Italian food surely sits among the top few of my favorite cuisines. Apart from the fact that it is delicious, it's also the most readily available vegetarian food while traveling outside India. Pizza and pasta have literally become world food! You can go to the most offbeat place in the world n you're sure to find an Italian restaurant there. Many times I have found myself in places that are highly non-vegetarian friendly. But a cheese pizza is something I am bound to come by.
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| Picture courtesy of Sid Khullar of Chef at Large |
Well, there are many more delicious dishes in Italian cuisine beyond pizza and pasta. Some of my favorite cheeses come from Italy as well - bufala mozzarella, bocconcini, parmesan, grana padano, ricotta...they are a regular feature in my cooking. Anything to do with Italian and I'm in! Be it the food or the wine!
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| Picture courtesy of Sid Khullar of Chef at Large |
Last week, I got the chance to spend a lovely afternoon outdoors with a great bunch of foodies and bloggers at Blooms, the coffee shop at Eros Hotel, managed by Hilton. It was a sneak-preview of their Italian food festival for which they have flown in chef Stefano Nicodemo from Italy.
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| Picture courtesy of Sid Khullar of Chef at Large |
My antipasti selection comprised of Roasted Aubergine rolls, Vol au vents filled with mushroom sauce, Roasted baby potatoes, and bocconcini with roasted vegetables. What pleased my palate the most was the aubgergine rolls, stuffed with sundried tomatoes and smoked cheese. It was delicate and full of flavour, and delicious enough to convert all the aubergine-haters on the table.
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| Picture courtesy Souvik Das Gupta of Belly Centric |
For me, the main course was Spinach flan served with cheese fondue and a Saffron risotto. I am already a big fan of risotto...and this saffron version made me fall in love with it even more. A beautiful vibrant color, along with a deliciously creamy texture made this the highlight of the meal. You must try it.
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| Picture courtesy of Sid Khullar of Chef at Large |
For dessert there was the highly-awaited Tiramisu. Not quite authentic, and lacking in the right coffee-kick, it was a big disappointment. So you might want to skip it and go for some other dessert. But do try the to-die-for risotto!
I have highlighted only the vegetarian options. For more on the non-veggie fare available, you can head to the following links:
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| Picture courtesy of Sid Khullar of Chef at Large |
The weather, the food, and the company...all made for a great time. And what really made my day was that most of the hard-core meat-eaters gave a thumbs up to the veggie items over the meat ones!
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Loved your post on the festival.... Had a great time with you over lunch.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts - Nachiketa
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