A Day in Bali Garden

Indian cooking is one of the most flavorful and fragrant cuisines in the world, using a wide range of herbs and spices. The main staples are legumes, grains, vegetables and fruits. Dal or lentil and rice are two of the main ingredients found in Indian cooking.  Although at a glance all Indian food looks the same; curries, yoghurt, vegetarian options, dried fruits, lentils and rice, the regions will show contrasting flavor profiles and specific ingredients used. In Kerala, vegetarian cooking is predominant and due to its coastal location fresh fish and coconut milk are in abundance. While in Delhi, as it is a big city and influenced by many cultures, street food from all over India are thriving as well as western food such as sandwiches and burgers.  One dish that is made throughout India, from the far Northern to the South is Biryani. A rice dish cooked in spices and served with meat or vegetables. A good Biryani dish can surely spice up you weekday dinner. Ch...

Meat Pie is one of Australia and New Zealand’s classic dish. Every household has their own mum’s recipe, sworn to be the best beef pie in the continent. A great beef pie holds its shape, flaky golden brown crust with beef in thick flavorful gravy.  In 1891, pie manufacturer Sargent produced their first meat pie and soon after, other pie manufacturers followed suit. Meat Pies are so popular in Australia and New Zealand, in 2017 Australians eat 270 million pies and New Zealander eat 66 million pies. This simple recipe of Meat Pies has aromatic rosemary in it to give more depth to the gravy. INGREDIENTS 800 grams beef, top side cut, cut into 2 cm cube 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely hopped 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons All Purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 400 milliliter beef stock 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 sheets of pie crust dough 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry sheet 1 egg, lightly whisked Tomato sauce, to serve ...

French cuisine has brought so many great dishes, savory and sweet, to the world. Delicious pastries are one of the best things about French cooking. The perfect combination of butter, flour and milk creates a flaky and flavorful pastry. Quiche is one of the perfect French pastries to be enjoyed on any occasion. The buttery crust filled with egg custard with various fillings.  Quiche originated from Germany, first called  “kuchen” or cake, during the medieval times where the Germans ruled the area of Lothringen. Quiche was an open pie of cream, egg and bacon with a crust made of bread dough. When the French took over the land and changed the name into Lorraine, the dish began to be called as Quiche Lorraine, the crust then evolved into the buttery flaky crust that we all know and love. This particular dish then became popular in the UK during the second world war and today it can be found almost everywhere in the world with various fillings. Quiche Lorraine Recipe...

The Japanese are known for their intelligence and discipline in whatever they do. This attitude also translates into their most popular food, Sushi. Sushi is the type of food that looks simple and easy to make but in reality a lot of preparation and attention to detail play a large role in making great sushi. To become a good sushi Chef, one must master the intricate and detailed process of creating a plate of Sushi. Sushi rice is unlike any other rice in Asian cuisine. Short grain Japanese rice is used, cooked to perfection and mixed with the perfect ratio of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. In some cases, kombu or kelp and sake are added to add another layer of flavor. The rice is mixed with the vinegar mixture and allowed to cool until it is manageable with bare hands. Someone who is looking to become a Itamae or Sushi Chef, must undergo years of training under a Master Itamae . After five years of following orders and helping on the job, they will be involved in making t...

On this holiday island, wine and spirits are in high demand, from top shelf items to homemade spirits. In the last decade, most tourists would steer clear of locally made wine and spirits but times are changing! Local wines are constantly improving and can now match or exceed the quality of some imported wines. Competitive prices certainly make more people interested in trying and eventually becoming a fan of locally produced wines. When talking about wine of Bali, it would only be appropriate to mention the first Bali winery, Hatten Wines. The winery started producing wine in 1992, using an unconventional grape variety grown on the North Coast of the island. Their first production was Rose, which seemed fitting to the islands tropical climate. The Rosé gained popularity for hotels and restaurants as it is a great value product. The winery did not stop there, with the help of French winemakers they work on applying méthode champenoise to their wine and producing quality Spark...

Satay or sate in Bahasa Indonesian spelling, is small pieces of seasoned meat, skewered, grilled and served with sauce. A dish widely popular in Asia; Indonesia and Malaysia are the two countries where satay can be commonly found. Chicken, mutton and beef are typically used in both countries as the majority of the population are Moslem. The great thing about Indonesia is the diversity of religion, culture and cuisines. The island of Java with a Moslem majority, use plenty of chicken and mutton but if you travel to a different part of the country such as Borneo, North Sumatra and Bali, people eat pork.  The most popular satay has to be Sate Ayam or Chicken Satay, served with sweet peanut sauce and rice or rice cakes. The chicken thigh is cut up into small pieces and each skewer will have 4 pieces of meat. The raw satay is then marinated with sweet soy sauce and garlic before being cooked over a charcoal grill. Since the meat is a small size, the skewers do not take lo...

The best thing about Sunday is being able to sit and have a meal with your family. The stress from a daily routine should melt away with wonderful company and amazing food. Who can pass freshly baked pasta straight out of the oven for a Sunday dinner? Lasagna and cannelloni are the most famous traditional Italian baked pasta dishes that can be enjoyed anytime. Traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation keep the dish authentic. Cannelloni is shaped like a tube to be filled with meat sauce or spinach and ricotta which is then covered with more tomato sauce and bechamel. You don’t need to be a professional chef to bake a great cannelloni with this simple recipe! Beef Cannelloni Filling: 1 kg minced beef 1 tbsp. olive oil 1000 ml tomato basil sauce 400 g dried cannelloni tubes Bechamel: 50 g butter 50 g plain flour 500 ml whole milk Topping: 100 g parmesan, grated Method: Filling: Sautee the beef in a pan on a...