12 lifefood SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2010 CHINA DAILY

FOOD REVIEWS | YE JUN Grace and taste Piece of Beautiful, healthy and light food best describes the work of Vanessa Grace, new chef de cuisine at China Grill, Park Hyatt Hotel Beijing. Grace is the fi rst woman chef de cuisine at the restaurant, a rarity in a male-dominated business. A woman’s delicate sensibilities are no doubt part of the reason why the food matching is so exquisite. For instance, tomato tarte is paired with arugula salad, while fruitcake! fl avorsome duck rillettes with cherry relish really It’s time to start the fruitcake if you tempt the taste buds. Jamon Serrano, a dry- want it moist and mellow, and Pauline D. Loh cured Spanish ham, is quality stuff , and pairing entertains you with some tongue-in-cheek it with Parmesan crisps brings out the best in the facts while you wait for the to bake. ham. Caulifl ower soup is IF YOU GO atured to a rich dark juiciness, the - warming with the addi- tion of bacon chantilly, Lunch: 11:30 am-2:30 pm, cake holds together a rainbow of Monday-Friday; noon-3 pm, while the gruyere beignet Saturday-Sunday. and nuts macerated in richly aromatic is a novel experience for Dinner: 6-10:30 pm. liqueurs. Such a delicious most Chinese people. Grilled Australian beef 66/F Park Hyatt Beijing, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chao- deserves a lot more respect that it actu- tenderloin has a near- yang district. 010-8567-1099 ally gets. Witness how the fruitcake is perfect tenderness; and Boston lobster is freshly alsoM culinary history’s most maligned morsel. poached and delightfully sided with sweetcorn puree. Cal- vados braised pork belly is a must-try, as it manages to avoid Calling someone a “fruitcake” is not because it was so very hard to go wrong being too greasy. complimentary. In fact, you would be with the recipe. Th e chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream shows lucky not to have your nose bloodied if It did not insist that I painstakingly some creativity, but the hot fondant melts really fast on the you bandied this term about too freely. chop up every fruit. It did not matter if cold ice cream. Th ere are also countless jokes written the butter and eggs curdled a little, it did Grace started her career at Jupiters Hotel and Casino in about unwilling recipients at Christ- not matter if I had a little more nuts and Queensland, Australia. Her passion for cooking as a young- mas who recycle their Aunt Bettina’s a little less fruit. I also added little cubes ster led her to be good at using seasonal ingredients, and fruitcake gift to other unsuspecting of , which melted in the mouth infusing novel elements into classic cooking styles. Her last relatives. with a nutty fragrance and neutralized chef de cuisine job was at Th e Lizard Island Resort and she’s In the United States, satirical pieces the need for too much sugar. now ready to absorb elements from diff erent cultures. about rock-hard fruitcakes have been Best of all, the cake keeps well for published in as varied publications as months, improving with weekly liba- the Rolling Stone, Village Voice and tions of whatever liqueur is handy … the venerable New York Times. Punch and it guarantees you compliments and magazine, before its untimely demise, repeat requests for more. Thailand dinner party made Christmas fruitcake jokes a stan- This recipe is also extremely pretty, dard reader-pleaser every year. because the slices displayed the jewel- Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall recently held a “Destina- I also read somewhere, sources like colors of the whole glace cherries tion Th ailand” themed dinner party for 220 guests, along unspecifi ed, that airlines still ban whole and dried fruits — hence its name. with another 12 Marriott International Hotels from Beijing fruitcakes on board because they are so I am still making it aft er all these years, PHOTOS BY PAULINE D. LOH / FOR CHINA DAILY and Tianjin. Supported by the Royal Th ailand Embassy and dense that a weapon can be baked inside and I’m sharing my recipe with you to Marriott Th ailand hotels, to escape detection. prove that fruitcake does not have to taste | the event was part of a IF YOU GO Its actual history is less exciting, and like raisin sludge. RECIPE LIGHT FRUITCAKE global eff ort by Marriott 7 Jianguomenwai Dajie, the fruitcake is a relatively new addi- As for the long baking time, you do Ingredients: add vanilla extract. International Hotels tion to the repertoire, not have to stand guard in the kitchen. to revive tourism and Chaoyang district, Beijing. 200 g chopped pecans 4. Sift fl our with baking powder and arriving as it were, only in the 18th As long as you prepare your tins properly inspire travel to Th ailand. 010-5811-8888 150 g dried apricots, quartered salt. Add dry ingredients to batter and century. In England, it is believed to be with double layers of baking parchment, 100 g golden sultanas stir to blend. Seventeen Marriott a relative of the plum pudding and in you don’t have to keep checking. Most 100 g whole candied cherries 5. Mix fruit mixture into batter. International Hotels in America, immigrants coming in with modern ovens will give an ear-split- 200 g all purpose fl our 6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake Th ailand, together with over 3,400 Marriott International Mayfl ower until golden brown and tester inserted the added their own embel- ting beep to tell you when your cake is 250 g butter, room temperature Hotels around the world, banded together to host “the lishments. baked. into center comes out clean, about one world’s largest Th ai dinner”, in Guiness World Records style. 120 g sugar and half hours. Th e long and short of it was: Th e fruit- Or, shortcut the process with a choco- 5 eggs (55g each) Participants watched Th ai-style performances, while sam- cake was a celebration of abundance, a late fl avored fruitcake that takes less than 7. Cool in pan and turn out onto rack pling Th ai cuisine. Chefs from Marriott prepared such classic 2 tsp vanilla extract and cool. Ice with drizzling lemon-fl a- remembrance of the bounty of the fruit an hour in all. Th e trick is to add really 1 tsp baking powder vored icing and decorate with whole dishes as Tom Yam Goong, Phad Th ai rice noodles, curry and harvests of the past year, all of good cocoa powder. For me, it has to Pinch of salt cherries and apricots. steamed fi sh, Th ai chicken salad, fi sh cake, and coconut milk which was carefully stored and preserved be Valrhona cocoa powder for its rich juice. Th e dishes were authentic and savory. by the country cook to reappear in one intensity. Event organizers gave away a few lucky draw prizes, Method: Food notes: single cake. For the , keep your fruit including meal vouchers and a free stay at Marriott hotels. 1. Grease and fl our tube cake pan. To make lemon icing, simply squeeze Th e Oxford Companion to Food says: mix simple. I would say a combination and sieve juice of one lemon. Slowly Th e grand prize was two return air tickets to Th ailand, and 2. Sprinkle fruits and nuts with a little “Fruitcakes have been used for celebra- of dried figs and golden raisins work add sifted icing sugar until you get a six nights stay at two Marriott hotels. fl our and toss to coat. slightly stiff but still liquid icing. Drizzle tions since at least the early 18th cen- well with the addition of either walnuts 3. Cream butter with sugar until light tury when bride and plumb cakes, or pecans. immediately. Decorate with cherry and fl uff y. Beat eggs one at a time, and halves. Icing will set as it dries out. descended from enriched bread recipes, Fruitcakes are traditionally doused in WINE REVIEWS | STEPHEN QUINN became cookery standards … liqueur to improve its shelf life and fl avor, | “Making a rich fruitcake in the 18th but it does not need to be so. I have made RECIPE CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE century was a major undertaking. Th e a deliciously light fruitcake that uses no Ingredients: ingredients had to be carefully prepared. liqueur and it always turns out moist and A little age does wonders 200 g large dried fi gs, diced Fruit was washed, dried, and stoned if just as rich. I have included the recipe 100 g golden raisins necessary; sugar, cut from loaves, had to here for readers who cannot, or will not, 100 g walnuts (or pecans), roughly for these pinot noir be pounded and sieved; butter washed take alcohol. chopped in water and rinsed in rosewater. Eggs Finish off your fruitcakes with a 50 ml orange liqueur e return to New Zealand’s Central Otago, the were beaten for a long time, half an hour simple icing. I think that the usual mar- 50 ml country’s premier region in the deep south, to being commonly directed. Yeast, from zipan and toppings are both 150 g soft brown sugar talk about wondrous pinot noir. Th e Central fermenting beer, had to be coaxed to a waste of the cook’s time and money. 150 g plain fl our W Otago Winegrowers’ Association provided a life. Finally, the cook had to cope with Only children nibble at the rock-hard 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder case of what it considers the region’s best wines, and some of the temperamental wood-fi red baking sugar coating and most adults will 2 tsp fi ve- powder these are reviewed this week. ovens of that time. No wonder these politely peel off the icing and hide it 2 tsp baking powder Th e 2008 Wooing Tree sandstorm reserve is dark cherry in cakes acquired such mystique ...” under uneaten cake. 50 ml apple juice color and tastes of ripe cherries and plums. Michael Cooper Th ere is little mystery left to the fruit- Instead, glace your cake with a jam 50 ml plain yoghurt in his Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wine rated the 2007 cake. varnish and place more fruits and nuts 120 g butter, melted and cooled version as worthy of fi ve stars, his top award. At $100 a bottle Modern cooking techniques, auto- on top. A simple dusting of icing sugar 3 eggs (55 g each) the price may seem high, but that is what you must pay to mated ovens, 350 watt kitchen mixers and a few well-placed bright red cher- 6. Pour batter into lined loaf pan and access the limited quantities of this special wine. It is made bake in 170 C oven or until a skewer and a cornucopia of dried fruits and ries will add to the festive look, while Method: comes out clean, about 35 to 40 from low-yielding vines at the family-owned estate in the nuts readily available on supermarket a thin drizzle of lemon icing is a zesty 1. Mix dried fruits and liqueur and let minutes. heart of Central Otago, near the town of Cromwell. shelves have turned fruitcake making alternative. stand for an hour or overnight. 7. Rest in pan for 10 minutes and turn Th e wine is dark, brooding and exclusive. Tasted again into … well, a piece of cake. If you like your fruitcake more 2. Prepare loaf pan by buttering and out on a rack to cool completely. Just aft er being opened for two days, the wine was still fresh, sug- Th is traditional piece of celebration mature and mellow, start baking now. papering with a double thickness of before serving, dust top with icing gesting longevity. Th e Wooing Tree name comes from the showcase can be both good-looking and Let your cakes cool completely, then parchment paper. sugar and sifted cocoa and decorate fact that courting couples used to meet under the tree that good tasting. Instead of the stale, damp wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Start the 3. Drain fruit mixture and reserve with Christmas fi gurines. features on the label of the company’s best wines. and dark lumps that used to represent countdown by taking the cake out and juices. If you are able to resist its brooding and restrained charms fruitcakes, they can be a whole spectrum soaking it with a good orange liqueur 4. Mix sugar, fl our, cocoa powder, spice Food notes: this wine should be cellared for at least fi ve years. Th e wine is of colors and textures and tastes. like Cointreau. powder and baking powder together. This cake can be made two or three available from high-end hotels in Hong Kong. 5. Whisk together melted butter, eggs, days ahead. Keep moist by wrapping in My favorite recipe is a Jewel Fruitcake Decorate your cake a day or two apple juice and yoghurt. Fold in fl our cling-wrap and decorate before serv- Another reserve pinot noir, the 2009 Aurum Mathilde, that I first made more than 20 years before the actual festivities and I assure mixture and add reserved dried fruit ing. This cake should be eaten within a also developed nicely aft er being open for two days. Leaving ago as a fl edgling cook. It was also my you, the fruitcakes will disappear faster juices and dried fruits and chopped week as it will not keep like a traditional a complex wine open for a couple of days off ers a way to get fi rst great success at baking — mainly than anyone can say “Aunt Bettina”! walnuts. fruitcake. a sense of how it might develop. Th is may seem a brutal pro- cess but exposure to air accelerates how it will taste in years | to come. Th e Aurum is dark cherry in color with aromas of RECIPE JEWELLED FRUITCAKE spice and thyme. Th e fi nish has hints of dark chocolate. An image of a golden Greek bowl adorns the label. Aurum Ingredients: 6 tbsp orange marmalade mixture is light and fl uff y and beat in cherries and nuts to decorate. Brush is the Latin word for gold. Th is treasure of a wine is avail- 200 g raisins 4 eggs (55 g each) eggs one at a time, beating well after with more apricot jam to set. each addition. Add marmalade and mix able from New Zealand Wine Ltd in Causeway Bay in Hong 200 g sultanas 1 cup strong black tea 10. When completely cool, wrap in Kong. well. plastic wrap and foil and store. It will 200 g dried apricots, halved 1 cup whiskey, brandy or any liqueur Grapes were hand harvested from the Lowburn area of 200 g whole dried cherries 5. Fold in fl our mixture into the keep in fridge and mature. Stores up creamed mixture. Then fold in fruits to six months. Moisten with occasional Central Otago and given the wine comes from relatively 100 g chopped walnuts Method: and nuts. drizzles of your favorite liqueur. young vines, planted in 2001, it is complex yet approachable. 100 g whole 1. Combine dried fruits and nuts and 6. Combine well and turn the batter out A spine of dusty tannins suggests this wine should be cellared 500 g marzipan, diced macerate in the tea and liqueur over- into the prepared pan. for at least fi ve years to appreciate its full potential. 200 g plain fl our night, covered. Food notes: 8. Bake the cake for 2 hours at 160 C, Mathilde is the name of the fi rst-born daughter of wine- 1 tsp baking powder 2. Line the bottom of a well-buttered Serve thin slices of this cake to display 20-cm pan with a double thickness of checking that the top does not over- makers Brook and Lucie Lawrence. Brook met his wife while 1 tsp salt the jewel-like fruits and nuts. You can parchment paper. brown. If it does, cover with a piece of foil. top the cake with a drizzle of lemon they were working at Domaine d’Arlot in Nuit St. Georges 1 tsp mixed (or 5-spice powder) 3. Sift fl our, baking powder and fi ve- 9. When cake is done, turn out to icing or just a snowfall of icing sugar. in Burgundy. Th eir creation sells for about $35 at the cellar 200 g butter, softened space powder together. cool on rack. Brush top with apricot Come Christmas, stick on some silver door. It was matured for 14 months in French oak, a quarter 100 g soft brown sugar 4. Cream butter, brown sugar until the jam while it is still warm and arrange bells of a sprig of holly. of it new.