EARTH-SPECIALLY FOR YOU

Raise a toast to Dorsett Regency KL's pledged to support of Earth Hour on 31 March! The hotel team aims to create better awareness and draw hotel guests to support the worthy cause through several interesting activities.

Besides switching off lights and reducing usage of electricity for an hour on that evening, guests can participate in the campaign by dining in candlelight at Checker's Cafe/Cellini's with Executive Chef KK Yau and his team preparing a low-energy, more eco-friendly menu.

A special cocktail concoction named Window Slide refreshes the palate, reminding you of the fresh vitality of life through its tangy-sweet concoction of lemon, lime and orange juices blended with mint leaves.

The chef's tasty tapas of Foie Croquette with Yuzu Marmalade got the ball rolling. We love the fried morsel of duck liver foie gras encrusted in breadcrumbs; its crispiness is less cloying when paired with some fresh micro sprouts and a tiny dollop of mildly sweet citrusy marmalade.

This paves way for his next starter of Australian King Fish Sashimi with Pastrami Spice. The sashimi-grade fish's rich succulence is lightly tempered by a palate-tingling mixture of fennel and mustard seeds, ground black and white pepper, chopped garlic and parsley on a bed of fresh salad.

I love partaking the Heirloom Tomato Consomme. Depending on whether you love or loathe cooking, this clear broth is a labour of love (or pain!) that demands detailed preparation and saintly patience to make. I thought it most befitting that the crystal clear and intensely flavourful broth is served with a grand flourish; poured piping hot from a teapot into our soup dish bearing a single square of homemade mozzarella ravioli and a cherry tomato stuffed with mozzarella.

We taken by surprise by the unexpected moistness of the filling inside the Ballantine of Organic Chicken on Osso Bucco of Organic Carrots. Chef Yau explained that chopped chestnuts had been added into the cheese and turkey ham stuffing to give better moisture. He also revealed that the 'osso bucco' in this instance refers to the braising of baby carrots in white stock, a reduction of chicken stock and herb infusion to tenderise them. Overall, it certainly ensures the chicken rolls remain moist and juicy to the bite.

The final crescendo came when I dug into the fudgy-soft Steamed Chocolate Brownie with Organic Hazelnut Ganache. Rich, nutty but spongy light, this brownie is a far cry from the usual dried crumbly versions that I had encountered. Kudos to Pastry Chef Badrul Hisham for such a luscious creation...whose dulcet voice is as soulful as his dessert.

So do your part and be an eco warrior this Saturday for Earth Hour. Our one and only home planet's worth rooting for over a sumptuous dinner where it'd be lights out from 830 pm to 930 pm. At RM98++ per person, it's a small price to pay to help save Mother Earth. 

Call Checker's Cafe, Tel: 03-2716 1000. It's at Dorsett Regency, 172 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur or log onto: www.dorsettregency.com/kualalumpur

ORGANIC GROWTH

Organic food seems to be enjoying a growth spurt of sorts in KL.

There's now an Organic Farm outlet in my own neighbourhood. Recently I spied and ventured into two organic cafes - Haven and EarthFood in Ampang Hilir which served dishes cooked with organic ingredients; both outlets also sell organically grown vegetables, organically farmed fish and organic produce.

 I've also been told that there's great Sarawak laksa and organic dishes to be had at Living Food (Menara Tan&Tan) and Opika (1Utama) but I've yet to make my way these places.

Diners in the city can expect to find organic beef and lamb soon on some hotels' and restaurants' menus. This is a foregone conclusion after I attended an informative cooking cum tasting session on organic beef and lamb by Beyond Culinary and Classic Fine Foods which was well-attended by many of the said industry players.

Rose Yong's Beyond Culinary Studio Theatre is more than just another cooking school. It's designed to let professional chefs and food service/trade people explore and experience the whole 'source to plate' process through hands-on educational sessions.

According to Jacques Cosset, MD of Classic Fine Foods, his company decides to import The Organic Meat Company's organic beef and lamb from Australia in response to consumers' growing awareness and demand for healthier, safer meat.

"Organic farmers also emphasize on and practise sustainable farming; from the animals' welfare to how their produce is grown and harvested which are more eco-friendly in the long run," he said. "To be certified organic, the animals have to be born and bred on certified organic pasture outdoors, be allowed to roam and feed without any given antibiotics or growth hormones."

 Chef Victor Seow from Las Carretas pan-fried, grilled and roasted different cuts of beef and lamb for us to sample. To retain the meat's inherent flavour, no marinade was used. No complaints from all present though as most of the cuts were superbly tender and juicy. A dash of coarse sea salt and ground black pepper were more than ample to perk up the flavour profile according to taste.

The lamb rack was another major hit that afternoon ... needless to say, it was one of my fave cuts too!

Before we wrap up for the afternoon, Victor also demonstrated the convenience of cooking Bonduelle's frozen spinach, baby French beans and broad beans - a boon for the busy food service personnel who are constantly pressed for time. Definitely an interesting way to spend an afternoon!

BEERY GOOD!

Would you believe these chunky baked chicken are fat-free? It's true!

I used the recipe from this cookbook - Quickies and the results are well-worth the little efforts put in.

Pre-heat oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Then marinade about 1 kg chicken pieces (cut into medium-sized chunks) with 1/2 can (150 ml) beer, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp white pepper powder.

Since I didn't have any garlic powder at hand, I just smashed 6 cloves of fresh garlic and added that into the marinade. If you're using garlic powder, 2 tsp would be enough.

I let the chicken sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before dredging them in some plain wheat flour. Use just enough to coat the chicken pieces evenly. Shake off any excess flour before placing the chicken pieces onto a wire rack atop a roasting tray.

Bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 180 degrees Celsius and turn chicken pieces over to cook for another 15 minutes. Keep a close watch on the chicken pieces to avoid them from being overly burned.

Test the thickest pieces to ensure the meat is cooked through - juices should run clear. If they're underdone, cook for another 5 minutes. Serve piping hot to enjoy the super-duper juicy tenderness with an oh-so-heavenly garlicky and beery accents! Soooo good!

KAWAII & OISHI Part 3

From the land that created instant noodles, it's hardly surprising that the Japanese gets into quite a tangle when it comes to noodles. Frankly, we were bowled over by the wide variations of ramen, soba and udon from Osaka to Tokyo on our recent trip there.

Feast your eyes on these delectable offerings that came with all sorts of different toppings - from pickled, piquant vege to springy chikuwa rolls (tubular-shaped squid-flavoured fish paste). Even the soup base veers from crystalline clear to flavourfully 'misty'.

Sumptuous and silky...ramen in a deliciously sweet broth of pork bones and topped with braised belly pork chunks, pickled veges and bamboo shoot, chopped spring onion, strips of wood ear fungus and sliced char shu.

Clear favourite - ramen with consomme-type soup base with chopped spring onion, kelp and slices of cha shu

Fancy a chikuwa roll with your Udon? Just add chopped seaweed and spring onion to perk things up further

Classic makes the cut...Soba adorned with strips of dried nori served cold with shoyu dipping sauce

Kyushu Ichi-ban...possibly Kyushu's no.1 choice! Superbly springy ramen with hard-boiled egg (love the runny yolk!), lotsa spring onion, seaweed, sliced cha shu and strips of wood ear fungus.

The Osaka version - simpler but equally hearty with big, porky flavour

A rice ball (onigiri) to go with our simple lunch of ramen dotted with tempura bits and spring onion

FISHING FOR PROSPERITY

Cries of 'loh hei!' will be heard throughout the Chinese New Year festivities

My first 'lou sang' to mark the impending Dragon Year went off swimmingly at Ee Cuisine, Eastin Hotel PJ recently.

Chef Yong must be fishing for compliments while all of us were fervently fishing for prosperity. With salmon trout Yee Sang, shark's bone soup and loong da'an (giant garoupa) on the menu, here's hoping the coming Lunar New Year will herald all things fortuitous to our doorsteps.

Sliced salmon trout graced our portion of festive Yee Sang

Dinner naturally commenced on a rousing note as we toss, stir and mix the colourful platter of raw fish salad amidst an endless slew of good wishes, laughter and proverbial sayings.

A dash of pepper and five spice powder adds tasty dimensions to the invigorating salad

Followed by Chef Yong's strawberry-based plum sauce to liven up the mixture

According to the chef, he has opted to stick to fresh, natural ingredients such as more fruits and vegetables this year to make up the rainbow salad platter. I particularly like the inclusion of puffy rice cracker bits, olive oil and strawberry-based sauce that lighten up the whole combo.

The slightly unctuous Double Boiled Shark's Bone Soup with Deluxe Shark's Fin and Fish Maw appeared almost creamy on the palate thanks to the collagen-rich, cartilage-based broth. I lapped up every single drop of the sweet soup (thumbs up to the peppery overtone!) while devouring the spongy fish maw and fine comb of shark's fin. Some beansprouts and Chinese parsley are served on the side for those who want to mix these in for a 'fresher' flavour and some crunch. 

Stir-fried Prawn with Seasonal Green (asparagus, macadamia and fresh magnolia petals) and Scallop Roll left us gushing like starry-eyed groupies. Springy and succulent to the bite, the sizeable crustacean's crystal-clear sweetness is a joy to savour. Cocooned in crispy threads of kataifi pastry, the scallop provided some textural contrast though its inherent taste was a tad overwhelmed by its wrapping and the accompanying dollop of ebikko-studded mayo cream. 

Chef Yong paid tribute to the tradition of having steamed chicken on the festive table with his version of Steamed Qing Yuan Village Chicken. The chicken is not your average battery-farmed fowl but a free-range bird raised on oats, breadcrumbs, corn and other grains resulting in its firmer textured meat with a nice yellow-hued, fat-free skin. Instead of just plain salt, the chef also immersed it into a pot of herbal-infused broth, to bestow the chicken with delicate herbal accents.

Another customary turn that he showcased was the Steamed Century Garoupa Traditional-Style. There was some debate over the type of fish until we were told it was 'loong da'an' which is also known as dragon or giant grouper. The flesh was thick and meaty with muted sweetness to it. What really stood out was the soya sauce that had hints of dried orange peel and ginger in it.

I must admit the Braised Dried Seafood Bag with Broccoli was a non-event for me. I found the combination of sea cucumber with dried oyster stuffed into an inari pouch (Japanese sweet beancurd skin) too insipid for my liking. However, the combination of textures proved to be unforgettable.

Most CNY meal is never complete without a serving of Claypot Rice with Waxed Meat. Although we were satiated by now, we gamely cleaned up our bowl of fragrant rice especially the complementing slices of winey Chinese liver sausages. 

Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Sesame Balls sounded very pedestrian but the twist came in the glutinous rice ball filling. Instead of the usual lotus paste, the black&white sesame seed-coated balls are stuffed with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Ee Cuisine's six varieties of Yee Sang and three set menus are available until 6 February 2012. Make haste for the restaurant is already fully booked for the eve of CNY and is expected to do roaring business for the entire CNY celebratory period.

Ee Chinese Cuisine, Lobby level, Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya Selangor. For reservations, please call 76287338 or 7665 1111 extensions 137/138.

KAWAII & OISHI Part 2

Here's an overview of the good eats we discovered and enjoyed throughout our stay in Japan. As we all know, the Japanese takes great pride in their food - from the preparation and selection of ingredients to the final presentation and choice of crockery.

Grilled chicken and seafood salad from one of the many eateries in Tokyo Disneyland

The pork cutlet and chocolate cake were so scrumptious although I only managed to sneak a tiny bite

These sweet, juicy and fragrant strawberries went down a real treat

A set dinner of grilled eel with rice and fried fish in breadcrumbs

Simple but so delicious...Oyakodon - grilled chicken with egg and onion over rice

Our set lunch at one of the little Japanese eateries in the Asakusa area

Rice topped with Yakitori (minus the skewer) and minced chicken with condiments

My mini set lunch at about RM60 came complete with pickles, salad and udon plus a free flow of hot & cold drinks

In Kyoto, we found rows and rows of rustic little shops that lined the gentle slope that leads all the way to the Kiyomizu Temple. Proffering everything from souvenirs and crafts to traditional delicacies, we had a field day sampling specialities such as matcha (green tea) ice cream, pancakes, rice crackers and mochi (glutinous rice balls with filling).

This lady is making a type of sweet crispy biscuits similar to kuih kapit in Kyoto

A traditional sweet shop that produces a traditional confection that has tissue-thin glutinous rice skins (sometimes flavoured with matcha) filled with red bean paste and folded into triangles

Asakusa is another shopping and good eats haven - the whole street leading to another historic temple is choc-a-block with assorted shops that attract hordes of visitors. The cornucopia of sounds, sights and smells can be totally absorbing and exhilarating especially for first-timers like us.

Possibly one of Japan's most iconic photo opp spots at Asakusa

These sticks of chewy confections attract long queues of visitors daily

More tempting confections to sample

Goodies galore...you'd be spoilt for choice

Rice crackers made on premise

Look at these wide array of rice crackers available

This chef patiently fills red bean paste by hand for little moulded sponge cakes

Don't they look splendid? The final outcome once the dainty cakes are ready to go

Coming up next...more good eats in the form of sushi, ramen and some home-cooked delights!