Seasonal splendour

Three top chefs talk about the Christmas experiences and favourite recipes  

By Cheranka Mendis and Kinita Shenoy

Christmas is associated always with three things- Santa, food and red baubles. The season which brings out the colourfully rich and deliciously cooked goodies out of the recipes and into your stomachs is really the season for good food and merry making. Even the ladies and the gentlemen who are usually careful about their expanding waistline is rather jolly about putting on a few kilos during December- and you cannot help it what with the turkey and ham and Christmas cakes; how can any person not want to gulp down their pride and dig in? Not eating during Christmas is a crime I tell you.

 Speaking of food, who better to talk about food than the Chef’s themselves- the masters behind the kitchen, the silent hands that craft out the delicacies that we gobble up- Weekend FT took another round in Colombo talking to three executive Chefs of three major hotels in town.

 The hotel by the sea

 Four months into his work at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, the hotel’s Director of Culinary Operations Mats Peterson is all set to celebrate his first Christmas here. Peterson with his 37 years of experience started his carrier in his native country Spain learning the art of cooking from his father who was also a Chef himself.

 For him Christmas is all about the Swedish Herrings dish. “When you say Christmas what really comes to my mind is the Swedish herrings- we take the raw herring marinate it in mustard, onions and all kind of spices,” Peterson smiles, “In Spain we have ten to twelve different Christmas dishes. In North Europe cabbage is a famous food so there will definitely be white cabbages as part of the dish. Slaughtering your own pig for Christmas is also a tradition that has been continued until recent times- ham, pork pate too is another much needed dish.” At present dishes have developed and items such as salmon is included, he said. His all time favourite dish however is the marinated herring and the crispy ginger bread, he said.

 However Christmas is not just about the food and Peterson agrees. “It’s everything around it- the atmosphere and the feel of it.” He recalls with fondness the warmth and the dark period that befalls the country for the last four months of the year. With the moon setting up early on the day candle lights reign supreme he said. “It’s the light and the decorations as much as the food and the stories of baby Jesus and Santa Clause.”

 So what’s cooking in his kitchen, we asked. “There is a theme every night from November 27 to December 24 featuring all countries. We cut it off on December 24 with a truly Sri Lankan night dinner. Then starts the Christmas Eve dinner etc.” some of his personal favourites will also be included in the spread that MLH is sharpening their knifes to prepare during the season, he added.

 His advice to all the housewives rushing off to make that perfect dinner buffet is not to overcomplicate it. “Do not make food that is too complicated and therefore cannot be controlled. It is better to make something simper which can be controlled by you. Plan it better and make something tasty but simple,” Peterson agrees. The must-haves on the table this Christmas is: glazed ham, herrings and Swedish soup, “at least for me that’s what I would call essential on the table.”

 The hotel by the lake

 Cinnamon Lakeside with its train and other attractions is also all geared to celebrate the season in style. Executive Chef Wasantha Peiris has many menus to prepare and many dishes to look over. “Christmas is one of the busiest months of the year. With special buffets on Christmas eve, Christmas day lunches and dinners and New Year parties and special menus in each restaurant, the season is highly stressful,” Peiris asserted.

 His favourite dish he says is roast turkey with cranberry sauce. “That along with giblet gravy, vegetables and honey roast potatoes- it’s the best of the season,” Peiris said. The special honey roasted hams are also a special favourite of the season.

 He too is all up for the decorations, which he says is just as good as the food they create. “Everywhere, it is illuminated. Like a new life has just come in; everything is live. From buildings to roadside to households it radiates light and glamour”

 Peiris who has 25 years of experience in the industry has some advice to give our readers. “The most important thing is to give fine food to the people- top quality tasty food. What you serve has to be of good quality and taste and must be presented nicely as well.” The food must also be value for money- your client/family will then be fully satisfied and you can be proud of what you have achieved, he said. There are three points that must be looked into, Peiris says: while enjoying the season (a) chose matching Christmas food items (b) use correct cooking methods and (c) display elegantly. “On top of it all add colour to the dinner table and make Christmas a joint effort- an effort of the family on the whole rather than a solo attempt,” he advised.

 The hotel by the Secretariat

 Galadari Hotel, a long standing establishment in the Colombo’s leisure industry is all decked up in Christmas decorations. Their Executive Chef Imroze Salih with an experience of 29 years in the industry is of the opinion that the season should start with Christmas puddings and cakes. Christmas cake also known as Rich Cake

 A long standing establishment in Colombo’s leisure industry, The Galadari Hotel is all decked up to greet the Christmas season. The Executive Chef, Imroze Salih, has a store of experience with over 29 years of experience in various parts of the world and has worked in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Austria, and Oman during his career. He explained that his overseas exposure has proved to be extremely beneficial as he learned a lot under different foreign chefs, learning different styles and mediums. He also picked up a lot of advanced techniques, equipment and interesting new ingredients, which he felt really broadened the perspective and scope of his culinary knowledge. Despite his varied experience, Chef Salih’s forte is French cuisine and fine dining. He feels most fine dining in Colombo is more “fusion dining”, a mixture of local ingredients and methods with foreign recipes. He also said that cookery is an art and science, and basics and principles of fine dining must be adhered to. The Galadari kitchen staff is on high performance mode during the season and the food is the most exquisite and is carefully prepared at this time of the year. They start preparation at least four to five months in advance in terms of recipes, menu options and themes for the season.

Chef Salih said that all throughout the year, people long for rich, exquisite seasonal food which makes it clear why his choice for the season is the traditional yet much loved Christmas pudding.

Pix by Dinuka Liyanawatte