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Introduction
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Chef Tony Hodges of Hilton Checkers, Los Angeles, cooks up a menu that is a mix of the contemporary and the traditional
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LOS ANGELES is full of surprises. It is home to celluloid stars as well as star chefs and restaurants. Like the one where I dined twice. It's intimate, warm and cosy and has received rave reviews from food critics here. It is located in the most beautiful boutique hotel in downtown L.A. that dates back to 1927. It was built by the millionaire William Anderson, and its modern Spanish stone exterior still stands proud. Though tall steel, granite and glass buildings loom large all around it, this magnificent hotel stands out. It changed several hands till it was renamed Checkers and re-opened in 1989 only to go through a four million dollar renovation when it became a member of the Hilton group a couple of years ago.
Right through, its restaurant Checkers has always been a winner. In fact, its first chef was the legendary Thomas Keller (now renowned for "The French Laundry").
The present chef Tony Hodges is full of pleasant surprises. Of course, his food is outstanding, a mix of contemporary and fusion. The Blackened Fish John Dory with champagne and clam sauce, and the grilled Alaskan salmon are something to kill for. It is his knowledge of India that mystifies me. "I love Kerala," says this British chef (ex-Savoy, Claridges et al) "It is just like Hawaii." His firm grasp of the art and science of cooking as well as knowledge of things Indian leaves me delighted. Then I discover that his wife is from Kerala.
The following is a recipe from Chef Tony Hodges, with substitutes like naan okra and paneer:
Savory cheescake
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1 sheet puff pastry (can use readymade naan); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup chopped onions; ½ cup chopped yellow capsicum; ½ cup chopped red capsicum; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3-½ cups cream cheese at room temp; 6 large eggs; ½ cup cream; 1 cup grated Gouda cheese (can substitute cheddar cheese); 2 cups cooked shrimp (can use okra or cottage cheese); ½ cup chopped parsley.
For garnish
1 tbsp fresh cream; 1 pinch hard boiled and grated egg yolk; 1 pinch chives; Optional (1/2 tsp caviar, 1 sliced lobster tail, 1 sprig of dill)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Sprinkle puff pastry with Parmesan cheese, then bake till done. Cut out with 10-inch pastry ring, to be used for cake base. If using cooked naan, sprinkle it with cheese and keep aside. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add the onions and capsicum. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for two minutes and remove. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, until blended.
Beat in the cream, Gouda cheese and sautéed vegetables until fully mixed, for about two minutes. Fold in the shrimp/okra/paneer and the parsley. Pour the filling into the puff pasty or naan and bake until firm (about one hour). Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. If you refrigerate the cake before serving, allow coming to room temperature before serving. Yield: 12-16 servings.
Hilton Checkers, 535 South Grand Avenue. Los Angeles CA 90071 213 624 0000.
Rashmi Uday Singh
(Rashmi Uday Singh is a food reporter, critic and author for 21 years. Food and health are her passions. )
Dial 28365010 or e-mail gfl@rashmiudaysingh.com or mail us at Good Food Line, Metro Plus, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859/860 Anna Salai, Chennai- 600002.
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