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. 

Kite hunting and Midnight cravings: Part 1

  

The first instalment of my 2 part series on ‘The Kite Season’.

Ever experienced utter chaos? Having no idea of what is happening around, losing your way, finding it difficult to understand what the hype is all about – but in spite of all of the confusion, enjoying every moment of it. These were the exact feelings I experienced during my visit to “The Kite Market”, popularly known as “Kangshaal” in Gujarati – and only in Ahmedabad.

Every year, a night before 14^th January – the day celebrating “Uttarayan” or the Kite festival, massive markets are organized that sell only kites and everything related to kites. Kites in all shapes and sizes – ranging from small 1-inch baby kites to massive 5 footer ones are sold here. Of course, you cannot have kites without the glass powder coated “Manja” or “Phirkis”. Different hues, sizes of the manjas are available in the market for sale here and believe me, even small kids – hardly 5 year old ones know their kites and their manjas. It is quite embarrassing for a non-kite flyer like me facing these tiny people telling you which manjas are the best and the finer nuances of flying a kite.

Rows of Phirki's / Kite Manja

Transporting these kites is another story all together. There is barely any space to breathe in the market – even at midnight, leave alone finding space to walk. The kites are held high above the head and people walk through the crowds trying to weave their way across. It’s a sight. Sounds of whistles, blow-horns, people bargaining on the prices of the kites, vendors screaming the prices for the kites and accessories – its utter chaos. But in the midst of all the chaos – you see a reason to enjoy. It’s a common thread binding all the people in the market - kites. There is no social strata, no caste or religion that matters here. Everyone’s the same and they have one common aim – “Kites”.

Now as confessed, I am no kite-flyer but one part of the market experience that most interests me  - apart from spending time with all the relatives in Gujarat – is the love of my life “ Food”.

Visiting the kite market is a culinary experience by itself. Street food is found in abundance. Food you would probably have never even thought as being possible finds its way here and believe me or not – sells like hotcakes.

My last visit to the kite market in kite market in Ahmedabad left me speechless in terms of the kind of dishes that can be created. The food is all really simple made using day-to-day, easily accessed ingredients. Ingredients that can be picked up from the next-door food store but when the innovation takes over – it’s all chaos. The kind of chaos that although is maddening, you somehow end up enjoying every part of it.

Accompanied by relatives in Ahmedabad after the kite hunt, we ended up going to the Manekchowk food market located next to the kite market. There were brightly lit up stalls selling delicious chaat dishes like “Bhel” and “Sev puri” and the more warmed up versions of “Potato tikkies”. Another stall selling piping hot tea found its space there as well.

Manek Chowk market

What caught my attention, however, was the array of stalls creating and selling – sandwiches and pizzas. Now, you would probably question, what’s different about that? Every place has a sandwich and pizza place. True, but not every place has a “Chocolate sandwich” or a “ Chocolate pizza”. Yup, you read it right…it’s all chocolate!!

That’s a crazy combination you would think - Exactly as I did. Whoever has a chocolate sandwich?? But believe me, this was one dish that was raking in the cash. Never in my life have I seen a demand for such as weird concoction but I guess, that’s the way innovation works.

Am gonna share the recipe I picked up after having eaten the Chocolate sandwich. Much as I would like to shy away, I do admit – it wasn’t bad. In fact, quite interesting. Not many ingredients in there but very innovative piece of work.

 

Bread – 2 slices

Butter – loads

Milk chocolate (melted) or nutella

Weird extra ingredient – Shredded processed cheese

Smear the bread slices with butter on both sides. Layer one slice with melted chocolate and generously top with the shredded cheese. I think they even added some sandwich spice on top of it (really don’t remember, but give it a try). Cover with another bread slice and enjoy!

Note: These can even be toasted.

I shied away from the chocolate pizza because I guess the sandwich was as far as I could venture with my culinary adventure here. It was a crazy but a thoroughly enjoyable experience. 

Oh, by the way, there were pineapple based sandwiches and pizzas we well. Might brave the crowds to try them next year again.

Tea in a Graveyard, anyone??

Weird title for an article, isn't it? 

Well, but a fact..Welcome to this discreet, almost "taken for granted" eatery in Ahmedabad, famously known to everyone in the city as "Lucky tea house".

Quietly situated in the central area of Ahmedabad, this tea house is a special one and what makes it special is its location. This tea store is based in a graveyard..

The origins and beginnings remain unknown but talking to the owners, you realise its historical roots have been around for many years. 

On one of my early visits this year to Ahmedabad, during the kite flying festival, we happened to visit the Kite market..[that is another exploration altogether and will be covered in my next blog article]..but at 12.00 in the night, while returning back to our hotel, the relatives accompanying us asked if we were up for a cup of tea. Being on a holiday, of course it didn't matter..No schedules to bother about or any early morning alarms to wake up to. 

So, off we were taken- to the Lucky tea house.

Of course, we were informed before we ventured into the hotel that it was originally a graveyard. 

It was an eerie experience..being in a graveyard at 12 in the night and actually having a cup of tea there..

Mainly an open area cafe, the tables were interspersed between tombs laid out in between. Teas and bun muska's [ Soft bread with butter] were ordered. 

I sat back looking around the place, trying to understand how could a tea stall actually be set up on a graveyard..Weren't there religious sentiments involved ?? What about food regulations ?? And could people actually accept enjoying a cup of tea in a  place like a graveyard??

Whatever your doubts, fact remains that "Lucky tea house" is frequented by everyone - irrelevant of their age, caste, gender, occupation, social strata etc. 

Its a decent place [ if you can overcome your reservations about having tea amidst tombs laid out]. The tea is served piping hot and the bun muska come with a choice of butter - with or without jam. 

Its actually a sight watching the young waiters bring out the food. Tea cups and saucers are stacked one above the other with almost 6 teacups being brought out at a time by each person. The bun muska is a similar sight with the plates piled onto 1 another and almost 10 servings being brought out at a time. 

The place runs full - day or night..In fact, when we were done with our tea at about 12.30 and leaving the place, the cafe actually started filling up again with more midnight revealers craving for their shot of energy. 

The tradition will continue,I am sure for many more years to come and the Tea house will continue to stay where it is serving more customers daily, but it would be worth passing on this story to others around the world and to make them aware of this small place that has such a strange arrangement and yet, is a favourite around. 

Its interesting to note the kind of places existent in our vicinity, that almost go unnoticed mainly because  that are just taken for granted as being there. Their history, their origins and the sentiments that go along with the set up are sometimes just ignored. 

So, reach out..Go to the next door Chaiwala or the small South Indian eatery next to your house or the humble Irani restaurant in your area ..Talk to the people, understand their lives, their beginnings, their emotional attachments to the place and I am sure you will come out of the experience understanding a bit more of why the place exists in the first place and why things are as they are. 

This Valentine's Day..

Flipping through the morning paper today, the first thought that hit me was “ there’s a lot of pink there”...and no, the newspaper wasn’t dyed pink. The pink colour was attributed to the fact that there were innumerable advertisements – all in pink hinting people that Valentine’s day was approaching. Subtle advertising has made way to new generation “In-you-face” ads. Ad’s ranging from gold and diamond jewellery to holidays to chocolates to slimming centres even – all announcing the arrival of ‘V’ day. Somehow, all ad makers feel that pink will actually make your heart go all mush. They probably need to rethink. Too much pink actually made me dump the paper in a waste basket today. Whatever happened to creative thinking?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have no problems at all with Valentine’s day. In fact, it comes under “one of my favourite day” category and no - not like I have any special someone who can shower gifts, but its one of my favourite days because the concept actually has a very innocent love story behind it.

What I object to is the mass commercialization of this day. Look around you. At least a couple of weeks before Valentine’s day, you will find jewellers, fashion stores, restaurants – all trying to tell you what you need to gift your so called ‘ Valentine’ in order to proclaim your ‘Undying love’. Is love that simple? An expensive gift and the job’s done?

Why cant people realize that Valentine’s day isn’t just all about expensive gifts or holidays or high-end dinners. That a simple but heartfelt letter or a personalized note or maybe taking time out to bake that special cake is all it takes. Valentine’s day is about showing your true feelings to the person you care about and not just taking an easy way out by showering expensive gifts. Take some pains to show the person that you love them.

Valentine’s day has a beautiful story behind it about St. Valentine who secretly used to perform marriage rituals for soldiers in Rome who otherwise were forbidden by the king to marry. On having found this out, St. Valentine was locked up in jail where he secretly fell in love with the jailor’s daughter. On his execution day, he sent a note to his lady-love signing it as ‘ Your Valentine’. The concept of signing letters anonymously as from your Valentine on this day has been taken from this story.

Now, I am not sure what percentage of truth this story holds, but it does make you realize that love isn’t about flashy gifts or holidays. It’s about understanding the simplicity of the emotion and making the other person feel valued and special. 

The concept seems to have been lost in today’s commercialized world where advertising guru’s feed it into your head that love is all about flashy gold and diamond jewellery and that they are indispensible when it comes to proclaiming your feelings.

Cant we just think about this and maybe just this once, be a little genuine in our feelings by being ourselves and without the ladder of expensive gifts, be true in proclaiming our feelings? Like above, a simple letter will go a long way in strengthening the bond rather than a dinner in a 5 star hotel. 20 years from now on – you will find that the letter will be a prized possession and bring memories back.

So, in all simplicity – be true and be genuine this V’ day and maybe St. Valentine will be a relieved man from the skies to see that his ways are still strong as opposed to the commercial ways of marketing today.