World Kitchen Live showcases fresh ideas
With more pub menus than ever featuring fusion-style dishes and Asian and Oriental flavours, the World Kitchen Live at the recent World Food Market in London spotlighted a variety of cooking styles and dishes.
Organised and run in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs, the two day event ranged from contemporary Caribbean to East African with a twist, through to the pungent and earthy flavours of Polish cooking. Indian, Afro Caribbean, Eastern European, Marseillaise, Lebanese and Chinese cooking styled were also on display.
Cyrus Todiwala stole the show in a session using ingredients from the exhibition floor to create a range of Indian delights. Using ingredients from exhibitors and a few essential ingredients of his own, Cyrus cooked up dishes including Squid Tentacles Peri-Peri, Vindalho de Frango and Paneer Bhurjee.
He says: "I see Indian cuisine in the UK going more regionalised and getting more specalised. By Indian cuisine I mean the sub-continent of India and not just India alone. It is still in its infancy here and has scope to grow and progress further."
Chefs Ian Nottage and Frederique De Vaux gave a new twist to French cooking by focussing on Marseillaise cuisine. Ian sayss: "Marseillaise is quite different to typical French cuisine. It's not fussy or messy and it's quick and easy to prepare. It makes the most of the fresh fruit and vegetables, the great quality meat and things like olive oil, that are readily available." The duo created a range of dishes including Pissaladiere, a well-known Marseillaise style pizza, and Sunblushed Tomato and Goats' Cheese Terrine.
Demonstrating new developments in Chinese cuisine was Ricky Idris who put together an impressive menu including Ikan Panggang, roast mackerel wrapped in banana leaf, Ayam Goreng Pandan, fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaf, and Paceri Nenas, a pineapple chutney.
He says: "Chinese cuisine is well established in the UK but with consumers becoming more discerning, chefs need to innovate with new styles of cooking. The inspiration for my dishes came from South East Asian cuisine, which all chefs can learn to cook. However, the key is quality ingredients and authenticity."
