Guilt Free Delights and Latte Art at Longitude, Le Meridien

Latte art never fails to fascinate me. Sometimes when I look at the beautiful patterns intricately etched on the coffee foam, I wonder if they are for real or work of some photo-shop expert. So when I got an invite from Le Meridien to come over to sample some of their guilt free delights and admire the works of their latte art experts at Longitude, their coffee house, I looked forward to the event.

 I am not a coffee person, and only opt for a cup when there's no tea available, so have never really had a chance to try coffee with latte art. So it was a pleasant surprise to get a coffee cup with an image of India Gate intricately etched on the top! Okay so this was for real, no photo-shopping tricks here! The baristas of Le Meridien are such experts at their art that when one of the invitees demanded the Taj Mahal on their coffee, it took them just minutes to recreate the monument on the coffee cup!

While I marvelled at the patterns of Qutub Minar and Taj Mahal, in just a few minutes Lord Buddha appeared right in front,

his calm face etched on a cup of coffee. Neat! While the interesting patterns kept the invitees hooked to the coffee counter,

an array of desserts pulled us back to our tables. Introduced as guilt free delights, these sugarless desserts

not just looked tempting, but were also a delight for the taste buds. 

What followed was pure indulgence - with options like Blueberry Cheesecake, Mocha and Milk Chocolate Cake,

Fresh Fruit Flan Cake, and Orange Raspberry Delight Cake, who wouldn't want to indulge! In all it was a delightful evening with delightful combination of arty coffee, tempting desserts and great conversations!

Beer, Burgers and More at The Westin Gurgaon

Succulent, melt-in-your mouth burgers, and chilled draught beer makes for one evergreen and fuss-free combination.  And the Westin Gurgaon's just concluded Beer, Burgers and More Promotion made sure the patrons had their fill of this delicious combination. The hotel's signature all day diner Seasonal Tastes keeps coming up with interesting promotion themes and the week gone by was all about sumptuous burgers and unlimited pours of chilled draft beer to go with it!

What made the beer and burger combination more interesting was the fact that guests could sit right next to the live cooking counter and personalise their burgers according to their taste - right from the kind of patties they wanted, to the filling choice of bread and the filling that went in. There were option aplenty both the vegetarians and the non-vegetarians - from soya and tofu patties to shrimps and chicken, you name it, they had it. 

Besides the Beers and Burgers, the 'More' in this themed promotion too was a foodie's delight. From mouth-watering golgappa and chaat counter to elaborate buffet spread, there was enough variety to make even a picky eater spoilt for choice. Even yours truly couldn't help but try 'sample' after sample of golgappes and chaat papdis! :)

So the next time you are wondering about where to indulge your taste-buds, head to the Westin's Seasonal Tastes,

for you are sure to be greeted with a food theme that you will find hard to resist! Happy eating!

Recipe: Smoked Eggplant Mash, toasted croute Patty (By Chef Jolly)

Welcome back! Hope you tried your hand at making them chickpea patties, and found the taste every bit worth the time spent making them. So as promised, I am back with recipe number 2, shared by Chef Surjan Singh Jolly at the Canola Bloggers Meet. This one is called Smoked Eggplant mash, with toasted croute.

So here we go!

Portion Serves 4

Ingredients

250g eggplant (large), smoked over coal ambers

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic clove, finely chopped

2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 sprig coriander leaf washed and finely chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

3-4 toasted bread strips

Method:

1. Wash the eggplant, wipe it dry and place it on a char-grill/roasting tray and roast in a pre-heated oven at 250 degree C for 20 minutes or until the eggplants bake skin on.

2. Peel the skin and wash it under running matter, if you wish you can remove the seeds inside.

3. In a pan, add canola oil and all the ingredients listed above, except for the toasted bread strips.

4. Mix it all well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Check for seasoning and serve the eggplant mash a spread on toast.

6. You can also this mash as a sandwich filler.

The Canola Bloggers Meet was organised by Canola Oil in association with Blogadda. For more information about Canola, you can check this website.

Recipe: Pan-fried Chickpea Patty (By Chef Jolly)

Hi there! In my last post about Canola bloggers meet, I had promised to share two interesting quick snacks recipes shared by Chef Surjan Singh (aka Chef Jolly) and here I am with one of them. So get ready to make super-quick-to-make and super-health-to-eat Pan-fried Chickpea Patty! Yes, Chef Jolly has given an interesting twist to your regular chickpea (kabuli chana) and turned it into a patty with a difference. Cooked in canola oil, it's light on the stomach and yet very filling.

So here we go!

Ingredients:

100g chickpea (Kabuli chana), boiled soft
50g malai paneer/curd cheese
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 tbsp caraway seeds or cumin seeds
1/4 tbsp black cardamom seeds, crushed
1 medium spiced green chilli, finely chopped
30g coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice,
1/2 tbsp asafetida powder
Salt to taste

Chef Jolly at work

Method:

1. Coarsely blitz boiled chickpeas using a food processor and add roasted caraway, curd cheese, black cardamom seeds, green chilli, coriander leaves. Mix well.
2. Add 1 tbsp canola oil in a hot pan and temper asafetida.
3. Add the chickpeas mix and blend again with salt to taste and lemon juice for tanginess.
4. Make small balls (table tennis ball sized balls), and use the centre of the palms to flatten them.
5. In a hot, non-stick bottom pan, pour remaining canola oil to pan-fry the patties golden brown evenly on both sides and serve it hot with a side dip, relish or chutney.

Alternatively, you may glaze it with canola oil spray and oven bake it at 200 degree C for 10 minutes on each side to serve it with a tangy dip.

And here it is - ready to it!

The second recipe is coming in the next post. Stay tuned. :)
The Canola Bloggers Meet was organised by Canola Oil in association with Blogadda. For more information about Canola, you can check this website.

Canola Bloggers Meet: To Understand Canola Better

Canola, the premium priced cooking oil being market by Canada is slowly and steadily making inroads into the Indian market. While the leading chefs and decision makers from the food industry are gradually acknowledging and promoting the health benefits of this oil, average Indian family still seems sceptical about Canola's relevance in their kitchen shelves. And this is why representatives of Canola Council of Canada are travelling across potential markets to spread awareness about Canola oil and promote its exposure in different types of cooking. To this effect, they recently organised a bloggers meet where health benefits of Canola oil were discussed in great detail.

If you remember, last year Canola had tied up with renowned chef Kunal Kapoor for a Cook for Cause event, where I got to be a part of the team of bloggers who cooked for the lively kids from the NGO Katha, an NGO that works in the field of community development, child welfare, education and literature. This year, besides the informative session of Canola facts, it was popular chef Surjan Singh (aka Chef Jolly) and his interesting recipes that added the fun element to the otherwise focussed-on-facts event.

Now before delving into the finer details about health benefits of Canola oil, here's a recall of the canola oil trivia I have shared before.

• Canola Oil comes from the crushed seeds of canola plant. These seeds are tiny and resemble poppy seeds, though they are brownish-black in colour.
• Canola and rapeseed plants look similar but their oils are very different. Canadians researchers used traditional plant breeding to eliminate the undesirable components of rapeseed and created 'canola' - a contraction of Canadian and ola.
• Researchers say canola is very stable oil that doesn't break down at high temperatures, so it's ideal for sautéing, stir-frying, deep-frying and other high-heat applications.
• Its smoke point - the temperature at which it begins to smoke and degrade - is one of the highest of all cooking oils at 242 degree centigrade.

As mentioned above, the focus of this meet was spreading awareness about the health benefits of Canola oil, and Canola panel, represented by Mr. Bruce Jowett, Vice President of Marketing Development, Canola Council of Canada, Ms. Ritika Samaddar, Registered Dietician and Nutritionist and Chef Jolly.  While Mr. Jowett shared interesting insights on the latest consumer research on edible oil consumption patterns, Ms Samaddar talked about the various health and nutritional benefits of canola oil and how it helps you get fitter.

Here are some pointers that will help with a better a understanding of how canola oil works is good for health - 

• Low is saturated fats - Canola oil is slow in saturated fat. Saturated fat raises the bad LDL cholesterol in the blood and has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart diseases.
• A source of omaega-6 fat - Omega-6 must be consumed in diet and is important for the brain and for the growth and development of infants.
• High in omega-3 fat - Omega-3 fat must also be consumed in our diet, as it helps protect against heart attacks and strokes.
• High in mono-unsaturated fat - Mono-unsaturated fat may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering bad LDL cholesterol in the blood and helping control blood glucose.
• Cholesterol and trans fat free - Trans fat raises bad LDL cholesterol and lowers good HDL cholesterol.

While Mr. Jowett and Ms Samaddar emphasized the health benefits of the oil, Chef jolly explained about the texture and taste of the oil, explaining how the oil adapts to most Indian cuisines and leaves no lingering smell. He also prepared two interesting snack items,which were cooked in canola oil, and also shared the recipe of the same (sharing the recipe in the next post). The event was rounded off with high tea, with a sumptuous spread of delicacies cooked in canola oil.

Chef Jolly cooking with canola oil

High tea spread cooked in Canola oil

The Canola Bloggers Meet was organised by Canola Oil in association with Blogadda. For more information about Canola, you can check this website.

Miss Claire Transparent Mascara - Review

Am not much of a make-up user. My make-up kit or rather utility kit has hardly ever gone beyond a few bare essentials - lip balms, BB creams and mascara, which I only apply off and on. For people like me, who are wary of using make up, the regular black mascara sometimes tends to get too obvious, in the sense that I would feel too made-up if I were to apply mascara every day. And that's where transparent mascara comes to my rescue. It gives the much needed boost and volume to my eyes-lashes, while staying inconspicuous. So the latest addition to my measly looking make-up kit is the Miss Claire Transparent Mascara.

Okay, so I did not buy this one on any recommendation. The cosmetic shop I bought it from had just one option - saying that this was the one that sold the most and was also used by professional make-up artists. I took his word for it. And it has every bit been worth it.

Packing and Product Details:

This one has no external packaging, just a clear plastic wrap sealing the cap of the plastic tube. Since the tube is transparent plastic, one can see the gel content inside, and make out the thickness of the gel and also the quality of the application brush. Also there is no other detail about the ingredients, as in what has gone into the making of the gel.

About the product:

Miss Claire Transparent Mascara is a clear gel mascara, with medium consistency that is neither too runny nor too thick. On application, it gives a nice even texture and is very light on the lashes and also dries out quick. Though it claims to add volume and length to the lashes, but I'd say that this claim is a bit far fetched. However it does define the lashes and makes them look glossy and distinctive. In all it's a good product to use to make your eyelashes look all groomed and glossy.

My rating - 4/5.

Wella Color Up Your Life Bloggers Meet

Wella Bloggers Meets are all about infotainment - latest information about products and services from the Wella Professionals' world seamlessly weaved into an entertaining event!  The brand's recently held bloggers meet was one such do, where Wella Professionals and Wella Expert, one of India’s best known hair stylists - Sapna Bhavnani interacted with bloggers in the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle category and introduced the all new 'Oil Infuso Colour Service'.

Sapna highlighted how Wella Professionals newly launched ‘Oil Infuso Color Service’ provides long lasting color results and takes care of hair health. This unique service has color infused with Wella Professionals Oil Reflections to protect hair from damage. And this coming from an hair expert who herself is pretty popular for her hair colour experiments, makes sense indeed.

Wella Professional Experts

How Oil Infuso Colour Service works

Wella Professionals OIL REFLECTIONS special formula, with Vitamin E, creates a protective barrier around the hair, neutralizing free radicals and protecting against damage. During color service with Wella colors, oil nourishes hair and enhances structure. The service helps protects hair protein, locks in moisture and provides long lasting color results hence offering the desired color results while taking care of hair health.

Expert-speak

Here's what Sapna Bhavnani had to say about Wella's Oil Infuso Colour Service - “Oil Infuso Color Service is especially formulated with the power of oil that infuses color with properties to protect hair from damage. After experiencing the service myself I am confident that with this color service, you will look great, achieve long lasting results without comprising on hair health.”

Besides detailed information about this new hair colour service, the meet saw lot of photo op fun too! And with Sapna being her usual peppy self, no wonder everyone wanted to get clicked with her. Besides, there were quirky props aplenty to keep click-happy bloggers occupied with their camera! :)

Posing with the props!

To know more about Wella Professionals, you can check here. Also if you have any concerns about hair color, this old post can help you with that. Looking forward to your views. :)