(From top) Model Tanusree checks out Wood-burn pizzas at Little Italy; models at the launch of Effect; Harry Mercur at The Stadel chocolate workshop; the buffet spread at Spices & Sauces. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

What: A chocolate workshop as part of The Stadel Poorna Annapurna Workshop series.

Where: Lords, the banquet hall at The Stadel.

When: Saturday morning.

The workshop: Be it demonstrations of lip-smacking global cuisine, tempting desserts or exquisite flower arrangements, the Poorna Annapurna workshops blend fun with facts. The chocolate workshop this Saturday, presided over by chocolate and pastry expert from the Netherlands Harry Mercur, was no different.

About 57 participants ? trained chefs, homemakers and enthusiastic youngsters ? witnessed the wonders one could do with chocolate.

The interactive session had the cheerful 58-year-old showcasing chocolate delicacies like chocolate filled with Ganache, along with a host of useful tips on the importance of proper temperature and ways of stirring. A pretty butterfly, an archaic swan ? the host of chocolate decorations left the audience spellbound.

Harry, an ambassador for premium chocolate brand Barry Callebaut of Belgium, also had other interesting decor ideas up his sleeves. Balloons with the ends dipped in chocolate and a leaf coated with chocolate were left to dry for a while. When the balloons were burst and the leaf taken off, out came a beautiful chocolate basket and a longish chocolate leaf.

Voiceover: “Workshops like these help women to know chocolate better and work with it with greater ease. To make wonders with this eternal favourite, you have to have the time to play around with it and be a romantic enough to create marvels out of it,” said Harry, who has a book on pastries and a cooking show for children on television to his credit.

Pizza pick

What: Promotion of Wood-burn pizzas.

Where: Little Italy at Fort Knox on Camac Street.

When: January 25.

On the menu: An Italian delicacy, Wood-burn pizzas are grilled on brick and a wooden flame, and have a distinct smoky flavour. A special vegetarian dough is freshly made for the base and the crust is thin and crispy. The mozzarella cheese used is prepared by the Little Italy team of Italian chefs at the chain’s factory in Pune.

The menu includes traditional varieties like Margherita (plain cheese pizza), Fantasy (with exotic vegetables), Tobasco (with tobasco sauce), Sicilia (with chilli sauce) and Pizza Alla Vodka (pizza with vodka flavour).

Pocket pinch: Prices start at Rs 180.

Voiceover: “Wood-burn pizzas are a speciality of Little Italy and we are sure it will be very popular with the foodies in Calcutta,” said Amit Kajaria, director of Little Italy.

(Clockwise from top) Model Tanusree checks out Wood-burn pizzas at Little Italy; models at the launch of Effect; Harry Mercur at The Stadel chocolate workshop; (below) the buffet spread at Spices & Sauces. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Buffet binge

What: Introduction of the weekend lunch and dinner buffet.

Where: Spices & Sauces at 28/1D, Gariahat Road.

On the menu: The buffet is an assortment of Indian and Chinese dishes. It comprises three non-vegetarian items, two vegetarian dishes, one dal, two rice combinations, noodles, Indian bread and dessert. The mix changes every week.

The Chinese corner offers dishes like Egg Wrap Szechwan Fried Rice, Prawn Chilli Pickle Sauce, Three Pepper Rice Noodles and Fish Chilli Wine. The Indian fare boasts Gosht Hyderabadi, Ajwani Mahi Kebab and Paneer Makhanwala among a host of other dishes.

For sweet ends, it could be Darsan with Vanilla Ice-cream, Toffee Walnut or Litchi with Ice-cream.

Pocket pinch: The buffet is priced at Rs 200 per person.

Voiceover: “An overwhelming response to the buffet introduced between December 25 and 31 made us come up with the idea of a permanent weekend buffet,” said Kaushik Lahiri of the restaurant.

(Clockwise from top) Model Tanusree checks out Wood-burn pizzas at Little Italy; models at the launch of Effect; Harry Mercur at The Stadel chocolate workshop; (below) the buffet spread at Spices & Sauces. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Sip style

What: The launch of energy drink Effect.

Where: Venom, the nightclub at Fort Knox.

When: Saturday afternoon.

Sip talk: A popular drink at bars and clubs across Europe, Effect is a non-alcoholic beverage believed to be an energy booster. A product of MBG International Premium Brands, Germany, it is being distributed in India in association with SMD International.

Be it at work, a workout or parties, the drink can be consumed anytime. The energising ingredients include taurine (an amino acid that regulates the heart beat and has a detoxifying function), Glucoronolactone (a carbohydrate that eliminates toxins from the body), vitamins that act as co-enzymes in metabolic reactions and Niacin that helps against hangovers.

The 250 ml Effect can bagged an award at the London Fashion Week for the simple yet stylish design. In Calcutta, Effect is available at leading bars, supermarkets and some health clubs.

Voiceover: “The drink essentially stimulates your senses and helps manage a hectic life better,” said Mirko Ranz, export director of MBG International Premium Brands.