Tarasca Soup

October 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Tarasca Soup (1)

The fall is coming slowly to Capella Ixtapa.  The nights are becoming crisper and a new harvest of local crops has our Executive Chef Gonzalo Rivera busy revamping the menu.  One of my favorite menu additions is the Tarasca Soup.

The soup has great bold chili flavor and earthy taste.  It is perfect for cool fall days—it will warm up the soul.  Below find the recipe and you can try it for yourself!

Ingredients:
700g               Cooked black beans, in their juice
300g               Roma tomato, roasted
2L                    Chicken or Vegetable broth
250g               Chopped and roasted white onion
50g                 Ancho chile, roasted and without seeds
150g               Pasilla chile, roasted and without seeds
1/4 bottle      Dark beer
100g              Garlic, chopped
5g                   Cumin, roasted and ground
5g                   Orégano, roasted and ground
15g                 Epazote, strips
10ml              Olive Oil

For garnish:
15g                  Cilantro, leaves and stem
30g                 Cotija Cheese
2                      Corn Tortillas (Fry and cut into crispy strips)
1                      Avocado
45g                 Sour Cream
Sea Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

- Heat a soup pot over high heat and add the olive oil until smoking point.  Then add onion and garlic, lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.  Add half of the oregano and half of the cumin and continue to cook for 1 minute.

- Immediately add tomato, chilies, beans, 5 cilantro stems and cook for 10 more minutes.  Season to taste with oregano and cumin.  Add chicken or vegetable broth. Cook for 25 minutes more on low and season with salt and pepper.

- Take off the fire and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, combine the soup until smooth.

- Serve in a deep warm bowl and add garnish.

Tip:  If you feel the soup is too spicy, add a little of sour cream! The soup should have a silky smooth texture.

Buen provecho!

Filed Under: Capella Ixtapa Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Breidenbacher Hof’s Vitello Tonnato

September 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Vitello Tonnato Recipe

If you are following Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel on Facebook you may have seen my post on one of the most recent creations from Chef Michael, Vitello Tonnato.  Now you may say that this dish is not a new invention.  BUT – as you might have noticed from previous recipes I’ve shared, our kitchen team is always aiming to put a little twist on their dishes.   So whatever you may know about Vitello Tonnato go-ahead and forget it and open your mind for our chefs’ special version!

For me, this is the perfect starter for a dinner event with friends and family, nothing complicated yet still a special treat, which your guests will highly appreciate.  Enjoy trying it out!

Vitello Tonnato (for 4 people) 

Ingredients:
200 g tuna fillet
200 g veal tartar
Crème fraîche
2 tsp of Italian seasoning
1 shallot
5 tomatoes
200 g flour
100 g butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp of capers

Directions:

Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Blanch the tomatoes; peel off the skin and dice.  Then peel and dice the shallot.  Sautee the shallot in a pot with a hint of olive oil until a golden color is reached.  Add the tomatoes and cook everything on low temperature until all liquid has evaporated.  Mix everything utilizing an immersion blender in order to get a very fine texture. Season the tomato puree with a salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the flour, butter, egg yolk and capers.  Mix until a dough texture is reached and distribute it on a lined baking tray.  Place the tray in the pre-heated oven and bake it for 10-15 minutes until a golden-brown color is reached.  Take it out of the oven and let it cool down a little bit, then hash it into a fine crumble.

Fry the veal Tartar and remove from heat and allow to cool.  Cut the Tartar into very small pieces and blend it with the Italian seasoning.  Add two tablespoons of crème fraîche (if necessary a little more) and blend all ingredients until a mousse-like texture is reached.  Season the mousse with some pepper and salt.

Sautee the tuna fillet on a high temperature just until the outside is crisped and the inside remains raw.  Cut the Tuna into thin slices and distribute them evenly on four plates. Top the fillets with a little bit of olive oil.

Lastly, place all other components on the plates.

 

Let me know how you like Breidenbacher Hof’s take on the Italian classic, Vitello Tonnato!

Filed Under: Breidenbacher Hof Tagged With: , , , , ,

Schlemmen wie im Breidenbacher Hof: Vitello Tonnato

September 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Vitello Tonnato Recipe

Wenn ihr dem Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel auf Facebook folgt, habt ihr bestimmt mein Posting zur neuesten Kreation unseres Küchenchefs Michael Reinhardt gesehen: Vitello Tonnato.  Wie ihr wisst, ist dies natürlich kein unbekanntes Gericht. ABER – wie ihr wahrscheinlich schon bei unseren Rezepten bemerkt habt, wandelt unser Küchenteam gerne Rezepte ab und schafft so neue kulinarische Erlebnisse. Also vergesst alles, was ihr bisher über Vitello Tonnato wusstet und freut euch auf diese Version unseres Küchenchefs!

Für mich ist diese Vorspeise der perfekte Auftakt für ein Dinner mit Freunden und der Familie, nichts Kompliziertes und trotzdem besonders. Eure Gäste werden es zu schätzen wissen. Viel Spaß beim Nachkochen!

Vitello Tonnato (für 4 Personen)

Zutaten:

200 g Thunfischfilet
200 g Kalbstatar
Crème fraîche
2 El italienische Kräuter
1 Schalotte
5 Tomaten
200 g Mehl
100 g Butter
1 Eigelb
2 El Kapern

Zubereitung:

Den Ofen auf 180 Grad vorheizen.

Die Tomaten blanchieren; die Haut abschälen und das Fruchtfleisch in kleine Würfel schneiden. Dann die Zwiebeln schälen und ebenfalls in kleine Würfel schneiden. Die Zwiebeln in einem Topf mit ein wenig Olivenöl anschwitzen, bis diese eine goldgelbe Farbe haben. Die Tomaten hinzufügen und alles auf niedriger Temperatur köcheln lassen, bis keine Flüssigkeit mehr vorhanden ist. Mit einen Stabmixer fein pürieren, so dass eine sämige Creme entsteht. Nach Bedarf mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen.

Mehl, Butter, Eigelb und Kapern in eine Rührschüssel geben, zu einem Teig vermengen und gleichmäßig auf einem Backblech verteilen. Anschließend für 10-15 Minuten Gold-braun backen. Den Teig danach ein wenig auskühlen lassen und fein hacken, so dass feine Streusel entstehen.

Das Kalbstatar scharf anbraten und abkühlen lassen. Anschließend das Tatar fein hacken und mit den italienischen Kräutern vermengen. Zwei Esslöffel Crème fraîche (falls nötig auch ein wenig mehr) unterrühren, bis eine Mousse entsteht. Nach Bedarf mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen.

Das Thunfischfilet scharf anbraten, so dass sich eine schöne Kruste auf der Außenseite bildet. Das Innere des Filets sollte jedoch rosa-glasig erhalten bleiben. Das Filet in dünne Scheiben schneiden und gleichmäßig auf vier Teller verteilen. Zum Schluss jede Scheibe mit ein wenig Olivenöl beträufeln.

Abschließend alle anderen Komponenten auf den Tellern platzieren.

 

Lasst mich wissen, ob euch die Breidenbacher Hof Version dieses italienischen Klassikers gefällt!

Filed Under: Breidenbacher Hof Tagged With: , , , , ,

Carles Tejedor And The Art of Olive Oil

August 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
IMG_0295

Just last week, Capella Singapore played host to One-Michelin-Star Spanish Celebrity Chef and olive oil specialist, Carles Tejedor of Via Veneto in Barcelona. I have to say that it was hands down, one of the most educational weeks I have ever had.

Personally, besides the usual olive oil dip for my bread roll when I dine at any western restaurant, I have never been much of an olive oil connoisseur. Needless to say, this olive oil filled week has left me a little more cultured in the art of olive oil appreciation.

Before his cooking stints began at The Knolls, Chef Carles was kind enough to allow me to organise a little media workshop on manipulating the textures of olive oil, granting us a little peek into his world.

The workshop was off to an interesting start with Chef Carles boiling olive oil with some gelatin to create a sort of paste – that kind that you could use as an all natural hand cream but edible and appetizing at the same time.

Next up was the olive oil caviar – olive oil that is shaped and textured exactly like real fish roe, right down to the “pop”. Adding to the surprise, he added a drop of Sesame oil to the olive oil caviar, an idea he picked up from coming to Asia.

The final treat of the day – Olive Oil Jelly. While definitely intrigued, I had my reservations at the thought of olive oil and jelly. However I stood corrected. To my pleasant surprise, the slightly chewy yet smooth texture of the jelly gave off a gentle fragrance from the olive oil with a mild sugary aftertaste

Here Chef Carles let us in on a little secret – in order to make the olive oil jelly, one must ensure that the gelatin and sugar mixture was the same viscosity as the olive oil. Then only can the ingredients bind well together.  Olive oil jelly was a technique he took months to perfect.

To close the chapter on the evening, Chef Carles left a little parting gift for us – a recipe for Olive Oil Gummies.

Ingredients:

  • 150 g extra-virgin olive oil
  • 7 g xanthan
  • 7 g garrofin
  • 320 g glucose
  • 160 g sugar
  • 35 g water

Directions:

  1. Combine the olive oil, xanthan and garrofin. Blend together with a hand blender.
  2. Combine the olive oil mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil, blending with a hand blender to create a homogeneous mixture.
  3. Working quickly, add this mixture to a pastry bag. Pipe the mixture into cornstarch molds, pinching the bottom of the pastry bag to release each large drop of the gummy mixture. Try to make as little contact as possible between your hands and the gummy mixture, as it is very sticky. Also, it is advisable to wear a double (or triple) layer of gloves, as the mixture is very hot.
  4. Cover the molded drops with more cornstarch. Allow to sit overnight at room temperature. Remove gummies and brush off excess cornstarch.
  5. Gummies can last up to 5 days at room temperature, and 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Filed Under: Capella Singapore Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mango Fever in Cabo San Lucas

August 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Capella Pedregal Mango season 1

In Baja California Sur, there is one thing besides the ocean that we all look forward to in summer – mangos!  From July through August we celebrate this yellow and sweet fruit.  Local stores and farmers markets offer different varieties of mango, at home we eat mango and restaurants compete to see who can create the most creative mango menu.

Capella Pedregal’s Executive Chef Marco Bustamante confessed that he is literally addicted to mango.  Choosing the mango provider for the resort was therefore a very pleasant task for him.  As we were sitting at the Don Manuel’s restaurant the other day (eating mango ice-cream!), Marco shared the story of the very farmer who grows the hotel’s mangos.

The farmer, Mr. Gilberto Seceño, is a passionate family man who has a love for life and mangos (I told you we in the Baja are crazy for this fruit!).  He enjoys sitting on the porch of his ranch and farms in San Jose and Todos Santos, telling stories of the old days in Cabo.  He is called “El Dormido” (The Sleepy One), because of his sleepy looking eyes and his laidback demeanor.

The farm’s land was given to Gilberto’s family 75 years ago by the government in an effort to develop the southern Baja.  His family began farming and selling their produce to local residence, becoming a fixture in the community.  Gilberto took over the farm in the 1970s.

Today, Señor El Dormido owns 3 hectares of farmland and 3 hectares of land for grazing cattle.  His whole family works at the farm, producing and selling cows, corn, coconuts and mangos.  The farm has over 500 mango trees in four varieties: mango manzanillo, criollo, petacon and oro.  The mangos are handpicked only when they are at their peak.  You should taste the difference between the mangos picked straight from the tree when ripe, and those that are picked green and ripened during the transport or while in the stores.  Unbelievable!  In fact, when asked how he likes to enjoy mangos, El Dormido responded “My favorite way to eat them is warm and right off the tree, which is a little bit harder these days as I have lost most of my teeth!”

The Seceño families have another favorite mango preparation: jam!  Chef Marco shares this love and included his own mango jam on the menus at Capella Pedregal.  Luckily I am able to share the recipe with you!

Ingredients:
- 1kg of mangos (Marco recommends the manzanillo variety)
- 100g of sugar
- 1 vanilla bean

Directions:
1) Peel and cut the mango into cubes.
2) Cook the mangos, sugar and vanilla bean over low heat until you get a chunky puree (about 1 hour).
3) Allow the puree to cool in glass jars. Then cover and store in the refrigerator.  The jam can be used for up to 3 months.

Buen provecho and a happy mango season!

Filed Under: Capella Pedregal Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Fiebre del Mango en Cabo San Lucas

August 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Capella Pedregal Mango season 1

En Baja California Sur, hay una cosa que todo mundo espera cada verano además de la playa – ¡Mangos! De principios de Julio hasta finales de Agosto celebramos este amarillo y dulce fruto. Las pequeñas tiendas locales y mercados orgánicos ofrecen diversas variedades de mango, en casa se come mango y los restaurants compiten para ver quién crea el menú más creativo basado en mango.

Marco Bustamante, Chef Ejecutivo de Capella Pedregal, confesó que el es literalmente un adicto al mango, así que elegir al proveedor de mango para el hotel fue una tarea completamente placentera para él. El otro día mientras estábamos sentados en el restaurant Don Manuel’s (comiendo helado de mango), Marco nos compartió la historia del granjero que cultiva los mangos del hotel.

El granjero, Sr. Gilberto Seceño, es un apasionado hombre de familia que comparte el amor por la vida y por los mangos (ya les había dicho que en la Baja estamos locos por este fruto). El disfruta sentarse en los porches de su rancho y granja en San José y Todos Santos y contar historias de los viejos tiempos en Cabo. Le llaman “El Dormido”, por sus ojos dormilones y su actitud relajada.

La tierra que ahora ocupa la granja le fue otorgada a la familia de Gilberto hace 75 años por el gobierno en un esfuerzo por desarrollar la Baja. Su familia comenzó a cultivar y vender productos a los residentes locales, convirtiéndose en un referente en la comunidad. Gilberto se hizo cargo de la granja desde los años 70’s.

Hoy día el “Señor Dormido” es dueño de 3 hectáreas de tierra cultivable y otras 3 has. Que dedica para criar Ganado. Toda su familia trabaja en la granja, produciendo y vendiendo reses, maíz, cocos y mangos. La granja tiene alrededor de 500 árboles de mango en 4 variedades: manzanillo, criollo, petacón y oro. Los mangos son cultivados a mano solo cuando están en su punto. Deberían de probar la diferencia entre mangos cultivados directamente del árbol cuando están maduros, y aquellos que se cultivan aún verdes y madurados durante el transporte o mientras se encuentran en las tiendas. ¡Increíble! De hecho, cuando se le pregunta cómo le gusta disfrutar los mangos, El Dormido responde “La manera en que me gusta comerlos es al tiempo y directo del árbol, lo cual es un poco difícil en últimas fechas ya que ¡he perdido casi todos mis dientes!”.

La familia Seceño tiene otra receta favorita para preparar el mango: ¡Mermelada!, el Chef Marco nos hace participes de su pasión y nos incluye su propia mermelada de mango en los menús de Capella Pedregal. ¡Con suerte tenemos la oportunidad de  compartir esa receta con ustedes!

Ingredientes:
- 1kg de mangos (Marco recomienda que sean de la variedad manzanillo)
- 100g de azúcar
- 1 grano de vainilla

Preparación:
1) Pelar y cortar en cubitos los mangos.
2) Cocinar los mangos, con azúcar y la vainilla a fuego lento hasta que obtengamos una pasta gruesa (cerca de una hora).
3) Permita al puré enfriarse en jarras de cristal. Después cubra y almacene en el refrigerador. La mermelada puede ser almacenada hasta por 3 meses.

¡Buen provecho y feliz temporada de mango!

Filed Under: Capella Pedregal Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»