Meeting My Foodie Friends During Lockdown On Social Media

 During this pandemic, life would have been very depressing if there were no technology to connect with outer world. I cannot imagine what my life would be? I would read books, yes, or sometimes sit by the window side and watch the skies (and the rains) but what else would I do.?  Luckily, food has been plenty, and cooking has been one activity that has kept all of us occupied and how!!

 Everybody has been innovative in creating dishes, some of them improving on their cooking skills and some learning new skills.

 

My most favourite activityon social media is picking out strands of knowledge from every field. I love watching my friends (on social media) who share their wealth of food knowledge and that has been very rewarding for me. From the comfort of my home, I have been able to catch some Instagram Live broadcast.

 

My foodie friends are really very talented and they have been my companions during this lockdown. I see them everyday, live on Instagram, and catch up on latest trends whenever I have some free moments to spare. On normal days (that is when we lived in a normal confused world) I would meet them only during food events but now, I can meet whenever I wish. I have learnt a lot during these five months in isolation, which actually is not an isolation at all. I am wiser now!

 

Although there are many live events happening everyday on various fields like art, poetry, travel, etc. but today I will talk only about the live broadcast by my foodie friends whom I follow on Instagram.

 

My favourite from this food world is this lovely couple Sam and Saloni Malkani, the founders of TheFBAI  (a social platform for food and everything related to it).. Both are ardent foodies and love to connect with everything food, drink and hospitality. Meeting them is a blessing for me because they have introduced to the inner circle of food industry.

 

 

Sam Malkani has great variety of  discussion on #InstaLive  covering different food topics. Each time I visit his page, there are different kind of topics he is covering, sometimes he is interviewing entrepreneurs, sometimes he is on food quiz shows, sometimes live cooking demos and sometimes a deeper knowledge on products available during pandemic.

 

 

Saloni Malkani is very caring friend and most influential person in food industry. I admire her for her warmth and in cementing everybody together. Last year she created a storm with her partner, Chef Ananya Banerjee by starting Wild Asparagus Table, (a potluck on international cooking) and this got me interested in different cuisines and cultures of the world.

 

Their very latest Newspepper is creating waves on social media.

 

 

ChefAnanya Banerjee  is very glamorous and talented person. Between food and being Chef, she is also a traveller, food curator, food consultant and ex-editor of #BBCGoodFoodIndia  She interviews Homechefs around the globe on #Instalive  (twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays) giving us the insight on the homechefs’ life in general, their cooking methods, the utensils they use in their kitchen and much more.

 

 

I met Inderpreet Nagpal  at  Wild Asperagus Table, an SriLankan potluck organised at her own home at Vesova and was completely awed by her talents in cooking, art world and gardening. Inderpreet Nagpal of Rummy’s Kitchen is a multi-talented homechef who can develop a recipe with any ingredients.  Twice a week (Mondays and Fridays), she comes #Instalive to chat with foodies, where she discusses one particular ingredient with different participants and then she comes back with most exotic recipes.

 

 

 I met Rushina Munshaw first time at one food demo at Nature’s Basket some ten years ago and there is no looking back. I have learnt a lot from Rushina and she was the one who counselled me to get a food blog (Papadchai) if I was really serious about writing on food.  Rushina is a culinary expert, is very knowledgeable about ingredients, cuisines and history of food. Catch her on #Instalive at 11am everyday on her series on #SpiceChroniclesWithRMG where she is exploring the different spices used in different regions of India.

 

 

During one of events organised by Rushina for Women’s Day, I met Shubra Chatterji,  a very friendly and amiable person. She is an award-winning filmmaker and enjoys travelling and documenting Indian Culture and Heritage and in particular the vast Culinary Cultures of India, via travel-based non-fiction programming, visual essays, articles and curatorial projects. Shubhra, (known as Historywali) currently hosts an Instagram LIVE series, History On A Plate, which started off as a Lockdown passion-project but has gained quite a bit of eyeballs, and media coverage.

 

 

Kurush Dalal  is the most interesting person I have met, He is loaded with food knowledge folded under his charm of humour and stories.  Kurush is an archeologist by profession, also an historian, food anthropologist, culinary expert and a very friendly person. You can watch his #InstaLive everyday and listen to his stories on #Knowyourprotiens. You can also watch his recorded IGTV on A to Z series of ingredients, that he completed some time ago, where he spoke in details about all the ingredients found in the kitchen.

 

 

I met Kalyan Karmakar during one of his organised food trails (around Mohammed Ali road, a place that he calls as cultural unifier) and I had a great conversation on our drive back in his car. Kalyan is very well verse with food culture of Mumbai and is a good conversationalist. He has won the title of best food blogger three years in a row, and is very popular. You can watch his #instalive under the handle of  #Thefinelychopped where he talks to entrepreneurs of food industry about how they started their food biz and how do they go about with their business during these rough times of pandemic. A very interesting talk indeed!!

 

 

Who doesn’t know Amrita? She is Social media celebrity, was known for her OMG Bacon Jam which she stopped making after she turned vegetarian. I have met Amrita Kaur several times during food meetings.  She has wealth of food knowledge, specializes in Ayurveda nutrition. You can watch her #Instalive under handle #Amritaforlife where she discusses different interesting aspects of food, nutrition value, recipes and healthy eating habits.

 

 

There is wealth of knowledge on #Instalive and the best part it that it is possible to see the recorded version at IGTV (if you missed live sessions), which are equally good although you might miss the live conversation of the people who were watching that discussion at that time. I am interested in watching all sessions but sometimes I am unable to watch it live because of my first commitment  towards my #Specialchildren of my SBP, school for PWID. Special children need be kept occupied or else they will have behavior issues, so with the help of my staff and the parents of special children, we have been experimenting different methods to keep children busy too and I am glad that I could help them in some way.

During this pandemic my #SindhiCuisine book also went viral on Watsapp, travelling around the world (where I personally have never visited those places), and I was getting call from most remote places around the globe,  (I am told) many of them felt that my book is the treasure of sindhi cuisine and many have learnt to cook simple food, specially the beginners. Well, I was glad of that.  

 

But whenever I get time, I turn to IGTV to pick the missed sessions of #Instalive. It certainly is more interesting than watching those depressing news on TV or some series on Netflix or on Prime Videos….

 

And why not….Food is my passion too!!

The Peruvian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable Episode Seven

It is raining heavily since last one week, the month of July is always like this in Mumbai, sometimes it rains so heavily that city gets paralysed.

I remember last year July2019, It was raining too, real heavy, each time I looked at sky, I showed my fist, frowning at the skies.  It was a special day. It was the launch of our Wild Asparagus Table, brainchild of Salloni Malkani and Chef Ananya Banerjee, to explore the world cuisine. French cuisine, the mother of European gastronomy, was the theme. I remember the amount of hours I had spent researching the customs, culture and food of France. I even saw the whole series of Julia Child cooking. She always said that people who love to eat, are always the best people, and I believe that. I didn’t want to miss it at any cost. Luckily Uber service made it possible for me to attend that event and I thoroughly enjoyed that day.

Click her to read about my experience on my blog.

And thus the potluck chapter began, different month, different cuisines, as we travelled virtually through different parts of the world, always looking forward to the next one, till Covid19 came to hijack our plans.

Here we are, some eighty plus active WAT members (that includes bakers, home-chefs, food bloggers, food connoisseurs,….) all stuck at home, cooking food mainly for our family members only. Thanks to our cyber space, we continue to share our knowledge through different chat shows through social media channels.

So, this month, we celebrated once again, the theme was Peruvian cuisine. In the last 10 years, Peru has been recognised as one of the world’s best culinary destination. Although Peruvian cuisine is a product of cultural fusion,ingredients and cooking methods, the adaptation of traditional dishes to modern cuisine is the result of gastronomical boom in recent years. Peruvians continue to mix everything from popular street foods  to vanguard cuisine that introduces new textures and flavors, Saddest part of this potluck is that we could only share the pictures. We could not taste each other’s food, nor pose for different group pictures, nor have drinks. We ate what we cooked and shared only with our family members, but the research and interest was the same, same drive to learn something new and cook, same enthusiasm and yes, I learnt something new, because I have never been to that part of the world and looking at the different food prepared by others, I am wiser now.

The most important ingredient in all Peruvian cuisine is the potato, as Peru has the widest variety of potatoes. There are more than3000 kinds of potatoes.

I have feasted with my eyes only. Throughout the day, on Saturday, the 25th July2020, the pictures were posted on our group, as soon as they finished cooking. Everybody made Peruvian cuisine in their home and only shared their pictures. I drooled at every picture and wished we were enjoying all the food some common place (our last potluck was on a boat..uff)

I decided to make Aji de Gallina. 

This rich, velvety chicken dish is creamy, nutty and spicy, There is burst of different flavors and it tasted even better the next day.

 There are many ingredients that are not available right now during this lockdown, so I have tweaked the recipe a little

The steps to make this amazing chicken, follow me..challo

Step 1

Boil 500gms of chicken breast in one litre of water, add 2tbsp of chilli garlic oil and one vegetarian cube. I put one egg to boil too (why waste extra stove for one egg?)

Step2

Remove the boiled chicken, cool it, shred it and keep it aside.

Step3

Remove half of the stock and boil rice in it. add garlic if you wish (I wanted flavoured rice)

Step4

Add 2 slices of bread to the remaining stock and let it soak.(I used brown bread, I am diet conscious that way)

Step5

Add 2tbsp walnuts, 2tbsp pistachio, 1 cup grated cheese, and half cup skim milk. Make a puree and keep it aside.

The main taste in this dish is from yellow aji peppers, that I was not able to get, but I used Bertie’s pepper sauce, that is used in typical Caribbean cuisine, and has a similar taste.

Step6

In a pan, heat 1tsp of olive oil. Add 2 finely chopped onion, 8pods of garlic, 8 green chilies, 2 spoons of pepper sauce.(did you notice how spicy it will be?, that pepper sauce is dynamite)

Step7

Cook till onions are translucent, add the shredded chicken (made in step2) and cook for a minute.

Step8

Add the walnut-pistachio-bread puree (made earlier in step 5) mix and cook for 5 minutes till it is mixed well and creamy

To serve

Serve with boiled rice, boiled potatoes, boiled egg, walnuts and black olives. You have to taste it to know its unique flavors. Spicy because of hot pepper sauce, creamy because of milk and cheese and nutty because of walnuts and pistachio...Are you inspired to cook this...????

Its easy.......come on...I loved it

It was tasting even better the next day and I made croquets the next day adding just bread crumbs and deep frying...nice snack to go with drinks....

#FBAIKitchen arrives At The Bar Bank

Last night was a special day.. 

I was with my foodie friends, perched on a high wooden stool, sipping on an icy cold drinks and munching on freshly churned out #sindhi snacks like masala Koki, and Sanna Pakoras. There was vibrant music in the back ground, some of my friends would shake a hip or arms in happiness, Fresh sea air filled the space mingled with sweet aroma of food. 

I was at the launch of #FBAIkitchen..a food truck, parked at The Bar Bank at Juhu. 

I never knew this place existed (although I have passed this area at Juhu many times). This is a vibrant open space where food trucks of different cuisines (doling out detectable cuisine) are parked side by side (in a big circle) with a large sitting area in the centre. In the patio are set of wooden furniture where you can chill with friends. The place offer free wifi..so u can sit for hours. It has a kind of carnival atmosphere with catchy music in the background.  I really liked this place, more so that it now has #FBAIKitchen that cares for homechefs. 

Concept child of Saloni and Sameer Malkani, #FBAIKitchen will help homechefs and homecooks to have an experience of running the restaurant from food truck before they can start on their own. This is a good platform for them to showcase their innovation and creation to the world, who initially had their moments of fame only during one day pop ups or at private workshops, and that too, only for limited group of people, But here they are actually meeting the floating audience who come to try something new everyday.

  

This month has started with sweet and petite homechef Jyoti Vishnani, who will showcase her #sindhi cuisine. There were sanna pakoras, Kheema patties, sindhi curry and many other specialities.

I was happy that #FBAIKItchen has given exposure to #SindhiCuisine, to start with, with none other than our bubbly and young Jyoti Vishnani, a Sindhi Chef from Ulhasnagar, who earlier had the privilege of working with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature by Sanjeev in Doha. More recently she had a pop-up, she had curated for Punjab Grill in Mumbai. She was also the contestant in Masterchef season 4 plus she had an opportunity to share her recipes on Tata Sky Cooking, a project by Chef Vikas Khanna. It was really nice meeting her.

Great time ahead for different Homechefs , line up from different regional cultural cuisine, who will showcase their own cuisine on monthly rotation basis. This holds good opportunity for them to experience the running of restaurant before they can venture on their own. #FBAIKitchen is also good for people who will get different cuisine every month and have more reasons to visit BarBank month after month…

Watch out for more updates as the chef changes each month…….

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.