Yet another update...

I'm terrible I know! No excuses either...I would say that Sophia from Burp & Slurp has put it perfectly:

burpandslurp said...

Update, update, update~ 
Me thinks you are having too much fun in your new job! ;-)

To be honest this is entirely true. I have been having way too much fun at my new job and with all the cooking and eating I do here and the posting I do on my work site I kind of forget that I need to do some writing here too!

I know it's way past Halloween...but do check out the cute diorama and recipes I did for work. This was extremely fun to come up with and the story was something different to write.

So you see I have no excuses but I do admit I have been distracted by my dream job! And it's not often that people get to say that and so I'm thankful that I am one of the few who can say it.

In addition to all the excitement in the FriedChillies kitchen I've also been busy with the Malaysia ASEAN Heritage Trail event. This is where Master Chefs from all over the region do cooking demos over the span of a month. I got to try out something really different and actually interview them on camera. Wanna see me on camera? Check out this teaser video! It was my first time doing anything like this and I was super nervous. There are also videos of the chef demos and some of the interviews I did with them on here. More to come over the next week.

This is what has been keeping me busy and I haven't forgotten you guys! I shall try to post a recipe soon.

Robert Rainford - King of the Grill

*Photos for this post are by my talented colleague Aida*

It’s been raining celebrity chefs in our lovely city and I certainly can’t complain! In just a span of a few short months I have had the pleasure of meeting Bobby Chinn , Emmanuel Stroobant, and now most recently the man with a License to Grill…Robert Rainford...

It is a blistering hot afternoon...not even the large multiple buzzing fans and copious amounts of ice cold water can do anything to cool down the atmosphere and the worst thing is that I have chosen to wear a long sleeved top of all days! The two large grills that are ablaze and warming up for the cooking demo by Robert Rainford do not help...

All this discomfort disappears though the moment he makes his appearance...he is able to distract all of the media from the sweltering heat by joking around and teasing us. Soon enough we're laughing along and interacting with him and before you know it he has cooked up one of his specialty dishes that we get to sample(It was really good...could have done with a bit more spiciness but Robert wasn't sure how spicy everyone would want it...hehe...we are Malaysian after all)...Cajun Shrimp with Love Sauce (Recipe Below).

I'm sure you're wondering why it's called a Love Sauce? And no it's not like a love potion that you can conjure up and serve to someone you have a crush on and *presto* he/she is head over heels in love with you...it's actually called a love sauce because Robert believes that any dish with more than 6 ingredients is a labor of love...

Robert’s energetic and warm unpretentious personality translates from on camera to off. This probably has much to do with his mindset while filming. “When I’m on my show I am talking to my daughters…I am teaching them how to barbecue.” Awww...How can you not love a man who keeps his daughters at the centre of all that he does?

Whilst visiting KL, Robert has thoroughly enjoyed taking trips to Little India and checking out all of the spices. “We can’t get green and black cardamom back home, and over here I’ve been trying out the spices, taking them back to my hotel room and figuring out how I can work with them.” I bet we can look forward to some Asian inspired barbecue dishes on his show!

Oh and I also learned a little something from him...apparently when you marinate any meat with a lemon based marinade be sure not to marinate it for more than 30minutes. The acid in the lemon starts to cook the protein otherwise making the meat rubbery. If you want a lemony hint to your marinade use the zest instead...and then you can use the actual lemon in the basting sauce.

Robert Rainford's Cajun Shrimp with Love Sauce

3 pounds of large shrimp

Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice from 2 lemons
3 tsp Cajun seasoning

Cajun Love Sauce:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large chopped celery ribs
6 chopped green onions
4 tbs Dijon mustard
4 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs capers
3 tbs chopped cilantro
2 tsp Tabasco
2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
Salt to taste

1 cup Hickory wood chips soaked in cold water for 30minutes
2 cups dry Hickory wood chips

Peel shrimp, leaving their tails on and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning and let marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Remove shrimp from the marinade and let come to room temperature. Preheat the barbecue to 110C.

Squeeze the water from the wet chips and place them in the centre of a large piece of foil and add the dry chips to it and mix. Fold the foil into a sealed pouch and poke holes into the pouch to allow smoke to escape.

Turn one burner to medium high heat and place the wood chips directly over the flames. Turn the other burners off. Once the grill is smoking, quickly place the shrimp directly over the grills that are off. Smoke shrimp with indirect heat for 10minutes or until pink and slightly caramelised.

Meanwhile add all the ingredients for the Cajun Love Sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the smoked shrimp with the Cajun Love Sauce in a serving dish and chill for up to 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Chef in Black: Emmanuel Stroobant

Chefs are cool! I idolize them much like a groupie would idolize a rock star. I have a deep respect for the work that they do…the skills they possess and the techniques they use. Which is why it is especially exciting when I get to meet celebrity chefs famed for their work worldwide…just two months ago I had the pleasure of meeting the infamous Bobby Chinn and yesterday I got to meet the sexy Belgian Chef in Black…Emmanuel Stroobant.

As 7atenine’s consultant chef he was here in KL launching his new menu, doing a cooking demo for the media, and then letting us have a taste of the new and interesting concoctions. I was game for that! Especially the tasting part…

As I went to take a seat at the table to interview him he got up and pulled the chair out for me…*swoon*…a gentleman indeed!

I had read somewhere that one of the chefs Emmanuel has drawn inspiration from is Ferran Adria of El Bulli in Spain and so I just could not resist asking him about his view of Molecular Gastronomy…

(Answers to the questions below are to be read with a sexy French accent)

ES: Molecular Gastronomy? Uh well…do we have a few hours to talk? *laughs* Ok I’ll just keep it simple…I believe that it is very fun to look at and understand what is happening when you cook. Last time when the chef said cook it this way you just cooked it that way…and you would tell others to cook it that way too…but no one really knew why and no questions were asked. So molecular gastronomy has made people ask questions…understand why it happens.

Emmanuel even compared food presentation to sex…or women and dating to be more precise…

ES: Pretty food is like a pretty girl…when you see a pretty girl walking down the street you don’t know anything about her…you don’t know if she is smart or funny or nice…but she is pretty and so you are attracted to her. This is the same with a dish…it has to look pretty.

When asked about the new trend of eating organic food he responded…

ES: You’re talking to someone who does yoga everyday so I definitely believe in eating organic food. I would like to go more into organic food when I cook…but there is organic and certified organic. Certified organic food is hard to find but there is a big difference with taste.

Once the interview was over we got to watch the Chef in Black in action with his assistant consultant chef Antoine Maillet (Yet another good looking guy…7atenine really isn’t struggling when it comes to eye candy…hehe…).

Emmanuel is telling a tale of the time that Antoine accidentely left the top off of a blender when he did a demo for the audience...poor Antoine...

He shows the audience what a good fois gras looks like still packaged and uncooked and explains how to prepare it

Spooning a bit of butter into the pan and heating it just till it begins to brown and is ready for the fois gras

Emmanuel is very expressive as Antoine is making sure the tempura battered fois gras cooks nicely

The two chefs with the finished dishes... after seeing the cooking demo I am more than ready to start trying out some of Emmanuel's creations!

Since Monday night at 7atenine is Martini Night we are offered a whole list of martinis to choose from before the food is served. I initially order the signature lychee martini and I'm also told I should try the apple martini...so I figure why not and go for both!

Both the martinis are refreshing...the lychee is a bit sweeter and the apple more tart...I also take a sip of a cucumber martini that has been left on the table for us to all try...I must say that the cucumber might be my favourite! It is very light and cooling...not overly sweet.

Little tasting platters are brought around and I try the Laksa Croquette...which is a typical potato croquette injected with a laksa liquid...this is unexpected as I take a bite and the liquid bursts through. Sweet, sour, and spicy flavours all at once.

Next I try the Wasabi Cod which is a garlic scented black cod brandade croquette with a wasabi cream dip. I love the presentation of this...it looks like a toy instead of something to eat!

The organic beef sashimi is just beautiful...thin slices of beef are served with shavings of pecorino cheese and spashed with olive oil marinated with spanish onions and pasilia chilli powder. The beef is so tender it falls apart as I try to dig in with my chopsticks. The other flavours do not over power the meat which is perfect as this meat should be highlighted in all its glory.

The escargots bourguignons are beautifully presented...the escargot is oven baked sitting in a white button mushroom cap with a chilli garlic herb butter. This is a different take on the typical escargot with garlic butter and I enjoy the spicy punch! Being half French I've always had a love affair with escargots...

On the left is Japanese crab meat with a herb dressing topped with an avocado and on the right is the signature 789 chilli con carne. The crab and avocado dish is very creamy and is great to have right before the flavour packed chilli con carne which has been braised for 36hours. I am officially in LOVE with the chilli...the spices are prominent and it packs heat...chilli con carne is one of my favourite dishes but I have been disappointed with it in Asia...it doesn't taste quite right...not even in the Mexican restaurants. I now know where I'll be anytime I get that spicy beany meaty craving!!

There were many other dishes that I unfortunately did not get to sample...and one dish that I did taste but don't have a photo of...this was the grilled prawn and longan skewer...this is sweet and very hot(in a mouth tingling sort of way) at the same time...the longan caramelizes beautifully and enhances the sweetness of the prawn. I'm quite upset that the photo of this dish did not turn out as the taste was a beautiful symphony upon my tongue.

All in all this was the perfect way to spend a Monday evening and I happily stumbled home on my martini and celebrity chef high.

7atenine
Ascott No.9 Jalan Pinang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03.2161 7789

Bobby Chinn

I'm sure all of you are dying to find out how the interview with Bobby Chinn went and so I won't keep you in suspense any longer...

I had 15mins with him right before he did his show to promote season 2 of World Cafe Asia and so I couldn't ask much. Initially he was a little reserved but I suspect he was tired and also needed a little bit of time to warm up. By the end of the 15mins he was telling stories and making jokes...that was when I saw the Bobby Chinn that people are used to seeing on tv.

He is an ethnic mutt with curly hair just like me! He is mixed Chinese and Egyptian...born in New Zealand and was educated primarily in England but had a sense that San Fransisco was home.

Here's a tiny taste of the interview....

What is your favourite Malaysian dish?
I really enjoy Nyonya/Peranakan food. I also love Kway Teow and Nasi Lemak!

What do you cook for yourself at home?
Thesedays I don't get much time at home so I don't cook much. I'm so busy traveling and working that when I cook it's usually Top Ramen.

What is the most interesting ingredient you've worked with?
Ca Cuong a type of water beetle whose pheromones, are used to flavor a dish with the essence of pear. I make a martini with it.

I was also able to get him to sign my copy of Wild, Wild East. In which he wrote that he hopes to personally feed me sometime in the not to distant future...so I'm definitely gonna make a trip to Hanoi to check out his place one day!

After the interview he went on to do his show where he cooked a very simple vietnamese rice noodle salad with beef...he was a comic throughout the whole thing and I could not stop laughing...he also made many jokes about the French and their obsession with food and I just had to laugh because my mom was a part of the audience but she found his impressions funny and at the end I couldn't resist introducing him to my FRENCH mom...

And of course this post wouldn't be complete without photos of the occasion!

Meet Bobby Chinn

His raspy husky voice and charming smile is something that you might already be familiar with on the popular show World Cafe Asia. Maverick chef Bobby Chinn will be making a stop in Kuala Lumpur, sharing his experiences and imparting tips on how to whip up some of his signature dishes!

He'll be at Cold Storage, Ikano Power Centre on Friday, 20th February at 7pm and I get the chance to have a one-on-one interview with him(interesting snippets will be documented here so be sure to check back). I'm really excited as I do enjoy his show and his book!

If you are a reader in Malaysia drop by and stand a chance to win exclusive autographed merchandise...or at the very least you get to meet Bobby Chinn in person :)