Taking a Culinary Journey at Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles + Parisian Mumba Salad #Recipe~ #100FootJourneyEvent

While out in Los Angeles for the press events, we were able to screen the film THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY! The movie tells the story of Hassan Kadam, who is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch!  Soon his family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. They decide to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, Maison Mumbai, much to the dismay of Madame Mallory (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren), who runs Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred, classical French restaurant right across the street!  At first the two restaurants engage in a culinary battle, until Madame Mallory recognizes Hassan’s gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.

Cooking and culinary creation is a huge theme in the movie. So while out in Los Angeles, it was only natural that we check out Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles to get a peek into the culinary world! When we first arrived, Chef Chanel Martinez generously took us around the school showing us the various kitchens and giving us some background on what students could expect when attending.

It definitely was really cool to see the students at work and in their element. Kind of made me want to switch careers and enroll in culinary school!We also received a cooking demonstration from Chef Carlos Mulia! He presented us with tips on cooking, slicing, and dicing! I think I may actually know how to properly julienne fruit now. Very cool to see the Chef in action!

The Appetizers

Once we returned from our tour of the school, at our spots were some very delicious looking appetizers! Each one was inspired by THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY! I’ve actually featured the recipes on the blog here in the past.
The crust on the Quiche Lorraine was absolutely to die for! As for the Beef Bourguinon al a Hassan, they served a skewer version, but the original is just as tasty too.

Parisian Mumbai Salad

After the cooking demonstrations, it was our turn to put on the aprons and make our way into the kitchen. We were cooking ourselves dinner that evening, and on the menu was the delicious Parisian Mumbai Salad!

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp curry powder
2 (6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper (to taste)

Salad:
4 oz mixed greens
1 julienned mango
1 julienned apple

Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp salad oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1.4 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Naan Bread:
1 piece Naan bread cut into cubes
1/2 oz salad oil
salt and pepper to taste

Curried Walnuts:
1 oz grape seed oil
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 oz walnuts

Directions

Combine in a plastic bag the yogurt, ginger, garlic, cardamom, curry powder, salt and pepper for the chicken marinade. Add the chicken breasts and marinade for 45 minutes. Go ahead and set it aside while you work on other components of the salad.

Julienne both the mango and apple. Set those aside.

To create the vinaigrette, mix in a bowl the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Add in the salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in the salad oil while continuously whisking. Then set aside.

Take the Naan bread and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes or bite size pieces. Drizzle on the salad oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Halfway through baking you may want to check your bread and toss it around to give it even cooking.

While waiting for the bread, toss walnuts into the grape seed oil with sugar and curry powder. Set aside.

Once your chicken is done marinading, grill it until the meat is cooked white, and not translucent. Slice into pieces.

Combine the greens, chicken, walnuts, mango, apple, and Naan bites to create your salad! Drizzle on the vinaigrette, and you are ready to enjoy!

Every Bite Takes You Home

What I love about the Parisian Mumbai Salad is that it mixes the two cultures featured in the film: French and Indian. I’m sure for Hassan to taste this dish is to remind him of his heritage, and the place he now considers home.

When I think of home, the first dish that pops into my mind is Chili Mac Frank! It’s a meal my mom used to make on Fridays for dinner. It was just a mix of chili with macaroni noodles and cut up hot dogs. Very simple. Though to us kids, it was the best thing in the world! My mom was a little bit of a health nut, so Chili Mac Frank was quite a treat!

Another dish that reminds me of home is tuna steaks! I used to have a strong dislike for turkey as a child. So on Thanksgiving, my dad would cook me a special tuna steak instead. That way I didn’t have to eat the turkey, but would still have protein on my plate!

In honor of THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY, Food Network star Chef Bar Arneson was inspired to create absolutely delicious dishes after she saw the film! I was excited to see that she actually has a recipe for Coriander Tuna with Broccolini that I would love to try! It reminds me of the tuna dish my dad used to make me.

The Hundred-Foot Journey Trailer

Don’t forget to connect with THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY arrives in theaters everywhere on August 8th!

What bite or meal “takes you home”?

I received the following information as a blogger via Walt Disney Publications. While I attended an expense paid trip by Disney to the press events for Guardians of the Galaxy, 100 Foot Journey, and ABC Family, all opinions are 100% my own.