Pet Staycations In and Around Mumbai

 

(This article first appeared online on 13th December 2021 on ZeeZest https://zeezest.com/travel/top-7-pet-friendly-hotels-in-mumbai-zee-zest-1105 )

Restaurant Review: Jyran at Sofitel Mumbai BKC

 

This review was first published online on 22nd March 2021 in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, UK https://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/food-and-drink/restaurant-review-jyran-mumbai-in-india/ 

Some Like it Hot!

Move over icy cocktails, for it is time to make way for a plethora of boozy drinks—from hot mulled wines and warm spicy toddies this festive winter season.

By Raul Dias

Quick question: what are the first few things that come to your mind when you hear the word ‘cocktail’? Tall, icy glasses and tumblers filled with colourful, alcohol-laced libations and topped off with imaginative garnishes would be some of the first to describe the drinks that both refresh and give you a slight buzz in equal measure. 

Well, not quite in this case! We are here to shake things up (pun intended!) a wee bit with a few cocktail iterations that trod the off beaten path. A path that is ultra-seasonal and one that takes you on an alcoholic ride no less potent. We are waxing eloquent about the hot or at the very least warm cocktails that make their annual presence felt the moment the mercury takes a little a southward dive. 

Here is looking at everything from hot mulled wines to warm spicy toddies and boozy buttered rums. All perfect drinks to warm the cockles of your heart this festive winter season. And what is even better is that you can make each of them at home yourselves!

Spiced Cinnamon Hot Toddy

At Silver Beach Café, Mumbai

Bourbon and maple with hints of spice makes this hot alcoholic beverage conceptualised by Iven Henry Raghwan, Senior Bar Manager at Silver Beach Cafe, Bandra, Mumbai the perfect choice for a nippy evening. The flavourful sweetness of maple does not overpower the notes of the Bourbon, yet it allows the spices to take over subtly and hit the right notes, just like the perfect melody! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup maple syrup or cane sugar 

3/4 cup warm water 

Red chilly to taste 

2 whole cinnamon sticks

2 squeezed fresh lemon

2 ounces Bourbon

Hot water (as required)

Star anise (for garnish)

Method:

* Add maple syrup/sweetener, water, cinnamon sticks, chilly to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook and simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it cool for 20 minutes or longer. Strain and store for use. 

* For one glass add half of the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of the prepared spicy syrup, Bourbon and hot water to top.

* Throw in a stick of cinnamon and allow the drink to pull in the flavour of the spice.

* Garnish with star anise, a lemon slice and serve warm. 

Café Pluck Nutella Hot Coffee

At Café Pluck, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity

There is nothing quite like a cup of coffee, is there? Now, imagine few sips of the aromatic magic with an amazing combination of Nutella, and Baileys Irish Cream and you are suddenly awake and motivated to tackle your day head on. This hot cocktail, perfect for a chilly Sunday mid-day brunch is an explosion of flavours and textures and is the concoction of Café Pluck’s Assistant Manager, Mayank Pander all deceptively served up in a tall sundae glass.

Ingredients:

1 shot espresso coffee  

1 shot milk

1 tbsp Nutella

2 tbsp whipped cream

1 shot Baileys Irish Cream

Coffee, chocolate powder and chocolate cookies (for garnish)

Method:

* Take one shot  hot espresso in a sundae glass and slowly mix Nutella into the coffee.

* Add one shot of Baileys.

* Make a nice froth from hot, full cream milk and top it up over the coffee.

* Take whipped cream and nicely whip it over the coffee.

* Garnish it with crushed coffee, chocolate powder and chocolate cookies.

 

Hot Buttered Rum

At Artisan, Sofitel Mumbai BKC

This hot cocktail is especially popular in the fall and winter and is traditionally associated with the holiday season. “What makes it special is that it suits the Indian plate really well, with the use of spice and rum,” says Rajesh Singh, bar executive at Artisan, Sofitel Mumbai BKC who recently came up with this drink.

Ingredients:

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp butter (soft)

1 dash ground cinnamon

1 dash ground nutmeg

1 dash ground allspice

1 splash vanilla extract

2 ounces Bacardi Gold Rum

5 ounces hot water 

Cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Method:

* In mixing bowl, combine butter, vanilla extract, sugar and spices. Beat until well combined.   

* In heat-proof glass or mug, combine aged rum with 1 ounce (2 tbsp) spiced butter mixture. Remaining mixture can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for future use.

* Top with hot water and stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

 

Mulled Wine

At Plum by Bentchair, New Delhi 

Dubbed the '#Plumazing Mulled Wine', this easy-to-prepare riff on a traditional mulled wine by Plum by Bentchair's Corporate Mixologist, Raj Negi is a beautiful meld of red wine, honey, orange zest, and spices to make you feel the pleasure of warmth in this chilly weather.

Ingredients:

150 ml red wine

15 ml honey

A pinch of orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 cloves

Orange slice and cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Method:

* Add all the ingredients in a saucepan simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.

*  Serve warm and garnish with orange slice and cinnamon sticks.

(An edited version of this piece was first published in the November 2020 issue of LuxeBook magazine https://www.luxebook.in/)

High on Pie

A symbol of today’s American holiday of Thanksgiving, the sweet Thanksgiving pie is a must have. We crash the party with a selection of the best iterations available in the city.

By Raul Dias

Pumpkin Pie from Milanda Jagtiani

This super-traditional seven inch Thanksgiving special pumpkin pie is as all American as it can get! Even the pumpkin puree and spice blend that goes into an all-butter shortcrust pie base is imported in from the US by its creator Milanda Jagtiani, who is famous as one of Bollywood's top go-to patissiers and party caterers. What we liked most about this not-too-sweet pie is that unmistakable pumpkin and nutmeg flavour and the luscious French whipped cream that’s piped on top of it.

Price: Rs.2,700

Contact: 9821045881

Thanksgiving Trio from Pies from Pie & co.

"Why settle for one Thanksgiving pie when you can have three?" We asked ourselves, as we called for the mini, four inch sized (left to right in pic) pecan-caramel, hazelnut-chocolate and custard-toffee trio of special Thanksgiving pies from Chef Aditi Goel of the recently launched Pie & co. Ensconced in an extra-buttery shortcrust pastry shell, each of the three try to outdo the others, with the custard-toffee one stealing the show with its creamy taste and beautiful lattice top decoration.

Price: Rs.1,000 (hamper of three)

Contact: 7208755043

Coffee and Chocolate Pie from Sofitel Mumbai BKC 

Rich and dark, with the heady aroma of freshly ground coffee beans melding with that of Belgian chocolate ganache, this 1kg Thanksgiving pie is all things decadent. Even the shortcrust pastry base is imbued with cocoa powder. While even more chocolate in the form of couverture spheres top the pie off, along with edible nasturtium flowers. Sofitel Mumbai BKC also has two more Thanksgiving pies on offer: honey pecan (see recipe) and a classic apple and cherry pie.

Price: Rs.1,500 ++

Contact: 9167391130

Pistachio, Cranberry and White Chocolate Pie from Kookie Cake Crumble

A modern riff on a Thanksgiving pie, still retaining the autumnal flavours of cranberry, this eight inch white chocolate pie by Swheta Mutreja Aggarwal of Kookie Cake Crumble is a treat to behold. Smooth and creamy Sicilian pistachio paste meets chewy cranberry bits and white chocolate ganache in a crispy and crumbly shortcrust pastry base to create edible magic. We also have our eye on their pumpkin and Lotus Biscoff pie for next time!

Price: Rs. 1,800

Contact: 9819844013

Recipe

Honey Pecan Pie

Recipe by Chef Rajat Sachdev, Sofitel Mumbai BKC

A. For sweet shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

1,500 gms flour

500 gms icing sugar

1,000 gms butter

4 eggs

Method:

Mix the butter, sugar and eggs well by hand.

Fold the flour in and mix to make a dough.

Set aside and keep in the refrigerator to cool for approximately 4 to 6 hours.

Once chilled, roll out the dough while keep the thickness at about 4mm.

Align the dough into a desired pie tin and put in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Now your pre-baked pie is ready.

B. For honey-pecan filling

Ingredients:

1,000 gms sugar

625 ml cream

652 ml honey

825 gms unsalted butter

500 gms crushed pecan nuts (and a few left whole for decorating)

500 gms powdered almonds

12 eggs

5 ml vanilla essence

Method:

Heat the sugar, cream and honey together at 114 degrees Celsius. Once combined, set aside to cool.

Mix the powdered almonds with crushed pecan nuts and add this to the earlier mixture.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, pour in the vanilla essence and add this to the above mixture.

Take this mixture and pour it into the pre-baked pie mould and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

Once done, arrange a few pecan nuts over the pie and bake for another 5 minutes.

After removing it from the oven, let the pie cool at room temperature for at least an hour or two before de-moulding and serving.

 (An edited version of this review appeared in the 26th November 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 14 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/high-on-pie/23109240)