REPERTOIRE

There is no sincerer love than the love of food, George Bernard Shaw

If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him...the people who give you their food give you their heart, Cesar Chavez

My weakness has always been food and men, in that order, Dolly Parton

I don't know what it is about food your mother makes for you, especially when it's something that anyone can make - pancakes, meat loaf, tuna salad - but it carries a certain taste of memory, Mitch Albom

No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers, Laurie Colwin

 

Cinema and food are two entertaining, fulfilling and all pervading mediums of reaching out to everyone. Some really fantastic movies have been successful and they have had food and its nuances as their backdrop or central point or baseline. To name a few;

It’s complicated is a Rom Com released in 2009 written and directed by Nancy Meyers. Meryl Streep is a baker, owing a successful patisserie. She ha s a secret affair with her Ex husband, Alec Baldwin ten years after their divorce. Steve Martin is an attractive architect whom she is also drawn to and the rest is for you to watch.

Julie & Julia is a yet again made in 2009. Nora Ephron wrote and directed this comedy drama. Julia Child a chef and Julie Powell a food blogger, played by Meryl Streep and Amy Adams respectively and the film is contrasts their two very different yet much intertwined life.

Chocolat, is a movie set in a small French town. A drifter and a mother played by Juliette Binoche wins the conservative town over with the delicious chocolate that she makes out of her quaint little store. Johnny Depp playing an Irish gypsy brings in yet another enigmatic human angle.

Ratatouille, is an Oscar award winner in 2007 and is a film that shows the passion with which the aspiring chef, a rat cooks and creates magic in his town. This movie depicts many food principles and Remy’s never say never attitude.

Food brings about beautiful thoughts and feelings. Food inspires everyone. It is a celebration of friendship. We all have good times over food. Food also brings people together. Today world cuisine is so common that an Ethiopian is cooking Sri Lankan food. And a Punjabi is making Chettinad chicken.

I got into cooking as a child because I enjoyed being in the kitchen, looking at recipes, trying new ideas and kind of creating something enjoyed by all. It took me a long while to realise, that I was actually passionate about food. Many friends always told me that I am in the wrong line of work, but in July 2012 when Sujjain and Sharda offered me work to cook for their home parties, I found my calling. Peppercorns was born.

So post 40, this is truly a second lease of life. Please read on to find out what our basket of offerings and some little knick knack anecdotes on this celebration called food.

On that note, Peppercorns brings to you some food miracles that we can create for your beautiful memories. We cook with love, we cook with happiness and we cook with passion. The final outcome is positively (pun intended) delicious and celebratory. Enjoy!

So we have just listed out some food creations that we have been super successful at. They are not bunched under a genre. However while fusion is very coveted, classical cuisine driven dinners are also popular. As per your choice, we can create a customised menu. Yes, food is very person/people specific and the customer is always right -).

Starters

Sesame potatoes. These are brilliant at parties where the guests are both adults and kids. Baby potatoes are crisply tossed with sesame and a sweet and tangy sauce. They are golden red pick-me-up little savoury potatoes which absolutely melt in the mouth.

Baked beans and cream cheese canapés. These are pastry baskets with two kinds of fillers. They will be baked beans in cheese with mint fillers and cream cheese fillers. The pastry shells are ready to serve. The fillers have to be spooned into the shells and served. There is a variety as there are two fillers with distinctly different tastes and flavours. While they look bright and lovely, they are also really lovely bite sized tartlets.

Liver Pâté and Mushroom Pâté. Pâté is a mixture of cooked ground and fat minced a spreadable paste. This one will be one made with chicken liver. For the vegetarians, there will one made with mushroom. Pâté can be served either hot or cold. Pita sticks topped with Nigella and poppy seeds will be a great accompaniment.

Mince and beans canapés. Little pastry baskets will be given with two types of filling. The meat eaters will be delighted with this mince filling flavoured with cheese and beans.

Chicken sausages tossed in wine and herbs. White wine does wonders to these simple cocktail sausages. Flavoured with secret herbs, the sausages are luscious and juicy.

Keema chops. The chop for the Bangali is not a neat piece of meat cut from the rib. Rather, it is a crumb fried potato filling stuffed with semi spicy mince meat and raisins. But because the British have never left Bengal, this very Indian snack is termed as “the chop”. Served with tomato sauce (not ketchup), it is a great snack with an evening drink, but of course you cannot count you calories. They should be fried on the spot.

Little Fish baskets. Fish and food are really twins in Bengal, both in East and in west. A quintessential Bengali Bhodrolok starts his day’s work at 11 am after eating bhaat (rice) and macher jhol (fish curry) for breakfast. This fish is most often the Rohu fish which is a sweet water fish. Mind you, this fish he has bought in the morning at the local bazaar on the same day!

Shammi Kebab. This kebab dates back to the days of Siraj-Ud-Daula and Mir Jaffer where Bengal was captured and ruled by the British. The kebab has a strong Muslim influence and is Tawa roasted with almost no oil and infused with exotic spices like “Javitri and Jaiphal”. The recipe is a Lucknowy find and it haunts you also of the alleys of Umro-Jaan. The kebabs can be made with mutton mince or with beef mince.

Mediterranean pizzas. This is a true world fusion concept. It has the flavours of a Middle Eastern hummus and a tangy toping of a very Italian bruschetta on a pizza shaped pita bread. It is a well travelled slice of pure delish with Lebanese and Italian influences.

Mini chicken cutlets. These are skinless and boneless chicken breasts pounded very thin. Marinated in tangy flavours they are crumb fried and served with a mustard and mayo dip. They should be fried on the spot.

Roasted red bell pepper mousse with nigella seeds flavoured bread sticks. This sweaty and burnt red bell pepper mixed with flavours of walnuts and cumin is a sure-shot point of conversation. Not really very continental, this mouse has a Mediterranean appeal.

Aubergine coin pizzas. Until the late 19^th century, the pizza was not a savoury dish. This appetizer is however a modern pizza with grilled aubergine and is quite a delight to both a non-vegetarian and a vegetarian palette.

Bruschettas. A popular antipasto, the bruschetta is usually served with tomato and extra virgin olive oil. There are two versions in this menu; mushroom ones, topping being garlic mushroom and bacon and tomato ones, topping being traditional in taste with a luscious strip of folded bacon. Only tomato and basil is yet a very classy traditional variation.

Cheese croquettes. The croquette is usually shaped into a cylinder, disk or oval shape and then deep-fried. The croquette (from the French croquer, "to crunch") gained worldwide popularity, both as a delicacy and as a fast food. This variation is cumin flavoured and made healthy with a larger use of cottage cheese. They should be fried on the spot.

Prawn butter garlic. Chopped parsley and lime are used to flavour the prawns. This dish is good dry and also in a gravy with herbed rice. In this menu it is suggested as a starter. A fresh lemony buttery tang bursts into your mouth with every bite of these delicious prawns.

Dry pepper chicken. A very Syrian Christian dish, boneless chicken is infused with loads of pepper and final outcome is absolutely delightful, sharp and sumptuous.

Coconut scotch eggs. These have always been super hits with most guests. The slightly sharp tangy taste of coconut and curry leaves on egg is invariably a delightful surprise. This recipe is a spin-off from kebabs of Kerala and has a tangy South Indian kick. They should be fried on the spot.

Cold Scotch eggs. A very English starter, and a cold one therefore very easy to serve, these are delightful for egg lovers. The egg white bowls are filled with tangy fillers treated with olives, capers, herbs and even any cold cuts.

Dill carrot cakes. Carrot and potato with some kidney beans are treated with fresh dill and shallow roasted on a pan with a touch of olive oil. The fresh fragrance of dill fills your senses and leaves a subtle and healthy feeling of eating something light and yet zesty.

Pineapple and corn salsa. Not the classical tomato yet a  very Mexican salsa, sharp, piquant and sweet. The bright yellow salsa on spicy roundels look as good as they taste.

Chicken Tikka spread. Hindustani food dates back to pre Moghul days. This is a traditional chicken tikka spread depicting the rich food heritage that India has to offer. India with a twist, these are served on little garlic toasties and are quite a surprise to taste buds.

Lake-er alu. Calcutta is famous for it’s “phuchkas’ and “alu dum”. A cal lover lands and goes to Vivekananda Park for these heavenly chatpatas before heading home or to the hotel. No Calcutta food is complete with these baby potatoes tossed with ‘bhuna masala’ and tamarind. They are sharp, lip smacking and equally coveted by non-vegetarians.

Quesadillas. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending cultures. A very good starter is mushroom and coloured pepper quesadillas flavoured in oregano and a touch of cumin powder. A non-vegetarian version is with roasted cumin and cheese flavoured chicken as a filler.

Peppery dill potatoes. This is a rather quirky snack where baby potatoes or halved potatoes are tossed with fresh and large amounts of dill and spiced with salt and pepper.

Chilly mutton. This appetizer is yet another hot favourite and very Chin-Indian in taste. Sharp and succulent meat in its bone cut into small pieces is marinated for hours in some special sauces and then magic is created.

Butter garlic peppery mushroom. A starter, not for ones who are on a diet but not to be missed for just one evening or afternoon, whole button mushrooms are peppered and buttered suitably and are good eaten just the way they are.

Mains

Mutton pot roast. In Germany they would cook this roast with pork, lamb or with horse. In this case, the lamb, is slow cooked with the least of spices but bursts into a mouthful of flavours most of it provided by the mutton.

Prawn in parsley. In Victorian times, lobsters, prawns or crabs would be eaten cold. Sometimes they were treated in brine for a year. This menu has the prawns cooked in butter, garlic, lemon juice and parsley is even better with the help of Dijon mustard. Serve at room temperature with fresh crusty bread.

Eggplant parmigiana. A Southern Italian dish, the parmigiana was first conceived and executed with egg plant. Evolved meat versions are also popular now, though the traditional egg plant parmigiana is well accepted the world over.

Potoler Dorma. Potol (in Bengali) is the pear gourd. The gourd is cleaned out from the inside and stuffed with some flavoured raisin cottage cheese and then infused with subtle gravy. It is absolutely delicious when the gourd is stuffed with mince or fish which is itself cooked in gourmet spices.

Paneer Korma. This spicy Indian curry of Mughlai cuisine is a classic main meal recipe that has its gravy made from curd, coconut and cashew nuts. This rich and historical paneer korma recipe also uses poppy seeds, tomato, onion, ginger garlic paste and other Indian curry spices to give it spicy yet delectable touch. It is one of the best North Indian dishes that can be enjoyed with plain ghee rice.

Cauliflower roast. Large florets of cauliflower are cooked with potatoes in Worcestershire sauce. This is a slightly westernized Indian dish and has a rather modern appeal. The dish tastes sharp yet not spicy and is wet but does not have too much gravy. This roast can also be enjoyed with the ghee rice.

Butter garlic pepper mushroom bake. Even though the menu is Indian, it is very charming to have an Indianized bake in the menu. Mushrooms are pepper fried in caramelized onion and set on a bed of mash with butter and topped with cheddar cheese and baked. Some bread on the side adds to the baked dish and creates a delightful difference to the palette.

Dahi methi (fenugreek) chicken. Chicken is marinated for 24 hours in yogurt and spices and cooked in an oil free wok with fenugreek (methi) and Kashmiri chillies. Roomali rotis are a fantastic accompaniment to this chicken dish. The flavours are really subtle and light and the extra marination adds to the flavours and juices of the chicken.

Cauliflower Peas Potato in gravy. Large florets fried mildly to golden brown are subtly flavoured with Indian spices and served in a light gravy with a hint of tomato to create depth. Green peas and always favourite potatoes add to the drama.

Kosha mangsho or Saute'ed Mutton. Bengali cuisine is synonymous to the universe with Kosha mangsho. The unforgettably tasty Kosha Mangsho was to be had at a few eateries in the city that saw people queuing up on their way from work to buy this dish. Cooked in low indirect heat and eaten with roomali rotis, you will absolutely swear by this deadly meat dish. Most who cook it have their own stories reflecting in the tastes and smells of the dish.

Meen Moiley. Rawas fish pieces cooked in a coconut milk and tomato gravy, with slits of green chillies, this gravy dish is amazing in its tradition and richness and eaten well with plain rice. This dish makes you feel you are celebrating after watching the snake boat race in Alappuzha, Kerala!

Dhokar Dalna. This is a curry and is one of the pillars of Niramish that is Vegetarian Bengali Cuisine. The lightly spiced lentil cakes or dhoka are fried and then simmered in a gravy made with tomatoes and ginger, spiced with cumin and coriander.

Chingri or prawn malai curry. Golden prawns adorning amber coconut gravy, this dish is served with long grained rice and everyone, and yes everyone just loves this food orgy. It is a true blue Bengali food delicacy and a must have at all celebrations.

Bungalow chicken. This dish is a hot favourite in the city of Kolkata. This dates back to the days when Anglo Indians found home in Calcutta. In Aparna Sen‘s 36 Chowringhee Lane Jennifer Kendal Kapoor would have cooked this dish had her children ever really come back home. Cooked in low indirect heat and eaten with sweet flour parathas, you will absolutely swear by this tender lip smacking chicken dish.

Daab Chingri or prawns in tender coconut. When Bengal was partitioned in 1947, the “Ilish” and the “chingri” also got divided mainly due to geographical availability reasons. Bangaladesh boasted of the “Ilish”, Hilsa fish and West Bengal bastioned the ‘chingri”, prawn. However, my grandmother, a refuge from Bangladesh normally coined as East Bengal, used to tell us stories of how in her village home they would cook the Daab Chingri in tender coconut (daab) under the earth for a whole day. The heat from the centre of the earth would slow cook the prawns. This recipe is the original one with a twist!

Cholar Dal. This is a split Bengal gram, a lentil curry, mildly sweet, flavoured with fried coconut pieces. The only way to describe this curry is sweet and ravishing and is an essential part of authentic Bengali cuisine. One must add that there is another lentil curry which is also a really lip smacking one made with dry roasted moong dal and peas and flavoured with dry roasted and freshly powdered dry chillies and cumin seeds.

Alu Dum. These are baby potatoes sautéed and curried and infused with fragrances of asafoetida and cumin. The potatoes are quirky and spiky in flavour and boast of a character highlighted by freshly chopped tomatoes.

Khao Suey. Burma’s religious history greatly characterises its food. Also, Burmese food is not really cooked with pre-set recipes and evolves as it flows. A classical Burmese ensemble, world popular, interesting in its variety of element is a sure hit. Though a well known dish, peppercorns advocates it strongly as the flavours are a sure-shot every time and the garnishes provided are truly eclectic. The curry can be made with vegetables or chicken. This is served with steamed noodles.

Oriental mushrooms. Kyle Kwong loves to cook her authentic Chinese creations with mushrooms. This is a lovely light soya and honey infused mushrooms. The tastes in the palette are such a surprise as one would not expect honey with mushrooms which burst into your mouth with home crushed pepper. Spring onion fried rice goes really well with oriental soya kicked mushrooms.

Chicken cooked in balsamic vinegar. The very Italian balsamic vinegar is actually reduced grape juice and not really vinegar in its usual sense. This light chicken breasts creation is therefore balsamic in colour, inherits its tang and is wet but does not have gravy.

Paneer Shorshe (mustard). Mustard is really a rather piquant and interesting condiment. The sharpness and colour it provides in gravy is an absolute bursting of flavours in the mouth. Cottage cheese, paneer chunks are slow cooked in mustard, mustard oil and a bit of coconut milk.

Grilled veggies in Charmoula sauce. Charmoula sauce is this very garlicky herby lemony Moroccan marinade fresh Mediterranean sauce. It is used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. Exotic vegetables marinated in the sauce and slow cooked up to a grill is a healthy and classy vegetation entrant in a menu.

Moroccan orange mutton. Moroccan cuisine is extremely refined thanks to Morocco’s interactions with other cultures and nations. This mutton or lamb is cooked in its own juices supplemented by freshly squeezed orange juice. This is an on demand dish with pepper corns, cooked with no oil, flavoured in juice and rind of oranges, the meat is soft and melts in your mouth.

Tacos. An integral part of Mexican food, which is as esoteric as it is complex, is made delightful by the filler options that can be created. There are the classical refried beans and mince fillers which are age-old yet immortal and really lift the spirits of any evening with the crunchiness of the tacos and the amazing zest of the fillers.

Chicken pepper roast. In Germany they would cook this roast with pork, lamb or with horse. In this case, the chicken, is slow cooked with the least of spices but bursts into a mouthful of flavours most of it provided by the mutton. The pieces are not boneless as the bones add to the flavour.

Pepper Mutton. This is a classical Keralite mutton dish and the only spice it needs is peppercorns and peppercorns. Golden pink onions create the base of the dish and the mutton is succulent and soft and literally and most certainly a mouth melter.

Beckty in curry. Beckty is a one central bone fish which has a lovely and unique taste of its own. One can play around with the curry to cook this fish. A mustard gravy, a traditional onion gravy or a simple spices gravy can easily carry this magnificent fish in its fold.

Let Thote. It is a Burmese hand mixed salad which actually is a brilliant main course participant. Peppercorns has improvised a little and created a really favoured wholesome creation where beef mince or mutton mince is cooked in soy and pepper and served with steamed noodles with a whole lot of garnishes including raw mango.

Squid roast. Small ringlets of chopped squid are slow roasted in dry coconut and dry roasted spices. It forms a part of a Syrian Christian meal and is characterized by Southern flavours.

 Baked eggs. Eggs are poached and slow baked on a bed of vegetables and garnished with generous quantity of a mix of cheeses and flavoured with paprika. It makes a lovely side dish with continental food and can be enjoyed with bread.

Dessert

Steamed flavoured yogurt. This is a traditional Bengali cheese cake which is prepared by steaming sweetened yogurt. It is a miracle which is true because the yogurt is flavoured and then is actually steamed in hot water. The taste is novel, sweet and luscious.

A warm apple crumble. A crumble is a dish of British and Irish origin. It can also be traced to American cuisine during the European colonisation of the Americas. While often found in savoury format, it is more popular as a sweet dish.

Payesh or rice pudding in palm sugar jaggery is a winter favourite because it is only then that the jaggery is available. A true blue Bengali will collect and hoard jiggery for the year to go by till another winter brings in fresh stock. The pudding is light, mildly sweet and delicate to the palette and it does not leave behind any heaviness or guilt. It just might make you want some more and more and more!

Cakes, Fig & Honey, Date & carrot, Chocolate yogurt, Apple cinnamon and some others are also on the menu. With some cream or vanilla ice cream they are a timeless way to end a happy gourmet meal.

Tomato-dates-tamarind-beaten dry mango chutney.  Eaten just before the dessert in a Bengali meal, this sweet concoction of semi pureed tomato cooked with dates and beaten mango sheets (Aam Papad) is pure delish. It can be served along with the main course or at the end of the main course just before or even along with the dessert.

Pictures speak louder than words. Food is best understood seen until it is eaten.