The world in my kitchen

It is enviable when cooks who with sleight of hand demonstrate whipping up the most delectablelooking Amuse Bouche Coq au Vin Galettes Hash Browns Meat Loafs Moussakas Guacamoleshellipthe list is endlessu00a0Be it Masterchef Australia America or India complemented with a jet lag from Istanbul Nice France Indonesia the city has globetrotters who are picking up a bouquet of cooking techniques equipment and ingredients to incorporate the world on their plates Thanks to television fixtures across Indian and international channels one is more of a kitchen knife ninja than a couch potatou00a0 Chef Pooja Dhingra conducting a cookery class at Studio Fifteen Hosting the food craze Gaia Home Chef caters an array of cuisines to all kinds of clientele backed by two chefs who romp up food in your very own kitchen Serving all kinds of cuisines Shilarna Vaze a product from the Le Cordon Bleu institution with her husband Christophe Perrin concocts various dishes from Swiss Cheese to Japanese Sushi Rice across Mumbai homes Being a food show host on Firangi Tadka and Style Chef she offers a view from both sides of the table ldquoPeople have gotten aware of exotic ingredients and different cuisines besides the usual ContinentalIndianChinese triangle I was already cooking this kind of food before I did a food show and itrsquos interesting to see people keen on experimentationrdquo She adds that being a spiceloving nation Asian food is a hit ldquoWe make authentic Mexican food that people seem to loverdquo Vaze believes that Mumbaiites are also warming up to good cuts of meat and learning about new products Binge rewind Pooja Dhingra the brain behind Le 15 Patisserie and the justopened Studio Fifteen agrees with Vaze about the change in the cityrsquos culinary habits in the past few years Another Le Cordon Bleu alumnus she shares ldquoThere is a big change in the culinary scene from when I went to culinary school in 2008 For starters not as many people wanted to be chefs or work in kitchens Even at my school in Paris I was the lone Indian then Today each class at Le Cordon Bleu has at least four to five Indian studentsrdquo u00a0She admits that the idea of introducing the French favourite was daunting yet looking at the range of experimentation one is game for she comments ldquoWith people travelling more and the palate being exposed to diverse food they are now open to trying new things and also recreating what they might have tasted abroad Shows like Masterchef and Top Chef encourage people to think and open their minds to foodrdquo When Dhingra started Le 15 she recalls being the only one who worked with flavours like lavender sea salt and others ldquoPeople tried these flavours and loved them We even introduced a Made in India collection with chai paan and green chili flavoured desserts which did well the Paan Macaroon remains one of our bestsellers nowrdquo u00a0 Filling the basket from all around Innovation with Indian elements and Western techniques is always heartening but sourcing of exotic ingredients could have been a pain until the transformation Sreejith Mohan Category Head at Godrej Nature39s Basket emphasises on how the brand has been endeavouring to source produce from Europe America South Africa Latin America MiddleEast Singapore and Australia The import includes handpicked brands ingredients spices sauces and readytoeat food Growing at an approximate 50 rate in the last four years he feels the cookery shows could be one of the motivations From Epicure Stuffed Octopus in Garlic Rs 325 to Barnier Black Olives Paste Rs 395 the franchise is a haven for chefs as well as aspirantsu00a0The buck does not stop at the ingredients only as Chenab Impex in the city remarks that they stock the Textura range of molecular gastronomy kits they claim to be the only place to stock it across India Aarti Chandhok Kapoor Marketing Head and daughter of the owner claims that it was solely their brand that introduced olive oil to the Indian market Itrsquos not just big brands from across the globe that are now available but also ingredients like cous cous are recently being favoured due to health reasons besides they are an ideal substitute to rice especially for the gluten intolerantu00a0 No more flash in the pan The transition in the market has been so immense where Dhingra tips that vanilla beans and silpats have marked their presence in the local market too The fact that equipment is as essential as the technique becomes evident when she announces that the studio has plans to tie up with the international brand of cookery ware Le Creuset for her cooking studio The cookery warersquos brand commercial manager Ankur Damani cites how their iron products practically come with a lifetime guarantee and because of the precision it is designed with it completely understands the need of cooking Sanvari Alagh Nair director of Houseproudin an ecommerce site that retails in high quality cookery bakery and serve ware shares ldquoAfter the widespread increase in the cookery shows urban centres have seen a lot of growth and interest especially among women from upper and middle classes One also saw an upsurge in kidsrsquo bake ware as baking is picking up as a happy family activityrdquo Nair asserts that clients actually want international products that are of good quality posing informed questions As pasta making and quick party snacks catch on Studio Fifteen with people from 13 to 65 roll up their sleeves to churn out cooking wonders Food Stylist Michael Swamy cautions ldquoPeople are hesitant to play around with different cuisines in a big way After all it is about cultures which is huge and can take at least a decade to turn around things entirelyrdquou00a0 The big fat kitchen makeover Itrsquos not just about cooking sourcing and stocking up the kitchen but now increasingly enthusiasts have revamped the kitchens entirely Rajesh Ahuja of Sleek International shares ldquoToday the consumer is more of a globetrotter and hence has exposure to the best in the kitchen industry He thus demands the best in functionality colours innovation material and technology Mediumdark wood flooring paired with slightly lighter cabinets remain a hot kitchen remodellingrdquo Continuing he deliberates on hardware ldquoIt has undergone a technological upheaval like the softclosing channels from Grass Austria which work on the Airmatic technology that ensure your drawers glide with a smooth finish instead of clanging and banging to a close Granite or Quartz is mostly preferred as the appropriate material for countertops as it is easier to clean and maintain Granite is commonly used in India as a worktop countertop which is hygienic and also gives a natural hard stone look Ceramic induction cooking is another significant featurerdquo POINTERS FROM THE FOOD STYLISTrsquoS RULEBOOK Michael Swamy food stylist and professional who worked on the Indian version of Masterchef shares a few observations gt Even smaller towns are being introduced to ingredients such as coloured capsicums gt Different garnishes such as microherbs and wildflowers play a pivotal role in perking a dish up gt Serve ware needs to be a realm monitored and groomed as well as he decided to the extent of which cutlery will the judges hold on the show Looks can make or break a dish u00a0 Did you know Ceramiccoated cookware has also buoyed up as Teflon starts peeling after six to eight months of use