Does it happen to you guys too? When you groan under the weight of all the different foods that have surreptitiously entered your belly? Every time, I would swear that the last feast would certainly be my last banquet; however, the spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak! Many of these wonderful meals took place at my friends’ homes. Even though I felt like a stuffed carnivore, I was always grateful for the laughter and the sheer joy of being together. I am still in the process of working on, and coming to terms with a lot of extraneous circumstances in my life. It is a deep and introspective journey and sometimes yields positive and sometimes not-so-positive results. My ‘go-to’ has always been food. Since I was a child, eating would instantly put me in a happy place. It has also been scientifically proven that eating (especially sugary stuff) releases happy hormones that work like mood enhancers. Now, the secret of my generally happy demeanour is out!
I spent my weekend doing things I like. I took a bold step of travelling over hill and dale (read: Whitefield) to spend a very joyous evening with a good friend, laughing, venting and eating of course. Over many cups of tea, I gorged on snacks like dhokla, khandvi and bhelpuri (please don’t ask me to give you English variants) served in silver bowls with dainty napkins! Now to me, that is the way to eat street food, with panache and class! In the middle of my gorge feast, I received a frantic call from a dear friend’s daughter who had checked into a famous ‘health-farm’ and was desperate to get out because they were, (according to her), starving her and she was sick and miserable. Still chomping on a delicious dhokla, I made arrangements to have her picked up the next day, brought home and fed properly before she was put on a flight back to her home. Ah! Foodies unite!
I ate one of the best Turkish meals generously hosted by the JW Marriott, with celebrity Turkish chef Eyup Kemal-Sevinc. A couple of friends dined together and we were blown away by the stupendous meal. The chef’s adherence to detail, the quality of the produce, and his ability to raise the raise the bar of the dishes served from ordinary to extraordinary, were a joy to watch. The platter of kebabs (which any Turkish meal proudly serves) to his salads, small plates and hors d’oeuvres were impeccable. Even though Turkish, Middle-Eastern and Mughlai cuisines are protein rich, Turkish cuisine incorporates a lot of veggies that are available in their almost ‘Mediterranean-type’ of climate. We feasted on exotic dishes made from artichoke-hearts, zucchini, eggplants and spinach. Couple this with peals of laughter, great conversations and a fantastic ambience, and one can literally feel the feel-good hormones (dopamine and endorphins) doing a happy dance!
My friend Riyaaz Amlani never fails to impress me. As an entrepreneur he is fearless. His new offering ‘Lucknowee’ serves up some great Mughlai food from a cloud kitchen. From initially serving cocktails in blood-transfusion looking glasses to now serving succulent kebabs, change is the name of the game. Kudos!
Shakespeare said, ‘Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are.”
(The writer’s views are personal)
