Chronicles Of The Sassy Fork

Exactly a year ago,my friend Bimba and I saw an announcement about foraging in the forest with locals and then having a meal with them.This was about three hours away from Mumbai and we were pretty excited by the whole concept.The mountain air,the lush vegetation and the thrill of discovering something new,all seemed to beckon.Unfortunately it rained very,very heavily and the thought of poor network connectivity in such a situation made us give up our adventure. When I saw the announcement for "Wild Foods Festival" by BAIF and OOO Farms,few days ago,my joy knew no bounds.The mountain had arrived in Mumbai! Inspite of the ongoing Ganpati festival,the Rotary Centre hall at Juhu was packed with people of all ages.At first we saw a video on forest foraging and how the locals cooked.I know I want to do this someday.Whether in the forests in Coorg (of which Megha Deokule spoke of at the Archaeobroma (Archaeology of Food) conference some months ago) or Maharashtra,I do...

Attended the much awaited Culinary Chroniclers Conclave at Godrej One,Vikhroli.Organized by Rushina Munshaw -Ghildiyal and Vikhroli Cucina,this was held in a gorgeous glass building in a beautiful and serene campus.With the rain drizzling outside,it was quite the romantic setting! Rushina who has spent the last 16 years as a food writer,pulled another ace up her sleeve.She had brought together some of the best food writers from the country....Vir Sanghvi,Vikram Doctor,Marryam Reshii,Sourish Bhattacharya and Antoine Lewis.We were gifted a logo of the coriander leaf as it was not only a garnish but also an ingredient and held an important place in  Indian cuisine.           Vikram Doctor who is full-time with T.O.I spoke about how topics were earlier decided by editors but now everything is done at the grassroots level.He pointed out that food writers must get their facts right and acknowledge people who have contributed to the food.Completely agree,ther...

I love California! The song Hotel California pretty much summarizes it for me.Be it Los Angeles,San Diego or San Francisco.Great weather,great food and lovely people.This trip I visited Temecula Wine Country,a place my brother recommended  eight years ago.It was an hour and half drive from Orange County and on a cool summer morning,it actually felt like Europe! There are several wineries in the area but we choose Callaway as it was one of the founding vineyards and was perched on a hill.The view was spectacular! The sprawling vineyards take your breath away.Callaway Vineyard and Winery was the first to open a tasting room.I was reminded of my time at Napa Valley  eight years ago. We got down to the pleasurable task of wine tasting six of their best.The sommelier asked us our preferences (we like fruity wines) and then showed us the list and recommended some.Their wines are only available there though they do ship them.We had the 2015 Special Selection Sauvi...

We celebrated Masala Day (20th May) at the Sodabottleopenerwala at Phoenix Mills,the creative brainchild of Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who has formed a calendar of Indian Food Observance Days.Masalas are a reflection of our culture and our values.I am not just talking of the myriad ingredients that go into each spice blend that make each community's signature masala unique.I am talking about the way we are, as Indians.A mix of various states and diverse cultures yet the focus of all is more on the family rather than the individual,on togetherness and not the self.Somewhere one's identity may get a bit blurred in the greater mosaic but it's well worth it.Like our masalas.They are about a whole lot of spices and herbs together, in contrast to the simple spices of Western cuisine (which are nice in their own subtle way). We create a whole new dimension of flavors,colors and textures with our Masalas.We are like this only!! The evening was exciting.Rushina set the b...