Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i epicure

You can tell a lot about a fine dining restaurant by the bread it serves, or to put it more succinctly, the level of bread service. It’s a perceptible gauge of the restaurant’s attention to detail, how much care it lavishes on its guests and a prelude to the rest of your meal. The breads should be fresh and warm – there’s nothing quite as dampening as room temperature, or worse, stale cold loaves. (Yes, some establishments do recycle unconsumed bread.) Rustic sourdough, walnut and raisin brioche, Kalamata olive oil roll, and bacon and onion fougasse. Love them all. They should be fabulous enough to eat on their own, but you would want the anointment of excellent quality olive oil that leaves a bitter sensation on the tongue or mouth-puckering…

BREAD, WINE, CHOCOLATE Award-winning journalist Simran Sethi travelled across six continents to examine the gradual, irrevocable loss of food diversity globally. Through her journeys to places like coffee forests and cocoa plantations, she collected valuable information and insights from scientists, winemakers, farmers and chefs. The book is divided into six sections with each focused on one particular food, elaborating why and what is disappearing, how to save agrobiodiversity and most of all, the profound way in which our five senses contribute to our eating experience. Bread, Wine, Chocolate is not just a compilation of Sethi’s enormously complex and illuminating findings about this pressing issue, but also an astute commentary on tasting – getting intimate with what we choose to consume for it reflects who we are. US$26.99 (S$37.96). Available at…

Gjelina features a collection of vibrant recipes from chef Travis Lett, who owns the small but stylish restaurant in Venice, Los Angeles. Fresh vegetables and grains are the main stars. The book also includes dreamy images of the district and raw ingredients used for dishes, as well as portraits of their cooks, portraying the humble narrative of the restaurant. Published by Chronicle Books LLC. Available at amazon.com. uS$35 (S$49.18) Sean Brock is the James Beard award-winning chef behind restaurants McCrady’s and Husk. Raised in rural Virginia before carving his career out in Charleston, his mission is to preserve traditional foods of the south with recipes such as Pickled Shrimp and Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Tomato Gravy found in Heritage. It’s a cookbook woven with stories of his background to provide…

PICK THE BUCKET If the bucket bag has always been at the bottom of your bag list, this season’s chic interpretations will change your mind. Embellished with quirky details, spiced up with ruching, or flaunting stylish asymmetrical shapes, the roomy pieces from Céline, Louis Vuitton and Loewe are game-changers. IN THE LIMELIGHT Bright hues are no surprise during spring, but thankfully, this season’s shades are more cheery than jarring. From Proenza Schouler’s versatile cobalt number to Tsumori Chisato’s sunny knitted tote, there’s never been a better time to embrace colour. PICTURE PERFECT Every social media goddess needs a top-notch camera and a deserving carrier for it. Jetsetters will adore Chanel’s playful black, white and red toile and gum bag, while Instagram-loving fashionistas will appreciate elegant picks like Bottega Veneta’s Shoulder…

ABC COOKING STUDIO Want to master techniques for fluffy Japanese buns but also sturdier French, Italian, German, Polish breads and Danish pastries? ABC offers classes for all. Participants first embark on a basic course with 24 menus to choose from (including Hokkaido pain au lait and Italian pain de mie) before moving up to the master course, where they tackle more advanced recipes like Danishes, croissants and bagels. Once they have completed both, they can opt to obtain an ABC Bread License to become a certified instructor or operate their very own bakery. Price upon enquiry. #03-12/12A Takashimaya S.C. Tel: 6694 6104 TOTT STORE/TOTT@SUNTEC 3 March is when instructor Julie Yee takes participants through a lesson on poolish, the base that will be used for four loaves: red wine prune,…

“I didn’t set out to represent my culture and become sort of an educator on umami,” Shinobu Namae chuckles. “But I was invited to a few conferences to speak on these topics, so I tried to learn as much as possible beforehand. The more I learned about the amino acids that give rise to the umami flavour, the more invites I received.” It’s at a more intimate masterclass on the fifth taste at Bacchanalia attended by a handful of food writers that I met Shinobu, the directeur executive chef of two Michelin-starred L’Effervescence in Tokyo. The session’s host was executive head chef Ivan Brehm of Bacchanalia, who first met Shinobu when they both worked at The Fat Duck in 2008 and partnered him for an exclusive ‘Four Hands’ dinner dubbed…

To celebrate with 1994 was one of the best vintages in the Rioja, and Montecillo’s Selección Especial is made only in the best years. The velvety Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 1994 is a 100% Tempranillo made from selected top sites from Rioja Alta, with 40 months in Bordeaux style French oak enhanced by the winery’s cellars designed for slow, careful ageing. The dense red hue belies its complex balsamic layers of dark fruit weaved with liquorice. Available mid-March. $138 (750ml), $258 (magnum) from Certain Cellars Alternate pick Te Whare Ra Marlborough Pinot Gris 2014 comes from the oldest boutique winery in Malborough. Owners Anna and Jason Flowerday impress with their dedication to organic, biodynamic and small yield principles, seen in this aromatic Alsace-styled Pinot Gris. Dry and medium-bodied, with…

epicure magazine reserves the rights to publicise the participant’s name, picture(s) and name of the restaurant in print and online. Only winners will be notified. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence on the decision will be entertained. terMs And conditions • SUBMISSIONS OF HOMEMADE OR HAWKER FOOD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. • ENTRIES HAVE TO BE SHOT ON-SITE AT THE RESTAURANT. • OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE BUT THEY WILL NEED TO APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE IN SINGAPORE FOR PRIZE COLLECTION ON THEIR BEHALF IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO THEMSELVES. • MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW OR REPLACE PRIZE OFFERS AT ANY TIME. • THIS CONTEST IS INITIATED FULLY BY EPICURE AND INDEPENDENT OF APPLE INC. Download a free QR Code Reader from your app…

SAILING IN STYLE Explore the magnificent Maldivian seas onboard ‘Cameron’, COMO Hotels and Resorts’ first luxury yacht that features three deluxe cabins and an air-conditioned fly bridge. The 68 ft Hatteras yacht will shuttle guests between COMO’s two beautiful resorts, Cocoa Island and Maalifushi, where they can enjoy Shambhala therapies and world-class cuisine. Dive into clear, turquoise waters, catch the rolling waves along pearly white sands or have your own chef whip up a picnic by the beach. You can even have marine biologists accompany you on snorkelling trips or fishing expert guides to ensure a satisfying catch. Rates upon enquiry. Tel: +960 6878 0001 www.comohotels.com AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST GEM New South Wales is best known for its spectacular coastlines and natural terrains and rightfully so. You can fly over…

It’s the end of August and I’m on a two-week food expedition on this unknown but gigantic island, floating midway between North America and Europe. Most travellers, wrapped up in uniforms of windproof Gore-Tex and armed with an arsenal of outdoor gadgets, either come here to camp on the second largest ice cap in the world or to see glaciers splintering and sail around towering icebergs. This is a remote island, still inhabited by the Inuit people, cut off from the rest of the world thanks to a freezing Arctic Ocean and a fierce climate. Some parts of Greenland have no roads and are only accessible by bright red Air Greenland helicopters. It’s almost like taking a London bus to fly over a glittering white ice cap where bright blue…

FREDERIC DESHAYES spent eight years teaching at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy where he was head of Pastry and Bakery Arts. Prior to that, he worked at some of France’s most prestigious establishments: as pastry sous chef at Pierre Hermé Boutique, pastry chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, and pastry sous chef at Hôtel Plaza Athénée. He took the first step to run his own place in 2014 with Do. Main Bakery & Café. He is up baking in the wee hours and stocking the counter with freshly made country breads, apple tarts and choquettes. My baking guru is: “Frederic Lalos, who earned his MOF title when he was just 26. His bakery Le Quartier du Pain is renowned in France and it’s his recipes that guide me in the…

If you’re the sort of diner who is curious about every element on your plate – how it’s bred, aged, grown, grass- or grain-fed – The Dorchester’s Meet the Producer events might just be up your alley. Designed to let guests know more about the artisans behind their dishes, these dinners serve exquisite courses built around the select ingredients. Past sessions have focused on Hansen & Lydersen, and The Kernel Brewery, who are known for their cold smoked sustainable salmon and craft beers respectively. Come 28 April, Britain’s leading cheese producer Paxtons & Whitfield will take to the stage. Highlights of their 200-year history include gaining their Royal Warrant to Queen Victoria in 1950, and currently holding Royal Warrants of Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince…

BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD Flour, water, salt, yeast. Four simple ingredients and yet their combinations have staggering results on the sheer variety of breads we enjoy. No other staple food has a richer past. Bread’s history traces back some 30,000 years, with present-day bakers returning to the old way of crafting them with natural starters – long before yeast became readily available in the late 19th century. Employing naturally occurring yeast is a vital practice at artisanal bakeries. Traditionalists insist it not only imparts complexities of flavour, it also carries tangible health benefits thanks to lengthy fermentation times. Without any legal guidelines, however, the term ‘artisanal bread’ is hard to quantify. Baker chef of Maison Kayer, Matthias Masselin, defines it as “prepared, handkneaded and risen on site under the…

CINNAPRETZ AND TAKKIU BEENUT BUTTERS Our favourite local peanut butter makers are back with two new flavours. Both feature lovely pops of crunch in their olive oil-based spreads, one with shards of salty-sweet pretzels and the other with chocolaty Milo balls. Delish. $14.90. Available at Second Helpings. LA PETITE EPICERIE TOPPINGS Prefer a savoury crostini over a sweet sandwich any day? We hear you. The La Petite Epicerie range of umami spreads like sundried tomatoes, artichoke and olive is just the thing for pairing with crunch baguette slices on a tantalising antipasti platter. $18 to $21. Available at Secrets Fine Food. CASTILLO DE CANENA SMOKED OLIVE OIL Aside from its gorgeous bottle, this Arbequina oil is delicately cold-infused with oak smoke at one of Andalucia’s finest olive oil estates for…

When the occasion calls for comfort food, there’s nothing more satisfying than cheesy spätzle, a Swabian favourite similar to the beloved macaroni and cheese. The soft, egg-based noodle is a good foil to Mainland Gouda’s creamy and buttery textures. “The richness of Gouda pairs particularly well with caramelised onions and gives spätzle a more fullbodied flavour,” executive chef Aaron Foster of The Westin Singapore says. “I also included a touch of subtly nutty Mainland Swiss for an added dose of creaminess that softens the heavy dish.” Mainland’s other cheese varieties are as easily worked into your favourite dishes. Epicure aged cheddar kicks flavours up a notch, Vintage’s sharpness is great with spiced charcuterie, the sweetness of Gruyere complements savouries, Edam works well with grilled fare, and the robust Tasty lends…

AT A GLANCE As many cooks can attest, the kitchen can be quite the mental and emotional sanctuary. Cooking as a therapeutic activity can clear out the mind, soothe anxiety and even mend a broken heart. Renowned food critic and twitter poet extraordinaire Ruth Reichl’s My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life is certainly testament to that. When American publisher Condé Nast abruptly folded Gourmet magazine in 2009, Reichl, then its editor in chief for over a decade, was suddenly thrown into a world of unknowns. And as she writes in her prologue, “I did what I always do when I’m confused, lonely, and frightened. I disappeared into the kitchen.” Part cookbook and part memoir, My Kitchen Year reads like a diary and chronicles the months in which…

My earliest memory of bread was queuing up for the ice cream truck. I was ready to get my usual chocolate chip cone when I saw ‘uncle’ pull out a pliable piece of multi-coloured bread. In a four-year-old’s mind, colour equates to taste. The green tinge, the pink swirls and the chocolatey crust – I knew I needed a slice. That bread should have played the supporting role if ice cream was involved, but it turned out to be the star, cradling soft scoops and sending drips of melted ice down my elbow, its moistened interiors damp, sweet and cool till the last bite. Those were the breads I remember growing up with – fluffy, pillowy soft and requiring only the slightest jaw work. Coconut buns from heartland bakery chains…

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If you’ve always dreamt of living like a character in The Great Gatsby, now you can with the beautifully restored Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá. The grand 62-room hotel originated in 1946 as a family home designed by Santiago Medina Mejia, a Medillin-born, Paris-educated artist and architect who incorporated the stone columns and handcarved wooden doors from demolished colonial convents in the construction of the building. He also personally supervised the crafting of exquisite wrought iron grillwork. These architectural gems lend a stately vibe to the residence. Coined Casa Medina, the French- and Spanish-influenced structure was subsequently declared a national monument by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture, and in 1988, it became Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá – a stomping ground for the city’s power players and global elite. After a…

POLLEN If the verdant surrounds of Pollen don’t draw you in, their baked treats surely will. Sourdough is available with the set lunch in the main dining room, complemented with hummus and light homemade butter seasoned with mirin, soy, Dijon mustard, whole grain French mustard and freshly chopped tarragon. Rosemary focaccia is served with a bowl of mixed olives during afternoon tea at the terrace. Herbs used are as fresh as they come – for example, the rosemary and tarragon are grown in their own herb garden and picked only when needed. ODETTE “I have a lot of difficulty not eating bread in a restaurant!” confesses chef Julien Royer of Odette. “Having eau, pain and beurre (water, bread and butter) at the start of a meal is one of the…

La Terre Co-founder: Award-winning sommelier Daisuke Kawai is the immaculately put-together host of this polished Japanese-styled wine bar and retail. The name: Refers to the produce that comes from our earth, from which we enjoy wine, whisky and cheese. The look: La Terre comprises a retail area upon entry, which then leads to a blindingly white onyx wine cellar that momentarily disorients the senses. Stepping, finally, into the wine bar area brings a sense of serenity and simplicity. Wine list: Mostly imported directly by Kawai, offering a tremendous value 300-plus list that will grow to 500 labels in the next month or two. The breadth is admirable, for executives looking to splurge on a Romanee-Conti, or regulars wanting to discover something new, like a Corsican French white at $108. There’s…

BUNNY MARY 120ml fresh carrot juice 10ml fresh lemon juice 10ml fresh lime juice 10ml olive brine 2 dashes Tabasco 1 dash Worcestershire sauce 1 dash celery bitters pinch pink Himalayan sea salt pinch crushed black pepper 45ml Tanqueray gin garnish 3 carrot slices 1 lemon wedge 1 lime wedge freshly grated black pepper • Add all ingredients except gin and garnishes in a glass and gently stir to incorporate. Add gin and gently incorporate. • Add ice cubes, arrange garnishes and sprinkle freshly grated black pepper only when you’re ready to serve. All natural Says Irwan, “The sweetness in this cocktail is all naturally from carrot juice. Get the best results by peeling the carrot then soaking it in an ice bath to keep the sugars intact. Then use…

Both Isidora de la Cuadra Maillard’s parents hail from Viña del Mar, a coastal city in central Chile, but their attitudes towards food couldn’t be more different. On her father’s side, food was more a necessity and not a passion, in contrast to how things were in her maternal family. “After my parents got married, my father became very demanding about food,” de la Cuadra Maillard laughs. Growing up, she lived in Rancagua, Holland and Mexico, and settled back in Santiago, Chile’s capital, when she was 16 years old. Though her parents felt strongly that she should pursue a more professional degree at university, the spunky Chilean eventually decided, after one year of studying journalism, to enroll into a local French culinary school. Now, she’s the head baker at Gemmills,…

Anteprima #02-39 Paragon Tel: 6235 3996 Balenciaga #01-07 Paragon Tel: 6304 1349 Bottega Veneta #01-04A ION Orchard Tel: 6238 0020 Carven #03-12 ION Orchard Tel: 6304 1373 Céline B1-130 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6225 4705 Certain Cellars #02-05 Henderson Industrial Park, 209 Henderson Road Tel: 6270 3230 Chanel L1-59 and B1-135 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6645 1950 Chloé Club 21 #01-01/02 Four Seasons Hotel Singapore Tel: 6304 1385 Culina #01-13 Dempsey Hill Tel: 6474 7338 Dior #01-22 and #02-13 ION Orchard Tel: 6509 8828 Dolce & Gabbana #01-19 and #02-09/10 ION Orchard Tel : 6509 3312 Grand Vin #08-139 TradeHub21 18 Boon Lay Way Tel: 6465 3081 Hermès B1-41 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7111 Hot Spring Stones 34 Sungei Kadut…