinner is at RM188+ per adult. The New Year’s Eve buffet dinner is priced at RM228+ per adult. There is also a New Year’s Day brunch, priced at RM168+ per adult, which is served from 12.30pm to 3pm. KWEE ZEEN, Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara, No 6, Jalan Damanlela, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel:03-2720 6608). Business hours: 6am to 10pm. This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.

Metro

Metro News

Complimentary

Medium

2023-12-21 00:00:00

sofitel,kwee zeen,christmas,buffet

A ROAST prime rib can be an indulgent experience, especially if served with traditional holiday sides like roasted vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/12/21/year-end-buffet-that-combines-best-of-east-and-west