Fun (Wine Review)

Champagne -

Why I have chosen to write about champagne this week is because sparkling wines that originate from the region in France of Champagne are the only ones that have the “right” to be called champagne. All others can only be termed as sparkling wines.

One of the main elements of champagne is the yeast that is used in it that will make the bubbles. When you first get the champagne in your hand, you must smell it to see the fineness and quality of its yeast to determine how good the champagne is. Champagnes are made from 3 grapes and surprisingly, two grapes of the three are red grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and one is white (Chardonnay).

The History of champagne goes as such: a monk named Dom Pérignon was making wine for his colleagues when, unbeknownst to him, he failed to complete the fermentation before bottling and corking the wine. During the cold winter months the fermentation remained dormant, but when spring arrived the contents of the sealed bottles began to warm and fermentation resumed producing carbon dioxide that was trapped in the bottle. Later that spring Dom noticed that bottles of wine in the cellar were exploding, so he opened one that was intact and drank, declaring "Come quickly! I'm drinking stars!" Thus, Champagne was born and named after the region where it was discovered.

The French love to have a small and light drink before starting their meals called an aperitif. Here are two very popular champagne aperitifs that you could use

Bellini

1 parts Peach Schnapps

3 parts Champagne (or Sparkling wine)

Combine in champagne flutes, serve.

Kir Royale

- Cassis (1-2 tablespoons or 15-30 ml) (sweet blackcurrant flavored liqueur)

- Champagne (about 6 ounces or 150 ml)

- Flute or Champagne Glass

· Pour the Cassis into the wine glass

· Add the Champagne

· Serve

F3 Fun Food Fact

The French Exess and it's significance in Wedding Cakes -

Now i'm going to take you all back to Ancient Rome to the origins of the Wedding Cake and how a French Chef played a pivotal role in how our wedding cakes look today!

In Ancient Rome, when a couple was getting married, they would bake a cake made of wheat or barley and break it over the bride's head as a symbol of her fertility. soon it became a tradition to pile up several small cakes, one on top of the other, as high as they could, and the bride and groom would kiss over the tower and try not to knock it down. If they were successful, it meant a lifetime of prosperity.

In the 1660s, during the reign of King Charles II, a French chef was visiting London and observed the cake piling ceremony. Appalled at the haphazard manner in which the British stacked baked goods, often to have them tumble, he conceived the idea of transforming the mountain of bland biscuits into an iced, multi-tiered cake sensation.

British papers of the day are supposed to have deplored the French excess, but before the close of the century, British bakers were offering the very same magnificent creations and from there started the beginning of the wedding cake we see today!!!

Food - The Zodiac Grill

Interestingly enough, French cuisine, though world famous doesn’t have too many takers in Bombay. People always think of French cuisine as very complicated and frou frou. However, I think (and know) the contrary. French cuisine to me is all about the ingredients and the quality of ingredients. If you take a nice piece of stake, for instance – what differentiates a steak from THE STEAK? It’s the quality of ingredients! What makes a baguette so special? It is more based on the quality of ingredients and the method of cooking once again! I think you get the idea... that more than heavy sauces and fanciful preparations actually French food is quite wholesome and wonderful to prepare. This week I had to pick one of our finest restaurants in India the Zodiac Grill for this week’s French restaurant review as it is the most iconic French restaurant in the country today.

Food & Beverages

Well I must say that if you are a true lover of sea food (for the non vegetarians of course) this is the perfect spot for you. I’ve been there more than once, had the tasting menu as well as ordered a la carte and to be honest I wasn’t bowled over. The presentation and look of the food was delightful so was the cutlery, crockery and glassware and some of the dishes did taste good, but my expectations were much higher for this calibre of haute cuisine than what was delivered. The amuse bouche (a bite sized starter) at the beginning of the meal is always innovative and delectable.

Food Rating - 9/10

Beverages rating - 10/10

Service

The Service is impeccable as expected. The servers are really professional, courteous and friendly yet not overbearing! Also, I must add that the first time I went to Zodiac Grill, one of the dishes was served on a chipped plate… and that is definitely not acceptable!! However, the next time I dined there I noticed that they have changed their crockery and as seen above it looks fabulous!

Service Rating - 9/10

Ambience

I did really enjoy the intimate seating on the sides but I absolutely abhor the round seating in the middle. If there are two tables seated next to each other it’s too close for comfort for me for a fine dining setting. Otherwise I love the ceiling, the pianist and the overall plush French settings.

Ambience rating - 6/10

Final Verdict: Overall, a must go if you need to impress someone when on a date or a business meeting. The intimate surroundings provide room for great conversation and could have many a business deal inked here. The food is more a conversation piece itself than a wholesome comfortable meal but I do think it is done creatively keeping both taste and presentation in mind.

French Cuisine

Hello and Welcome once again to F Factor. I hope that you did like the first mailer and that I get lots of good and positive feedback from you with regards to things that would interest you and any thoughts or ideas are more than welcome!

My mum has given me the brilliant suggestion of using themes for my mailers and so in dedication to her, this week’s mood, theme and flavour is France! (not only is it one of my favourite countries and cuisines, the most important factor in choosing France was that it starts with the letter F! haha)

Oreo Cheesecake Recipe

18 Oreos, crushed in blender
1/4 cup melted butter
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can condensed sweet milk
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix Oreos and butter and press in a greased 9 inch spring-form pan.

In a large bowl, cream remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into spring-form pan.

Break up 8 Oreos and drop on top of the batter. Bake 45-60 minutes at 300 degrees F. Don't over-bake your cheesecakes or they will crack on top.


Cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator before removing pan.
source:pastrywiz.com

Recipe of the week: Linguine with cherry tomatoes and Goat’s Cheese

Prep Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
200g Linguine Pasta (can use fettucine, spaghetti or penne)
250g Cherry tomatoes halved
50g green olives
1tbsp capers rinsed
20g basil roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
50g Soft Goat’s cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
cook the Pasta in boiling salted water (the Italians say this water should be as salty as the sea!) till al dente
tip the tomatoes, capers and basil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper
tip the pasta into the bowl, add the olive oil and toss to combine
Add the goat’s cheese in blobs toss once and serve.

F3 Fun Food Fact

Wine and Cheese – the Truth Revealed

Well this is a little known fact but wine and cheese do NOT actually go well together! According to US Research, nothing can kill the flavours of a good wine more effectively than a platter of mature cheese. The worst match for red wines is a blue cheese such as Stilton, Roquefort or Gorgonzola. This is because both have strong and contradicting tastes that cancel each other out. The protein in the cheese coats the palette of the mouth and dulls the taste of the wine.

However, we do have some good news here. The following is a rough guide for good wine and cheese pairings if one must have a wine and cheese event or evening –

Cheese	Matching Wines
Boursin	Gewürztraminer
Camembert	Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
Cheddar	Chardonnay, Champagne
Chèvre (Goat's Cheese)	Champagne, Gewürztraminer
Edam	Riesling
Emmenthal	Beaujolais (over here the subtle sweetness of the cheese is matched very well with the fruity red wine tones
Mozzarella	Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
Gruyere	Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Parmesan	Chardonnay
Blue Cheese	Port Wine, Sauternes

My Suggestion – Get a few bottles of chardonnay when having friends over on a wine and cheese evening as it’s a light sunny and cheerful wine and will compliment your cheese beautifully! J

Food– Wich Latte

Since it was my first mailer I thought I would start with family and wanted to start with the fun and friendly Wich Latte as my first restaurant review (don’t mind the F’s; it is F Factor after all!!!). This spunky Yellow and Blue café has made its mark on the young hip Mumbai crowd by its fresh breads unique sandwiches, Scrumptious Bagels and interesting witch mural depicting the restaurant’s witch all over Mumbai.

Food & Beverages

I’ll start with the beverages - having Tang is a great and refreshing choice which I do feel gives a different and homely atmosphere to the place. When it comes to the food I would have to say that it really is a delicious meal every time. The menu has enough variety to feed the not-so-hungry and the calorie conscious as well as give us some of the much needed comfort foods. I personally recommend the Mexican Bagel, Chicken Panini, Viva Chelsea or make the sandwich of your choice without forgetting the curly fries which is an absolute must when you’re at Wich Latte. The Hot Dog with Cheese and Onions makes my mouth water at the thought of it and if you are a non vegetarian it is a must try snack! Their desserts are well thought out in terms of portion size and offering besides being delicious. The baked cheesecakes are to die for and the tiramisu is another very popular option.

Service

The service is casual and homely and one would enjoy the feeling of being cared for at Wich Latte but in a more casual and friendly way. The service is quick and the place is great to catch up with friends over a coffee, dessert or a full meal as well

Ambience

I’ll reiterate the fun, casual and homely atmosphere which is only enhanced by the self service cashier counter, open kitchen, cosy seating, funky colours and popular music in the background. A must see and must go to when in the area. They also do take aways for all those Nariman Point and Colaba office goers.

All in all Wich Latte is ideal for a wholesome, unique and delicious meal.

Food, Fun and Fine Dining, By Fatima!

Greetings my fellow foodies! Thank you for joining me on this never ending food trail and I’m so excited to be starting this with you. I have always had this thirst for knowledge about all things edible and I hope that I do pass on some useful gyaan to you guys along with learning things myself.