Fusion food that pleases your taste buds<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After a visit to a foreign country, people like to bring home
\nitems including local food or recipes to try to prepare in their
\nown kitchen.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, people also like to do a cross-cultural food
\ntasting to spice up their taste buds.<\/p>\n
This is exactly what Frenchman Gilles Marx from Riva Bistro
\nand Bar at the Park Lane Jakarta and Italian Dario Congera from
\nBruschetta restaurant at the Borobudur Hotel Jakarta have done.<\/p>\n
Gilles, who has spent the last three years of his career at a
\nfine dining restaurant in Hunter Valley, Australia, has returned
\nto the Park Lane hotel in Jakarta to prepare a range of
\nAustralian-influenced dishes that he would like to introduce to
\nJakarta food lovers during a food promotion, dubbed Gilles'
\nAustralian influence.<\/p>\n
During the promotion, which ends this Friday, the chef will
\nprepare three starters, three types of fish and meat dishes with
\nthree desserts and Australian wine served by the glass to
\ncomplete the culinary experience.<\/p>\n
Gilles says that Australian cuisine has a blend of everything,
\nincluding Asian and European influences, which gives it a unique
\ncharacter. \"But its typical flavor is a little bit from all over
\nthe world,\" Gilles said.<\/p>\n
The menu features dishes, prepared using popular cooking items
\nfrom the continent like Australian beef, Pacific oysters (served
\nfresh or with poached yabbies on a fresh beetroot salad and light
\nchampagne sauce) and kangaroo meat, one of the country's exotic
\nmeats along with koala, emu and crocodile. All are imported
\nstraight from the land down under.<\/p>\n
Kangaroo, he explained, has already been specially bred for
\nculinary purposes in Australia and the meat is known to be lean,
\nwhich is the reason why it is better to be eaten rare.<\/p>\n
\"When it is prepared medium or well done, the meat tends to
\nbecome tough. It is advisable to serve it rare by cooking it very
\nshortly to maintain its tender texture,\" he said about the meat
\nwhich is especially famous among tourists in Australia who wish
\nto try its flavor and texture.<\/p>\n
\"Each meat requires different handling and cooking technique
\nso as to get the best of it,\" Gilles added.<\/p>\n
He uses the loin because it is the most tender part of a
\nkangaroo. He prepares panseared kangaroo loin on warm cumin
\nscented couscous, with blackberry juice and mango salsa.<\/p>\n
As for the beef, grass-fed Australian beef is leaner with a
\nhealthier type of fat and the cattle's diet gives the meat a
\nstronger taste. Among his beef dishes is the classic Hunter
\nValley-style grilled tenderloin, crispy bacon and shiraz sauce.<\/p>\n
And as a sweet ending to the meal, Gilles prepares popular
\ndesserts, pavlova and sticky date pudding that can be found
\neverywhere in the continent. Also on his dessert list are the dry
\nmeringue filled with fresh fruit, passion fruit sorbet and
\ncinnamon-scented sticky date pudding and brandied vanilla sauce.<\/p>\n
Chef Dario will specialize in gnocchi (pronounced nyo-kee), a
\nkind of pasta-based dumpling, which is a popular, versatile dish
\nfrom Italy during the promotion that ends next Saturday.<\/p>\n
From basic ingredients, like potato\/polenta\/semolina flour,
\negg and cheese, gnocchi can be prepared in various flavored and
\ncolored dishes with different shapes and presentations. Among the
\nclassic ones are Romana gnocchi (typical gnocchi that is popular
\nin Rome and is cooked with semolina flour), carrot gnocchi and
\nbasic potato gnocchi.<\/p>\n
Each region in Italy has developed its own typical gnocchi
\ndishes. In the northern part of the country locals use more
\ncheese; chili and tomato and herbs in the south; and olive oil in
\nthe north west.<\/p>\n
Gnocchi talks about popular culture, too. Dario said that in
\nthe past, Italian housewives prepared gnocchi dishes for their
\nfamilies. Today, most of them have a career to pursue and spend
\nless time in the kitchen so they prefer to buy from fresh pasta
\nshops which sell many different kinds of fresh gnocchi to choose
\nfrom.<\/p>\n
\"Except on the weekends, maybe, when they have time to cook.
\nBut ready to cook gnocchi is very practical. All they have to do
\nis boil it in salted water and remove it once they float to the
\nsurface.<\/p>\n
\"With different herbs and ingredients or whatever they have in
\ntheir kitchen, Italians can prepare an elaborate gnocchi dish,\"
\nDario added.<\/p>\n
Gnocchi can be eaten alone, served separately or together with
\na sauce. The most popular sauces to go with it are quattro
\nfromaggio or four-cheese sauce, veal\/lamb\/chicken ragout,
\nbolognese and pesto.<\/p>\n
And like many other pasta dishes, the dish is usually enjoyed
\nafter the appetizer and can be eaten as a one-meal dish for lunch
\nor dinner.<\/p>\n
\"Italian people are happy with a plate of gnocchi and a slice
\nof bread when they are hungry. Such a dish is quite satisfying
\nand already provides them with meat and vegetables and they have
\nenough,\" Dario explained.<\/p>\n
For this promotion, the chef prepares among others potato
\ngnocchi with tomato and pesto, Romana gnocchi with Parmesan,
\nricotta gnocchi with spinach on eggplant, cheese, olive oil,
\nbasil and diced tomato; and carrot gnocchi with veal ragout,
\ncapers and lemon.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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