Culinary society puts food on the front burner

Culinary society puts food on the front burner

By Maria Endah Hulupi

JAKARTA (JP): It may seem a tall order in a country where many
people still do not have enough to eat, but the Indonesian
chapter of Chaine des Rotisseurs wants more local faces among its
ranks.

"We are trying to boost local appreciation of fine food and to
encourage more Indonesians to join the Chaine membership," said
chairman of Chaine des Rotisseurs in Indonesia, Firdaus A.
Siddik.

The society, which opened its Indonesian chapter 30 years ago,
halted its regularly scheduled dinners at hotels from 1997 to
1999, Firdaus said, in a show of solidarity with the economic
difficulties of local people.

About 30 percent of its 70 members are Indonesians. Membership
includes professionals from the food service industry, like chefs
and hotel general managers, plus others from outside, including
banker Firdaus, who were recommended to the Chaine center in
France by local members.

There is also a more practical side to the society's
endeavors, with the members' dues put to good use for charitable
causes. With most Indonesian restaurants still falling short of
international standards, Firdaus said the chapter wanted to help
local chefs participate in international competitions which
foster the art of cooking and quality of food and presentation.

They join a society steeped in tradition; it was established
in the 13th century to promote culinary arts and nurture
camaraderie among its members, who are now found at 150 branches
worldwide. At each of the gatherings, the host chef is required
to devise the various elements of the dinner -- from the theme,
menu, accompanying wines, table settings, decorations, even
garnishes -- for the evening.

All of the above elements were on display at the society's
most recent event, its annual gala dinner at the Columbus
restaurant of Gran Melia Jakarta. The theme was the adventure of
the great sailor Columbus in his search for a new world, except
the discoveries on the night in question were beautifully
presented, delicious food.

Upon arrival, members and guests were escorted to a waiting
room, where they exchanged greetings while savoring hors d'oeuvre
-- oysters Rockefeller with cream and spinach, oysters Seviche
marinated with paprika and plain oysters drizzled with kaffir
lime juice.

The culinary journey itself began at Columbus restaurant,
which was decorated with armor, diving equipment and a miniature
vessel. The guests discovered the menu, imprinted on individual
bottles of Domaine de Valmoissine's Pinot Noir of Maison Louis
Latour 1998, in front of a bouquet of red roses at the center of
the dining table.

The first step on the journey was carpaccio of red tuna with
pan-seared foie gras and balsamic vinaigrette. The exquisite
taste of generous portions of fois grass was nicely combined with
delicate slices of slightly tart red tuna.

Next came creamy Andalousian gazpacho with watercress royale,
which was enhanced with the freshness of finely shredded
courgettes and carrot.

Another outstanding port of call lay ahead. The duck leg
confit and globe artichokes en cage, accompanied with a red
colored beetroot bread, was outstanding, consisting of
deliciously seasoned duck meat topped by a delicate pastry dome.

While the guests were still carried away with the delicious
taste from the previous serving, the hotel staff appeared and
distributed another treat. It was a map of the world using melted
chocolate, with a vessel-shaped blood orange sherbet with a sail
made of a sheet of sweet pastry gracefully exploring the blue-
colored sugar sea. As they feasted on the dishes laid before
them, the members discussed various topics, but always returned
to topics related to the palate.

The fine food journey continued as the ship arrived at a
palatable but slightly bony grilled red mullet with lemon and
thyme, emulsion of tomato, olive, potato, courgette and garlic,
which was accompanied by black squid bread. It provided diners
with a pleasant blend of tastes from all ingredients plus the
aroma from the herbs all in one bite.

After the goat cheese Sainte-Maure with walnut bread, there
was dessert, a chocolate creme brulee, with berries, which was
decorated to resemble a treasure trove on a desert island. It was
a fitting close to the journey, as members looked ahead to the
next culinary exploration at Zigolini's at the Mandarin Oriental
in the near future.