We had been tossing around the idea of contributing to The Weekend Chef for quite a while. When we finally fixed a date, The Weekend Chef presented me the challenge - what would I cook if I missed out on the last turkey? Well, I’ve never really liked turkey anyway, so it was pretty easy deciding on the menu. Then TWC threw me a curve ball - no pasta allowed!
Christmas to me, aside from the religious aspect, is a time of joy, giving, sharing and celebrating with family and friends. With this in mind, I decided to go with a hearty meal and finish off with a decadent dessert. A meal cooked with a sprinkling of laughter, a swigger of joyous festive cheer and a large dash of love!
I chose corn bread with whipped herb butter as the first starter. The grainy cornmeal gives the bread a nice bite and the whipped herb butter is a perfect complement.
For the other appetizer, I selected an original creation I made some years ago in a bid to impress a hot babe. The fact that this hot babe is now my wife goes hints at this recipe’s success! I call it Porkers Delight, which is bacon (can be substituted with chicken), mushrooms and cheese baked on a slice of crispbread.
For the main meal, I chose to go with a chicken pie. Again, my wife’s influence reared its head. She has always enjoyed chicken pie but was often disappointed to find that most restaurants in KL serve a pot pie, where the pie is served in a bowl and covered by puff pastry on top. She finally found a full pie at a swanky restaurant in KL and raved about it. Not to be outdone, I came up with my own version. She now admits that my chicken pie rates as one of her favourite dishes!
And no meal is complete without dessert! I fancy myself as a bit of a dessert king, not just in making desserts but in eating them too. I’m the character you see pigging out on desserts at a buffet! For this meal, I agonised between a tiramisu and a chocolate mousse. Finally, I decided to serve both!
Tiramisu, which means ‘pick me up’ in Italian, is traditionally served in a dish and scooped out to eat. This is unlike what you find at restaurants and cake houses where it is served in slices. The original recipe also calls for mascarpone cheese but I find that Philadelphia cream cheese mixed with cream makes for a good substitute. It is also easier to handle, less expensive and the difference in taste is negligible.
When I was about eight or nine, my parents took us to the Equatorial Hotel in KL for high tea. The dessert spread was huge and they had chocolate mousse served in martini glasses. I had found heaven! In fact, I ate so much that the buckle on my shorts burst! Chocolate mousse now rates as one of my favourite desserts, so I had to learn to make my own.
I hope you enjoy the selection I’ve chosen for a Christmas meal. Have a blessed Christmas everyone!