Dear friends
At the outset lemme all thank you for your valued patronage and support. All these days we were amidst the world of pickles. That has left tooo much of salt in our mouth. I know you all have a sweet Palate and lets go cool about it.
Italy the land of Mafioso, boasts themselves about the prevailing culture and of course Italian cuisine is familiar to us by the names pastas, raviolis and cannelloni’s. Apart from this cuisine Italy also has a lot to offer on cheese , wines, Ice cream Gelos, and desserts.
Italian cuisine is rich, has a unique taste and gentle feel. Lets go and try to delve into it.
Ingredients
| Blueberries whole | ½ cup |
| Sugar | 6 tbsp |
| Lemon | 1 tsp |
| Biscuits or Cookies Plain crushed | 6 nos |
| Melted Butter | 3 tbsp |
| Cheese Spread | 4 tbsp |
| Eggs | 2 nos |
| Whipping Cream | ½ Cup |
| Flour | 1 tbsp |
| Vanilla Essence | A few drops |
| Blue Berry for Pureeing | ½ cup |
Method
- Make the crust base using Cookies or Biscuits combining with Butter and 1 tbsp. sugar . Mix with clean hands until the mix looks sandy. Spread on a baking Mould flat and pressed.
- In a blender take ½ cup blue berry add little sugar with out any lump formations. In a sauce pan mix blue berry puree, sugar and a twist of Lime juice. Transfer to a sauce pan, allow to boil by stirring mix well and keep aside to cool.
- In another bowl using a hand mixer beat well cream cheese and the remaining sugar with no lump formations. Add flour , eggs and beat well until all ingredients are combined well.
- Beat cream stiffly and fold in slowly to the cheese mix. Add the cold blueberry puree by folding and slowly incorporating.
- Now start baking this blueberry cheese cake, first cover the same with aluminium foil . Take a bigger round bottom vessel with water, to the ¼ th level , place the blueberry mix inside and allow to cook on a slow fire for 1 Hour 20 minutes by covering the vessel.
- Check if the cheese cake is ready using a tooth pick by piercing in the centre and when there are no particles on the tooth pick , ur cake is done. Allow to cooland refrigerate for minimum 5 hrs [ not in a freezer]
- When ready to serve , you can top it with whipped cream and Whole glazed blueberries.
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!
