Truffle hunting in Italy!!

Italian truffles are a well-known delicacy worldwide. With their pungent, almost sulphurous and sharp flavour, they are an acquired taste. Not every person can develop an affinity to them…unlike chocolates! These are found under the ground as opposed to other mushrooms that grow over ground and require special expertise for retrieval. They come in the white as well as the black variants. The white ones are the more pricier ones and are extremely delicate in their flavour. 

Having been exposed to a world of food and travel shows exploring Italy, I considered it an absolute sin to miss out on any truffle exploration during my debut visit to Italy.

I started planning for my truffle expedition about a month before I was scheduled to travel to Florence. Scouring through websites of truffle hunters, online reviews, discussion forums – I shortlisted one such hunter – Giulio and got it touch with him. A few email exchanges and the tour was finalised. He was good enough to offer us a good discount as well.

  

A one view chart on various truffles found in Italy

Florence was my base destination for my Italian sojourn. While it is most famously known for its art galleries and statuettes, my itinerary was principally aimed at exploring the food culture and specialities around. Visiting the vineyards in Chianti, exploring an Organic cheese farm, the local food markets were some of the other items on the to-do list. I hope to elaborate more of them in my forthcoming write-ups. I had my German friend for company who I sort of forced into sharing my food interests but I am happy to say, I did leave her in a happy state after our food trips.

Black Truffles - freshly hunted by us

Giulio – The Truffle Hunter, as so he is famously called resides in a small town on the outskirts of Florence. It is pretty easy to get there by bus, which takes barely a half hour. We had co-ordinated with him prior to leaving Florence and he was there at the other end to receive us. He comes across as a person extremely passionate about two things, first - truffles and second - his dog, Edna who is the principal character in the picture of truffle hunting with Gulio.

The Lovely Truffle hunting dog - EDNA

As the history of truffle hunting goes, pigs were traditionally trained and used by truffle hunters owing to their keen sense of smell for these smelly fungi. However, it turns out, the pigs were quite messy at their job and used to leave the woods in shambles when hunting. Norms were changed and dogs started featuring as truffle hunting animals. They could be better trained and were considerably well behaved. Edna is once such special dog. In fact, we were told that Truffle hunting trained dogs could almost be valued at anything between $20,000 – &30,000. Quite a price for a dog but then again, the price of a single truffle are such that the trained dogs would make quite a fruitful investment. Another fascinating fact about truffle hunting is that you need to be licensed to hunt and sell truffles.

Giulio accompanied us to a small hill where we were to understand more about these delicacies and hunt for them with Edna. Giulio left Edna to follow her instincts and her sense of smell. She wandered off in the woods with the rest of us following her slowly. She wasn’t to be disturbed. It wasn’t long before she stopped at a place covered with moss and started a digging movement. Swiftly, we saw Giulio pull her away from that spot and start digging with his spade. He dug out a small black charcoal like thing from the ground and behold – was the first ever Truffle hunted by us. He explained that if he had let Edna dig it out, she would have eaten it up as apparently, dogs and pigs like Truffles. Edna found 5 more truffles in succession and also ate up one of them in the process. Well, she did deserve the treat. After all, she did help us find the truffles.

After a couple of hours in the woods and understanding a bit more of the flora in the woods, we headed back to Gulio’s place where we were taught the intricacies of cleaning, storing and selling truffles. It may seem like a hobby to some but truffles is serious business. There are quite a few varieties and depending on the season, climate and location, these are found in the region. The inner veins when the truffles are sectioned help their identification. Gulio’s knowledge was like a Science lesson in truffles.

A section cut of the black truffle revealing the internal make-up

Lovely lunch of truffles and wine

As promised by Giulio, we were treated to lunch at his home with almost everything (except the wine) having truffles. We gobbled up warm, handmade bread with shavings of truffles followed by pasta with truffles. For dessert, we were offered Ice cream with shavings of truffles, something that I would not have even considered as a food pairing. I chose to try the rather conservative alternative of a wedge of Pecorino cheese drizzled with Truffle infused honey. The combination was an instant blast of flavours. The sweet honey combined with the strong truffle was something unimaginable but intensely flavoursome. I even bought a bottle from him to take back home.

Warm bread with shaved truffles

It was time for us to bid goodbye to Giulio, his wife, Edna and a cat that he had rescued. As a parting present, we were handed two small truffles as takeaway gifts, something that we were absolutely delighted about. 

While I am not sure when will I get to try my food experiments on truffles again (as they aren’t that commonly available in India), I do hope to taste them again soon maybe on my future travels.

Truffle infused honey - simply delightful

Truly, travel is one way of best ways of gaining a deep-rooted understanding of different cultures round the world.

Of flavours and Long forgotten Humble cooking methods!!

I am kind of a traditionalist when it comes to food. I dislike compromising on the authenticity of a dish simply just to make it more acceptable to the crowd. Be it any cuisine, it is more important for me that it is true to its origins rather than modified in any modern way possible.

These ideas of mine are usually reflected in the food I cook and the processes I use to cook them as well. Pasta cooked will usually be with authentic homemade pesto sauce rather than the store bought variant or the traditional Biryani will be cooked in “Dum” in a clay pot with the authentic spice mix as opposed to dunking in any spice I find handy.

This wasn’t always the case however. Just like everyone in their normal state of mind, I used to purchase bottled pesto, ready spice mix for something like Chole or Biryani, use short cuts to grind chutneys etc.

But in recent times, I suddenly started giving things a thought. Thinking logically about flavours and the effect on foods, I realised that all the traditional processes used by people in the earlier times for cooking – such as grinding, slow cooking, roasting, marinating etc. had a strong reason to it. These weren’t just random processes developed but used with careful thought for maximum flavour release of the ingredients.

With this thought, I set out to reset my cooking style with a “Back to basics” approach. Now, I know this may sound a bit extreme to many but come on, give it a thought. Scientifically, it all makes sense. Slow cooking or grinding spices fresh, or roasting – all of these contribute vastly to flavour release and maintaining them. The core spice combinations developed worked in pure synergy with each other and this worked to uplift the flavours of dishes. On a scientific level, it like molecular gastronomy. The individual constituents in all the spices or ingredients worked in a mutually beneficial association each other thus greatly uplifting the flavour of the dish.

With this newfound inspiration, I set out and my first experiment was the evergreen Indian “Chutney”. Now many would ask what is the big deal about chutney. It is usually a combination of coriander, green chillies, lemon, ginger and garlic. Some add other ingredients such as peanuts or coconut to add a new dimension to the flavour but that being said, it is a traditional Indian origin creation. The trick, my friends, lies in how it is made. The age-old tradition of making chutney was using a grinding stone or a “sil-batta” that has now been replaced with the electric blender or mixer.

The Sil-batta is a grinding stone that is used for grinding chutneys, dal (lentils) or anything to get a coarse paste. The stone was widely used in olden times for make chutneys, fresh spice mixes, batter for vadas (fried or steamed dumplings and more. Surprisingly, when I set out to hunt for this stone, it was one of the most difficult tasks. It seems the concept of grinding using a sil-batta is so outdated in current times as no store stocked it. When I did find it however, I paid almost thrice the amount for what one would have usually bought. The things one does for the love of food. 

Highly enthusiastic, I set out the following Sunday to make my first batch of Chutney using this wonderful creation. The exercise of grinding fresh green chutney on the sil-batta is a treat for the visual and olfactory senses and taste buds I would say.

The aromas released during the grinding process are heavenly. The earthiness of the coriander, the heat released by the garlic, the fresh citrusy notes of lemon, the herbal characters contributed by fresh mint and the punch given by garlic are something that cannot be experienced using the electric grinder. The olfactory senses seem to all get alive when you try and focus on each and every ingredient gradually releasing the aromas during the grinding process. 

Taste-wise, while it is true that the ingredients used will determine the flavours released – the different concentrations and their freshness, the flavours obtained by the traditional stone grinding process are incomparable to those using an electric blender.

Scientifically, Grinding helps release the volatile oils in the herbs and ingredients due to which the smell and taste factors are much more enhanced and pronounced. It is these oils that create the aromatic aura that liven by the senses.

While I admit it is a wonderful experience for the visual and olfactory senses, the exercise did test my arm muscles. However, the pain is worth having a bowl of beautiful freshly ground chutney that is robust in its flavour, colour and smell.

While everyone would have different takes on their chutney compositions, I have outlined a simple but abundant with flavour version of my chutney. Some people may like adding sugar to this blend but believe me, its best to have the ingredients shine in their natural flavour.

Spicy Coriander and Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh coriander - leaves with stalks as the stalks are the main parts having the beautiful earthy flavour (it wouldn’t hut to grow some coriander on the window sill to be able to harvest it fresh whenever the need arises..Its pretty simple)

1 cup Fresh Mint leaves (Again, best when harvested from the window sill)

4-5 green chillies (the hot variety- believe me, it delivers the best flavour punch)

Juice of 1 large lemon

5-6 cloves freshly peeled garlic

Salt – just enough to enhance the taste (not drown the individual flavours)

                                             

Using the grinding stone, crush all the ingredients well except the lemon and salt. Add them at the end of the grinding process. A little sprinkling of water may be needed just to bring everything together as a paste but do not add more water (as one would normally do in a electric blender to make a smooth paste) to make a smooth paste. The whole idea is to have a rustic, a bit coarse blend to be able to experience the all the ingredients. Adding too much water will dilute the flavours and also, the chutney will blacken after a couple of days.  

Some versions also add freshly grated coconut to this mixture while others may add some roasted peanuts to add a nutty character but frankly, its best to have the fresh herbs speak for themselves in such a simple creation.

The above should give you one bowl of spicy Green chutney. 

  

While I do agree that the process may sound time consuming and tedious to some, its worth every bit of effort put into it. Many more variants of pastes, chutneys, dry spice mixes can be created using this humble tool.

Look forward to sharing more such traditional, high on flavour recipes in my further posts.

THE COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET - PARADISE IN A LANE

I have a thing for flowers. Of course, all women love flowers...but I connect with them on a “Soul” level if that term can every be associated in such a manner.

The bright colours, the cheery innocence lying behind every flower, the subtle aromas, the soft feel of the petals stir an emotion within me that can be compared to living in heaven. The immediate calm upon touching a flower and the sudden happiness experienced is absolutely incomparable to anything else.

So, when I came across a note about a flower market in London in my Lonely Planet book, it seemed unforgivable to miss this out. Nestled away in a narrow lane in London is the Columbia Road flower market that regularly pops up only on Sundays during the summers.

Armed with my trusted travel book, my camera and a friend on hand who shared my enthusiasm for hunting down a flower market, we set out on an otherwise relaxed Sunday to track the place down during my last visit to London. A couple of train changes and about a couple of kilometres spent walking from the station – majorly because we got lost around the area, we came to a sign that finally pointed to Columbia road lane. A bit relieved that we were on track, we trudged in the direction of the market hoping that the experience is worth the few kilometres we had trekked to reach there.

Midway through the walk, my fears were gradually seemed to ebb as I slowly noticed people hauling buckets of flowers, plants and even small trees from the direction of the market. Signs that immediately soothed my aching feet and gave me enough of an energy boost to cover the market.

ROSES

Stepping foot into the market, I felt chaos…Chaos of the most wonderful kind I could ever have imagined. The sights, the smells and the aura completely took over my mind leaving absolutely no space for any further thoughts.  To my right, I saw buckets of tulips in hues of pink, red and yellows ..to my left, masses of roses in pale romantic shades of baby pink, powder yellow and pure white. I felt like a kid loose in a candy store for a day! It was absolute bliss.

GERANIUMS

Moving further down the market lane, focus set in. It was time to get down to business. Of course it was pointless purchasing anything as I was scheduled to return back on the same day but it was an exercise in testing my will-power. Cheery Geraniums became visible from the first few stores in varieties of colors such as magenta, coral and white followed by a vendor marketing tall spikes of Delphiniums in the trademarked colors of purple and white.

DELPHINIUMS

Another personal favourite – the Lupins were seen in pots for sale. The bright pinks and lavender hues of the flowers merged beautifully with their bottle green leaves which were an absolute delight.

LUPINS - MY FAVOURITES

Another surprising addition to the list of plants found there were the Fuschias – better known locally as the “earring plant” (as they resemble earrings).These are traditionally found only in tropical climatic zones but I guess there are takers for these wonderful creepers in the summer months in the UK.

FUSCHIAS - ALSO KNOWN AS THE EARRING PLANT

ORIENTAL LILIES

Oriental lilies were seen in plenty as well. These are another personal favourite with their bright colours mixed with subtle hues and their intoxicating aroma .

THE MOTH ORCHID - PHALAENOPSIS

Orchids were very few in variants with only the common varieties of Phalaenopsis were seen. I would have loved for some more exotic ones to be present for sale in the market but with the difficulties in maintaining and propagating orchids, I guess it possibly would not have been a viable option there. 

A GARLIC FLOWER

Some of the more interesting and unexpected varieties of plants up for sale were the Allium species – better known as Onion and Garlic plants in their full flowering state. Believe me, these are beautiful and are also used in lots of cuisines for their subtle sulfury taste. In fact, I have been growing them in my windowsill garden with decent success.

POPPIES

Another unexpected species that caught immediate attention were the poppies. Not the actual flowers but the buds. It is extremely rare to find poppy plants where I come from but these were fantastic. The closed buds resembling something out of a fairy tale garden were an absolute stunner.

SWEET PEAS

Amidst all the bursts of colours, something soft caught my eye lying on the bottommost racks in one of the shops. Soft pastel hues of lavender, powder pink and white peeked out from amidst small planters. These were the beautiful soft sweet pea flowers – one of the softest looking flowers present in the flower kingdom.

AFRICAN LILIES

Apart from all the flower species being marketed, herbs such as Tarragon, basil, chives, mint, bay leaves and many more and small vegetable plants such as tomatoes and chillies were available as well. I did spot someone selling Jalapeno plants too.

JALAPENOS

HERBS IN POTS

  

But you know what is the most painful part…visiting such a beautiful market and not being able to buy anything. I was scheduled to return on a flight back in the evening on the same day and it would have been impossible to take back the plants back home. It was almost like heartache – being able to fall in love with these beautiful things and leaving all of them behind and going back. However, the comforting fact was that my friend who had accompanied me did went overboard buying all the wonderful stuff there with a little bit of persuasion from me. I was really happy I could at least buy something – if not for me but for my friend who was equally overjoyed with her picks for the day.

Bargaining was pointless for plants or flowers in the early part of the day just when the market was starting business. However, as we came to the end of the market, we saw almost every plant up for auction as the sole aim at the end of the day for these people was ensuring all their produce got sold. 

We were an absolute sight leaving the market. My friend and me were literally dragging all the bags filled with the wonderful stuff and wondering how would we ever make it back to her place with these goodies. But where there’s a will, there is a way. We managed to get everything to the station where she was to part ways with me and from there on, she got another friend to help her with the stuff.

The experience of looking out for such markets, hunting them down and the journey of exploring these locations are self-enriching ones. These experiences throw light on how people work, their trade, their life and most important, the local culture of the place. While some may be good ones, a few experiences may not be so fruitful but then again, every journey teaches something.

Lewes Farmer Market..The market I fell in love with!!

The mere mention of the town of Lewes brings forth a string of memories of my time in England during my University days there. An emotion, that I am pretty sure would be shared by quite a few of my housemates and friends who used to frequent this market every month on a Saturday.

My housemate and a good friend in University who was from Thailand introduced me to the Lewes farmer market. She was a major food enthusiast and I believe still is. A random visit to this place on a Saturday morning when I had practically nothing to do struck a life-long interest in local culture and food and for which, I am heartily grateful to her.

Lewes – a quaint little town in Sussex and short train ride from Falmer village – near University of Sussex reminds you of the quintessential English Village with small cobbled streets, greens and houses. A short walk from the station and you end up in a street that for the better part of the morning has been taken over by locals to market their home grown, homemade produce. The street by itself isn’t long and its really a rather small market as compared to some of the other markets I have been to but this one has a charm that I have yet to experience in the other places. Its almost cosy and warm – if that term could be applied to a market. Not to forget the fact that it was my first ever experience of a local farmers market and first experiences are hardly ever forgotten.  

Lewes

The visuals filled my senses almost instantly. The colours, sights and smells – I can still remember as they were then. The shop selling fresh homemade preserves and marmalades,  to another selling homemade mustard and honey, to another gentleman selling fresh breads to another shop selling homemade aromatherapy soaps and similar paraphernalia – all of these had something memorable to offer. 

Handmade Preserves and Marmalades

My particular favourite was the Orange marmalade, Strawberry jam and the Lemon Curd being sold. These were to die for. Chunky bits of fruit made this a wholesome treat with no synthetic feel that would generally be found in the store bought jams and preserves. The lemon curd was a sweet and tart mix that I was completely ignorant of. It was on one of these trips that my Thai friend introduced me to it and got me addicted to this simple treat that subsequently used to find way in my bakery experiments and even do today. ( Of course, today - I make my own lemon curd but I learnt quite a lot form my experiences at these markets)

Handmade Aromatherapy Soaps

The smiles of the gentleman behind the honey counter or the talk with the lady selling potted plants and flowers – all of these imprinted my memory with a sense of being one of them and understanding what made them do what they did. It wasn’t always for the money. It was about meeting new people, making new friends or just catching up with the old ones already present.

   

Local fruits, vegetables and breads, toys and trinkets were some of the other stuff marketed. We usually went for the food part and occasionally for the potted plants. Strolling along the cobbled pathways, discovering new sights, understanding the people – all of these has contributed vastly to what my understanding is of local cultures across the world today.

Shop selling honey

It’s been almost 8 years since my first brush with the Lewes Farmer market but the visuals, sights and sounds of the market still thrive in my mind even today. These local markets sometimes are the best places to understand local culture, mindset and behaviour. The articles, food etc. made and marketed, the people selling them and their manner of approach – all add to the experience and understanding of the local culture of that place.

 

At the Lewes farmer market 

Having bit by the local market bug after the Lewes market, I usually make it a point to raid a local market any place I travel to. These are the best places to pick up local culture as opposed to merely travelling around the places and visiting the touristic monuments. 

English Summer...!!!

 A pictorial tribute to Henley on Thames..!! One of the best places I have ever been to..

The Reflection zone!

The still waters !!

Can we please bring about a change now?

As everyone in India, I have been following the news in the past few weeks following the brutal rape and murder of an innocent lady in Delhi. Of course, such incidents are becoming a regular news piece almost everyday – from some part of the country or other. The coverage depending on where the person hails from is from minimum to massive.

The lady hailed form Delhi – the capital city and hence, saw massive numbers of people come out in her support. Had someone from a smaller village been subjected to such treatment, the same might not have gained much hype.

What followed the incident was the defensive tactics by political officials, speeches by other unknown politicians and celebrities (probably trying to get their two minutes in the limelight) condemning the act. On the other hand, there were common people who came out to protest the inhuman treatment of the young lady who was on the verge of hear deathbed.

One fact was clear - she wanted to live. Her fate, however, won the battle against her will power.  

It is disheartening to see that in a country that is considered as one of the largest developing economies of the world is still unable to deal with such sensitive situations. It struck a nerve with me because when you place yourself in her shoes – the fear is incomparable. 

What was her fault? She was out with a friend in the evening for a movie and at a decent hour in a metropolitan city. That sounds like an identifiable scenario for most of the people my age I guess. The realization that “what if it were you” is enough to unnerve any sane person I guess. It scares me too. But its not a scenario where I will say “ What can be done about it..it happens in India”. I will work on finding a way to be safer – take self-defence training, trust my instincts when out and be more aware of the surroundings.

Reflecting on the happenings and digging deeper, I began thinking about what is it that prompts more such incidents in India as compared to some of the other developed nations. I am not referring to our failing political system or the weak arrangement of human rights or the pathetic law system that is abundant with loopholes. No, I am trying to analyse deeper into the mindset of an average Indian.

Why do men perform atrocities such as rape, marital abuse, and killings in the name of honour, dowry demands or just any form of crime against women? And why do women bear the treatment imposed on them??  All of them are humans. Just as other human beings in other parts of the world. Why is the scenario different in India?

The answer lays at the code of the so-called mindset that we Indians have. The one that differentiates between a man and a woman. The one that says “men are more stronger and capable than women”. Sure, we now believe that the Indian women are empowered and are equal to any man. But how true is that? Sure, they are given the freedom to work, to choose their partners maybe etc. But at a more psychological level, aren’t we Indians hypocrites to a certain extent?

We proclaim ourselves as modern and open-minded, but then why do we differentiate between our sons and daughters as different? I don’t mean in an equality kind of manner but in the way as to how they are raised.

From the time they go to school, the differentiation starts. Boys are pushed more towards sports – cricket, football, karate etc. while girls are encouraged to opt for art, crafts, dance etc. Why aren’t girls pushed more towards sports or why aren’t boys inspired to dance for that matter? It is virtually fed into their psychology that boys opt for more man-like activities – read sports while girls are delicate and feminine and thus pushed more towards the finer arts. If girls were trained better in sports or other physical activities, they would definitely much better in terms of their physical capability as well as confidence levels. It is because it is fed it into their minds that boys and girls are different in terms of their capability.

The differentiation between men and women is even more distinct. Women are viewed as the ones responsible for the homely chores such as managing the house; child-care duties etc. while men are seen as the ones responsible for the progress of the family – the core member. The new age television programmes are widely responsible for propagating these beliefs. These shows portray the woman as the docile house lady who just has to clean, cook and make babies. The actors glorify the responsibilities as something that the common woman is born to do, something without which her life is pointless. Men on the hand are the most important people in the family, someone who is the key decision making authority in the house. Nothing wrong in taking care of the house, but the key message propagated by the shows are of women been shown as the weaker sex while the male is the stronger one.

The ideas are imprinted pretty strongly in the minds of the regular television watching population in India – ranging from young children to older adults.

Men and women are born equal. It is the so-called conservative mindset that the society lives by and what is so proudly disguised as “tradition” that is the culprit here. The one which claims that “women as needed to be taken care of while men are the protectors”. It is subconsciously fed in the minds of people that “Women are weaker and need men to be taken care of”. This leads the women to feel they are vulnerable and helpless without men while men invariably look down upon women as weaklings and this gives them the power to dominate them.

Men and women are considered as equals in most developed nations globally. Capability is not questioned based on gender. Both-men and women share responsibilities equally. It is this mindset that has provided the women in these nations the confidence to live life independently and not feel less powerful than men in any way. Men consider women as their equals and not is a derogatory mindset that considers women as materialistic pieces that can be abused and treated as wished. 

It is essential for these sentiments to find their way into the Indian mindset to bring about a change, to get the women to make use of their power and to point out to men the fact that women are equal to them in all sense to avoid them from abusing their available power. 

Supper gatherings!!

Dinner parties with a close group of friends are always fun. Conversations, food and friendly banter – all make for a good gathering.

I recently came across an episode of Jamie Oliver’s cooking show shot in New York where is attended a supper club gathering and subsequently held one himself after drawing inspiration from this gathering.

Of course, it wasn’t just a simple supper gathering. Guests who attended had to pay up a fixed amount that would cover the food and drinks. It was a communal setting. People attended, they conversed and made new friends and dined at the common table.

To tell a bit more of the concept of supper clubs –These are restaurants or dining establishments that also serve as social clubs. Historically, the first Supper club is said to have commenced in the US. The concept is now prevalent in UK, US, Latin America and Europe and other regions. I believe they started the concept to protest against the rising restaurant prices. Believe it or not, there are Underground restaurants as well that make amazing supper clubs. These can go completely ignored if not mentioned of as only regular customers know of their whereabouts.

Watching Jamie Oliver’s show, I am inspired to hold my own supper club gathering - An evening with friends and new acquaintances with good food and conversation. Maybe other friends can then host such gatherings further. It will be interesting planning such an evening and I aim to keep mine restricted to friends and their friends. I don’t intend starting a professional supper club, but the idea is to keep a simple evening, trying to introduce new friends and enjoy food

There are variations in the theme – such as guests get involved and partake in the cooking process or even at times, raise a potluck. I however, prefer getting my own cooking done.

Ideally, the numbers of people are kept small at such gatherings. About 8 – 10 people are the norm. The meal is laid out on a common table and the host is as involved in the supper as the guests.

The food should ideally be simple and quick to serve lest the host ends up spending an entire evening in the kitchen without spending any time with the guests. I feel the dessert should be the highlight of the evening as no one forgets the dessert. On a precautionary note, it would be wiser to discuss the food preferences as Vegetarian or Non- vegetarian to avoid any of the guests going hungry.

It would also be helpful to monitor the conversation amidst the guests at such a gathering and refrain from any controversial topics such as politics, religion etc. lest the guests start feeling uncomfortable. Not a very pleasant scenario.

It is not usually a norm to charge for the meal, but it depends on the host. Best to check prior to the gathering. It could be a good idea to take along your drinks if attending the gathering and if the host is comfortable with a drinks scenario.

It is also a decent idea to initially discuss the menu if the guests are going to be involved in the cooking or if they are planning to bring some food to the event.

With Christmas round the corner, the festive spirit is in the air and everyone’s in a jolly frame of mind. I plan to have one such dinner probably around Christmas day and gauge everyone’s appeal towards it. Maybe one of the guests will take the chain forward.

Here’s looking to a good evening with old and new friends.