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| Geeta preparing food at the tour launch event |
Diwali, the Indian festival of lights - marking the victory of light over darkness and good over evil - just came to an end. Given tragic recent events, culminating in the funerals of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent this week, one can only wish the gods are paying attention.
I’ve had occasion to mention Burlington-based Chef, Geeta Maini, before: she’s the author of a fine cookbook (An Affair with Indian Cooking) with another in the works. I’ve had the privilege of cooking with her on a couple of occasions and her recipes are delicious and practical.
She is a bit of a stickler for detail, but in a good way. This will serve her well as she co-leads a
culinary tour of Northern India called “Cooking with Maharajas,” February 23rd – March 10th. (Her partner for the tour is Shila Desai, who runs Eat Your Heart Out Tours and has a variety of interesting-sounding expeditions listed on her website. Thanks to her for the photos that accompany this column.)
Maini indicated when she was asked to accompany and head the culinary aspect of the tour, she “jumped on board”. Indian cuisine is wonderfully diverse and complex, one of my favourites. I understand all too well, however, that it might be intimidating to go beyond the local takeout (or watching the latest Anthony Bourdain adventure on TV), and arrange to try Indian Cuisine in India.
Geeta says she will be able to help guide participants and assuage any concerns they might have about safety and hygiene. “Every corner you turn, every path you walk on has a new food experience, one more interesting than the next. For those foodies wanting to explore Indian cuisine, the way to do it is with an informed person in India.”
Culinary highlights will include guided visits to markets, private cooking workshops, hosted by Indian Royalty in various historic palaces and forts. They include one at the Nita Mehta School of Culinary Arts, founded by one of India’s most-celebrated cookbook authors and another at Ahilya Fort, Maheshwar.
Another is with Prince Richard Holkar, son of the last Maharaja of Indore and co-author of (reputed, but out-of-print) Cooking of the Maharajas. Desai told me the Prince insists every meal uses fresh produce from the Fort’s gardens and be served at a different location on the grounds.
The tour will not, however, be limited to the “cleaner India,” notes Maini, but include a visit to the largest slum in Mumbai, and the Sassoon docks which are the city’s main fish loading and trading centre. For her, the highlight of the tour is going to be “experiencing the food culture from various socio economic levels, and the interactive, and some hands-on, experiences with various well-known chefs.”
Sadly, I will be in final exams for my course, so I won’t be able to join Maini and other friends for the tour. But you can as spaces are still available: if interested in dining like a Prince follow up with Shila directly or email Geeta. For those not in a position to travel, get a taste of what you might be missing via some of Geeta’s recipes on her blog, or by obtaining a copy of her cookbook by clicking here.
For more pictures. click here.
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Your passion for food is commendable, and my mouth is fairly watering, but I'm curious: Would you ever consider bringing your quarter-century of environmental expertise to bear on the issues faced by our community?
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon,
ReplyDeleteI have done that but in ways that have not been as public. I now split my time about evenly between my two passions and my dance card is pretty full.
Alex