We still love tomatoes, but there’s a whole world of other healthy, decadent toppers for your pasta-eating pleasure. Make your own or hit the store – either way, we have some great ideas.
We still love tomatoes, but there’s a whole world of other healthy, decadent toppers for your pasta-eating pleasure. Make your own or hit the store – either way, we have some great ideas.
PHOTO TED CAVANAUGH FOOD STYLING JAMIE KIMM PROP STYLING SARAH CAVE/EH MANAGEMENT
Your first step is to hunt down the highestquality ingredients that you can get, says Nathaniel Cayer, executive chef at Dolce Italian in Chicago. “San Marzano canned tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, farm-fresh vegetables: These are the building blocks that make a great dish.” Then, just play around to invent new flavours – swop red wine for rose or ground beef for lamb. That’s how Nathaniel creates sauces so good that you want to eat them right out of the pot. He shares some of his favourite creations here.
Chef Nathaniel’s recipes are luxurious, hearty, fresh, and easy to whip up.
Saute garlic and shallots in olive oil, then shave truffles (fresh or canned) into the pan. When the smell is intense, add chicken stock, butter, chives, lemon juice, and salt and pepper; cook until it’s silky. Serve with a filled pasta like cappelletti or tortellini to add another dimension.
Use a high-powered blender to puree raw beets, basil or parsley, walnuts, orange juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss it with fusilli; the twisted shape will grab onto the sauce.
Delicious, wholesome broths
Hot pot restaurant Beauty In The Pot, known for its nourishing soup bases, has opened its third outlet at OneKM mall.
The 288-seater restaurant is the perfect place for a get together with your girlfriends. Its pink furnishings, rose gold charging points and marble floor tiles won us over immediately.
Starting at the condiment bar, we got to concoct our own sauces ($3.80 per pax with unlimited servings of fruits), such as Beauty Sesame Dip and Crispy Soybean Spicy Dip, based on simple recipes shown on the wall. If you like your condiments simple, go for the pre-prepared Appetising Thai Dip, which happens to be our favourite. A nice blend of sweet and spicy, it went well with all the dishes.
TEXT CLAUDIA TAN
Beauty In The Pot is located at #03-38 OneKM mall (6284-8820).
The crowd favourites are the Signature Beauty Collagen Broth and Signature Spicy Nourishing Soup (‘Mala’), but we enjoyed the lighter flavours of the Herbal Drunken Chicken Broth. Simmered for over two hours, the herbal aroma from the chicken broth carried a taste of home. It is said to improve blood circulation and strengthen one’s immunity.
Other flavours include the tantalising Cooling Coconut Broth. Your taste buds are in for a treat with this broth made with real coconut flesh and juice, spare ribs, chicken and snow fungus – all to nourish the lungs and soothe your throat.
Veggie lovers will be pleased to know that they can choose between Longevity Wild Pine Mushroom Broth and Vitamin C Tomato Sweet Corn Broth.
At Beauty In The Pot, ingredients are prepared in-house daily to maintain freshness. One of the highlights is the Ebiko Prawn Paste. The little bits of crunchy and juicy ebiko from the handmade paste added texture and dimension to the dish.
The Signature Homemade Fish Tofu tasted more like fish cakes, but we had no complaints. The soft texture melted in our mouths quickly, and left us wanting more. Made with a blend of yellowtail fish, soya bean and egg white, it comes in adorable fish-shaped pieces.
Meat lovers, rejoice with the wide selection here. From sliced pork belly (from $7.50) to US Wagyu beef (from $24.50) everything is thinly sliced, and takes just a few minutes to cook.
The lovely interior, nourishing broths and fresh ingredients are more than enough to make us return for more.
