Tuscan Dining at Chelsea, Serendra

Literally a family affair at Chelsea Serendra for the Banfi Wine Dinner: A Tuscan Toast 

Alex, my officemate, and I invited our folks to join us in dining "taverna-style" (as in tables of 6 or more and everyone sharing platter after never-ending platter of yummy Italian dishes.)

All 10 courses were paired with the Tuscan wines of Castello Banfi Winery.

Fumaio, Collepino, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino...

i like the way the names roll off my tongue.

The Romans plus my dad (right)

Mom and friends joined the party

More guests, friends and families enjoy the charmingly casual set up

to put us more in the "countryside" mood...

Judith and Elias of High Life chat all night with

Guillaume Blanchard of Castello Banfi.

First on the menu, Panko-Crusted Feta Greek Salad with Lemon and Dill served with Banfi Fumaio - a light, white wine.

The "Pissaladiere," according to Chelsea owner Andrej and his lovely wife Myrza, means "onion pizza." The caramelized onions went well with the sweetness of the red wine - the Collepino.

Parmesan Jalapeno Arancini with Deep-Fried Olives and Caperberries

Baked Herb Chicken and Spinach Gorgonzola Rigatoni

Salt Baked Barramundi with Garlic Aoli

A very interesting way of cooking fish - with a salt wrap. It was a bit of a challenge though breaking through to the inside. But the Barramundi was actually not too salty and very soft. 

Duck Confit and Sausage Cassoulet is my new fave comfort food. It actually reminds me of a white bean recipe at home except that we use pork.

It will fall-from-your-fork: "Low and Slow” Merlot-Braised U.S. Beef Short Rib Stew was delicious with creamy mashed potatoes and crispy, fried onions.

Banana and Balsamic Caramel Waffles with Chocolate-Dipped Bacon. I took a bite of the bacon and it wasn't what I expected. It actually works when you make the bacon real crispy then it just gives the chocolate a little salty crunch. The caramel was my favorite though coz there would be slivers of it on the soft waffle, like when you break the surface of a creme brulee. 

Warm Cinnamon Nutmeg Apple Pie with Lavender Honey Gelato

My dad's favorite. He orders it everywhere so I could say that he knows his apple pie.

Our moms on the other hand, enjoyed the Vittoria Cappuccinos. Funny, since it was  served with a piece of chocnut on the side, they figured it was meant to be dropped whole inside the coffee. It actually worked so maybe it was?! Can't know for sure but i'll probably try it again as well.

Why Store Shoppers Appreciate a Little Taste Test...

When you buy clothes, you try them on for size right? Even in ice cream stalls, those little spoons for taste testing are always so helpful when you're choosing between a coffee crumble and a choco hazelnut.

The Australian Sale at Wine Depot was a hodge podge of all things wine and gourmet last week, where people can walk in and sample everything from cheeses, wines, chips and dips, and even wagyu steaks in bite-sized portions just waiting to be devoured.

Red tags on all Australian Wines

Apparently, 'true blue' in Australia means "authentic" or "genuine"

first stop...

Cheese glutton's paradise

The cheeses were lined up from the mildest flavored to the strongest.

 

Brie. my favorite so far. A little creamier than the Camembert.

 

strong, sharp taste but equally delicious. This goat cheese was wrapped in bay leaves for a distinct flavor.

Another goat cheese. Not for the faint-hearted. Robust, rich taste, it's a must try.

I personally liked the chilled white wine paired with the cheeses, over the reds:)

Next stop, gourmet station

spring onion, spinach, cheese and chives... creamy dips galore. Makes me want to open a bag of chips, camp out in a couch for a DVD marathon.

meanwhile, by the meat station

tomahawk, grass fed tenderloin, grain fed striploin, lamb rack, wagyu-name it.

I was informed that chilled meat is different from frozen meat. Chilled meats are really fresh and can go straight to the grill or pan. Frozen ones last longer in the fridge.

Gourmet depot keeps their meats individually packed and vacuum sealed.

Little cutlets of perfectly cooked samples were by the display, so shoppers can tell the difference.

Australian fish were on sale too...

At the corner, the chef was demonstrating how to prepare easy fish recipes.

For dessert, shoppers can head to the homemade bakes section and try one of their yummy cookies and biscotti

Across the sweets station, the baristas of Vittoria coffee will teach you how to make your choice of coffee.

 

It takes a lot of skill to actually perfect the "rosetta" (the swirl you see on the froth)

At the end of the day, i even learned how to sip coffee through an Australian tim tam bar. I'll tell you how in my next blog;P 

Colts, Coffee and Cocktails

...Well, it was a Polo Match so it's more like "really expensive Horses, Coffee and Cocktails."

The view from the top

I was at the Enrique Zobel Cup last Sunday at the Manila Polo Club. Don't know much about the game except that it's an occassion where women get to wear huge hats and men got to wear boots and no one seemed to mind.

The tents started to fill up quickly with guests as soon as the festivities began.

Vittoria Coffee Booth

It's actually a pretty interesting event especially that I got to hang out by the entrance where all the sponsor booths were. They didn't serve cocktails til around 5:30 so a shot of espresso, a large cappuccino and a medium latte kept me alive for most of the afternoon.

It was a sunny day but the wind was blowing non stop (and knocked most of the tarpaulines down). I guess it kept people cool enough to want to drink freshly brewed coffee.

The fact that there were Porsche's cruising around the field in between goals was actually pretty cool and added to the glamour of the event.

The parade of buffet and cocktail tables and tiki torches came after the awarding of winners. 

It seemed like it was tradition to announce cocktails like a cavalry. (It's my first time so I'll see how they do it next year.) I wouldn't mind attending again. A combination of overflowing wines, coffee and food, plus a healthy dose of sport will always be a winning recipe for any event.

MAKING GOURMET FISH IN 5 MINUTES FLAT

Purple Feet's Chef Marco Legasto proved last Friday that it only takes a good piece of fish, a tablespoon of lobster oil, and around the time duration of a TV commercial to make a really drool-worthy, healthy gourmet fish dish.

The chef held a seafood workshop for free at the restaurant and we were more than happy to take snapshots of his debut cooking class moments.

Meeting The Chef...

I love that were given wine to drink

They used Australian fish to celebrate Australia Day

1st dish of the day: Pan-seared King George Whiting with a Minty Lime Sauce

keeping things simple... all the ingredients were easy enough to get at Gourmet Depot.

The whole room smelled of lobster and sizzling garlic

Ingredients:

200 grams King George Whiting

30 ml Ferguson Lobster Oil

3 whole kaffir lime leaves

5 grams mint leaves

5 grams coriander leaves

20 grams chopped garlic

20 grams chopped onion

Juice from one lemon

1 tsp fish sauce

1 gram Ravida sea salt

1 gram ground pepper

Procedure:

Heat lobster oil in a frying pan, then sauté the garlic and onions.

When the garlic and onions are brown, add kaffir lime leaves, mint and coriander leaves. Season fish with sea salt and black pepper. Sear the King George Whiting on both sides till brown. Finish off with fish sauce and lemon juice.

2nd dish of the day: Poached Garfish in Green Tea

Ingredients:

200 grams Garfish

1 tsp green tea leaves (you can break open a tea bag)

30 ml vegetable oil

50 ml chicken stock

20 grams miso paste

 20 grams chopped garlic

 20 grams chopped onions

 Sea salt and ground pepper

Procedure:

Saute garlic and onion in vegetable oil, then add chicken stock, green tea leaves and miso paste. Poach the Garfish in the green tea mixture for two minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It seems easy enough so I'm gonna give these a try as soon as possible.

Maybe with some rice or garlic pasta!