Cocktails for the Cold

You can’t beat a cooling and refreshing cocktail in the summer. During cold and icy winters, however, you may be at a loss at what to drink. Something that’s softer, more comforting and warming is usually more appealing than cooling citrusy flavours in the colder months.

Winter Cocktails is a book full of delicious solutions. Pouring through this beautifully illustrated book, you’ll find the methods to make Irish Coffees, Hot Buttered Rum, mulled wines and spiced creamy drinks that will slide down your throat like silk. One of the best drinks is the Rosy Cheek, an elegantly smooth white chocolate tipple with rum, peppercorns and nuts.

It contains useful step-by-step instructions of how to ‘muddle,’ make caramel and garnishes, and what ingredients to stock up on. What’s more, if you flick to the back, you’ll find delightful nibble recipes to accompany your drinks.

Now that you’re a skilled mixologist, you can host all the winter cocktail parties you like.


Winter Cocktails by Maria Del Mar Sacasa, photographed by Tara Striano, is published by Quirk Books.

Anjum Anand's Baked Spice-Stuffed Apples

"Cooked apples are very good to perk up our ojas (our chi, vitality) so it is good to include them in our diet. This dessert is ideal for those with a kapha imbalance and it should ideally be eaten as it is, on its own.”

Makes 1, can be repeated for more apples

1 sweet apple (I like golden delicious), peeled and rubbed with lemon juice

1 rounded tsp. demerera or raw cane sugar

25g nuts, I like to use walnuts, almonds and lig

htly roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of grating of nutmeg

1 rounded tsp. raisins or other dried fruit

80ml apple juice

8g butter

Preheat the oven to 190C. Core the apple until you have a neat 1” hole. Slice the base of the apple so that it can stand upright.

METHOD
Mix together the sugar, nuts, cinnamon and raisins. Pack into the cavities of the apples. Place in a snug fitting baking dish and pour around the apple juice. Top the apples with the butter. Cover with foil and bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking the apple until soft, basting every 6-7 minutes or so, this takes around 40-45 minutes.




In a hurry?
For a quicker dish, cut and core the apples in half and cook in their skins for 25 minutes.
To learn more about Anjum’s healthy Indian cooking, visit www.anjumanand.co.uk

Barbecue Prawns Marinated in Chilli & Soy

INGREDIENTS

500g raw tiger prawns,

peeled but tails intact

250g cherry vine tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large green sweet pepper,

de-seeded and cut into 3-cm chunks

2 red jalapeños, de-seeded and cut

into 1-cm pieces

watercress and toasted pita bread,

to serve

Marinade

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red chilli, de-seeded and

finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

grated zest and freshly squeezed

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Fresh aïoli

2 large egg yolks

4 very fresh garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp Dijon mustard

150 ml good-quality light olive oil

freshly squeezed juice of 1⁄2 lemon

medium sealable plastic food bag

8 wooden skewers,

soaked in water overnight

gas or charcoal barbecue

METHOD
To make the marinade, mix together all the ingredients and blend to a smooth purée using a hand blender.
Put the prawns in the sealable food bag and pour in the marinade. Seal securely. Shake vigorously and when all the prawns look well coated, refrigerate, still in the bag, for about two hours.

Put the tomatoes and half the olive oil in a small saucepan and gently warm for 5 minutes, or just long enough for the tomatoes to start to soften. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To make the fresh aioli, beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with a balloon whisk. Add the garlic and mustard and beat through. While beating the mixture, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. When all the oil has been added, the aïoli should have a smooth, velvety appearance. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and gently stir through. Refrigerate until needed.

Light your barbecue. Always do this in plenty of time to have built up a good bed of hot ashes or charcoal that have burnt down to a white glow with no visible flames. This normally takes about 45 minutes from lighting.

Take the refrigerated prawns out of the bag and place on a plate, reserving any remaining marinade.
Thread the marinated prawns, tomatoes, sweet pepper and jalapeños onto the skewers in a repeating sequence and continue until all 8 skewers are filled. Make sure you allow for enough of each ingredient on each skewer, and leave enough space at the ends of the skewers to handle when on the barbecue.

In a small bowl, loosen the reserved marinade with 1–2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil. Using a pastry brush, liberally coat the skewers with the marinade just before placing on the barbecue.

Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the prawns turn pink and are cooked through. Serve with watercress, toasted pita bread and a good dollop of fresh aioli.

As featured in The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook by Dan May. Published courtesy of Ryland, Peters & Small

Gregg Wallace on Valentine's Day

Gregg the greengrocer tells Chaat! about his friendship with food, quality time with his children, and the secret to a perfectly romantic evening. The friendly cockney has a whole lot of love.

INTERVIEW: MARIANNE VOYLE / PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLOTTE KNEE

Tell me about your  book, Life on a Plate.

It’s a story of endeavour I think, and the ups and downs of my life, and I think everyone will be surprised about what they are. I started my own fruit and veg business at the age of twenty-four, and went bankrupt about ten years later. I’m a greengrocer; this is what I’ve always called myself. I’ve still got a fruit and veg business and I’ve always supplied to London chefs. Fruit and veg has been a good friend to me over the years, I’ve always made a living from it!

What is your favourite spicy dish?
Chicken vindaloo. Wait, is that the hot one? Do you know what, as I said that all of a sudden I thought of the [English Football] song, and I thought, no I’ve got it wrong! We used to play a game with the kids, and the first one to spot a bead of sweat on the top of dad’s head would get a pound.

Do you cook much spicy food at home?
I did an Asian dish the other night, and I put all the chillies in a bowl and let people pick them out themselves. My son loves spicy food, but my daughter doesn’t like it very spicy so I’ve cut down the amount of ginger of chilli that I use.

Did Masterchef change your perception of Indian cuisine at all?
Yes, we’ve had some really fine Indian cooks. The complex spicing is quite incredible, and it’s about building up layers of flavour. When Westerners try to use that much spice when they aren’t trained properly, the spices end up clashing, but in the hands of a talented cook, it’s phenomenal!

How do you think Indian cuisine has changed in the last few years?
I think we’re seeing a lot more fusion food, Indian European crosses because, of course, a lot of the chefs have an Indian heritage and a British upbringing. We’re seeing a real fusion of spiced up European dishes.

You’ve recently started up your own restaurant called Gregg’s Table, as well as Wallace & Co. What advice would you give to anyone running smaller restaurants?
Don’t run a small restaurant, have a big one! You won’t make any money out of a small restaurant.
Don’t do it unless you simply must have a restaurant. Don’t do it to make money.

Do you have any cooking tips for us?
Yes! You can put in but you can’t take away. Whatever you’re adding to your food, add a little and taste. Then, add a little more and taste. Add taste, add taste, add taste!

What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day dish?
Something that you can create simply, it doesn't have to be complicated. The special lady in your life that you’re cooking for will appreciate the fact that you've made the effort. What she doesn't want to see is you stressed in the kitchen...

With more beads of sweat!Yes! Don’t get in a tizz about it. You need to be relaxed enough to pay attention to your dinner guest.

Finally, what does the future hold for Gregg Wallace?
Ooooh! (Pause) What I want to do is make enough money so I can work less.

Life on a Plate: The Autobiography by Gregg Wallace is out now (Orion, £18.99.)

Is this the future of food?

“Anyone can cook!” according to fictional chef Gusteau in the loveable film Ratatouille. The film does of course have its flaws; rats can’t cook, and “the rat is the chef!” probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first logical conclusion, but who knew Disney and Pixar would tap into a potential UK food trend? Eatro, described as an ‘online marketplace for homemade food,’ supports a Hungryhouse-like service where you’re handed the apron and become a takeaway chef.

Enforcing the idea that homemade food is unbeatable, Eatro wants to get people cooking their own signature dishes to be sold to hungry locals online.

So how does it work?

After creating your menu, Eatro allows you to choose a collection timeframe and enter the number of dishes you plan to make. A handy tool that ensures you won’t be inundated with requests. Local takeaway diners will choose what dish they would like online, and then collect from your home.

There seems to be a number of benefits to a home-takeaway service, especially in a time of recession when small businesses are struggling. Budding entrepreneurs can start an inexpensive micro business at home to practice and promote their culinary skills. It also inspires a sense of community which many areas lack, as HomeChefs will get to know the people who live in their area and share a passion for the same foods.

The only concern with this concept was that food hygiene standards may not be as high as that of established restaurants. Eatro does assure, however, that all new HomeChefs are interviewed and monitored with kitchen inspections to ensure food is of the highest possible standard.

If this does catch on, it’ll inspire people to get experimenting and cooking good food home, which is definitely something that should be advocated.

“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."
-Anton Ego, Ratatouille

To learn more, visit eatro.com

#inittowinit with Crockpot

Why Chaat! Magazine's Danielle thinks Crockpot is great for families.

Happy Friday to all our lovely followers! It's competition time once again and on offer this time is this fantastic Crockpot Digital Countdown Slowcooker!

Now to start, I was not a fan of slow-cooked meals due to the sheer amount of time spent stirring on the hob, and making any kind of stew usually involves the kids complaining about how they're "starving" or why can't I play with them etc etc. I had a slow-cooker once before, but I could never seem to get to grips with it, forgetting to time the food and ending up with undercooked dinner or food so overcooked it was practically inedible.

Bearing the above in mind, it was with great trepidation that I gave the Crockpot a try. As the original slow cookers on the market, and a brand established over 40 years ago, Crockpot retains its place at the top of the market. Black with a gloss finish, it blends in well with other kitchen appliances and can be quite easily stored away, despite it's considerable size. Both the ceramic bowl and the lid are dishwasher safe - which is great news for busy professionals or working families.

Speaking of families, the capacity of the Crockpot Digital Countdown Slow Cooker is a rather large 4.7 litres, which will easily hold and cook a meal for at least 5 people - perfect for family dinners or having friends over for dinner without theneed to slave over the stove.

Easily the best feature of this Crockpot slow cooker are the digital settings, which allow you to select the high or low option according to the time you have available or the recipe, and select the amount of time the dish needs to cook on the inbuilt timing function. This feature is perfect for people like me who inevitably forget the timer - or even forget that you're using the slow cooker at all! And as if all that weren't helpful enough, the slowcooker automatically switches to the 'keep warm' function once the timer has finished, so you don't need to worry about overcooked dinners.

Slowcooking is versatile, and I find myself using my Crockpot even at weekends because it frees up so much time, and isn't just for hearty old-fashioned British stew. I've made everything from Lamb Bhuna and Roast Chicken to Lasagne (who knew you could make lasagne in a slow cooker?!) and not to mention a gorgeous chocolate chip bread and butter pudding!

While the Crockpot Digital Countdown Slow Cooker does cost considerably more than models by other brands, I'd see the additional features as a worthwhile investment, especially for those whit busy lifestyles who want to come home and just crash out with an amazing hot home-cooked meal.

The kind people at Crockpot have given us a Crockpot Digital Countdown Slow Cooker to give away! To enter, retweet us on twitter (@curryclubuk) using #inittowinit, or like and share on Facebook (/chaatmagazine). Why not leave us a comment here too? Good luck!

COMPETITION CLOSES 31st January 2014.

Malaysian-style Chicken & Pineapple Curry

There are two things I absolutely must do whenever I go travelling to a new place. Number one is to take cooking lessons from the locals. All the better if this takes place in gorgeous open-air surroundings by a Vietnamese river amidst gardens of fresh lemongrass and Thai basil and a swimming pool for when the exertion of cooking all gets too much, as I was once lucky enough to experience in Hoi An, but any form of cooking lesson is hugely exciting for me, even if it’s just a street food seller taking the time to demonstrate to me how they make their delicious wares. If they let me eat said wares along the way, even better.

Number two is to visit the markets. I have an obsession with local markets; they’re probably one of my favourite things about travelling. You can keep your art galleries and museums; I think the best way to experience culture, anywhere, is to take an hour to wander around the markets and to watch, taste, touch, smell, listen and talk. And, if you’re anything like me, to come back laden with obscure products bearing strange labels that will end up at the back of your cupboards (candied nutmeg, anyone?)



This is a recipe that relates to both of those activities. This summer I spent a week and a half travelling in Malaysia. Aside from waking to the sound of macaque monkeys splashing around in the swamp metres from my bed in the deep, dark heart of the Borneo jungle, the absolute highlight of my Malaysian experience was Penang. This was in no way a surprise. I’d been told by many people that I would love Penang, undisputedly one of the street food capitals of the world, famous for its hawker centres serving up hot, moreish, ridiculously tasty food for less than you’d pay for a cup of tea back in England.

As part of my stay, I took part in a cooking course that began with a trip to the local market to introduce us to some of the ingredients we’d be using later. Actually, I lie – it didn’t begin with this, it began with one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had in my life, which is roti canai: buttery, flaky Indian-style flatbreads cooked on a hot griddle and stuffed with various fillings. Mine was oozing with egg and onion, and I sat there with a cup of hot tea, tearing off gooey, buttery pieces of this ridiculously moreish creation and dipping them in a bowl of vibrant turmeric-rich dahl. It’s Penang’s answer to a croissant, only perhaps even better.

I learned a lot from my market visit that day. One thing I love about south east Asian markets is there’s always some new weird and wonderful ingredient to discover. Introduced to my culinary repertoire on this occasion were ginger flowers – which look like firm, very pale pink tulips and have a peppery taste – and candle nuts. I’d never heard of candle nuts before, but they’re a common ingredient in Malaysian curry pastes, where they add a delicious nutty richness to the mix along with their their fragrant oils. They look rather like large macadamia nuts, with a similar creamy texture.

Later during my cooking class we learned how to make laksa, which is without a doubt the best noodle soup you will ever eat, but unfortunately takes a small army to prepare (there were about twelve of us on the cooking course, and it required all hands on deck to get it ready for lunch time). The resulting sweet-sour-spicy broth, rich in fish and tamarind and herbs, bathing a nest of slippery noodles, is worth it a hundred times over, though. We didn’t use the candle nuts, but I bought a small bag to bring home and experiment with.


This chicken curry recipe is from the lovely Nazlina, who ran our cooking course in Penang. The first time I made it back home, I had a bit of a eureka moment when I licked the spoon to check the seasoning. It was spot on, exactly everything that I want a south east Asian curry to be: rich and creamy with brown sugar and coconut, mouth-tinglingly spicy from fiery chillies, deeply zesty from lemongrass and lime leaves. I’ve made a lot of such Asian curries in the past, but this was by far the best. I think the secret is to marinate the chicken in turmeric and shrimp paste before cooking – it lends an incredible addictive salty/savoury flavour to the finished curry. Combine this with fresh, zesty galangal, ginger, lime leaves, creamy coconut and candle nuts, and you have everything that is wonderful about Malaysian food.

I’ve tweaked it a little from the original recipe: I use chicken thighs (with the bone in – much more flavour and more tender meat that way) rather than a whole jointed chicken, as it’s much easier to eat with fewer fiddly bones to crunch on by accident. I use macadamia nuts now that my candle nut stash has run out (although if anyone knows where I can get them in the UK, get in touch). I also add chopped pineapple to the curry at the last minute. This is definitely unconventional, but I think it really takes the dish to another level. It’s so rich, with the dark chicken meat and the heady combination of spices and aromatics, that you really need something fresh and zingy to brighten everything up. Pineapple is just perfect, softening and soaking up that delicious sauce, adding zingy little bursts of fruitiness that partner perfectly with the tender meat and vibrant sauce.

Serve with lots of fresh lime to squeeze over, chopped coriander, and mountains of steamed rice to soak up the fabulous sauce. This is a very easy dish to prepare, once you get your hands on the ingredients (try an Asian grocer or supermarket, or even a large branch of Morrisons, who do excellent Asian produce), but it’s incredibly rewarding, a real riot of wonderful addictive flavours that blend beautifully. If you’ve never tried Malaysian food before, this is a wonderful introduction.





Malaysian-style chicken curry with pineapple (serves 4):



8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in

2 heaped tsp shrimp paste

2 inches fresh turmeric, peeled, or 2 tsp powdered turmeric

2 hot red chillies

1 inch piece fresh galangal, peeled

3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

6 cloves garlic, peeled

6 macadamia nuts

3 tbsp rapeseed or groundnut oil

2 lemongrass stalks

2 tbsp tamarind puree

200ml coconut milk

100ml water

6 fresh/frozen kaffir lime leaves

4 shallots, finely sliced

2 tsp dark muscovado sugar

Half a large pineapple, finely diced

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

Finely chopped coriander, to serve



In a mini chopper or blender, blitz together the shrimp paste and fresh turmeric (if using powdered turmeric just mix the two together in a small bowl). Put the chicken in a large dish and add the shrimp paste and turmeric. Mix together well with your hands then leave to marinate for an hour or so in the fridge.

Meanwhile, make the curry paste. In a mini chopper, blitz together the chillies, galangal, ginger, garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Bruise the lemongrass stalks by bashing them with a rolling pin or squashing with the flat of a knife. In a large lidded pan, heat the oil and sauté the curry paste and lemongrass stalks over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the tamarind, coconut milk and water and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

When the chicken is cooked, finely shred the lime leaves and add to the pan with the sugar and shallots. Remove the lid and simmer for around 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Taste and check the seasoning – it will probably be salty enough from the shrimp paste. Add the lime juice, black pepper and pineapple and cook for another couple of minutes, then serve with steamed or sticky rice and fresh coriander.

Get the ingredients for the recipe from www.justingredients.co.uk .