The Big Bong Theory!

My knowledge about Bengali food is highly limited to one Kolkata trip many years ago as a student, where I stuffed my face with kathi rolls for three meals a day. Where I cut a lackluster birthday pastry at Flury’s that everyone strongly recommended. Where I had a tedious time de-boning an Ilish fish, but it turned out to be absolutely worth it in the end. So as you can see, my knowledge about Bengali food is highly limited.

So when Trident, BKC invited me over to try their new Bengali food menu at Maya – their lovely Indian restaurant – I couldn’t say no to learning more about this cuisine. Firstly, because I work for a Bengali company now, and there could be no better way to bond with the boss than over food. And secondly, Chef Gaurav Sircar who was cooking for us last night is quite the maestro when it comes to showcasing the food of his state.

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Lemon Pudding with Peanut Chikki Crumble – A Recipe to Honour Indian Farmers

My recent trip to Nashik was an eye opener. I got to see first hand what this season’s dismal rainfall has done to crops. I saw arid, and dry land where I should have been seeing green. I found walking around in the farm so tedious, only to imagine the kind of hardships our farmers must have to face working under that harsh sun, day in and day out. But they do it, with a smile on their faces, waving to us as our car drove by, proud of being able to put food onto our plates every single day.

Freshly returned from my Nashik trip, I was approached to participate in the #SeedTheRise campaign by Mahindra and Mahindra. Call it destiny, or coincidence this campaign happened right around the time I wanted to do something for the farmers, and make a difference in any small way that I could.

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Will Wander For Food – A Khandeshi Food and Wine Sojourn

Do you plan your upcoming vacations around destinations that are known to serve the best food? Do you believe that the best way to understand the culture of a new place is via the regional food favorites? Do you strongly feel that the best souvenirs you can take back home are those of the edible kind? If yes, then Wandering Foodie may be the answer.

Two engineers – Rahul Patil and Vinod Sarma- gave up their boring desk jobs, to combine their love for regional Indian food and travel, resulting in the ingenious Wandering Foodie concept. Currently limited to two destinations in Maharashtra – Nashik and Alibaug – the concept emphasizes on learning more about a place, by travelling there, and tasting traditional local food. Food that is made using traditional methods, by home chefs, and with local produce – it doesn’t get more authentic than this!

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Shopping for a Good Cause

After agriculture, the vocation that provides sustenance to a large number of people in rural India is the handicraft industry. Artisans who create beautiful handicrafts are found in each and every Indian state, with each art form being distinct and varied from the next. There is unfortunately, a huge gaping hole in the market between the artist and the consumer. Somewhere, a bridge is required so that the consumers have easier access to the products, and the artists are able to sell their wares effortlessly.

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Pimp My Rice – Book Review. And a Fun Recipe.

Call me conservative, but the charm of cooking with a good ol’ recipe book beats YouTube videos or articles on the web! Which is why I was super thrilled to receive Nisha Katona’s new cookbook – Pimp My Rice – where rice is the supreme star! An entire book with recipes ranging from smoothies, to mains, to dessert all emphasizing on everyone’s staple crop, is a genuinely handy book to have.

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