Sample this: 1700 cakes on the cooling rack,15 kilos of cookies baking simultaneously,400 tarts made-to-order,700 mince pies and over two gunnies of chocolates white and dark.Seems like Santa Claus is at work! Exactly,with a minute difference: It is Mumbais finest liqueur chocolatier,Mehernosh Kersi Khajotia at his baking factory at Lower Parel doing what he does best baking,checking and wrapping.We cant go wrong even on a single order, he says without taking his eyes off the cakes.
Going by most of their schedules,itd be an easy guess that when its time of making merry with money,who has time for Christmas,leave aside a spread! Right Wrong.Not only do these pros have a plan,a ritual,but also something special for which most work at least six months in advance.Read on and be surprised ...
DRINK EXOTICA
Christmas finally reveals mixologist Naveen Kotyankars best kept secret: Christmas is that time of the year when I have a pre-brunch with close friends and family and bring out my bottle of plum infused vodka,that I curate myself with fresh California plums,cane sugar,fresh rosemary and orange peel.It takes nearly six to eight months to mature and can transform any vodka into a drink of the gods.It was ten years ago that I started infusing my vodka and now it my X-Mas special.
BAKE THAT BINDS
Well known blogger on cakes and gourmet baker,Ipshita Chakladar credits Christmas for turning into a specialised baker says:Christmas brings back lots of memories from childhood.Having grown up with lots of friends who celebrate the festival,it was fun being part of everything.From decorating the tree to helping make the goodies.Some of the fondest memories are of sitting down with everyone making kul kuls.A very simple thing to make but the endless hours spent rolling little pieces of dough on the fork to give it the particular design.And every Christmas,that is my special treat for myself and my family.In addition to that is the simple vegetable dish which goes with roasts and has all the winter vegetables that in fact is my special Christmas touch.Or at least my son says so!
LOVE AND A BIT OF TURKEY
It is the one time that Nityanand Shetty aka Nitz for friends,ditches restaurant food for his wifes surprise cooking: Every Christmas there are two things that I eagerly await for.One,is the look on my sons face when he opens his first gift,which is usually from me.And two,the special that my wife cooks.Like last Christmas,it was Christmas pudding,which i thoroughly enjoyed.And this time,it is turkey.And though it would be her first time attempting something like this it is the one X-mas special I am looking forward to.
ROAST,TOAST,AND SOME MORE
For celebrity chef,Vicky Ratnani of Aurus,Christmas is the only time he sneaks out for an early dinner,before the rush hour of the restaurant with just the family :No Christmas dinner at home is without the traditional Roast turkey.In fact,its my favourite.One reason for that is that the whole family makes it.Its a big dish.The turkey is stuffed with sage and sausage and served with roasted root vegetables and the very special cranberry sauce.Its tasty,easy to eat and like always every one gets to do their little bit including the carving.Why is it special Because its one dish that gets the whole family together.
CARVING HIS OWN WEDGE
And while The Pantrys Abhishek Honawar's favourite Christmas dish too is the Roast Turkey,the reason is pretty unique and arty:I remember I took fancy to carving with the roast turkey which was a sort of a family tradition.And that is the one thing that i still do.In fact,its the only thing that makes me reach home early,check on the turkey,get it to the table,carve and serve everyone.Its my special treat every Christmas,including this one.
FAMILY,FOOD,TRADITION,SMILES
Brownie Czarina Kainaz Messman of Theobroma,Christmas is extra special because of lot many things than food.Its a complete family reunion with the best of childhood memories all under the tree.She says:What many people dont know is that I do not work on Christmas.Its my family day and with my sister down here,its spend with the entire family where we make akuri on toast,prawn pancakes,parma ham and melon along with an assortment of cheese and biscuits to keep us going.But the one thing that I wait for Christmas is Panettone.Its a large dome of Italian Christmas bread made of soaked fruit.This is my Christmas treat as it takes the whole family to make it.
TEAM TREAT AND GAJJAR KA HALWA
Pooja Dhingras Christmas starts four days prior to the actual day,as treats start trickling well prior to the day,with the finale on Christmas and thats what makes it special
At Le15 kitchen it is impossible to be anywhere else for Christmas! So ever since I started work,there is this small ritual that we follow in our kitchen.Every member of my team gets homemade Christmas sweets,which is usually a mix of all our childhood memories think marshmallow,marzipan fruits and guava candy.And thats what we eat through out the day as we execute orders.Of course the icing on the macaroon is when I reach home late at night and I usually find my grandmum's special gajjar ka halwa on the table,piping hot with her on the side.Thats the most amazing Christmas sight every X-mas !
SAY IT WITH CAKE,CHRISTMAS CAKE
For beverage consultant and master mixologist Shatbhi Basu,Christmas is all about the quintessential chocolate cake.Its a ritual at my place to bake the Christmas Cake.It begins with soaking the fruits and nuts in a concoction of fruit juice,wine,liqueur and rum for a week or two,sometimes longer.In fact,baking the cake is what makes my Christmas merry the aroma,the coming together of family and then the incredible first bite.In addition to this is my special sparkling sangria made with frozen strawberries,kiwi,litchi and pomegranate,which is the main drink for every Christmas lunch.Without these two,my Christmas spread is incomplete.
CHICKEN,STUFF THE TURKEY!
Known for his innovative,flavour infused recipes,Chef Nachiket Shetyes,Owner,36 Oak & Barley,Christmas spread is equally awe-inspiring."I like to do something different every Christmas.So this year too,it would be a traditional east india spread complete with homemade colourful marzipan,yule log,perhaps some eggnog,also East Indian classic kul kuls and karanjis.However,the surprise will be the main course,for which I plan to do a special roast of Turducken,which is a delicious roast of Turkey stuffed duck.The surprise is that the turkey is stuffed with chicken along with some traditional meat curry and rice.Tedious,but for the sheer joy of making my family happy makes it all worth."
TO GREATER HIKE
In spite his busy schedule Mehernosh Kajotia this time is treating not just family,but someone special.He says:This Christmas,I have over 40 people coming over for dinner,and all are from the Hikers Club of Bombay started by my maternal uncle,Homi Kharas in1940.And on the table this time will be German leg of ham with a cranberry and pineapple caramel glaze,eggnog,mince pies,marzipan chocolates,Waldorf Salad,Spanish Rice with prawns sausages,and my very special Christmas Pud flambed.Essentially a family recipe,this Christmas pudding is known for its distinctive rich aroma.It was the first thing that I mastered,and since then it is my gift to my family every year on X-mas !
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