Oaxacan Dinner with Chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo

The setting at The Old Prune

One of the reasons I love my writing job is because I get the chance to meet and interact with different people on a daily basis. Having an interest in food means that I have the advantage of talking with people in the culinary industry like chefs and restaurant owners and really get an insider's view of what drives their passion and creativity for their jobs. The past week, on an invitation from Mary Luz Meija and Mario Stojanac of Sizzling Communications, I was lucky enough to meet Chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo from Oaxaca City, who was participating in the Chef in Residence program at the Stratford Chef School. 

Since I was writing an article on Chef Arroyo for Good Food Revolution, I also had a chance to taste her take on refined Oaxacan cuisine. It was an amazing experience and opened my eyes to many new flavours. I also spent time with her at the Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute where we had a chance to chat about the similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisine. Here's a look at what we dined on in Stratford at The Old Prune:

The gorgeous table place mats with the name of Chef Arroyo's cooking school.

Cucumber margarita - delicious and refreshing cocktail that came along with the first course. The glass was rimmed with the dried and powdered agave worm. I couldn't stop licking the rim, it was just so good.

Empanadas de jaiba - Crab turnovers served with creamy pieces of avocado and a spicy salsa verde. These were gone in no time. Everybody wolfed them down. Crisp pastry, sweet crab meat, a kick of spice - what's not to like?

Sopa de tortilla - Creamy and luscious, I love the interactive presentation of the tortilla soup. You could add as much cheese, avocado, chillies and tortilla crisps completely personalizing it. Of course, I left nothing on the plate. My favourite addition was the dried poblano chillies. The smoky aftertaste was delicious.

Chiles rellenos de picadillo - These were supposed to be stuffed with pork and beef but were served stuffed with chicken instead. No complains though, the meat was moist, batter crisp and the tomatoes and tomatillo sauce paired with it perfectly.  

Estofado de pollo con arroz - This was probably one of the most anticipated dishes of the evening and did not disappoint. I have never had a piece of chicken that has been cooked so perfectly before. Mole is one of Oaxaca's signature sauces and there are over 30 kinds made there.  This version contained peanuts and chorizo and had all of us quite literally scraping our plates clean with the spoon.

Flan de vanilla - Can you see that gooey lusciousness? No words re required to describe dessert. Speckled with vanilla seeds, the flan was an ideal end to the meal. I couldn't wait to start devouring it. Hence, the missing spoonful when I took the picture.

Mignardises - A pleasant little bonus at the end of the meal came in the form of a strawberry popsicle, coconut cookie and lemon biscuit. Can I get an 'oh yeah!'?

The chef with the lovely Mary Luz and her husband Mario

I was lucky to have Chef Arroyo answer a few questions about Oaxacan food and her restaurant and school. Here's what she had to say:

What inspired you to become a chef?
I’ve always loved the aromas, flavors and tastes of fresh food.

Do you remember what the first thing was that you cooked?

Yes, I remember very clearly;  it was a salsa that I prepared for my father, and it was very garlicky.

We've heard of Mexican cuisine, if someone had to ask you to define Oaxacan cuisine, what would you say?

Oaxacan cuisine is a very complex food with unique flavors.  It’s always evolving, dating way back to colonial times when ingredients indigenous to Mexico, to my ancestors, began to be combined with ingredients introduced by the Spanish. Our food is a little spicy (of course not as spicy as its reputation), and uses a lot of fresh ingredients, because in every season there is different produce available, such as seasonal tropical fruits, a variety mushroom during the rainy season, etc.

Can you share what the most important ingredients in Oaxacan cuisine are?

Chiles, corn and beans.

Tell me a little about La Olla - what it's like and what is served?
La Olla serves traditional Mexican food, with a focus on Oaxacan cuisine.  We serve a broad variety of dishes ranging from memelitas to Mole de Fandango, soups, fish, tlayudas, a variety of seasonal fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and of course tortas, different meat dishes, etc.

In this world of fast food and quick fixes, how important is it according to you to enjoy sourcing and cooking your own food?
We have to take care of ourselves, eating fresh and organic whenever possible.  Sourcing and cooking our own food shows a love and respect for ourselves and our families.  And that’s what we Mexicans do; our families eat altogether at least one meal a day.  It is the fact of sharing with your family, and it doesn’t matter if it’s black beans or a black mole (mole negro).

Your cooking school, Casa de los Sabores, why did you open it?

To show people our wonderful cuisine, teach people how to find ingredients back home and to cook authentic Mexican dishes.

What do you enjoy about the food scene in Toronto?

The diversity of ethnic restaurants, the way different neighborhoods have a lot of restaurants of one broad kind like Greek on the Danforth, oriental in Chinatown, etc. I have to get to an Indian restaurant, perhaps this trip. And I like to hear about changes in Mexican restaurants, which I understand in Toronto started out many years ago with just those American restaurant chains, and now you can find real authentic Mexican food in privately owned good Mexican restaurants.

Any favourite restaurants here?
Auberge du Pommier was an incredible dining experience for me.  I’ll never forget it. And then there’s that little Chinese seafood restaurant on Spadina in Kensington Market, Xam Yu. Frida has to be on the list.  I really respect what Pepe Hada has done to showcase good Mexican food.

*DISCLOSURE: The meal at Stratford was a PR invitation and I did not pay for the meal.

Light Cooking: Coconut-Pumpkin Soup

Spiced to perfection

I have a confession to make. I've put on a whole lot of weight. To be precise six whole kilogrammes. This was the result of my physical last Saturday with our new family doctor. No I'm not happy but I know that I definitely enjoyed the whole festive season and the trip to Cuba. I knew I was taking a risk not being regular at the gym. Well, that's going to have to change now. Back to healthy eating and exercise. No diets for me, no way. It's time to climb back on the to the wagon of moderation and have the weight come off slowly. 

One thing that I really have being enjoying these chilly wintry months has been a hearty bowl of soup. Add a bowl of salad and some crackers and you have a wholesome, satisfying meal. I made this soup with some leftover pumpkin I had and it turned out beautifully. It was just a matter of rummaging through the pantry and blending flavours that were familiar to me. In fact, I think if you drop some fresh shrimp into this broth it would almost taste like a South Indian curry. But then, I would want to eat rice with it and that favourite carb of mine has now been put on the backburner, or rather is high up on the list of moderation.

On a brighter note, I've just got two new cookbooks - Laura Calder's French Taste and Heidi Swanson's (101 Cookbooks) Super Natural Cooking. That means loads of new recipes to try in the near future and plenty of new ingredients to introduce into our menus. I am particularly stoked about Swanson's book because her recipes are very close to the diet that is prescribed for Sean. So that's one step closer to where we need to be. Now it's just a matter of starting to drag ourselves to the gym on a regular basis as well. It will happen, I just hope it is sooner than much, much later.

Coconut-Pumpkin Soup
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 for a starter

1 tsp mustard seeds
2 springs of curry leaves
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp garlic, chopped finely
1 tbs ginger, chopped finely1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 1/2 cup pumpkin, mashed
1 can low-fat coconut milksalt and pepper to taste

Heat up about a tablespoon of oil. Put in the mustard seeds and curry leaves and wait until the seeds to to crackle. Then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Saute until the onions caramelise slightly. Then add the turmeric and cayenne pepper powders and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add the pumpkin and cook on a gentle heat for about five minutes. Now add the coconut milk and stir gently until the pumpkin is well combined with it. Simmer gently for about ten minutes. Add seasonings and taste. Adjust accordingly. Serve with crackers or toasted whole wheat bread.

Viva Cuba

Downtown Havana

We took off. Quite literally. On September 6th, two days before our first wedding anniversary, we decided to be spontaneous and do something special on the 8th. That plan took us all the way to Havana, where we spent a fabulous week walking around the old city, sitting in cafes enjoying rum-laced cocktails and, of course, eating whatever we could get our hands on. There seems to be a national obsession with pizza, pop and ice cream and you were never far from a store or cart selling either. And beer, loads of beer!

It was the first vacation Sean and I have taken since 2008. So it really was a memorable trip and the warm Cuban people were definitely one of the highlights. Oh yeah, we're already planning another trip back. Here's a look at what we got up to and what edible delights have now contributed to a couple of extra inches on our waists. Enjoy! I'm off to the gym to start my workouts for 2011.

On our anniversary we stopped off at the Floridita, the birthplace of the daiquiri and one of Ernest Hemingway's old haunts. The daiquiris were great, the mojitos and seafood platter not so much.

The first and most memorable of several pork sandwiches. Slow roasted pork, thick slices of ham and a light spread of garlic butter. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmmmmmm

We discovered a little restaurant near our hotel that specialised in seafood so we stopped there twice for a delicious meal. Prawn cocktail to your left and Sean's delicious prawn pizza.

Seafood platter done right. The food was very much reminiscent of grilled fish and salad that they serve in restaurants in Goa, India. We were not complaining.

First glimpses of street food. Profiteroles with strawberry and chocolate cream and maize fritters being fried.

Maize fritters and croquettes; roast pork being carved for sandwiches.

Maize fritters - my favourite. Crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. It reminded me of fugiyas that my mother makes. We went back the day before we left.

Boxes of Chinese-style fried rice with pork were being eaten on the go by many locals. Of course, we had to try it as well. Tasted very much like the fast-food Chinese from street-side carts in Mumbai.

We also admired the architecture,  saw some people dancing in the street...

...then watched the world go by at the cafes and enjoyed a sunset at the beach.

Then it was back to food and drink. Drank copious amounts of the local beer Cristal. And made a trip back to the little restaurant for another seafood dinner.

Grilled camarones

One of the trip highlights - the Museo Del Chocolate (Chocolate Museum). There was a line up but we managed to get in and enjoy a couple of chocolate cigars and some hot and cold chocolate. 

We stumbled upon Dos Hermanos where Hemingway was a regular as well. It was also frequented by Hollywood stars like Errol Flynn and Marlon Brando. Excellent piña coladas. They give you the whole rum bottle to pour in as much as you want - no, seriously. I also learnt piña coladas in Cuba are served with a dash of cinnamon.

Talk about a beautiful setting for sundowners; a light chicken salad which had bits of crispy skin  mixed in.

We spent the last day on the terrace of the Hotel Inglaterra right in the downtown core just watching the world go by with some cafe con leche and a Cuba Libre (rum, coke and lime). Sigh, hope we can go back soon.

Happy New Year!

 Cheers to 2011

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you had a great time ushering it in, surrounded by people you love. Sean and I watched the ball drop (okay, I actually missed it) in Times Square on television along with my parents and sister and family in Seattle over Skype. I worked a crazy eight days straight since December 27th, so I didn't even have time to make something for us to nibble on. We just put together a small platter of cheese, olives, smoked salmon, hummus and crackers that we washed down with some sparkling wine. Though the holidays were tough without my parents and being away from Bombay for the first time in five years, we managed to have a great time - although over the Internet.

So here's wishing you a great 2011, filled with good health, laughter, love and happiness. And of course, food - loads and loads of it. Thanks for all your support over 2010 and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and food experiments with you in  2011. Cheers!

Our nibble platter