A wonderful year so far…with the fabulously opulent Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and atmospheric Euro 2012 Football and Olympics now here, we have an extremely sporty (and very healthy) summer to look forward to! Very exciting!
Mucho apologies for the radio silence recently but after a huge break I am back on full-form, ready to write about the food exploits and adventures that have happened so far. What have I been up to? Well between studying for my medical degree, I am now taking a hiatus from medicine and I’m looking forward to the festive feasts of the Islamic month of Ramadan which are also coming up in late summer. Apart from its religious implications, this is a great time for friends and family to come together at each other’s houses each evening and try out the festive delicacies that are prepared for the close of fasting. One such delicious dish is the phenomenally rich and decadent dessert ‘Seviyan’ or as Bengali’s call it ‘Shemai’. This dessert has been a childhood favourite of mine and its hedonistic flavours, rich with heavy cream, sweet rose–water flavoured syrup, studded with jewel-like currants and laden with the perfumes of cinnamon and cardamom, always bring back memories of happy times.
I had the real honour of being invited to present at H.R.H. The Prince of Wales ‘Start U.K. Garden Party To Make A Difference’ in aid of ‘Sustainability & Sustainable Food’ at Clarence House, London. This was a cause close to my heart as I do believe that buying and preparing food ingredients during the seasons in which they are produced, rather than out of season, certainly does have positive health implications, in addition to improving flavour. Such an exciting event to be participate in, it was a real pleasure to be involved.
A recent red-carpet event I attended in aid of Kerala brought forth the best of Keralan culinary treats as well as the British A-List, and I was surprised and amazed to see the vision and scope created to bring to the fore the less known Keralan culture to the mainstream. The sea-food heavy gastronomic delights were absolutely to die-for as was the gorgeous sights and entertainments presented to us.
Last but not least, it was a pleasure to be invited and involved as a Guest Judge at the Tiffin Cup Restaurant Awards, at The Houses of Parliament in Westminster, by Rt. Hon MP Keith Vaz alongside the very funny and talented Eastenders television actress Nina Wadia, as well as the Speaker of the House of Commons Rt. Hon. John Bercow. It really was wonderful to see the huge talent and effort made by Indian restaurants across the U.K. to raise the standard and quality to such a high level, and I heartily congratulate the winning restaurant for beating such tough competition.
Naturalistic by Shahena 