A Taste of Desire

Desire is such a delirious feeling, a feeling I experienced for a brief few last weekend. I am back in the U.S. and have been balancing a few exciting things which are upcoming in the next couple weeks. I had been dividing my time between colleagues, family and friends and experiencing new places, new people and discovering a whole lot of Los Angeles which I could not the last time.

My cousin surprised me with a road trip to Vegas the last weekend and though I have been there before (this must have been around 8 years ago) this trip was like reliving my 20’s (which also was 8 years ago). We left early in the morning as it is about a 3½ hour drive and she had scheduled a good 24 hours of exciting things to-do out there. We reach our hotel, park our car, freshen up and head out to the Strip.

A glorious, burgeoning, bustling street filled with revelers and happy faces. Food joints, stores, bars, glamour and in-your-face excitement invited you with open arms and the energy could be felt as you walked down the strip carrying frozen margaritas and sipping them in the hot sun. We hit a few open air cafes, shopped a bit, had lunch and she went on to reveal the surprise of my life – she had booked us in at Omnia, the city’s newest nightclub that night. What got me excited was not only the experience of a nightclub after God knows how long, but someone’s music I love and which never fails to boost my mood. Calvin Harris, a popular DJ and a star, was spinning that night. It was something I only ever dreamed of, of watching him live (especially at an age when House music is meant for ‘house parties’ and it is made into an occasion when you actually do step out to paint the town red in India. DJ’s such as him don’t really play in Indian nightclubs given space restrictions and other rules and regulations).

This was something I was looking forward to. My mood was high and alcohol was not the reason. Stepping into a luxury store was a no-no, God forbid should I make rash decisions and land up buying something unnecessarily (I nearly bought myself shoes worth an arm and a leg) and we continued to soak in the city as much as we could.

Come 9pm and we set off, dressed to the nines for a lux’e Mediterranean dinner at the SLS where we were staying. A couple of champagnes down and we decided to head to Omnia a little early. Calvin is a popular guy; it was inevitable there would be serpentine queues to get in even though we had pre-booked the tickets. True to the assumption, it was a hell of a long queue. It was finally around 11pm when we managed to get in.

A huge dome constructed on the grounds of the infamous Caesars Palace. Omnia is a technological wonder of pulsating lights, sound systems, high fashion glamour and beautiful people reminiscent of the street scenes outside. We made our way towards the main arena where the set was to be played and it was nearly full. I had half expected the place to be bursting at the seams but it seemed easy, albeit packed. We meandered our way to the bar area, another opening DJ was playing his set and we loaded up on our drinks (expensive but I asked for a glass of Gin and Tonic and all I got was a glassful of gin with a splash of tonic, well I wasn’t complaining).

Omnia is circular with the dance floor right in the middle, the DJ station on the front edge. VIP Tables separate the alleyway on the circumference right at the edge of the dance floor, all the way around. The alleyways are manned by at least 30 bouncers who wait at the entrance to the VIP tables and the dance floor ushering people in and out. I had a feeling they were trained to stop the riff-raff and let in the genuine, or maybe it was my imagination but it seemed very controlled. There is a higher level called the ‘Terrace’ which is a huge suspended structure constructed around the main arena. It was lined with patrons angling their drinks precariously on the railings. We made our way to the main dance floor (I wanted to be as close to the station as possible), and surprisingly were ushered in. We made ourselves comfortable by one of the VIP tables which was empty and only separated by thick clip cords and movable poles. We were close to the DJ table yet safe in this little secluded spot.

The madness started when Calvin took stage around 12:30.

The floor was suddenly full with people swarming in. The bouncers had stopped people from filing into the main arena. It was a bit push-and-shove situation till everyone seemed to find their space and brace themselves for him. We got pushed around a bit (some drunk, some just big headed), but unlike the home country – much more polite. I realized the importance of personal space even in a nightclub here. We made friends with a group of Spaniards who were vacationing and they let us in their little circle of no-man’s-land (They ensured, along with us, that no one passed through this human wall). The chandelier started moving, circular lit structures started to fall and rise from the ceiling and it was a synchronization of lights, sounds and the throbbing music. The VIP table next to us was suddenly occupied. Fat balding men, probably from the movie industry or just bankers (couldn’t figure) filed in with a bevy of heaving beauties and trays of Dom Pérignon, Grey Goose, Malts and mixers. There were showgirls in golden outfits suspended from the ceiling and they were twirling and putting on a mesmerizing show, egging the revelers to dance more.

The VIP table seemed fairly in control, boisterously enjoying the company of the women, moving to the music and a table groaning with liquor where extravagance had no limit. I was momentarily intrigued by this scene at the club. The women seemed chic and far from trashy, the men certainly knew what they were doing and the night seemed to have just begun. We got into the groove and Calvin’s music kept up the tempo and slowly started rising into a furious energy filled juxtaposition of known tracks and the magic of his spin. As the tempo rose the people started to fall into a trance. There was a sense of euphoria, a happy feeling, a feeling of good and all things worry banished out on that dance floor. It was a forgotten experience, one which made you feel you could achieve everything you desired. Nirvana?

It lasted 4 whole minutes from the moment it started.

In the moment amidst the chandelier free falling and rising with its UFO’ish lights, the enthusiasm of the dancers, the lithe showgirls moving in synchrony with the music and the sounds of champagne popping with each beat – the ugly side of money reared its head. There was a sudden commotion on the VIP table next to us. Two women had got into a cat-fight. There was a ripping of clothes, a piercing scream and tufts of blonde and brunette hair flying. Two women had crashed from the top of sofa on to the floor and clawing at each other with fire in their eyes. A bottle of champagne went flying from one of their red tinged paws on to the next table. Shards of glass and a few phones were up in the air, cracking the moment they touched the floor. We moved a little behind and within seconds I noticed the swarm of bouncers lift them with one arm and literally throw them out of the club.

You would think that the party would come to a momentary standstill if not stop. But around me it had not even caused a flutter except for the side (our side) which was in full view of the disturbance. The men seemed to calm the other distraught women down, more champagne was brought in and things got even worse. They were fueled with alcohol, not a pip spared for what had just transpired. Friends? I guess not, it seemed there were just two women who were thrown out.

The men got more raucous after this, clambering on the tables with wobbling pot bellies. A couple of them got wads of dollars out and started shuffling them on the dance floor. Some people ignored this but a whole lot of them started fishing for them. The crowd was in control but the people at the VIP tables went on to get even more obnoxious with their extravagance. Let’s not get into those details, top dollar meant the bouncers keeping them out of view and letting them do as they please.

The night for us ended around 3:30am, a little before the curtains went down at 4. I came away tired and exhausted yet sated with the experience. Looking back the next day, I realized that Vegas is a place which sucks you in its temporary extravagance. It is a lot like someone’s social media profile, where people only showcase their happy selves, an occasional rotten edge (like the fight) but overall a feel-good showcase of the good life. It makes you desire the life which you probably have but a warped version with its made up splendor 24 x 7. Since you experience it only for a couple days or even hours it makes you wonder what life would be like every single day should you reach a certain level? I guess not something I would want. Desire is a wonderful thing, but in limits. I felt happy just about tasting it. After a point, it would – well, land up with a dirty cat-fight as well, I guess?

Coming back to the recipe for this post – I had tasted Chef Alex’s creation at Mumbai’s favorite and ever popular restaurant – The Table. It is owned by my good friend Gauri and her husband Jay. They have been creating an honorable place very subtly in the food business, formulated by a very respectable team. Alex, who hails from San Francisco, has a delightful menu which he plays around with ever so often and I have had the pleasure of dining there several times. As is the case, I had come across the Panna Cotta which he has on the menu and went on to recreating it in my own nonchalant way. This is one desirable recipe which I am sure you will latch on to. Just like the Vegas experience, savor the taste while it lasts. It is an indulgence.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Red Wine Cherry Coulis

A delicate dessert, truly delightful and super easy to put together, make sure you use high quality ingredients as the contents are extremely basic. Better the quality the more flavorful the dessert. Try this recipe when you have guests over for dinner next time. I am sure they would crave this unhesitatingly the next time they have the pangs for a good Panna Cotta.

Ingredients
For the Panna Cotta

• 2 Cups Heavy Cream
• ½ Cup Full Fat Milk
• 11 gm (1 envelope) Unflavored Gelatin
• ½ Cup Powdered White Sugar
• 1 tsp Fresh Vanilla Powder (or 1 fresh vanilla pod, scraped)

For the Red Wine Cherry Coulis

• 200 gm pitted fresh Red Cherries
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ½ cup Red Wine
• 2 tablsp Orange Liqueur (Cointreau)
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 Orange (Peel)
• Mint Leaves for Garnish

Method

• For the Panna Cotta – Melt the gelatin in the full fat milk. You may warm the milk a little before melting the gelatin but do not boil.
• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat cream and sugar on a high flame till it comes to a rolling boil. Once it rises, turn the gas to a medium and gently pour in the gelatin-milk mix. Stir till dissolved, this should take about two minutes.
• Turn off the heat and flavor with fresh vanilla. You should be able to see the vanilla specks clearly in the porcelain white liquid.
• Pour the Panna Cotta Mixture into lightly greased ramekins. Keep aside to cool.
• Once thoroughly cooled, cover with saran wrap and pop into the refrigerator overnight to set and chill.
• For the Red Wine Cherry Coulis – Chop up the cherries into halves and throw them into a heavy bottomed lidded pan. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the Cointreau and mint) and start heating this on a low-medium flame.
• Heat till it starts bubbling and you should start seeing the mix turning into a watery liquid, that is the juices from the cherries oozing out. Keep cooking till the mixture turns lightly jammy (that is the sugar has melted and has started thickening).
• Be careful as this could burn very quickly, this will happen once the mix thickens and the wine evaporates.
• Reserve some cherry pieces on the side, fish out the peels and the whole spices and puree the rest of the mixture in a blender. Transfer to a serving carafe and add in the reserved cherries and Cointreau. Chill in refrigerator until used.
• To Serve – Un-mould Panna Cotta into a soup dish, pour the red wine cherry coulis around the Panna Cotta, drizzle some of the steeped cherries from the coulis on the dessert and stick a mint leaf atop. Serve cold.Nonchalant Variation:
• Since the Panna Cotta recipe mentioned here is a very versatile dessert, you can mess around with any form of coulis, puree, fresh fruits or reductions. Experiment with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, citrus fruits and spices.
• Up the basic Vanilla Panna Cotta with hints of your favorite spice. Add Anise seeds for a refreshing flavor or nutmeg for a seasonal delight.
• Convert the plain vanilla white dessert into a colored one by adding fruit juice such as mango for a yellow color or raspberries for a red tinge. Replace the milk with fruit juice and ensure you melt the gelatin well (you need to keep stirring till it melts in, will take about 8 minutes), try not to heat this mixture. Add this in completely cooled cream mix as you don’t want the cream to spoil should you add a tart mix to the dairy product. Proceed as usual but without heating.

This is by far one of my most favorite creations. I am sure this one is a keeper. This is not Alex’s recipe although it comes a close second to the one I had. Would love to hear your deepest desires with regards to your flavors and additions – would be great to hear from you, so leave a little note whenever you can.