The Stars Align for Britain & Ireland’s Restaurant Scene

British and Irish food has come a long way. The home of wholesome and hearty full-cooked breakfasts and Sunday roasts now boasts Michelin-star restaurants, exciting gastropubs and dynamic street food to rival anywhere in Europe. And according to some of Britain’s top chefs, it’s getting better and better.

In the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2017, Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck regained its three stars after a year’s sojourn in Melbourne. It joins the Waterside Inn, Gordon Ramsay, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester as the region’s only restaurants to be awarded Michelin’s top rating.

The importance of one-star restaurants

Yet there were 18 new restaurants awarded one star, and legendary French chef Michel Roux Snr. believes that’s great news for British and Irish food. “For me as a consumer, the life of a country’s restaurant scene is the one-star restaurant,” he said. “I’m not saying you don’t need two and three star places, but I like to eat in one-star restaurants that have different backgrounds and different flavours. It could be classic French, or Indian food, or whatever.”

Roux revolutionised the British restaurant scene almost half a century ago, when along with his brother Albert he opened Le Gavroche in London. For him, diversity is the key to a vibrant food offering. “I think it’s extremely important because we don’t want the boring classic French only. The world is moving, but it’s not only a few classic countries who are leading.” Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli first came to work in London some 30 years ago. He opened Locando Locatelli in 2002, and believes London’s global-city status is an important factor in the development of its food.

“Definitely over the last ten years it’s become much more vibrant with so many different influences coming from all over the world,” he said. “Paris is fantastic, but only for haute cuisine. I think London is much more complete as a scenery.”

It's not Not just London

But it’s not just in London where the UK and Ireland’s restaurant renaissance is taking place. James Close’s Raby Hunt restaurant in Darlington was awarded two Michelin stars this year, and some ten restaurants outside the UK capital received one star, including James Sommerin in Penarth, Wales, and Heron & Grey in Dublin.

“I’ve been taking my daughter to university in Bristol and it’s really fantastic food there,” said Locatelli. “One of the best pizzas I had this year was in Bristol — and I’ve been to Naples twice!”

Tom Kerridge, whose Hand And Flowers pub in Buckinghamshire became the first to win two Michelin stars in 2011, is equally enthusiastic about food in Britain’s regions. “You can travel all over the country now and get some great food. One-star cooking is phenomenal food and it goes across the board. There are Indian restaurants, pubs, and then The Ritz, so it’s such a diverse selection. It’s letting the rest of the world know that there is some really good food here.”

Birmingham is the UK city region with the most Michelin star restaurants outside London, and Peel’s at Hampton Manor is the latest addition to its growing list. Peel’s Head Chef Rob Palmer believes simplicity and a more casual approach to dining is changing the food landscape in Britain. “Things aren’t as formal, but there’s still that drive, consistency and quality,” he said. “My food is about three flavours on a plate, and making those three flavours amazing.”

According to Giorgio Locatelli, simplicity can sometimes be the essence of a restaurant’s appeal. “At one time we had menus with 20-25 dishes, now you go to successful places and they do just one thing. That’s really refreshing, it lifts the standard and cuts the costs.”

Michelin guide editor Rebecca Burr has seen trends come and go, but she is adamant less formality doesn’t equate to a decline in standards. “Dining as a whole has changed, and we’re just reflecting what’s going on in the industry,” she said. “Our philosophy has always been about good food, but everybody changes. We go out to eat in jeans now.”

Barriers are coming down and fine dining is becoming more democratic, not just in the UK and Ireland, but all over the world. In July, the Singapore Michelin guide awarded stars to two street food vendors. Would the UK guide ever follow suit? “Food trucks are just so temporary. They move on or they go to a different pitch, so I’m not sure we’re at that stage,” said Burr. “I think the comparison we could have with Singapore could be the pubs. And we started awarding stars to pubs a long time ago.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

The Stars Align for Britain & Ireland’s Restaurant Scene

3 Spanish Chef Recipes, With Wine and Water Pairings

The picturesque Basque town of San Sebastian lived up to its culinary reputation once again this year hosting the 2016 edition of the Gastronomika congress, where more than 50 chefs engaged in idea sharing and culinary expression over the four days.

In keeping with the ethos of the event a special S.Pellegrino supported event unfolded in the kitchen of Restaurant Nineu (San Sebastian, Spain) where two chefs met in mutual respect over their culinary tradition and territory as well as a shared a vision of the future of haute cuisine: Chef Carles Gaig with  his “traditional modern Catalan cuisine” and the ethos of “current Catalan cuisine” from Nandu Jubany.

Each chef prepared a dish which was paired with S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna water in addition to white wines, red wines, champagnes, etc., curated by sommelier Juan Muñoz. 

We share three of their amazing recipes below for two appetizers and one dessert along with the wine and water pairing with expert comments from Juan Muñoz.

A calamari and Figueras onion appetizer, as created by Carles Gaig, paired with S.Pellegrino water and Versatus white wine – Rias Baixas 2014. Juan Muñoz’ commented on the harmony of the pairing: that “maintains" and "enhances the flavours thanks to the fine and creamy bubbles of the water”.

An appetizer recipe from chef Nandu Jubany, paired with S.Pellegrino and Gran Juve y Camps cava – Brut Gran Reserva which Juan Muñoz commented could maintain the elegance of the flavours whilst balancing the acidity and iodine of the caviar. 

A decadent chocolate dessert by Nandu Jubany, paired with Acqua Panna water and Nigori Sake G. Kru. An unusual choice clarified by Juan Muñoz in a first experience of pairing water and a highest quality Sake. "The Sake expressed notes reminding me of dairy, malic and at the same time very tasty with a sweet finish in union with the cocoa. All this needed something to curb and provide balance, and that job was done by the water."

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

3 Spanish Chef Recipes, With Wine and Water Pairings

UK and Ireland's Best Pub Named by Michelin

The Marksman Public House in Bethnal Green, London has been named the best food pub in the UK and Ireland in Michelin’s Eating Out in Pubs 2017 guide.

The neighbourhood boozer, which was recently taken over by two ex-St John alumni, chef-owners Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram, has been building a reputation for stunning British food in an unpretentious setting (below), including brown butter tart, game pies and of course, the Sunday roast.

Michelin Guide editor Rebecca Burr describes it as “a proper neighbourhood pub” with “new-era pub food,” according to The Independent. In all, 38 pubs were added to the guide this year, which covers close to 600 UK and Irish pubs.

The Marksman is not the only UK pub garnering such accolades. The Sportsman in Kent, with Stephen Harris at the helm, was recently named best UK restaurant by Restaurant Magazine, while Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire has established itself in the Michelin Guide, being the only UK pub to hold two stars.

Last year's winner was the The Butchers Arms, near Gloucester.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

UK and Ireland's Best Pub Named by Michelin

Thomas Keller Creates Hot Dog for London Restaurant

Thomas Keller, the three Michelin star chef behind the French Laundry and Per Se has created a divine-sounding hot dog for a London restaurant owned by two ex-charges.

The Thomas Keller Surf and Turf, a Frankfurter topped with Cornish lobster, dill pickle chips and celery, will be on sale at Bubbledogs throughout December, priced at £12 ($14.60), Bloomberg reports.

Bubbledog owners Sandia Chang and James Knappet met whilst working at Per Se in New York. They also worked for Keller at his French Laundry pop-up at Harrods in 2011. Bubbledogs pairs hot dogs with Champagne, and guest chefs are often asked to contribute to the menu. They also have a sister restaurant, the one Michelin star Kitchen Table, which is accessed through Bubbledogs.

Of the dish, Keller said: "We start with a traditional buttered brioche, like you’d find in a New England lobster roll. We layer the bun with house-made dill pickles, and then, for the 'relish,' we top the dog with chilled lobster salad and garnish it all with micro celery leaves.” He describes hot dogs as a “childhood favourite."

Sounds great, doesn’t it? If this has whetted your appetite, here’s an infographic showing 40 different hot dogs from around the world.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Thomas Keller Creates Hot Dog for London Restaurant

7 Fragrant Fall Spices For Your Pantry

Along with fallen leaves, autumn brings cooler temperatures that inspire us to spend more time in the kitchen. Whether it's baking or preparing a hearty stew, you'll need to have some fall spices on hand to liven up your dishes.

We have selected a few cooking spices that make a great addition to your fall pantry along with some ideas for how to use them. You'll be surprised at how much you can do with these traditional spices.

7 Must-Have Fall Spices

Nutmeg and Mace

Nutmeg and mace typically make their way into cookies and pies. But they also make a great addition to soups, stews and sauteed greens, as in the case of this vegetarian spinach lasagna.

Use a microplane to grate whole nutmeg into your dishes or just sprinkle a bit of ground mace.

Cinnamon

Perhaps the first spice that comes to mind when we think of fall, cinnamon is obviously great in sweets but don't overlook its versatily.

Add a cinnamon stick to braised meats and you'll experience greater depth of flavor (not sweetness). Use the whole spice to make tea or a fragrant poaching liquid.

Cloves

The potency of ground cloves makes for excellent pumpkin pie spice and apple pies. Consider adding a whole clove to your rice or meat dishes, such as this fragrant biryani.

Along with cinnamon and star anise, it makes a great addition to poaching liquids for apples, pears or wine.

Ginger

Powdered ginger is a great for baking but ginger root is wonderful in marinades and a slew of Indian and Asian dishes.

Whether chopped or grated, mix it with scallions and a dash of sesame oil to give a kick to meat marinades. You can also use the same ingredients to sautee shrimp. Mixed with yogurt and garlic, it makes a superb marinade for chicken.

Minced ginger will add a nice touch to any sauteed vegetables. Great recipes to try are tandoori duck and Korean beef soup.

Star Anise

A must have when poaching fruit or mulling wine, star anise is also great in meat dishes. Consider adding one star anise to braises or stews and taste the difference.

You can also try making pear and anise cupcakes or Pimms and star anise stewed fruit with amaretti biscuits.

Turmeric

Full of antioxidants and a great health booster, turmeric makes can be added to practically any savory dish - whether vegetarian or meat based.

Since the active ingredient in turmeric is fat soluble, add it at the beginning of the cooking process when preparing chili, soups or stews to really enjoy its health benefits.

We recommend making these horseradish croquettes with turmeric and jasmine and this delicious coconut fish curry.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

7 Fragrant Fall Spices For Your Pantry

Happy Halloween! 9 Ideas to Celebrate

It's Halloween time! The scariest night of the year is finally upon us. How will you be celebrating? We've got Halloween food ideas that will help you entertain in style.

How about sinking your teeth into a bloody Halloween cake? Or what about snacking on jello eyeballs or jelly bats? These spooky treats will please all the goblins and ghosts that show up at your door.

For more spooky fun, check out our Halloween party ideas Halloween is definitely the sweetest yet scariest night of the year and we can help you celebrate the ghastly affair with plenty of wicked food ideas. We’ve got tips for everything from decorating Halloween cookies to making skull-shaped pancakes. Why not celebrate Hallow’s Eve with bloody cocktails? Or how about sweet caramel apples and fun candy corn jello?

Be safe, have fun and enjoy a Happy Halloween!

JELLO EYEBALLS	ORANGE IDEAS	SWEET CARAMEL APPLES

THE SCIENCE OF CANDIES	CANDY AND BEER PAIRINGS	EASY PUMPKIN RECIPES

ORANGE SHERBET PUNCH	CANDY CORN JELLO	BLOOD-FILLED SHOTS

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Happy Halloween! 9 Ideas to Celebrate

The Week in Bites 30 October 2016

Bites of Berkeley

This week at Fine Dining Lovers we kicked things off with a foodie tour of Berkeley, the famous California college town at the epicenter of the hippie moment of the 1960s and 1970s.

There are plenty of good eats in Berkeley and not just because it is also home to the world renown Alice Waters' restaurant.

Take a look at the delicious gems we encountered in our food travels.

The Souping Trend

We've all heard of juicing but do you know what souping is?

Souping is the trendiest way to detox and it's all about enjoying cozy delicious good-for-your soups.

Read all about our discoveries.

Food on the Edge

Last but certainly not least, we also brought you highlights of the 2016 Food on The Edge symposium held in Galway, Ireland.

Get the full scoop on what went down.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

The Week in Bites 30 October 2016

Bread and Honey, Nature-Inspired Food Art | Gallery

Pane e Miele (Bread and Honey) is a collaboration between Italian artist Giorgia Mocilnik, Honey Fingers (Nic Dowse), a beekeeper and artist from Melbourne, and the beautiful European honeybee, Apis mellifera. Pane e Miele is also a project that was exhibited last year in Australia and recently in Milan, presenting 12 sculptural works of bread and honeycomb, the latter made and attached by Apis mellifera (the European honeybee).

With these sculptures the artists have gently, but deliberately, tested the adaptability of bees as animal architects. The objects highlight the intelligence of bees as architects; as well as the connection between bees and the food we eat. Although the shape of the breads was known, the comb the bees made was always a surprise. This is a true collaboration with the bees as, although the artists directed where comb could be built, the outcome (the shape, size, color and number of comb segments) was improvised by the bees, in the hive.

How did the collaboration with Honey Fingers and Piano Bee begin?

Giorgia: The creative collaboration – the artistic partnership – began with Nic Dowse (from Honey Fingers) in Melbourne, and it continued like that in Italy. In Melbourne we could use Nic’s bees to make the sculptures, and in Italy we were fortunate enough to have a great beekeeper and generous friend in Piano Bee, who lent us some bees and hives to make the sculptures. Everything has started last year while I was living in Melbourne and working as a waiter for this great gelateria, that has few hives on the rooftop. They were Honey Fingers hive and Nic was looking after them and when one day he popped into the ice-cream shop, I asked him if he was keen to bring me up to the roof and introduce a bit to the bee’s world. I loved it and I showed him one of my latest project, a series of collages about animal architectures, cohabitation, adaptability, of course with bees included... Since than we got along very well, he gave me the trust I was looking for long time and we decided to create something together, something that became real!

Can you tell us more about your project Pane e Miele, from how it developed?

Nic : We have always eaten bread and honey. Bread has been a dietary staple in the west for millennia and honey has been hunted, robbed, produced and consumed for even longer. These materials are immemorial and can be traced to the ancients via archaeological sites throughout the Mediterranean – jars of (still edible) honey were discovered alongside treasures in Egyptian tombs; loaves of bread were found, intact, in the ashes of Pompeii.

Giorgia: Plus we wanted to work with this amazing social insect, in a friendly way and aware with all the risk that a collaboration with animal can have; creating sculptures where the shape of bread was known, but the comb the bees made was always a surprise!

The future of the honey bee is a very topical issue today. Can you explain the importance of the role of the Apis Mellifera in the project?

Giorgia: In parts of China and the USA many pollinators, especially bees, have disappeared. It is sad and alarming. These are now places where humans have to artificially pollinate trees, flowers, and so on. People have to be more conscious of these worrying changes happening around the globe, and the language of art is one of the best ways to reach all kind of people – everywhere.

Nic: That’s so true. You know humans live in a kind of symbiosis with honeybees. We have lived with bees for millennia. Humans and bees rely on each other for mutual wellbeing: we need honeybees to pollinate so many of our food crops, as well as provide us with honey and products like beeswax. And bees rely on us beekeepers to look after them: we keep them healthy, make sure they live close to good food sources and clean water, we manage diseases and care for hives throughout the year. This has been a mutually beneficial arrangement for thousands of years – as humans moved around the world so did honey bees, and the arrangement was so good bees made enough honey to share with us. But something has gone wrong in the last few decades. Bee populations have started to plummet. Bees have been disappearing. Bee diseases and pests are spreading throughout the world – this is a darker side of globalization. The combination of pesticides (especially neonicotinoids), fungicides, diseases, pests, industrialized beekeeping practices, monocropping, inbreeding of queen bees – it’s just too much for bees to cope with.

Is there a message behind the project? Anything you would like visitors to take away from the exhibition?

Nic: To follow on from the last question: the bee crisis should be a wake up call for us. We should ask why this is happening. This is a big part of what Pane e Miele is about – what are the connections betweens bees and food we eat? We hope a big part of the answer is obvious in these sculptures: the connections are real, and also quite beautiful. We should cherish and celebrate those connections, and help bees out by doing so.

Giorgia: We have seen this unfavourable situation in the second edition of Bread+Honey when bees have started to eat some part of breads. Seasons are changing, they are not anymore what they used to be. This year happened that flowers started to bloom a few weeks earlier, as result bees came out from their winter sleep earlier too – but then it rained for many weeks. This was very unusual. As a result the bees were starving, they run out honey and the only supply of carbohydrates and proteins was the bread inside the hive. It was nothing very dangerous, but it showed a little part of the bigger situation. And the bees eating the bread was not surprising: an old beekeepers remedy was to give flour to bees when they were weak.

The project exhibited in Australia last year, and recently in Italy. As an international project with a local flavour, how and why you have adapted the exhibition using local bread, depending on the country and which varieties you chose for the Italian project?

Nic: In Australia the breads reflected the various cultures that emigrated there: Italian sourdoughs, Turkish simit, French baguettes, German pretzels. In Italy the story of the breads selected is the history about the deep traditions of Italian baking and regional styles: similar breads have different, quite interesting, shapes; ingredients change from region to region.

Giorgia: We worked mainly with three bakeries here: one from my home town, Trieste, and the other two from Cesena (where Piano Bee keeps his apiaries and the sculptures were being made). We selected a bunch of various varieties such as soy flour, spelt, oats, maize, and wheat bread – which is also the typical ingredients of pasta in this country. The story of the different shapes is interesting. Historically, not all bakers had their own oven and they carried their loaves to cook in communal ovens. To avoid confusion and to differentiate the breads, the bakers decorated them with cuts and designs and made them in unique shapes. These baking traditions continued, even once bakers had their own ovens. A great example is the way the same kind of bread has different names in different regions: the classic ‘Ferrarese’ (from Ferrara) is called a ‘crocetta’ in Cesena and surroundings.

Any new projects you’d like to tell us about?

Giorgia: Honestly I have thousand of possible steps in my mind. The only issue for us is the distance. I am not living in Australia anymore than this make things complicated. We will work around it, for sure. The project has so much of potential.

Giorgia Mocilnik --  Nic Dowse --  MEGA ha un sito internet ma è più aggiornata la pagina Facebook Piano Bee -- http://ift.tt/2e6IOr1 Delfino Sisto Legnani -- http://ift.tt/2f1wPIN

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Bread and Honey, Nature-Inspired Food Art | Gallery

Artichoke Shaped Bread from Ferrara

Ferrara Couple Bread

Hand Made Breadsticks

Essential Guide to New York Wines

Did you know New York is the US’s third largest wine-producing state by volume after California and Washington, producing 3% of the country’s wine? It also has the country’s oldest continually operating winery.

With this in mind, check out Wine Folly’s simple guide to New York grape varieties (below). You'll see that there are three "primary species" grown there: European (vitis Vinifera), American (vitis Labrusca and vitis Rupestris) and hybrids; however 80% of vineyard land is given over to vitis Labrusca – juice grapes. European varieties include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling.

The five main New York wine producing regions are Lake Erie, Niagara Escarpment, Finger Lakes, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, and each has distinct climatic characteristics. For example, Finger Lakes, known for its Rieslings, suffers particularly harsh winters, while Long Island has hot summers, but is buffered by a cool wind off the Atlantic, resulting in ideal conditions for Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Read more about New York wines here.

Get to know your New York wines – they could soon be on the global map.

Talking of maps, here are three: to the wine regions of France, Italy and Spain.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Essential Guide to New York Wines

8 Fine Dining Restaurants at Train Stations

Long gone are the days, well mostly anyway, of desolate train stations as sad wastelands of plastic-packaged sandwiches and convenience food snatched en route to a commuter train.

These days, most train stations contain a myriad of gourmet take-out counters, pubs, cafeterias and 'healthy refreshment kiosks,' with an emphasis on treating yourself, even on the go.

But nestled in between the paninis and frappuccinos it's still possible to find a jewel in the station crown, one worth making the time to include the food experience as part of your journey, particularly if you have the luxury of time for some fine dining.

A spot where warmth and hospitality will soothe and massage a weary travelers' weary limbs, whilst fine food and surroundings will elevate you to a first class experience, even if your train ticket isn't.

Here's our pick of the finest dining for the traveler who likes to enjoy the finer things in life, especially when traveling by rail.

Fine Dining at Train Stations

1. Gilbert Scott, London St.Pancras

Acclaimed chef Marcus Wareing's romantic restaurant set inside a beautiful and recently restored impressive Victorian building. Perfect for a leisurely lunch or dinner for two after arriving on the Eurostar.

Website

2. l'Etoile du Nord, by Thierry Max at Gare du Nord, Paris 

Photo: M6

A welcome brand new spot for lunch and dinner inside Paris's Gare du Nord, with dishes prepared to order using ingredients from small producers. Prices range from 12 to 45 euros for simple yet creative dishes, with the added bonus of bread and pastries also being made on-site.

3. Sukiyabashi Jiro, Ginza Metro Station, Tokyo  

A meal typically takes half an hour, making it an ideal place to grab a quick bite before dashing off to catch a train. That is of course if you have deep pockets and have managed to snag a stool at one of the most sought after dining counters in the world.

4. Le Train Bleu, Gare du Lyon, Paris

Railway station dining doesn't come much more glamorous than being seated beneath the opulent frescoes, gilded arches and chandeliers at Le Gare Bleu, where regulars have included Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot and Jean Cocteau. A perfect introduction into the chic Parisian dining scene with a traditional French menu of favourites like roast leg of French lamb with gratin dauphinois plus an extensive wine list to choose from. The hardest part will be peeling yourself away to catch that train.

Website

5. Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York

An iconic landmark on the New York dining scene, this is a seafood restaurant that has stood the test of time, ideally located on the lower level of Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue in Manhattan in New York City.

Website

6. Au Premier Resturant, Zurich Bahnhof

For contemporary dining in a land where you can be confident your train will run to time, the Au Premier restaurant in Zurich train station overlooking the Bahnhofstrausse is a good option. While it's not inexpensive the creative seasonal menu and atmosphere of calm make it worth your while.

7. Grand Cafe Restaurant 1st Klas, Amsterdam

An elegant haunt set in what was once the first-class waiting area or the railway station, complete with high ceilings, dark timber-panelled walls, and Elivs the resident cockatoo. A great stop for an atmospheric breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Website

8. Orient Express, Istanbul

Step back into the 1930s and into the famous scene of an Agatha Christie novel in this tranquil spot within the hectic station. A relaxing stop for a mint tea and sweetmeat whilst putting your sleuthing skills to practice.

Website

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

8 Fine Dining Restaurants at Train Stations

Credit Crunch: World's Most Expensive Potato Chips Are $11 Each

St. Eriks and chef Pi Le created the limited edition chips, served in special presentation boxes of five, to pair with the brewery's reportedly superior IPA. As Food Republic reports, the handcooked chips, crafted from almond potatoes, are "shaped by hand and carefully fried to maintain their shape ... dusted with powdered matsutake mushrooms, seaweed with truffle notes, handpicked Swedish crown dill, meticulously cultivated Leksand onions and ... dehydrated wort from the IPA."Each box retails for $56, and as delicious as they sound, we think we'll stick to the standard brands for now, given the rate at which we tend to work our way through a bowl. However, we can report that the first batch has sold out, with all proceeds going to charity.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Credit Crunch: World's Most Expensive Potato Chips Are $11 Each

6 Easy Indian Snacks For Diwali and Beyond

Looking for some vegetarian snacks to spice up your life? Why not turn to Indian food. With a wealth of options and a wide and varied cuisine which naturally lends itself to a tasty supply of vegetarian recipes.

Easy Indian snacks are a perfect choice for irresistible finger food. Whether you're hosting a party to celebrate Diwali (the Hindu festival of Lights) or an informal gathering, they're ideal for entertaining, quick and easy to make, and more importantly, delicious. 

Why not try making up a vegetarian platter with a variety of hot and tasty snacks perfect for handing round to guests. After all, who can resist a delicious deep-fried lightly spiced bite-size snack.

To make these snacks extra special serve them up with a dipping sauce like mango chutney or a yoghurt dip. Set the easy Indian snacks down and watch them disappear. If preparing them for Diwali, don't forget to also include these tantalizing Indian sweets.

Easy Indian Snacks For Diwali (and beyond)

Mixed Vegetable Pakoras

Fabulous deep-fried vegetable fritters of asparagus, spinach, cauliflower and onion make for an irresistable snack.

Get the recipe here.

Lightly spiced potato fritters made with a tasty chickpea flour batter.

They come served with a delicious dipping yoghurt sauce. Learn how to make them.

ONION BHAJIS WITH CHUTNEY

Mouth-watering onion fritters are always a sure winner. Serve them up with a mango chutney for the ultimate treat.

Find the recipe here.

IDLI, INDIAN RICE CAKES

 Steamed rice cakes are a great snack that originated in South India.

You can serve them with an array of chutneys and sauces for dipping. Here is the tasty recipe.

Punjabi Potato Samosa

Crispy triangular pillows filled with lightly spiced vegetables are a delicious and filling snack to enjoy at any time of the day.

Learn how to make one of India's most beloved street snacks.

MYSORE BONDA DEEP-FRIED VEGETABLE BALLS

These deep-fried cauliflower and potato dumplings coated in chickpea flour hail from the Southern Indian city of Mysore. Here is the easy recipe.

Try serving them up with a traditional mango lassi.

Plus: Don't miss 10 Indian dishes anyone can master.

Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook

Let's block ads! (Why?)

6 Easy Indian Snacks For Diwali and Beyond

Fighting Lionsfish, One Bite at a Time

Meet Pterois, the lion fish (lionfish), also known as the devil firefish, scorpion fish, dragonfish and other fear-inspiring names. Beautiful and bizarre, elegant and deadly. Well, perhaps not directly to humans, but there is a reason they have these monikers. They are top of the food chain. A lion in the underwater jungle. And they are devouring everything in their path.

Over the past 10 years Pterois has spread its seed. A lot. Its population has swelled across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. One female can lay up to 2 million eggs per year and with no natural predators and a cavernous appetite they are decimating other native marine species and coral reefs.

Native to the Indo-Pacific region, the story goes they were introduced into the North Atlantic Ocean by pet owners no longer wanting or able to keep up with their ferocious appetites (each fish can consume up to 30 times its own stomach volume). If you ask others it was when Hurricane Andrew broke an Aquarium in southern Florida in 1992, releasing six lionfish into Biscayne Bay. Whatever the reason. They are here, and they are dominating.

Chef Jorge Rausch, a man on a mission

Enter Jorge Rausch. A man on a mission to get the world cooking with lionfish. “They are a plague on our seas” he declares, like some slightly starboard sea captain, but this is where the similarity ends. Rausch is not some Moby Dick whale-chasing fanatic. He is a chef at the top of his game. His restaurant Criterion, which he shares with his brother Mark, currently sits at number 29 on the 2016 Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list, and was the number one restaurant in Colombia three years running. A judge on MasterChef Colombia. And a man who is passionate about preserving the diversity of species in our oceans, and along his native Caribbean coast. “I am not on a crusade. It is just that this really is an ecological problem that we have in the Caribbean, which we have found a gastronomical solution for.”

“The ministry of environment had a prohibition on fishing and consuming [lionfish], nobody knew why but it was there. Maybe some bureaucrat in Bogotá decided it was dangerous and they forbid it, but there was no point, why should you not fish a plague!”. He now works closely with the environment minister to help raise public awareness of what is quickly becoming an international crisis, with recent reports indicating that they have reached across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea.

In a recent interview with CNBC Pam Schofield, a fish biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey said “lionfish have a voracious appetite, eating almost everything in their path — from economically important fish such as juvenile grouper and snapper to crabs, shrimps and algae-eating creatures.” "It seems lionfish had persisted for years at very low densities," Schofield said in a statement, "and then finally built up enough of a population to become invasive and spread onto other areas."

Spread of lionfish from 1996-2015

Source: U.S Geological survey

Additionally, regarding Impacts to native fish and coral reefs the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) stated: “A single lionfish residing on a coral reef can reduce recruitment of native reef fishes by 79 percent… negatively affect the well-being of valuable commercial and recreational fisheries.”

“As lionfish populations grow, they put additional stress on coral reefs already struggling from the effects of climate change, pollution, disease, overfishing, sedimentation, and other stressors... For example, lionfish eat herbivores and herbivores eat algae from coral reefs. Without herbivores, algae growth goes unchecked, which can be detrimental to the health of coral reefs.” The news doesn’t bode well. However, there is one saving grace. They are mighty tasty.

Lionfish Cebice with tropical fruit | Lionfish Brandade

Rausch’s cookbook Pez León, produced in conjunction with Colombian supermarket Olimpica aims to raise awareness by promoting the culinary versatility of the fish. “This is the first time a supermarket has committed to sell lionfish” he says enthusiastically.

However, the problem is not demand but supply. “We still don’t have enough [stocks] of lionfish. We started to work with SENA (the national education and training service), they’re investing a good amount of money not just to teach but to give subsidies to fishermen to work with the lion fish… We are not only trying to help the environment, to get the lionfish out, we are trying to work with communities of fishermen, and help them be entrepreneurs. But fishing for lionfish is not as easy as it sounds. They have long venomous spines and hide among coral reefs, rendering conventional fishing techniques less effective. Rausch says the plan is to use traps similar to those used to catch lobster, but I have heard of something more deadly.

Recently scientists from RISE (Robots in Service of the Environment) and iRobot announced they are constructing a new submergible robot to kill and capture Pterois. Nicknamed the Lionfish Terminator, the ROV (Remotely operated underwater vehicle) will find and zap the animal with a high voltage directional current and collect it for use as food.

Lionfish are among a mounting number of species currently making their way on to the dinner lists of invasivores. In Louisiana they are serving up Cajun River Rat, whilst at Prey restaurant in Miami, Chef Bun Lai is throwing out everything from Roast Feral Pig to Wild Texas Antelope Sushi. Some critics however warn of the possible negative effects of such strategies, suggesting that if a particular predator became popular with diners there is the potential for people to want to farm them for profit, further expanding the problem.

Earlier this month Rausch spoke at Yale University about the plans he and the Colombian government are putting in place. “We want to work with collaborative economics, to get people involved, to get private companies to work with the government, and work with the press, the fishermen, everybody working together to solve the situation.”

Rausch wants to kick-start a new economy. It’s still early days but the movement is gaining momentum. There’s talk of an entrepreneurial diver who has started selling lionfish to wholefood shops along the Florida coast, and there are plenty of websites dedicated to the culinary demise of this barbed invader, with killer titles like; eattheinvaders.com and lionfish-slayer.com, and on October 29 Turks and Caicos will have first annual lionfish derby. “I am not the first, there are many chefs across the Caribbean cooking with lionfish now. Lionfish is very tasty. It is a rock fish, they are Carnivores. Carnivore fish are the tastier ones. It’s white and delicate, like dover soul... If you are eating mojarra or snapper you can change it for lionfish and it’s gonna be tasty”.

Egg and Lionfish Arepa | Vietnamese Rolls | Lionfish with Squid Ink

“This is why the book has not just Colombian recipes but more international recipes as well, we want the whole world to cook with this delicious fish.” He enthuses. And why not? For once we have an overabundance of a delicious food source. So why not do the world and your taste buds a favour? And go cook some lion.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Fighting Lionsfish, One Bite at a Time