It’s that time of the year when people gather, exchange gifts and most of all, feast! With virtually everyone adhering to the Gregorian calendar, the festivities start and end around the same time. When do chefs start preparing their menus for the festive season and is there still a demand for traditional dishes? What about countries that Christmas have been introduced to: what sort of food do they serve?
How do chefs cope with the large volumes of people and maintain the food quality? How do suppliers deal with the demands from the food and beverage (F&B) industry? What about wastage? We speak to established chefs from varied backgrounds and cultures around the world.
Traditional Dishes: Tales As Old As Time
The most celebrated of year-end festivities would probably be Christmas – the result of evangelism, migration and popularised media influence. The first noted instance where Christmas was celebrated was during 336AD. in the home of Roman Emperor Constantine The Great. Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol published in the year 1843 tells us the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge – the infamous penny-pincher whose name has become synonymous with miser-like qualities. Dickens was said to have written the Christmas classic in a period where the region was examining past traditions and modern customs. In the novel, Scrooge calls for a large turkey to be sent to his employee after realisation hits him and he turns over a new leaf. All over the world, the requisite preparation for year-end festivities begin almost three months ahead as most chefs have their menus planned out and their bulk orders already punched in. “The tradition of Christmas is one of family and everyone getting together, and in my opinion, the turkey was a premium item back in the old days. I guess it was seen as a luxury item with that central piece focus a wow factor if you like, that was served on the table which the whole family would sit around the table in a family style sharing, bringing the family together as one in celebration.
This story is from the November/December 2017 edition of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
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This story is from the November/December 2017 edition of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Movin' On Up!
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Jack Of All Skills, (Re)master of All
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Eggs are a huge part of our lives, and a large part of our lives with regards to cooking. At the same time, we tend to forget the importance of them, so ubiquitous in our lives that they then get ignored. We ask dessert creators, and chocolatiers to examine their relationship with eggs, and what would happen if eggs should, god forbid, fall out of our lives.
Austrian Wines + Singaporean Cuisine = International Gastronomy
Austrian wines are known for being one of the more underrated regions for winemaking. These exceptional wines are fast becoming more explored in Southeast Asia, and we ask two sommeliers to sit down and taste wines from Austria. All these wines are easily available for purchase in the Singapore market, and can easily match with local delights.
On The Coffee Train
Cimbali Group’s regional director for Asia & Pacific, MS Millie Chan sits with us and discusses coffee, cimbali group and their facilities, and how their newest training facility is going to help elevate the coffee scene in singapore and the Asia Pacific Region.
Measure Of A Man
The late Mr wolf-dieter rösch was the modern take of the renaissance man: a man who embraced the warmth of knowledge and the determination to keep learning from every place he visited. In turn he leaves behind a legacy that will be fondly remembered by the people who he met.
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To get a sense of Chef Aeron Choo’s work ethic as well as personality, we first have to tell the story of meeting her for the first time in her restaurant, Kappou Japanese Sushi Tapas Bar at Fortune Center. She’s working with her kitchen team, scrutinising the ingredients she has prepared, making sure that the slices of tuna she has made is up to scratch, prepping and discarding elements that she is dissatisfied with that don’t work with the dishes. Then, she pulls out a 1.7kg spiny lobster, fresh from the tank, and very much alive. When the lobster is clearly flailing from being yanked out of the tank it had been swimming in, she takes time to stroke, pet the lobster and whisper sweet nothings to calm the creature down.
