18 / 68
Dining Out
PAGE 18
www.theconnectionsnj.com MORE THAN PRINT! www.theconnectionsnj.com we can keep you connected to your community and here’s how: The Connection Magazines 908-903-1799 Connectionsnj@gmail.com www.theconnectionsnj.com Scan thisQR code to see ourOn-Line magazines THE CONNECTION Warren-Watchung Edition ar en- at ung Edition Warren,Watchung,Martinsville, Stirling,Millington,Gillette, a GreenBrook,BaskingRidge,BerkeleyHeights,New Providence W c ung,Martinsville i lli gton G k H , e o R B F APRIL/MAY 2017 VOLUME LXIV Scan thisQR code to see ourOn-Line magazines R B F THE CONNECTION C Bernards-Ridge Edition Bernards-Ridge Edition Bernardsville,BaskingRidge,Bedminster,Mendham, nardsville,BaskingRidge,Bedminster,Mendh FarHills, Peapack/Gladstone, Chester e t APRIL/MAY 2017 VOLUME LIX Scan thisQR code to see ourOn-Line magazines FEB/MARCH 2017 R B F THE CONNECTION Bridgewater-Somerville Edition w t -So e vi e Bridgewater,Branchburg,Hillsborough, w r a u Martinsville,Raritan, Somerville r v , a S vle VOLUMEXXXIII Scan thisQR code to see ourOn-Line magazines R B F THE CONNECTION C Bernards-Ridge Edition Bernards g Edition B Bernardsville,BaskingRidge,Bedminster,Mendham, r e,B i e a d r m FarHills, Peapack/Gladstone, Chester e t FEB/MARCH 2017 VOLUME LVIII 1801 Washington Valley Road, Bridgewater 973-722-1534 973-216-029 Ajay Chaudhry has spent the past twen- ty-six years as a culinary professional, gain- ing expertise by working in a variety of dif- ferent hospitality organizations including the Indian Tourism Development Corpora- tion, Ashok Hotel, India Habitat Center, and more recently Chand Palace Banquets and Catering, and Fine Dining. When we asked him what makes “good food,” Ajay said that passion, creativity, a warm heart, and good taste buds are more important than the skill itself. “This belief was instilled into me early in my career. I was assigned the responsibility of hiring a head chef for the hotel in which I was working, and I struggled to find a qualified candidate from the given pool. At this point, my supervisor gave me the advice: Find someone who is creative, pas- sionate and has a warm heart, train the person – and then see the results. Training can be given to anyone, but passion and creativity needs to be discovered.” “I never forgot this. And when my Indi- an and Fusion cuisine banquet and catering group, Chand Palace, launched its new property Martinsville Gardens, I searched our local community for people from all ages and backgrounds who were passion- ate about working and had a knack for cre- ativity. They did not need to know anything about Asian or fusion food. Each individual’s respective backgrounds were an asset. The chefs’ knowledge about their native cuisines and their ability to think out of the box is what helped me cre- ate a wider array of fusion cuisine dishes.” One of Ajay’s favorite dishes “invented” by him and his staff is the Mediterranean Kurkuri. The dish is created by combining the Mexican tortilla wrap, Asian flavored vegetables, cheese, and Mediterranean spices. Chand Palace now sells almost 5000 pieces a month of this dish. Through the years, Ajay has learned that a diverse team has the ability to create food that breaks norms. He believes that cuisine has the ability to flourish if it travels across countries, cultures and religions. When asked what other types of dishes were being created under his leadership, Ajay says, “One of our most popular dishes are fusion desserts, the Mango Delight and Guava Thrill. Our recipe alters the recipe of the traditional mousse by throwing in slices of mangoes and guavas and garnishing with mint and strawberries. Be it a Sweet 16, bar mitzvah, or wedding – guests are huge fans of this dessert to keep alive the freshness of fruits.” Ajay explains how his team tackles the cooking of famous street foods of Asia, including kebabs made from Chicken, Lamb, and Fish. The chefs that are now experts at cooking these dishes did not know their names when they first started working. Through extensive training, they were able to learn the skills to cook authen- tic cuisine, and to make alterations. In terms of presentation, Ajay empha- sizes the role of the aesthetic value of food. In a recent Indo-American wedding, he pre- sented a platter which used rice, a veg- etable made from spinach, and the world famous Chicken tikka masala to resemble the Indian flag. The dessert made by young American chefs was presented as the American flag. The crowd praised the cre- ative value of the presentation of food. According to Ajay Chaudhry, cuisine is not just food – it is the combination of ideas, proper training, and presentation. Skills can be taught, but the passion, creativity, and a warm heart needs to be found because those are what make food stand out. “To serve good food you need a warm heart & skilled hands.” – Ajay Chaudhry