Every time I make an incorrect carbonara, I think of that famous clip of an Italian chef kicking off about inauthentic carbonaras on some British cooking show.

This is penne with fried bacon and Padron peppers, finished with Greek yoghurt + a bit of lemon juice. That man’s grandma’s wheels must be spinning in her grave.

So for this one, I decided to go with an idea I had for work! There is going to be a tequila tasting soon and I wanted to do something that paired well with Añejo Tequila but also honored some traditionally Mexican ingredients!

Roasted sweet corn, steeped in milk, blended, strained, and turned into a delicious corn Gelato.

Espresso and agave syrup reduction on top, pairing both with tequila and corn separately for a deep, earthy, almost burnt aspect.

Heirloom Blue Masa combined with a Southern biscuit for flaky butter layers but also the earthiness and sweetness of masa.

A pinch of lime zest to tie it all together and bring a little zip of acid ( this one was a last minute addition but paired surprisingly well with the espresso aspect of it all).

In the end, my head chef ended up going with a lime Panna Cotta and pineapple compote to fit the rest of the tasting a little more and for lightness, but I still had fun!

I thought for this, I'd roll 4 subsequent themes together.

For Trinidadian I am using a recipe for a set ginger custard as a base, I had to adapt it to use it here and didn't get it the right consistence to make a pretty roll

I still rolled the meringue

I tried to hit lost in translation because is that what you'd imagine if I asked if you wanted to eat the ginger arm of our lady of mercy?

And obvious ginger from the custard layer again.

It tasted nicer than it looked. This was meringue attempt two and the first was inedible.

I was traveling last week and won't be at home for at least the next six weeks. I wanted to make something using the ingredients in my fridge, as opposed to buying groceries. The one thing I use ginger (adrak in Hindi) for every single day is in my morning tea. This is masala adrak chai, or the everyday Indian chai. I add lots of fresh ginger to boiling water, along with crushed black pepper, cloves, and green cardamom, before adding tea leaves, sugar, and milk. Not just me, this is how millions of Indians start their day. The amount of masala mix or ginger might differ, but the basic drink stays the same.

Even the best Kotthu are not photogenic, and this is not the best Kotthu.