‘I have 4,500 food books and I love reading them’ | ||
TV chef Nigella Lawson tells Nivriti Butalia how her love for food is intertwined with her love for words | ||
Hangovers, for the majority of us with limited kitchen skills, are cured best with fried eggs, hot buttered toast, and other greasy whatever-we-can-get-our-hands-on food. Such plebian measures, however are not for Nigella Lawson. The celeb chef, and author of How to Eat, cures hangovers with a Cuban chorizo (a spicy pork sausage) and black bean soup. In an email interview with The Mag, Lawson shares with us her attitude to food. Excerpts from the interview: Your cookbooks are gorgeous. Your TV shows have legions of fans. But your recipes, in your own words, are ‘not particularly healthy’. What role do diet and exercise play in your life? I’m a great believer in real food, which is to say that I’m very happy about butter. I know how it’s made… People always exaggerate the amount used because I think that maybe people don’t cook a lot. So if they see you put four spoons of cream in something, they don’t take into account that maybe six to eight people are going to eat that dish. Plus, you don’t cook like that every, single day. Do you allot calories to foods? As in, if you’re drinking lots of wine, will you take it easy on dessert or is the philosophy more like you only live once? I feel that there’s certain amount of hysteria and I often feel that the people who are the most worried about whether something is healthy or not probably eat an unhealthy diet because they don’t eat real food. There’s a French saying, which is, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” You have some excellent recipes for aloo gobi, caramelised onion and lentil pilaf, south Indian vegetable curry, and chicken Mughlai. Do you experiment a lot with Indian food? The London of my childhood was full of Indian food and I think an Indian restaurant probably was one of the first restaurants I ever went to. And these days, we have much more of a mixture of Indian cuisines represented in London. So I suppose what I can do honestly is translate Indian food into my own repertoire, bringing my own way of cooking to it because I could not ever really do authentic Indian food. But I certainly have amassed Indian recipes in my time and I am always grateful. I just find Indian food remarkably sensual and beautifully fragrant, I love that. I feel it has a lot of depth. You’ve been a journalist. You are a writer. You cook cinnamon rubbed pousin with a scented couscous ‘baubled’’ with amber pomegranate seeds. Baubled! What is the connect between your love for food and your love for words? I’m not scripted. I just talk out of my head. But when I wrote my first book, the task I set myself was to use language to evoke very non-verbal languages, the language of taste, texture, smell… So my love of language and my love of food are very much intertwined. And I often think that it’s very similar when I can taste a sentence in the way that I taste food. Favourite food memoir? It’s difficult. I think my mother’s way of cooking chicken in a pot with water and vegetables and seasonings. It’s not a soup and it’s not exactly poached chicken, it’s somewhere in between. And I felt that in a sense, these unfashionable, perhaps not entirely photogenic ways of cooking get very ignored in modern life. And so it was a real pleasure for me and I call it my mother’s braised chicken. Personal vice you have no intention of giving up? I am actually quite opposed to a low-fat diet because I think it’s bad for your spirits and I also think it’s very bad for your skin. I eat quite a lot of avocado, quite a lot of olive oil and a certain amount of other fats and I feel it’s healthy. Radical view, but I believe in it. How do you keep coming up with new ideas and reinventing your shows. I am a complete food book junkie. I now have over 4,500 food books and I love reading them. It’s not that I read them and then copy a recipe. It’s that I might suddenly be reminded of an ingredient I hadn’t used for a while. I feel that I think in flavours or something, so I find that helpful. A lot of the recipes I do are simple; for example, my Nigella Express had recipes I cook at home. And sometimes they come into being simply because those are the ingredients I had. Obviously I refine them. I do experiment often, but I don’t experiment laboriously. I feel that I’m like the American penal system, three strikes and you’re out. If a recipe doesn’t get right in three goes, I feel it’s not meant to be. |
Sunday, December 25, 2011
‘I have 4,500 food books and I love reading them’ TV chef Nigella Lawson tells Nivriti Butalia how her love for food is intertwined with her love for words
Roasted pigling with an apple in its mouth Italians rear pigs so they can kill them a month before Christmas and enjoy a traditional pork-filled holiday season
Roasted pigling with an apple in its mouth
Italians rear pigs so they can kill them a month before Christmas and enjoy a traditional pork-filled holiday season
Italians love their pork. Most families rear pigs, and then kill them in the month preceding Christmas. From then on, almost every part of the pig is utilised in some way — to make Prosciutto, ham, bacon, pork chops and salami. In many Italian homes, Christmas is a pork feast, from roast pigling to pork sausage or Capone (stuffed pig's trotters) in the boiled mixed meat concoction called Bollito Misto. Giovanni Autunno's home in south Italy is no different.
The chef-cum-owner of Don Giovanni in Juhu may be spending his Christmases in Mumbai now, but his dinner remains as traditional as ever. The Christmas lunch starts with the antipasto which usually includes cheese, olives and other cured meat. This is followed by a good broth. "From central to south Italy, the broth is made with a whole turkey, usually killed around mid-November," says Giovanni, adding that the turkey is reared in corn fields where they feast on grasshoppers. The Pasatelli in brodo is a broth made with brown pasta (rolled like Christmas kulkuls) that contains parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
A peek into the Christmas menu at Don Giovanni reveals simple, tried-and-tested favourites from home. There are standard pasta dishes, the extremely light papardelle con funghi porcini (wild mushroom pasta which is best eaten hot), gnocchi di zuccha (pumpkin gnocchi with prawns and zucchini), and then the piece de resistance, ravioli de carne. The ravioli is stuffed with chicken, beef, Prosciutto (parma ham), cooked ham and mortadella (pork sausage made with finely ground pork meat, salt, white pepper, peppercorns, coriander, anise, pieces of pistachio and wine stuffed in a beef or pork casing).
The main course is either a roasted pigling "with an apple stuffed in its mouth", a stuffed turkey or both.
One staple at the Christmas table is the Cassata Siciliana. "This traditional cake is usually presented to visiting families. It is a round cake with fruit juices, liqueur and ricotta cheese, and has Arab origins," says Giovanni. Dessert is the crispy almond biscotti, the southern Italian special Cartellate pugliesi al sugo di pomegranate (a fried pastry-like dish topped with pomegranate syrup) and the Panzerotti (pastry filled with lemon marmalade and topped with pomegranate sauce). "Drinks are obviously strong wines, like the sweet moscato, or rosé wines called rosato," he says.
Italians rear pigs so they can kill them a month before Christmas and enjoy a traditional pork-filled holiday season
Italians love their pork. Most families rear pigs, and then kill them in the month preceding Christmas. From then on, almost every part of the pig is utilised in some way — to make Prosciutto, ham, bacon, pork chops and salami. In many Italian homes, Christmas is a pork feast, from roast pigling to pork sausage or Capone (stuffed pig's trotters) in the boiled mixed meat concoction called Bollito Misto. Giovanni Autunno's home in south Italy is no different.
The chef-cum-owner of Don Giovanni in Juhu may be spending his Christmases in Mumbai now, but his dinner remains as traditional as ever. The Christmas lunch starts with the antipasto which usually includes cheese, olives and other cured meat. This is followed by a good broth. "From central to south Italy, the broth is made with a whole turkey, usually killed around mid-November," says Giovanni, adding that the turkey is reared in corn fields where they feast on grasshoppers. The Pasatelli in brodo is a broth made with brown pasta (rolled like Christmas kulkuls) that contains parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
A peek into the Christmas menu at Don Giovanni reveals simple, tried-and-tested favourites from home. There are standard pasta dishes, the extremely light papardelle con funghi porcini (wild mushroom pasta which is best eaten hot), gnocchi di zuccha (pumpkin gnocchi with prawns and zucchini), and then the piece de resistance, ravioli de carne. The ravioli is stuffed with chicken, beef, Prosciutto (parma ham), cooked ham and mortadella (pork sausage made with finely ground pork meat, salt, white pepper, peppercorns, coriander, anise, pieces of pistachio and wine stuffed in a beef or pork casing).
The main course is either a roasted pigling "with an apple stuffed in its mouth", a stuffed turkey or both.
One staple at the Christmas table is the Cassata Siciliana. "This traditional cake is usually presented to visiting families. It is a round cake with fruit juices, liqueur and ricotta cheese, and has Arab origins," says Giovanni. Dessert is the crispy almond biscotti, the southern Italian special Cartellate pugliesi al sugo di pomegranate (a fried pastry-like dish topped with pomegranate syrup) and the Panzerotti (pastry filled with lemon marmalade and topped with pomegranate sauce). "Drinks are obviously strong wines, like the sweet moscato, or rosé wines called rosato," he says.
Buche de Noel Ingredients
Buche de Noel
Ingredients
l 4 eggs l 2/3 cup sugar
l 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract l 1/4 teaspoon salt l 1 cup cake flour l Chocolate butter cream l 7 egg whites l 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar l 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled l 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder l 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract l 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons butter softened
l 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Method: l Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan with a 1-inch lip (known as a jelly-roll pan) and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside. l Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. (Do not over-mix or the cake will have a tough texture). l Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the butter paper, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.
l To make the chocolate butter cream In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Set them aside. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Allow it to boil until it has reduced into slightly thickened syrup. Begin beating the egg whites on high speed again, and pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the egg whites and continue beating until the meringue has cooled completely, for about five minutes. l Add the softened butter to the meringue, two tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the butter cream becomes runny at any time during this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue. l Unroll the cake. Evenly spread two cups of chocolate butter cream on the inside and following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and re-attach them in the centre of the cake with a bit of butter cream to fashion a “branch”. Spread the exterior of the wood log cake with enough chocolate butter cream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark.
Ingredients
l 4 eggs l 2/3 cup sugar
l 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract l 1/4 teaspoon salt l 1 cup cake flour l Chocolate butter cream l 7 egg whites l 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar l 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled l 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder l 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract l 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons butter softened
l 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Method: l Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan with a 1-inch lip (known as a jelly-roll pan) and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside. l Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. (Do not over-mix or the cake will have a tough texture). l Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the butter paper, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.
l To make the chocolate butter cream In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Set them aside. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Allow it to boil until it has reduced into slightly thickened syrup. Begin beating the egg whites on high speed again, and pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the egg whites and continue beating until the meringue has cooled completely, for about five minutes. l Add the softened butter to the meringue, two tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the butter cream becomes runny at any time during this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue. l Unroll the cake. Evenly spread two cups of chocolate butter cream on the inside and following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and re-attach them in the centre of the cake with a bit of butter cream to fashion a “branch”. Spread the exterior of the wood log cake with enough chocolate butter cream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark.
Going home for foie gras and wicked desserts In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Going home for foie gras and wicked desserts
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Every Christmas eve, the Ward family sits down to a lavish meal in their cosy home in Cannes, in the south of France. The table groans under the weight of the food on it: roast turkey stuffed with carrots and broccoli, served with gravy; a seafood platter with oysters, prawns, foie gras and jam, and smoked salmon; a 'wicked' dessert — usually a Buche de Noel (Yule log); and lots of drinks. "Christmas is all about the kilos," said Charlotte Ward, operations manager at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, before going home for the holidays. "We eat everything very slowly, and drink lots of alcohol — it adds taste to an otherwise dry turkey."
Charlotte is half French and half English — her father Don Ward, founder of The Comedy Store in London, was responsible for changing the way Mumbai views comedy. But the family prefers to focus on their French heritage.
Christmas is a time when everyone in the family helps out. The youngest of three children, Charlotte is usually the one making the cookies, decorating the tree, and helping her mother with last-minute shopping. Charlotte's sister Natalie "is punished with preparing the vegetables", while her mother makes the main dishes. The men in the house collect wood for the fire.
After the meal, everyone gathers around the fireplace to exchange gifts and partake in an old French custom common to the Provence region. "The 13 desserts of Noel come from the 13 disciples at the Last Supper. The desserts are made using figs, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, etc —some dried and some served fresh," says Charlotte. These are served with nuts, butter biscuits and cookies, accompanied by tea, coffee or liqueur. While most Catholics in France follow a very traditional Christmas, a few succumb to time and work pressures. For them, the meal consists of just the turkey and the thirteen desserts are replaced with macaroons.
Before opening the presents, the Ward family has a round of speeches. "We take turns talking about the worst parts of the year and then raise a toast to the best moments. My father, the head of the family, gives a longer speech, thanking everyone and toasting to the future," she says.
Given the availability of turkey, fresh fish and different fruits, expats might find it easy enough to celebrate a traditional French Christmas in Mumbai. But for Ward, who can whip up a delicious Buche de Noel in two hours, Christmas is about spending time with family in France, and indulging in the one thing she misses in India: foie gras.
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Every Christmas eve, the Ward family sits down to a lavish meal in their cosy home in Cannes, in the south of France. The table groans under the weight of the food on it: roast turkey stuffed with carrots and broccoli, served with gravy; a seafood platter with oysters, prawns, foie gras and jam, and smoked salmon; a 'wicked' dessert — usually a Buche de Noel (Yule log); and lots of drinks. "Christmas is all about the kilos," said Charlotte Ward, operations manager at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, before going home for the holidays. "We eat everything very slowly, and drink lots of alcohol — it adds taste to an otherwise dry turkey."
Charlotte is half French and half English — her father Don Ward, founder of The Comedy Store in London, was responsible for changing the way Mumbai views comedy. But the family prefers to focus on their French heritage.
Christmas is a time when everyone in the family helps out. The youngest of three children, Charlotte is usually the one making the cookies, decorating the tree, and helping her mother with last-minute shopping. Charlotte's sister Natalie "is punished with preparing the vegetables", while her mother makes the main dishes. The men in the house collect wood for the fire.
After the meal, everyone gathers around the fireplace to exchange gifts and partake in an old French custom common to the Provence region. "The 13 desserts of Noel come from the 13 disciples at the Last Supper. The desserts are made using figs, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, etc —some dried and some served fresh," says Charlotte. These are served with nuts, butter biscuits and cookies, accompanied by tea, coffee or liqueur. While most Catholics in France follow a very traditional Christmas, a few succumb to time and work pressures. For them, the meal consists of just the turkey and the thirteen desserts are replaced with macaroons.
Before opening the presents, the Ward family has a round of speeches. "We take turns talking about the worst parts of the year and then raise a toast to the best moments. My father, the head of the family, gives a longer speech, thanking everyone and toasting to the future," she says.
Given the availability of turkey, fresh fish and different fruits, expats might find it easy enough to celebrate a traditional French Christmas in Mumbai. But for Ward, who can whip up a delicious Buche de Noel in two hours, Christmas is about spending time with family in France, and indulging in the one thing she misses in India: foie gras.
Where Christmas is a mix of cuisines In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Where Christmas is a mix of cuisines
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
In James Reppuhn's home in the United States, the festive season is when the family gets together. His home would see cousins, uncles, grandparents, nieces and nephews traipse in, loaded with Christmas goodies and presents. Food played a secondary role. "We would have had turkey just about a month earlier at Thanksgiving, so that wasn't the highlight," says this visiting executive chef at the JW Marriott hotel in Mumbai.
But there was always a lot of food. On the menu is stuffed turkey, which alternates yearly with goose or duck, mashed potatoes, bacon, green beans, mushrooms and cranberry sauce. "We would sit down mid-afternoon and have a true feast. There's beer and sometimes my uncles and I would bring out the scotch," he adds. Since his mother is Italian, there would be pasta too. And when his great grandmother was alive, she would make traditional Italian honey-glazed cookies. That was soon replaced by pumpkin pies and mince pies. "It's quite a mix of cuisines actually, something that can be found in most homes in the US," says James.
Given the large number of communities in the US, Christmas celebrations vary from home to home. For some it's a religious festival, whereas for others it is a festival 'for the kids'.
James hasn't been home for Christmas in 25 years. In fact, this is a busy time for him at work, and he usually just nibbles on turkey or sits down with fellow expats for a quiet dinner. But his mother diligently sends him pictures of the food, the Christmas tree and the presents back home to make him a part of the festivities there in a small way.
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
 |
In James Reppuhn's home in the United States, the festive season is when the family gets together. His home would see cousins, uncles, grandparents, nieces and nephews traipse in, loaded with Christmas goodies and presents. Food played a secondary role. "We would have had turkey just about a month earlier at Thanksgiving, so that wasn't the highlight," says this visiting executive chef at the JW Marriott hotel in Mumbai.
But there was always a lot of food. On the menu is stuffed turkey, which alternates yearly with goose or duck, mashed potatoes, bacon, green beans, mushrooms and cranberry sauce. "We would sit down mid-afternoon and have a true feast. There's beer and sometimes my uncles and I would bring out the scotch," he adds. Since his mother is Italian, there would be pasta too. And when his great grandmother was alive, she would make traditional Italian honey-glazed cookies. That was soon replaced by pumpkin pies and mince pies. "It's quite a mix of cuisines actually, something that can be found in most homes in the US," says James.
Given the large number of communities in the US, Christmas celebrations vary from home to home. For some it's a religious festival, whereas for others it is a festival 'for the kids'.
James hasn't been home for Christmas in 25 years. In fact, this is a busy time for him at work, and he usually just nibbles on turkey or sits down with fellow expats for a quiet dinner. But his mother diligently sends him pictures of the food, the Christmas tree and the presents back home to make him a part of the festivities there in a small way.
A wine that starts the party
A wine that starts the party
The reason they call it the holiday spirit is because often in certain circles, the urgent and unavoidable need to take a holiday can arise out of a consequence of substantial spirit intake. I do not mean to point fingers or raise doubts about the circles I move about, but suffice to say that almost all of us know someone who could easily qualify for this case of AWOL.
But not all things spirited need to be celebrated; otherwise put, a drink can be celebration of itself. While Champagne is the undoubted king of all things festive, there is another, lesser known and definitely more modest a wine, that has a massive worldwide celebration around its annual occurrence — something that could outweigh any event centred around the bigger boys of the wine world when it comes to global reach, integrated connectivity, and mass appeal. This humble wine hails from the region of Beaujolais and the festival is the Beaujolais Nouveau.
Now, let me say one thing right up front: I don’t think it is a fantastic wine nor should the style of wine from the region be over-lauded for it risks jeopardising the long-term future for the serious wines from this region. But it has to be allowed to this wine style that the aura it has managed to create around its arrival on the third Thursday of every November is nothing short of exemplary.
People the world over gather and wait for this wine which is released barely a few weeks after being harvested and put into tanks for fermentation. The notes are fresh, very fruity, and often a tad prickly. As stated, it is not the most polished and pedigreed of wines but what it lacks in finesse, it more than makes up for in gaiety.
For no other wine can claim to attract so many consumers, no other region can recreate the aura in the streets of Lyon on the day of the launch, when restaurants all set up a table outside to serve this wine alongside some charcuterie (small smoked pork products). People move from one stand to another, till they almost lose count, or each other, in the spirited mob. The mornings after are often heavy, headache-ridden, and with an unmistakeably redolent aftertaste of cherries, or sometimes, bananas. The wine isn’t something that is discussed beyond the end of the fourth week. For a wine that appears to have a “drinking window” of no more than a fortnight, it is surprising to note that almost half the production of the region of Beaujolais goes into the making of this simple wine and another majority makes the generic Beaujolais. The serious wines (from the 10 top villages), in comparison, are but a meagre statistic on a chart.
The lesson then is clear: the world likes a party and any wine that can bring one on will be popularly accepted. All wines need not be ageing-worthy to be considered great. With Xmas and NYE around the corner, stop hogging your little stash: reach into the deep, dark, and dank corners of your cellar, reach deeper into your heart, and pull out whatever you can generously, and share it — you will find that the festive spirit only stands to be enhanced. Till next year…
The reason they call it the holiday spirit is because often in certain circles, the urgent and unavoidable need to take a holiday can arise out of a consequence of substantial spirit intake. I do not mean to point fingers or raise doubts about the circles I move about, but suffice to say that almost all of us know someone who could easily qualify for this case of AWOL.
But not all things spirited need to be celebrated; otherwise put, a drink can be celebration of itself. While Champagne is the undoubted king of all things festive, there is another, lesser known and definitely more modest a wine, that has a massive worldwide celebration around its annual occurrence — something that could outweigh any event centred around the bigger boys of the wine world when it comes to global reach, integrated connectivity, and mass appeal. This humble wine hails from the region of Beaujolais and the festival is the Beaujolais Nouveau.
Now, let me say one thing right up front: I don’t think it is a fantastic wine nor should the style of wine from the region be over-lauded for it risks jeopardising the long-term future for the serious wines from this region. But it has to be allowed to this wine style that the aura it has managed to create around its arrival on the third Thursday of every November is nothing short of exemplary.
People the world over gather and wait for this wine which is released barely a few weeks after being harvested and put into tanks for fermentation. The notes are fresh, very fruity, and often a tad prickly. As stated, it is not the most polished and pedigreed of wines but what it lacks in finesse, it more than makes up for in gaiety.
For no other wine can claim to attract so many consumers, no other region can recreate the aura in the streets of Lyon on the day of the launch, when restaurants all set up a table outside to serve this wine alongside some charcuterie (small smoked pork products). People move from one stand to another, till they almost lose count, or each other, in the spirited mob. The mornings after are often heavy, headache-ridden, and with an unmistakeably redolent aftertaste of cherries, or sometimes, bananas. The wine isn’t something that is discussed beyond the end of the fourth week. For a wine that appears to have a “drinking window” of no more than a fortnight, it is surprising to note that almost half the production of the region of Beaujolais goes into the making of this simple wine and another majority makes the generic Beaujolais. The serious wines (from the 10 top villages), in comparison, are but a meagre statistic on a chart.
The lesson then is clear: the world likes a party and any wine that can bring one on will be popularly accepted. All wines need not be ageing-worthy to be considered great. With Xmas and NYE around the corner, stop hogging your little stash: reach into the deep, dark, and dank corners of your cellar, reach deeper into your heart, and pull out whatever you can generously, and share it — you will find that the festive spirit only stands to be enhanced. Till next year…
MERRY HANUKKAH Even though Christmas steals the limelight every December, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, some of which include jam doughnuts, cinnamon apple fritters and cream cheese apricot rolls,
MERRY HANUKKAH
Even though Christmas steals the limelight every December, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, some of which include jam doughnuts, cinnamon apple fritters and cream cheese apricot rolls,
Ah, December. ‘Tis the season to appropriate another community’s merry traditions with little regard for religious consistency. It doesn’t matter if they believe in Santa or worry about thinly-veiled consumerism — everyone seems to be planning a turkey dinner, a festive brunch or at the very least, a drinking session. Santas are sweating bullets in every shopping mall anddwarfish plastic trees are twinkling everywhere. As far as marketing goes, there isn’t a festival in the world that can beat the birth of Jesus Christ.
So it seems unfortunate that Hanukkah occurs the same time as Christmas. The Jewish holiday, with its dreary history — the commemoration of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the second century BCE — and its customs — lighting candles for the eight-day duration — doesn’t have the same flair as Christmas, which is celebrated mostly by buying lots of things.
Fortunately, the Jewish community was sensible enough to include a menu which sounds like a sugar-crazed 13-year-old’s wet dream: deep-fried jelly-filled doughnuts, cream cheese apricot rolls, potato pancakes, applesauce, cinnamon apple fritters, and so on. Not many of us are aware to this sugar-coated alternative to Christmas. So I felt it my journalistic duty to make all this food, eat it, and tell you about it.
Latkes are spiritual
A quick google yielded kosher-friendly recipes for Latkes (potato pancakes), Sufganiyot (deep-fried jelly doughnuts), sweet cream cheese Rugelach (rolled cookies with a jam filling), and apple fritters. The ingredients are simple, confining themselves to things you already have in your kitchen. The recipes don’t involve long-term commitments (unlike the six to eight hours required for turkey), or investments in fancy kitchenware. This is an ideal situation for a foodie like me who, while very interested in the eating aspect of food, is somewhat less enthusiastic about the preceding stage of ‘cooking’.
The Latkes are the easiest to make. Five to six potatoes are mashed into submission, along with an onion. Add eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and deep-fry the resultant mixture in small batches. The Latkes turn out to be a crowd-favourite when fed to friends — they’re crunchy on the outside and total comfort food on the inside. The oil which the Latke is fried in is symbolic of the oil that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit, an association which accounts for the prevalence of deep-fried food in the Hanukkah menu. So yes, these aren’t the healthiest option, but you’re participating in an ancient ritual. That’s what I told myself as I wolfed down a couple without bothering about details like a plate or an expanding waistline.
Versatile doughnuts
The deep-fried jelly doughnuts require a little more manoeuvring. Mix together the yeast, sugar, milk, salt, butter, cinnamon and eggs. This mixture was kept overnight in the fridge. When I took it out the next morning, the lump didn’t look like it had done much besides sit there, so possibly I did this wrong.
This lump has to be flattened and cut into circles with a diameter of about two inches. If, like me, you can’t be bothered to hunt down a measuring scale, get a Marie biscuit and cut the dough around it. Scoop out some jam on to the middle of a circle of dough, and cover it with another circle of dough. Pinch together the edges till it forms a rotund cookie. And then — surprise, surprise — deep-fry them. These are best eaten warm, and lose their charm after a few hours. Eaten fresh off the stove, with hot jam spilling out from every bite — they are heart attack good. Angel Bakeries, the largest bakery in Israel, fries up more than 2,50,000 of these during Hanukkah. As a result of the national craze for them, the simple doughnut has become a culinary chameleon — the cheapest version is stuffed with jelly, while others have chocolate cream or vanilla cream.
Tricky little twists
The Rugelach (which means ‘little twists’ in Yiddish) doesn’t dillydally — right at the start I have to empty the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and mash. Add the sugar and vanilla essence, and toss into the fridge for an hour. Four balls are made of this, each of which had to be rolled out like a pizza pie, dabbed with apricot jam and raisins, and finally cut into eight slices, each of which would be folded into itself to create cute little cookie rolls.
This was the point where Hanukkah cooking kind of went off the rails for me. The dough refused to cooperate, clinging desperately to every surface it encountered. It fell apart at the slightest provocation, and even if forced into a roll, sat there sullenly with jam oozing out of the edges. Of the 30 biscuits I rolled, only 15 survived. The others ended up in a giant, jam-smeared blob of dough in my dustbin. The survivors were coated with sugar and egg, and slid into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. They came out looking a lot better than how they went in — browning warmly, with crispy edges.
Wish you good health
The apple fritters are the closest you’ll get to a healthy option. I combined flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and stirred in milk, eggs and chopped up apples. I took this mixture and — who could have seen this surprise ending coming — deep-fried spoonfuls of it. The glaze for these fritters was made with half a cup of powdered sugar, mixed with a tablespoon of milk, drizzled over the cookies.
The goodies were received with enthusiasm and contented sounds by both friends and colleagues. Hanukkah is the new Christmas — and if all this artery-clogging goodness is making you nervous, don’t worry — that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for.
Even though Christmas steals the limelight every December, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, some of which include jam doughnuts, cinnamon apple fritters and cream cheese apricot rolls,
Ah, December. ‘Tis the season to appropriate another community’s merry traditions with little regard for religious consistency. It doesn’t matter if they believe in Santa or worry about thinly-veiled consumerism — everyone seems to be planning a turkey dinner, a festive brunch or at the very least, a drinking session. Santas are sweating bullets in every shopping mall anddwarfish plastic trees are twinkling everywhere. As far as marketing goes, there isn’t a festival in the world that can beat the birth of Jesus Christ.
So it seems unfortunate that Hanukkah occurs the same time as Christmas. The Jewish holiday, with its dreary history — the commemoration of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the second century BCE — and its customs — lighting candles for the eight-day duration — doesn’t have the same flair as Christmas, which is celebrated mostly by buying lots of things.
Fortunately, the Jewish community was sensible enough to include a menu which sounds like a sugar-crazed 13-year-old’s wet dream: deep-fried jelly-filled doughnuts, cream cheese apricot rolls, potato pancakes, applesauce, cinnamon apple fritters, and so on. Not many of us are aware to this sugar-coated alternative to Christmas. So I felt it my journalistic duty to make all this food, eat it, and tell you about it.
Latkes are spiritual
A quick google yielded kosher-friendly recipes for Latkes (potato pancakes), Sufganiyot (deep-fried jelly doughnuts), sweet cream cheese Rugelach (rolled cookies with a jam filling), and apple fritters. The ingredients are simple, confining themselves to things you already have in your kitchen. The recipes don’t involve long-term commitments (unlike the six to eight hours required for turkey), or investments in fancy kitchenware. This is an ideal situation for a foodie like me who, while very interested in the eating aspect of food, is somewhat less enthusiastic about the preceding stage of ‘cooking’.
The Latkes are the easiest to make. Five to six potatoes are mashed into submission, along with an onion. Add eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and deep-fry the resultant mixture in small batches. The Latkes turn out to be a crowd-favourite when fed to friends — they’re crunchy on the outside and total comfort food on the inside. The oil which the Latke is fried in is symbolic of the oil that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit, an association which accounts for the prevalence of deep-fried food in the Hanukkah menu. So yes, these aren’t the healthiest option, but you’re participating in an ancient ritual. That’s what I told myself as I wolfed down a couple without bothering about details like a plate or an expanding waistline.
Versatile doughnuts
The deep-fried jelly doughnuts require a little more manoeuvring. Mix together the yeast, sugar, milk, salt, butter, cinnamon and eggs. This mixture was kept overnight in the fridge. When I took it out the next morning, the lump didn’t look like it had done much besides sit there, so possibly I did this wrong.
This lump has to be flattened and cut into circles with a diameter of about two inches. If, like me, you can’t be bothered to hunt down a measuring scale, get a Marie biscuit and cut the dough around it. Scoop out some jam on to the middle of a circle of dough, and cover it with another circle of dough. Pinch together the edges till it forms a rotund cookie. And then — surprise, surprise — deep-fry them. These are best eaten warm, and lose their charm after a few hours. Eaten fresh off the stove, with hot jam spilling out from every bite — they are heart attack good. Angel Bakeries, the largest bakery in Israel, fries up more than 2,50,000 of these during Hanukkah. As a result of the national craze for them, the simple doughnut has become a culinary chameleon — the cheapest version is stuffed with jelly, while others have chocolate cream or vanilla cream.
Tricky little twists
The Rugelach (which means ‘little twists’ in Yiddish) doesn’t dillydally — right at the start I have to empty the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and mash. Add the sugar and vanilla essence, and toss into the fridge for an hour. Four balls are made of this, each of which had to be rolled out like a pizza pie, dabbed with apricot jam and raisins, and finally cut into eight slices, each of which would be folded into itself to create cute little cookie rolls.
This was the point where Hanukkah cooking kind of went off the rails for me. The dough refused to cooperate, clinging desperately to every surface it encountered. It fell apart at the slightest provocation, and even if forced into a roll, sat there sullenly with jam oozing out of the edges. Of the 30 biscuits I rolled, only 15 survived. The others ended up in a giant, jam-smeared blob of dough in my dustbin. The survivors were coated with sugar and egg, and slid into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. They came out looking a lot better than how they went in — browning warmly, with crispy edges.
Wish you good health
The apple fritters are the closest you’ll get to a healthy option. I combined flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and stirred in milk, eggs and chopped up apples. I took this mixture and — who could have seen this surprise ending coming — deep-fried spoonfuls of it. The glaze for these fritters was made with half a cup of powdered sugar, mixed with a tablespoon of milk, drizzled over the cookies.
The goodies were received with enthusiasm and contented sounds by both friends and colleagues. Hanukkah is the new Christmas — and if all this artery-clogging goodness is making you nervous, don’t worry — that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for.
How would you like your plum cake... Frozen?
How would you like your plum cake... Frozen?
If Santa Claus comes to town, he would probably stop over for a quick ice break from Mumbai’s ‘there-but-not-there’ winter at Aloha on Bandra’s Carter Road. The small outlet may be barely discernible, tucked in a corner of Sea Spray General Stores, but inside is an exotic world of paletas (Spanish popsicles) made of fresh fruit, chocolate, dairy products and sno (shaved ice).
These fruit bars on sticks are divided into four categories: dairy, fruity, healthy and exotic. At the counter is the 24-year-old ‘chef’, Sudheer Grover, who left his father’s business to pursue something he has been doing from childhood - making frozen candy with watermelon and cola.
For us, Grover produced two Christmas flavours. The first one was the traditional plum cake, except that this one was frozen. But it’s the next one that Grover has named ‘Santa’s favourite’ - a heady mixture of kiwi, raspberry and white chocolate, which are the colours of Christmas. “Kiwi is the only fruit which has a natural green colour, and we wanted to give a mixture of tangy and sweet flavours,” explains Grover.
A blackboard on the wall tells us what’s on offer, which is necessary because Aloha’s menu changes every three days. “Our paletas are completely natural and have no added flavour, colouring or preservative. They have a shelf life of six months, but we make small batches because they slowly lose their taste after a few days,” says Grover.
Our favourite was the Fruitilicious paleta made of pieces of kiwi, strawberry, blueberry and tangerine held together with lemon grass juice. If you are thinking of trying this at home, Grover suggests sticking to plain juices, because layering and getting the fruits in place requires a steady hand and plenty of time and experience.
If Santa Claus comes to town, he would probably stop over for a quick ice break from Mumbai’s ‘there-but-not-there’ winter at Aloha on Bandra’s Carter Road. The small outlet may be barely discernible, tucked in a corner of Sea Spray General Stores, but inside is an exotic world of paletas (Spanish popsicles) made of fresh fruit, chocolate, dairy products and sno (shaved ice).
These fruit bars on sticks are divided into four categories: dairy, fruity, healthy and exotic. At the counter is the 24-year-old ‘chef’, Sudheer Grover, who left his father’s business to pursue something he has been doing from childhood - making frozen candy with watermelon and cola.
For us, Grover produced two Christmas flavours. The first one was the traditional plum cake, except that this one was frozen. But it’s the next one that Grover has named ‘Santa’s favourite’ - a heady mixture of kiwi, raspberry and white chocolate, which are the colours of Christmas. “Kiwi is the only fruit which has a natural green colour, and we wanted to give a mixture of tangy and sweet flavours,” explains Grover.
A blackboard on the wall tells us what’s on offer, which is necessary because Aloha’s menu changes every three days. “Our paletas are completely natural and have no added flavour, colouring or preservative. They have a shelf life of six months, but we make small batches because they slowly lose their taste after a few days,” says Grover.
Our favourite was the Fruitilicious paleta made of pieces of kiwi, strawberry, blueberry and tangerine held together with lemon grass juice. If you are thinking of trying this at home, Grover suggests sticking to plain juices, because layering and getting the fruits in place requires a steady hand and plenty of time and experience.
Monday, December 12, 2011
!! Bhindi Sambhariya ~ Gujarati Style Stuffed Okra !!
Bhindi Sambhariya ~ Gujarati Style Stuffed Okra
1/4 kg tender okra/bhindi/bendakayalu
1/4 tsp hing/asafoetida/inguva
1 1/2 tsps ginger green chili paste
1/2 tbsp roasted coriander pwd
3-4 tbsps fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tsps brown sugar or jaggery or white sugar
2 tbsps coarsely powdered peanuts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Not holding my drink
Not holding my drink
Telling someone that I am a teetotaler often feels like I am explaining an eccentric dressing sense — why do I always wear fuchsia pink striped pants, an orange top, and throw in a balaclava, too? Something like that.
I think it first happened in college. When I told my group of friends I don't drink, one raised her eyebrows and nodded — sympathetically. Another coolly put his arm around me. If I could hear the voices in people's heads, I am sure I would have overheard, "We'll see, Kiddo. I'm sure we can take care of that."
They couldn't. Neither could the group after them.
Unfortunately for them, and the numerous colleagues and friends who followed, I earnestly began explaining why I am a teetotaler. The logic is rather elegant. Roses are red, violets are blue and I hate the way most drinks taste. My boss is a patient man, but I don't think even he can help shaking his head when I announce, in the middle of his third drink, that alcohol tastes like shit.
The next, almost automatic point most people make is that it is OK (a euphemism for 'it's permissible, even normal') to not like alcohol immediately. The key, a wise friend once told me, is to keep at it, never lose sight of, er, something. Something important… he trailed off. "The point is to keep drinking till you like it," he finished theatrically.
"But why would I ever go back to something that's repulsive?" I asked, twirling the little paper umbrella they often stick into mocktails. My friend shook his head and scowled at the umbrella as if it was making me say those things.
The day after, he came over to my place to tell me that he understood "why I am this way". I folded my hands as he sunk into the couch and opened a pocket notebook where he had scribbled something that he obviously meant to read out loud. It reminded me of a scene in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume II, where an assassin casually reads out what the venom of a black mamba can do, while her victim writhes on the floor. Well, no resemblances here, at least.
"A teetotaler may cite religious or social convictions as the basis for her abstinence, or else she may have witnessed the effects of alcohol on relatives at an early age. The decision to become a teetotaler is based on one's own moral code. While some may view a teetotaler as someone afraid to take risks or join the popular crowd, others may see a teetotaler as someone capable of taking a strong position on an issue and not compromising due to peer pressure," he read out monotonously. "So, do you have any of these issues?" he looked up and asked. I made obnoxious slurping noises with the straw in my glass of lemonade after the drink had run out.
I've tried generous amounts of vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey, beer — everything that makes so many people so happy (high). And I can hold my drink till long after people spewed secrets and more. The worst that happened when I was tipsy on two occasions was snatching mobile phones from co-tipsy friends to stop them from talking to people (because I was talking) and locking myself in the bedroom of my friend's parents and telling her mother that I would not come out unless "a rescue mission is organised by the watchmen" — dogs, ladders and all.
A friend once told me uninhibited conversation is possible only after a generous number of shots swirl in your bloodstream. I get it, but telling it like it is in sobriety is just as fun. The only thing that's changed since I did that even as a kid, is that after a blunt remark to a relative, I am no longer taken in to a nearby room and warned to tone it down. Now, I can call for fuzzy mocktails — with umbrellas — sit back and watch the fun.
Telling someone that I am a teetotaler often feels like I am explaining an eccentric dressing sense — why do I always wear fuchsia pink striped pants, an orange top, and throw in a balaclava, too? Something like that.I think it first happened in college. When I told my group of friends I don't drink, one raised her eyebrows and nodded — sympathetically. Another coolly put his arm around me. If I could hear the voices in people's heads, I am sure I would have overheard, "We'll see, Kiddo. I'm sure we can take care of that."
They couldn't. Neither could the group after them.
Unfortunately for them, and the numerous colleagues and friends who followed, I earnestly began explaining why I am a teetotaler. The logic is rather elegant. Roses are red, violets are blue and I hate the way most drinks taste. My boss is a patient man, but I don't think even he can help shaking his head when I announce, in the middle of his third drink, that alcohol tastes like shit.
The next, almost automatic point most people make is that it is OK (a euphemism for 'it's permissible, even normal') to not like alcohol immediately. The key, a wise friend once told me, is to keep at it, never lose sight of, er, something. Something important… he trailed off. "The point is to keep drinking till you like it," he finished theatrically.
"But why would I ever go back to something that's repulsive?" I asked, twirling the little paper umbrella they often stick into mocktails. My friend shook his head and scowled at the umbrella as if it was making me say those things.
The day after, he came over to my place to tell me that he understood "why I am this way". I folded my hands as he sunk into the couch and opened a pocket notebook where he had scribbled something that he obviously meant to read out loud. It reminded me of a scene in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume II, where an assassin casually reads out what the venom of a black mamba can do, while her victim writhes on the floor. Well, no resemblances here, at least.
"A teetotaler may cite religious or social convictions as the basis for her abstinence, or else she may have witnessed the effects of alcohol on relatives at an early age. The decision to become a teetotaler is based on one's own moral code. While some may view a teetotaler as someone afraid to take risks or join the popular crowd, others may see a teetotaler as someone capable of taking a strong position on an issue and not compromising due to peer pressure," he read out monotonously. "So, do you have any of these issues?" he looked up and asked. I made obnoxious slurping noises with the straw in my glass of lemonade after the drink had run out.
I've tried generous amounts of vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey, beer — everything that makes so many people so happy (high). And I can hold my drink till long after people spewed secrets and more. The worst that happened when I was tipsy on two occasions was snatching mobile phones from co-tipsy friends to stop them from talking to people (because I was talking) and locking myself in the bedroom of my friend's parents and telling her mother that I would not come out unless "a rescue mission is organised by the watchmen" — dogs, ladders and all.
A friend once told me uninhibited conversation is possible only after a generous number of shots swirl in your bloodstream. I get it, but telling it like it is in sobriety is just as fun. The only thing that's changed since I did that even as a kid, is that after a blunt remark to a relative, I am no longer taken in to a nearby room and warned to tone it down. Now, I can call for fuzzy mocktails — with umbrellas — sit back and watch the fun.
Choosing the right food for kids
Choosing the right food for kids
So how many of you moms have beamed from ear to ear whenever someone has remembered the 'Chubby cheeks' rhyme on seeing your child? I used to too whenever I used to hear those words for my four-year-old daughter. I used to take this as a personal certificate for being the best mommy as I was feeding the child just the right things to get to her chubbiness. This, coming after a child who was extremely thin and people used to give me looks like I would deliberately not feed him.
Soon I realised that my daughter was gaining weight rapidly. But yet again I was proud of having a baby ahead of her milestones. Then one day when I took her to her pediatrician I was taken aback when he told me that my daughter was overweight and that she should be put on a diet or else she will keep gaining weight gradually as she grows older. He also told me her weight was not a matter of pride, but should be a matter of concern.
Can you imagine my shock? I refused to believe it. I told him that he was unnecessarily setting the alarm bells ringing when none were needed. He advised me that I should avoid, as much as I could, giving her any food high on sugar and fat. I was left open mouthed! Imagine getting a child who loves all the fatty, sugary foods to avoid it. How would I manage? And, in all honesty, I still haven't.
With a very heavy heart I told my family this and they told me to take the doctor's advice with a pinch of salt. They felt that she would lose all her 'baby fat' on her own or as she grows up. That is what I wanted to do too. But I could not not address my dilemma as to her weight gain. I discussed this situation with my mommy friends too and they just laughed it off saying I worry too much and she'll lose the weight without me having to worry about it.
Not that my daughter's weight is over the top and something to really worry about. But then when I come across some children in and around schools and my neighbourhood, I see that there are lots of kids who are overweight, and yet there is no sense of concern about it — whether it is the kid or the parents. When I researched it, I realised that there is a growing incidence of obesity in our young kids even before they reach adolescence. It is a matter of concern.
As a mother, I had a choice, I could ignore what the doctor said and let her be the way she is, or take some steps to ensure that her growth is as per milestones and not rapid. I chose the latter. Some still think I am crazy to control her diet, but I'd rather do it now than having to see her suffer with weight-related issues later. Also, there is absolutely no harm in raising a child who is conscious of what she eats, how outdoor play is important, and knowing that being fit is healthy.
I wouldn't call it a successful attempt yet, nor have I taken all the necessary steps needed, but the process has begun. I think the most important thing here was accepting the fact that as a mother my job was not only to feed my kids, but feed them the right food as well.
 | |
So how many of you moms have beamed from ear to ear whenever someone has remembered the 'Chubby cheeks' rhyme on seeing your child? I used to too whenever I used to hear those words for my four-year-old daughter. I used to take this as a personal certificate for being the best mommy as I was feeding the child just the right things to get to her chubbiness. This, coming after a child who was extremely thin and people used to give me looks like I would deliberately not feed him.
Soon I realised that my daughter was gaining weight rapidly. But yet again I was proud of having a baby ahead of her milestones. Then one day when I took her to her pediatrician I was taken aback when he told me that my daughter was overweight and that she should be put on a diet or else she will keep gaining weight gradually as she grows older. He also told me her weight was not a matter of pride, but should be a matter of concern.
Can you imagine my shock? I refused to believe it. I told him that he was unnecessarily setting the alarm bells ringing when none were needed. He advised me that I should avoid, as much as I could, giving her any food high on sugar and fat. I was left open mouthed! Imagine getting a child who loves all the fatty, sugary foods to avoid it. How would I manage? And, in all honesty, I still haven't.
With a very heavy heart I told my family this and they told me to take the doctor's advice with a pinch of salt. They felt that she would lose all her 'baby fat' on her own or as she grows up. That is what I wanted to do too. But I could not not address my dilemma as to her weight gain. I discussed this situation with my mommy friends too and they just laughed it off saying I worry too much and she'll lose the weight without me having to worry about it.
Not that my daughter's weight is over the top and something to really worry about. But then when I come across some children in and around schools and my neighbourhood, I see that there are lots of kids who are overweight, and yet there is no sense of concern about it — whether it is the kid or the parents. When I researched it, I realised that there is a growing incidence of obesity in our young kids even before they reach adolescence. It is a matter of concern.
As a mother, I had a choice, I could ignore what the doctor said and let her be the way she is, or take some steps to ensure that her growth is as per milestones and not rapid. I chose the latter. Some still think I am crazy to control her diet, but I'd rather do it now than having to see her suffer with weight-related issues later. Also, there is absolutely no harm in raising a child who is conscious of what she eats, how outdoor play is important, and knowing that being fit is healthy.
I wouldn't call it a successful attempt yet, nor have I taken all the necessary steps needed, but the process has begun. I think the most important thing here was accepting the fact that as a mother my job was not only to feed my kids, but feed them the right food as well.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Rustlin' up a shaadi menu With the bridal season on, top chefs reveal the growing popularity of theme-based cuisines at weddings
Rustlin' up a shaadi menu
With the bridal season on, top chefs reveal the growing popularity of theme-based cuisines at weddings
Apart from the bride's trousseau, the shaadi ka khaana is often the most talked about at a wedding... for years after even. Much thought, effort, energy and even resources go into the making of that perfect wedding menu. And theme-based cuisine is hot now. Right from the trousseau, the decor, down to the menu, the theme is adhered to, as event managers and chefs work in conjunction. Celebrated Chef Milind Sovani, of Song of India, explains, "The new generation travels a lot and is hence exposed to a variety of cuisines. Nowadays, the guest list is also varied, which leads concentrating on different cuisines. So when I design the menu, I create new dishes." He cites instances: if the theme is blue, the menu revolves around seafood, water chestnut. "You can incorporate natural colours to go with the decor. If it's a mountain theme, we'd do a pahari cuisine. Someone created a Taj Mahal mandap, so the menu was designed on the cuisines of the palaces of India."
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor agrees, "Weddings come in all shapes and sizes, colours and themes! We have event management companies who design the invitation card, to the different pre-nuptial ceremonies, to all the themes and then the grand finale and the thank you cards too." He points out that now there are live Pasta counters, Mexican starters and Mediterranean mezze. "I still feel we should include regional themes in weddings. I also feel the 'caterers' have come of age. You can actually call them the messiahs of fine dine weddings!" asserts Kapoor.
Vicky Ratnani, Head Chef of Aurus, says, "You'll see a lot of individually small-plated buffet and desserts, live stations of pastas, barbeque, and desserts. Everyone wants to be different, so we try and create what is appreciated."
With the bridal season on, top chefs reveal the growing popularity of theme-based cuisines at weddings
Apart from the bride's trousseau, the shaadi ka khaana is often the most talked about at a wedding... for years after even. Much thought, effort, energy and even resources go into the making of that perfect wedding menu. And theme-based cuisine is hot now. Right from the trousseau, the decor, down to the menu, the theme is adhered to, as event managers and chefs work in conjunction. Celebrated Chef Milind Sovani, of Song of India, explains, "The new generation travels a lot and is hence exposed to a variety of cuisines. Nowadays, the guest list is also varied, which leads concentrating on different cuisines. So when I design the menu, I create new dishes." He cites instances: if the theme is blue, the menu revolves around seafood, water chestnut. "You can incorporate natural colours to go with the decor. If it's a mountain theme, we'd do a pahari cuisine. Someone created a Taj Mahal mandap, so the menu was designed on the cuisines of the palaces of India."
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor agrees, "Weddings come in all shapes and sizes, colours and themes! We have event management companies who design the invitation card, to the different pre-nuptial ceremonies, to all the themes and then the grand finale and the thank you cards too." He points out that now there are live Pasta counters, Mexican starters and Mediterranean mezze. "I still feel we should include regional themes in weddings. I also feel the 'caterers' have come of age. You can actually call them the messiahs of fine dine weddings!" asserts Kapoor.
Vicky Ratnani, Head Chef of Aurus, says, "You'll see a lot of individually small-plated buffet and desserts, live stations of pastas, barbeque, and desserts. Everyone wants to be different, so we try and create what is appreciated."
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