Have you watched AXN Top Chef yet? If you haven’t, you will want to give it a try after you read this post.
I am a big fan of food shows. They have been part of the inspiration in my starting this food blog. Top Chef is one such show I enjoyed watching in the US.
Indian Television offers a few food channels now with plenty of new shows being aired. But American cooking shows are few and far in between. So I was very happy when AXN started airing Top Chef. AXN has always been one of my favorite channels. And I just love that Top Chef is part of their lineup.
When I got an invite for a live cooking show at Nature’s Basket conducted by Chef Saransh Goila, I was jumping with joy. Seeing some actual Top Chef recipes in action is a treat for any foodie. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Saransh Goila doesn’t hold back!
One of the peeves I have with certain cooking shows is the amount of essential information that is left out, the little nuances that can make or break a dish, that secret trick that new cooks are not aware of. Chef Saransh gave a detailed explanation of every step, providing useful tips and dos and don’ts along the way. He suggested some substitutions where possible, like how one kind of pasta could be substituted for another. He did everything in real time in an intense two hour session.
So the Top Chef recipes we saw cooked in front of us?
Macarons with Guacamole and Corn puree was perhaps the most tedious. I have never tried to make meringue, and this is the first time I saw anyone beat egg whites to stiff peaks. The chef showed the audience how to pipe the egg whites onto the baking sheet, involving some enthusiastic people from the crowd.
Quinoa pasta with salsa verde and gremolata was another wonderful recipe. Any pasta can be used in this dish. Chef Saransh explained what kind of texture a gremolata should have and how it adds texture to the dish. He explained the importance of having different textural elements. If you are used to watching food shows, you will know this is one of the things judges always look for in a dish.
Jerk Halibut/ Salmon was the last dish. Providing a recipe for Jamaican Jerk seasoning, the chef passed around a sample. All I could think of was how I could use this seasoning in a vegetarian dish.
Godrej Nature’s Basket proved to be an excellent venue for the show. The audience was provided with individual tasting portions of all the dishes which was highly appreciated by everyone. What’s the use of seeing a demo if you can’t taste it, eh?
Most of the ingredients used in the recipes are of course available at Nature’s Basket. Follow @saranshgoila, @axnIndia and @NaturesBasket for more food related updates and plenty of glimpses of the event.
If you ever get an opportunity to attend a live session by Chef Saransh, jump at it. It’s an experience every foodie and budding cook must have once. Until then, tune in to AXN every Monday to Friday @ 9 PM!
P.S How can I go to Nature’s Basket and not shop? Came back with some fresh herbs and my favorite Mooz Feta Cheese 🙂
