British Picnic At Wild Asparagus Table

Okay, let me tell you the truth. Parties are fun only when we actually meet our friends, eat the food together and click memories of our friends and the food. 

The last memorable potluck we had was on upper deck of AB Celestial in January 2020. We had loved that Episode 6 of our Wild Asparagus Table on Albanian Cuisine. The open space, the breeze and the sunset, how much more exotic can it get?

Our next plan was to have a meeting in some resort, out of Mumbai. We had begun to love our monthly meets where we explored international cuisine. Wild Asparagus Table was initiated by Saloni Malkani and Ananya Banerjee and we really enjoyed our monthly meets of exploring food culture of international cuisine. 

And Boom! Pandemic happened and we were locked behind closed doors. We didn’t lose touch, seriously! In fact we have got closer, we were in touch with each other on social media (thank God for that)  and as the Corona virus weakened its tentacles, we met. 

This time with a theme of #BritishPicnic.

So, we were back on our research trail understanding the custom, culture and the food.

Shilpa Seth Bhambri graciously offered to host the potluck at her beautiful cozy home at Wadala and even bent backward to create an appropriate set-up of London ambience with post cards, books and colourful bicycle decked with full bloom flowers. Although there are more than eighty members in our Watsapp group, but due to Pandemic only ten members could attend.

Exotic menu was planned that wouldn't be available in any restaurant in Mumbai

And, the food that appeared on the table was mind blowing. Every dish was home-cooked with love and interest, every bite was soul satisfying.

Me, I prepared Summer Potato Salad

After a long time, with shopping bag tucked under my elbow and a mask covering my face, I ventured out to shop for ingredients at the food mall. I was excited and I wanted it to be perfect.

I loved my own creation and my friends enjoyed it too. Here is the recipe, if you wish to make:

1. Boil 6 eggs for 20 minutes. Cool and slice them.

2. Place ½ kg red potatoes in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover upto 2 inches and pressure cook upto 3 whistles. Cool, peel and chop the boiled potatoes into bite size squares.

3. Blanch Green Peas, chopped carrots and chopped beans separately.

4. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and add the blanched Peas, carrots and beans. Add salt, black pepper, honey and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. In a medium bowl, combine regular Mayonnaise, BBQ Mayonnaise, Cream Cheese, dijon Mustard. Add refrigerated potatoes and vegetables prepared earlier and mix it gently.

6. Transfer the mixture to Salad bowl, in layers, alternating with sliced boiled eggs.

7. Carefully place Cranberries, boiled Eggs and Chives to style an outdoor picnic theme.

8. Garnish with black pepper, mixed herbs and finely chopped chives.

Summer Potato Salad Recipe is also cross- posted on Vikhroli Cuisine website

It truly felt like we were out there, in some picnic spot in London. I am so eagerly waiting for this pandemic to end so that we can freely enjoy the parties again.

Enjoy the flavours of the afternoon on my youtube

The Albanian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable – Episode Six

I was not drunk, (I never am) but I swayed at every step, to and fro… the floor seemed to move like a swing, from left to right and back to the left..I looked for a secure seat to sit down...there were beautiful soft, white couches everywhere, (very comfortable) lined neatly against the rim of the boat. Fresh sea air filled with fishy smell, heavy  traffic moved at the distant sea link, cutting across the blue sky that kissed the ocean across the horizon. I was to spend the evening at floating restaurant  @AB Celestial Floatel celebrating Albanian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable with my foodie friends and home chefs.

The sea, the sun downer (I love sunsets) and the floating restaurant...What a combo!..Bless them, our Captains (Ananya Banerjee and Salloni Malkani) for choosing such an ambience for our Albanian-themed potluck..This month of Jan 2020, thirty of us decided to meet at ABCeletianFloatel a floating restaurant, pretending that we are on the shores of Albania, each one cooked with their researched culinary creation and shared their stories as if they had just returned from their Europe trip……

pic courtsey..Samir

Naturally,  before the potluck, we do lot of homework. research on food culture and to know the place..its like a virtual holiday we take to understand what are the interesting facts about that place. Did you know that the national airport of Albania is named after Mother Teresa. The full name of the the airport is Tirana International Nene Tereza? Or that the dishes are prepared from fresh ingredients found locally and seasonally. Grilling is common as its baking, so the flavours are pure and rich and the interesting fact about Albanains is that there are no McDonald's chains in the country.

Now you know……say Thank you ..

Food of Albania has been influenced by all of its neighbouring countries, but from what I’ve seen of their recipes, I think Greece has made the most influence.  Including their lunch, which is a large salad of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and olives.  Hmm…

So sorry, you were not invited, (or could not come because of other commitments) but those who were there, went into foodorgasms, devouring each dish with relish and a selfie….my mouth was flooded with nutritious taste…loved every dish…every dish cooked with love and passion

My friends cooked….

1. Ananya - Speca Me Glize ( Stuffed Pepper & Rice casserole ) NV
2. Saloni - Cheese and pepper salad
3. Pushpa - Qofte Dë Fërguara NV
4. Avni -
5. Dhvani –Buffalo Feta Cheese, green Olive tapanade, with salad leaves and pita bread
6. Aruna - Albanian Salad With Feta cheese With Bread
7. Anahita - Albanian Wheat Pudding
8. Moumita - Griddled Boneless chicken & Corn On The Cob Salad NV
& Basbousa Eggless Semolina Cake with Nuts
9. Shilpa - 3 Milk Cake Trilace & Low Cal Ice Cream
10. Rummy - Gjelle Me Mish E àPatate With Bread & Gjize NV
11. Muskan - Byrek Me Mish (Meat Pie) NV
12. Hemali -
13. Samir -Fresh Strawberry and dark chocolate ice cream
14. Anjali - Perime Ne Zgare (Grilled Vegetables)
15. Indrani - Flijia (Dessert)
16. Shital - Qifqi With Ajvar Sauce & Tahini Helva
17. Shivani - Shendetlie (Walnut Cake)
18. Sunita -
19. Nupur - Qumeshtor (Milk Pie)
20. Marcellus Baptista
21. Faizia -Tave Kosi
22. Simmi - Pispili (Spinach Cornbread)
23. Meeta - Tulumbe
24. Bimba - Leek & Rice Bake
25. Gauri -Shendetlie
26. Priya Pathian
27. Ritu - Kunafa (dessert) eggless
28. Aarthi Basrur : Baklava
29. Roopa - Khuduar Stuffed Vegetable With Mutton Mince
30. Sunita-Tave me presh ska Mish.

I decided to make Qofte dë Fërguara (don’t ask me to pronounce, I have an Indian Accent)

In Albania, qofte can look very different from restaurant to restaurant. Sometimes they are grilled, others are fried and sometimes they come baked with tomato sauce. Even the shape varies, more rounded at times or more cylinderical others. I decided to make Vegetarian version on the bed of loaf of bread topped with aioli and mint leaves.

Qofte was made from the mixture of

4 cloves of Garlic,

5 boiled potatoes,

200 gms Vegetarian BBQ meat, (got from Thailand),

1 green capsicum, 

100 gms feta cheese,

small bunch of mint leaves,

1 vegetarian cube,

2 green chilies and

mixed herbs.

Aioli was made by blending 5 tbsp mayonaise with 2 cloves garlic, olive oil and 100 gms feta cheese.

Small patties are made from the mixture, dipped in pool of beaten egg and then coated with bread crumbs and roasted on hot plate with unsalted butter.

I know it tasted good, because my friends said so…..

Also those friends who were sipping the fruit punch made with orange juice and Scottish leader

And those who ate those coffee flavoured ice creams, delicious and low calorie. Do find it at #thebrooklyncreamry
@brooklyncreamry …Thank you so much

We have such vibrant group of foodie friends, that in-between the laughter and the food, there were selfies and amazing camera clicks, the hours went ticking off, with nature playing a mischievous game, with red hot glowing ball, glaring over the bridge, under the bridge, and finally falling into the sea, leaving behind an orange glow in the sky that later disappeared into a dark sky. a quarter moon and a star. appeared, hinting that it is time for us to go home.