What happens when you are invited for a Meet & Greet session with a man for whom you used to get up before 11am on a lazy Sunday, just to see him eat? A person you almost envied for having the job he had, that was to eat. Well....he did other things too ( wears multiple hats ), but it was through food we identified him the most. So who was he? Is he the Superman... Batman... Spiderman or He-man? Well....no...ladies & gentlemen, he is the one and only Foodie Man!
The Venue...
Baraesti Grill Bar & Beyond ( Rooftop Lounge near Sobo Central ), Tardeo, 7 pm onwards.
Can you believe it - he was sitting right in front of me. Well, it was a sheer pleasure to listen to his incredible food journey ( one I so envied ). I'm a big time foodie and so simply lapped up merrily what all he had to say. The conversations that flowed over Beer, Mocktails and starters was quite engaging. He narrated his different food tales from across India - some unique ones like the one from near Cherrapunji, where an old Khasi woman served him simple but yummy chicken curry dish, whereas his experience in Darjeeling was not that great, where the man who cooked would pull out whatever leaves he found growing nearby and dump them into the broth. He told us about an old sandwich-wala, near Poonam Chambers, who has been serving sandwiches for over 30 years now. Conversations about a Hummus tasting only good at Arab places and Vindaloo tasting best only at Goa, was enlightening as well. Indeed, food tastes best in their place of origin. He spoke on how some old places he used to frequent are not the same anymore, with most of them fast vanishing. Kunal is just like me, a foodie who loves to eat and not necessarily cook. He said, if he ever came up with a restaurant he'll serve food from Bombay ( Mumbai ) in it. Street food talks came up as well, with another blogger giving some interesting info.
Kunal also narrated a story of a family who fiercely guarded their spice secrets and would never divulge it, when talks on Lalbagh having best spice ( masala ) market came up. The infos where so interesting that I could only listen awed - I'm sure to have missed mentioning a few here.
Needless to say, everyone enjoyed the event thoroughly. The bloggers too had lots of interesting info to share, so it was really interactive. And it was all about food, and more food.
Go BUY your copy of 'Made in India' by Kunal Vijaykar today!
Kunal Vijaykar recently launched his first cook book of 60 mouth-watering recipes from desi kitchens and bylanes – 'Made in India' via Jaico. This book is a buffet, an eclectic spread of some iconic, some forgotten and some beloved food that India has to offer. The recipes are often simple and tweaked to suit today’s fast-paced life, though some need the effort, perseverance and love that good food demands. In his inimitable style as a food writer of many years, the author has jotted down his thoughts, including some nuggets of information and his mouthwatering experiences alongside his recipes. The dishes in the book are also beautifully photographed, including pictures of some of the author’s favorite food moments. On his journey across the country, Kunal discovered some delectable and unexplored food joints and kitchens that led him to catch on to the culinary bug.
In the words of the author, Mr. Kunal S.Vijaykar says “I should have only myself to thank, because the amount of time, stamina and stress it has taken me to put together this small compendium of recipes is shameful. I’m not saying this is a great literary work, but I’ve literally had to slog to select and deliver these recipes.” And finally, if at all Kunal were to give a piece of advice out of his book to anyone, this and only this would be it: “Keep calm & Eat on!”
( Images - Open Circle & ©Mine. All Rights Reserved )
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