Come away enriched with lessons of culinary history with Chef Sandeep Pande.

Come away enriched with lessons of culinary history with Chef Sandeep Pande.

Elsie Gabriel.

 Many of our Indian cultures contain expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving; and celebrating the  ‘Baisakhi’ festival at Nawab Saheb, at the Renaissance Powai was extraordinarily enriching. The food festival gave thanks for all the offerings Mother Earth has bestowed on us, being treated like royalty on the eve of Earth Day was a blessing one can not forget easily.

 A wide variety of grains, vegetables, herbs and nuts go into the breads and food items from the various country farms to celebrate the seasonal festival of life on earth. The Nawab Saheb showcased just that and much more; as Executive chef Sandeep Pande took us on a journey of culinary research. In the world of sleek celebrity chefs and master chefs, his down to earth knowledge sharing about the rustic lanes and villages of Punjab which actually gave rise to the festival, was a relief. Chef Sandeep traveled into the inlands  and farms of the Punjabi villages collecting resources, masalas, know hows and ofcourse culinary lessons himself.He has hand picked the combinations and earthy recepies.

When you hear Chef Sandeep Pande speak, you want to listen, his deep research treats the epicenter of ‘food’ as a medium to connect with people. It is a culinary journey of his explanations that lead you to respect and savor every bite that his offerings set the table for. And then you realize once again, that it is the medium of food that binds us all together on this planet after all.

And he’s had excellent success. His dynamic makes him an intriguing food expert, and a good source for understanding what festival food is all about.And why we all should care to celebrate the harvest of life at the beginning of the solar year.  

Of course, he downplays the whole thing. His gourmet journey began with the Oberoi group and then he collected world class culinary experience from the Far East , Middle East and the European world to come back to India . He excels in Mediterranean, Indian, Thai and festival food. Chef Sandeep Pande was also involved in milestone gourmet dates abroad like hosting MICE Functions, conducting international food festivals, and trained in Michelin starred cuisine restaurants. Chef Sandeep Pande obtained his Masters in Hospitality Administration from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration after completing his Post Graduate Diploma in Kitchen Management, and Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology. He is also a senior member of the UAE Culinary Guild and a member of the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, USA.

The Nawabi food is served through out the year so indulge. Relish the dishes once prepared for the Indian Nawabs . Indulge in the dishes like Dum ka Murgh,Biryani Oudhi and Dal Khaas Nawabi.Ofcourse I loved the huge Achari lobster,Jhelum ka jheenga, Amritari machli with many vegetarian offerings like Jalandar de tikke, Sarso da saang,Missi roti and lachcha paratha.

During ‘Baisakhi’ the farmers give 'thanks' to the creator for their fortune and pray for a better crop the following year. I enjoyed the 'Baisakhi di Raat' at Nawab Saheb at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet Powai, you should try the gourmet journey too.

I, for one, came away rich with the Akshay Tritya celebration sweet desserts, sprinkled with gold and silver edible leaves, another parallel festival being celebrated at the Lakeside coffee shop on the same floor.  Meet chef Sandeep Pande and come away educated with many lessons in culinary history. He is not only a powerhouse of gourmet journeys but an excellent chef!

 

Building bricks from renewable raw materials-The BOHECO Boys!Climate Change fighters in their own right.Elsie Gabriel

 

Building bricks from renewable raw materials-

The BOHECO Boys!

Climate Change fighters in their own right.

Elsie Gabriel

We all talk about sustainable building materials, eco friendly crop based materials contributing to  low carbon emissions but the BOHECO Boys walk the talk; and talk the walk, literally through Hemp….

I believe these boys originally from the H.R.College of Commerce Mumbai have come a long way. And how! So, if you must know Hemp is a crop, a very domesticated crop, used since time immemorial for everything from food, clothing, rope, paper and plastic to even car parts. Research has outlined that hemp is incredibly versatile and can be utilized as cooking oil and cosmetic products as well.

So how are these boys climate change fighters in their own right? Well, for one, they provide relief to the atmosphere by researching and conducting a new green economy rather than invest in an already established polluting easy job, they  uplift socio-economic standards of local farmers, identify and utilize the untapped value of natural geographic advantages. In a time of high unemployment, they have endorsed that hemp could provide farmers green jobs, motivating cultivators to keep growing this ancestral crop, and most of all producing biodegradable bi products from Hemp which contribute to  environmentally sustainable industries, thus fighting global warming and climate change.

The need for crops and plants to grow, for trees and healthy cultivation to continue has never been greater. Given all of these benefits these boys are surely true environmentalists.

It is also believed that the Hemp fibre requires very little water to turn into cotton cloth. That’s cutting production carbon emissions by half already.

 The BOHECO boys are still researching on a variety of low carbon building materials from Hemp. As well as reducing the environmental footprint, Hemp will be stronger than steel they believe.It was the first time ever I saw the Hemp bricks.Hopefully these will contribute to more sustainable green buildings.

“Hemp plastic is completely biodegradable and let's the Earth breathe,” Says Jahan Peston Jamas co-founder of  BOHECO,  India’s first industrial hemp company which now works with the Indian union and state governments to reform the agriculture industry with natural fibres, Adds Jahan,“Hemp can be used to make nearly 25,000 products including textiles, oil, milk, paper, biodegradable plastics, tofu, flour, protein powder, bio-fuel and construction material.”

I have known Jahan as a school kid, winning the trophy for his school at a tough debate competition,ever since he rocked the stage and shook the audience with his powerful articulate deliveries, I knew this boy would go far.Ofcourse Sarla Jamas, his Mother is his true motivator and guides all the BOHECO boys through thick and thin,sharpening their skills to continue being strong professionals.  

 

 

 Team BOHECO is presently composed of  seven full time co-founders and first generation agri-entrepreneurs,  with undergraduate, post graduate and PHD academic qualifications, they are a very enterprising lot.

Master Chef Vicky Ratnani cooking with BOHECO Hemp oil.

BOHECO began with handloom fabrics but today the Hemp Couture is actually BOHECO’s in-house fashion brand. Now they work with local industry and farmers to manufacture innovative agro-products for pharmaceutical, construction, energy, paper, food,cooking oil, textile, lubricants, automobile, oil and cortage industries from the industrial hemp crop and now are working to use this model pan-India for poverty alleviation, empowerment and rural development.

 ‘Educate. Cultivate. Elevate’  is their mission statement, they are green advocates in every sense.

 Research shows that Henry Ford spent more than a decade researching and building his Model-T car which was not only constructed from hemp but was also designed to run off hemp bio-fuel? These BOHECO boys are here to stay, and carry on the legacy of Hemp which I believe, Ford would have saluted them for!

The BOHECO boys make a safe, strong and clean future for the environment, always researching and developing. Well this year 2015, on April 22^nd which marks the 45^th anniversary of world EARTH DAY , the BOHECO boys could not have paid a better tribute to planet Earth!

Underprevileged kids eat at Eagle Boys Pizza as Sweetza comes to town! Elsie Gabriel

                                   Eagle Boys Sweetza comes to town! Shares pizzas with special kids!

Ever dreamed of the perfect chocolate dessert pizza on a date night at home?? Well now you can simply order home the newest gourmet delight to hit the city with Eagle Boys Sweetzza’s. You can opt for guilt free indulgence as the dough is so fresh and ingredients locally bought. Less carbon footprints involved in every bite. Pushpa and Gaurav Uniyal at Primerose Lake Homes main road, Powai offer the freshest vegetarian pizzas with exquisite variations for those who don’t venture into meats. They offer vegan pizzas too, simply ask. But you have to try the choco Pizza, an all gooey, chocolately and lip smacking affair, well now that I have got you drooling, you simply have to try it, one single bite can be heavenly! The dessert pizzas are a relatively low-stress dessert, and are wonderful for large crowds and parties.

This Australian owned and operated network brand began as a single pizza store in New South Wales and has grown to become one of Australia’s largest pizza makers and now reaches out to India.

The network takes pride in offering a variety of products including gourmet pizzas, gluten-free, low fat and healthy options. A growing number of stores are now serving Halal accredited offerings.

I opted for the Country side Veg Pizza and the Hawain delights, which were light and easy for an early dinner. There are loads of other pizza recipes out there just awaiting a hungry audience. The electric oven the outlet uses here at Powai uses low consumption, again treading gently on the power conservation. In about flat 3.5 minutes a pizza is out of the over, using no oil at all, all pizzas here are baked.

What makes the Primerose Lakehomes Pizza center a joy to visit, are the people behind it.Pushpa and Gaurav are both bankers but pamper their passion in the gourmet world, by personally being involved at the pizzaria. Gaurav bakes without battering an eyelid and supervises every flake of ingredient that goes into the pizza, its the passion for excellence which eventually gets a top class pizza on your plate. Pushpa is an entrepreneur who has dived into pizza making, fully confident that this is the pizza world which makes the world go around for kids, and good healthy pizza can also be fun.

The tomatoes and chicken penne is surprisingly classy and served hot with a good portion. Of course the new dish which is to die for is the baked vegetarian scrolls, sublime with zero calories, well almost, try it!

I am not a big fan of pizzas of any kind,coz I dread the cheese,ofcourse its a persoanl choice which comes with one's personal diet plan and age; but believe me I came away a convert!

 

It was wonderful to launch with some special children from the underprevilged society to come and taste the pizzas.The young always like pizzas and Eagleboys made the summer holidays special.

 

 

Lent and Climate Change….I believe….As Easter heralds new life...

Made Easter eggs at home, pass down the tradition...

Lent and Climate Change….I believe we have a lesson here….As Easter heralds new life, reflect on the carbon footprints we are leaving behind rather than focusing totally on simply fasting .Sacrifice and save electricity, curb food wastage, use less water, less paper, plant more trees… even beyond the 40 days this season..

Mom donating food...

 

Its Easter this Sunday, I have already made my first batch of Easter Eggs for my children at home. As an adult Christian I willingly, on my own did give up some meals during the 40 days of fasting called Lent to eat at night mostly. But year after year as I grow older, I feel there is a deeper meaning to Easter as I age as a an older Mom now. Of course the children have watched me make the eggs at home year after year setting a tradition, am hoping that they will carry this on with fervor instead of buying the best brands available outdoors.But more than the curries, bunnies and Easter lilies blooming,which ofcourse is the essence of the festive celebrations alright, I would like to believe thats it is a time to reflect on our food habits during lent. It is a time to curb, restrain and develop self control, attributes which will go a long way in making us strong personalities later on in life. In a quick fix world and instant coffee age we can lead by example alone. We can not preach.

 

These 40 days of lent which get over this weekend, hopefully we have lost a few kilos but we can learn to curb ‘food wastage”. Most of us are incredibly fortunate to have access to such bountiful food and I feel the greatest way to show thanks and appreciation for it is to honour it by eating appropriately sized portions and tasting every bite. I believe,again its a personal choice,Fasting alone is not Lent—we must reflect about how much food goes into the garbage and landfills, so much methane gas is produced when it rotts, so much water and money goes into making that food, we can not control wastage in restaurants and parties but we can control wastage at home, to start with. Food wastage and climate change go hand in hand. The bigger the garbage bag ,the more carbon goes into the atmosphere. With people still dying in the recent flash floods when its not even monsoons here in India, what more proof does one need that climate change is for real.This is what lent is about, for me atleast so as you celebrate Easter again this year think if you have added to the global crisis of food waste or not.

Use your left over food wisely, recreate them into new dishes and dont be ashamed to serve small portions and take refills again, hand down the habit of food waste management this Easter and celebrate the spring festival with gratitude that we eat 4 meals a day when it is not Lent, Easter refreshes us and renews us, So think hard again, that we can not leave behind our ‘food wasted footprints’ for the next generation to ape. Or have we sacrificed enough for Mother Earth our only Planet? Take a look around you and see,it is true that we can 'change Climate Change',through our Lenten habits! Happy Easter!!

Climate Reality Guru Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore crusader of climate change.So where does India stand? Elsie Gabriel

 

 

Climate Reality Guru Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore is crusader of climate change.So where does India stand on its way to Paris?

By Climate Reality Mentor Elsie Gabriel, Mumbai, India.

I don’t know about you, but I want to share that I grew up as a child studying almost every evening under the dim light of a kerosene lantern or candles, atleast for a few hours daily. I grew up in West Bengal India and with parents who were teachers in the Irish Christian Brothers school it was a routine thing to do, study, read books or play outdoors and study some more.We had the best of amenities and the best of childhood memories playing outdoors in the wilderness, but ‘Power cuts’ and ‘Lights out’ are words which still ring in my ears, reminding me of how we would struggle to bring light into the house during study hours. This, believe me was the experience of most folks of my age during childhood, and guess what, some parts of India still go through such chronic lack of energy, un announced power cuts which paralyze industries, homes and households. Till today!!!

 And some ofcourse still do not have any power at all. Electricity consumption in our country has been increasing at such high speed due to population growth and economic development. India’s economy faces increasing challenges because energy supply is struggling to keep pace with demand and there are energy shortages (as much as 15 percent daily in some places) almost everywhere in the country as unreliable supplies still threaten India’s economic growth. This may sound strange to you because you live in a city or uptown,because we belong to only the tip of the ice berg of the Indian population, for that matter anyone reading this blog any where in the world right now.

Yet, the fact remains that our growth is constrained by energy supply and availability. Although we have seen an impressive increase in installed capacity addition, we still can not match the demand.

So, what can India do to meet the future energy demands and help eliminate wide-ranging power outages in the future? The government needs to research how best to address the power needs to meet the future growth and prevent such massive power failures. India’s ‘power blackout’’ is an opportunity to develop sustainable energy solutions. Let the ‘darkness of the power cuts’ show us the way!

We are a sun shining country, the source is for free, we as a country have always been eco friendly, using sunlight to dry our clothes and tumble dry our utensils out on the racks outdoors. More so, use earthen pots made of clay to set our curd and drink water or hot ‘chai’ tea from. We stored water in earthen vessels.We have mostly used'pital' 'tamba' or steel plates which could be recycled like forever...we used bio degradable ‘patals’ or plates made from leaves. It was auspicious to eat from them during marriages or religious functions. May be the newer generation may not but believe me, we Indians had parents and grandparents who used a set of cloth bags all their lives. One for the fish market, another for the vegetables and rations so on, they were washed after each use and reused!!

All these memories came flashing back during a meet led by former US Vice President  Al Gore which aimed to focus on the renewable energy potential for India and the key role that the country plays in the lead up to the discussions in France later this year. High-profile leaders in renewable energy joined Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore here to train Climate Reality Leaders here in India last month, on the science of climate change and solutions for the climate crisis while developing skills to effectively communicate about both the challenges and opportunities.

The speakers included  Ken Berlin, president & CEO, Climate Reality Project; Ajay Mathur, director general, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Dr. Henry Pollack, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan and Angela Rutter, director of strategic engagement, Australian Conservation Foundation, among many others.

"There are many reasons to be optimistic about our ability to solve the climate crisis," said Gore, chairman and founder of the Climate Reality Project, who outlined the details, graphs and statistics as well as the wrath of climate change, asking the world to wake up.

"The Climate Reality Leadership  training brought together committed activists and citizens from all over India and from several others nations, it gives me yet another reason to be hopeful." he added. Al Gore is the guru of Climate Change education and awareness, his effects on people are deep and his message will spread far and wide. India was indeed blessed to have him visit, train and resurrect the mission to fight climate change tooth and nail.

Today, I feel empowered with the best tools possible to communicate this message of hope. If we educators can teach the next generation about the climate reality we will be equipping the future. Please do get in touch with us for Climate Change educational presentations. Together we can fight climate change.

With awareness of climate change having grown exponentially, Evangelist of Climate Change Education Al Gore also announced that songwriter and singer Pharrel Williams will together present the  Live Earth concerts to take place June 18 at various venues across the world. Live Earth Road to Paris 2015 seeks to build momentum heading into the UN Climate Summit in Paris in December.

Reduce, Reuse, Rethink, Replenish, Recycle and Renew!! I repeat this daily to all my colleagues, friends and students, it is the like the holy grail of the basics that can help bring back planet Earth to the greener planet she was and to fight climate change.

So, where does India stand and where can we go from here? Renewable energy is the most attractive investment because it will provide long-term economic growth for India. A favorable renewable energy policy could create millions of new jobs and an economic stimulus.

India has no better option than to reach out and soak in the sun. Solar energy is the most cost-effective option for India to reduce 'energy poverty' without having to extend national grid services to provide power for individual homes and buildings.

 Aggressively expand large-scale distribution of  renewable energy including solar and  wind, hydro and  biomass to ease the strain on the present transmission.

Yes, Solar is getting cheaper world wide but in India, the government must develop favorable  policies to ease the project permitting process, and to provide startup funds to promote the exponential growth of renewable energy. We already have solar, we are progressing but lets promote solar more among the public users, so that it does not have to compete with conventional energy generation.

Once  research institutions are tapped, industry, government and civil society will follow the path to solar, to guide technology development. A corresponding investment will be required in transmission and distribution.

The country  is hopefully shutting down coal slowly and now knows that pursuing a fossil fuel-led growth strategy which is already bogged down by environmental concerns is not the way out! So, while bridging the gap lets get clean energy, sustainable and renewable sources.

With countries coming to Paris this December to reach a new climate change agreement, lets hope bigger polluters commit to goals as against to saving their country from economic growth.
Hopefully a balance will be drawn somewhere in peace.

 Here is hoping that India will also continue to move forward because they realize the benefits of action which  is not only the health of the planet but the health of their citizens.

We as a country know that India already has the lowest per-capita emissions among major nations but this is what can make us leaders, world leaders in solar if the government would provide a predictable policy regime with standard guidelines for approving renewable energy developments.

Each country, agreed, will have different responsibilities in fighting the climate change threats, it is no use comparing India to other countries but to collaborate and co-operate.

India can be the true contender of climate leadership!

“Elsie Gabriel, attended the event as a Climate Reality Mentor from Mumbai mentoring two groups of trainees, She is founder of the Young Environmentalists Programme Trust an NGO dedicated over the last decade in educating  the youth and community on Climate change,environment education and green living habits as a certified green teacher.She is also the award winning author of the book called Get Out Get Going Outdoors which has chapters on climate change. The Climate Reality Project is an organization involved in education and advocacy related to climate founded by  Al Gore. “

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.

Elsie Gabriel.

Begun eight years ago by an industrious grape-growing brand- Sula Wines, the festival began as a way to introduce and educate the populace about the merits of wine, music and festivities. Since those early beginnings, Sula has grown in stature to become one of the top wine production houses in India, and the Sula Wine Festival has grown to become the #1 tasting event in India, featuring varieties of wine, paired with gourmet food offerings, fashion shows, and unbeatable musical entertainment.

I took in the sun, the fun, the notes of music and wine –all making a heady mixture, uplifting me to experience an unforgettable wine festival..I have been on the Australian and South African wine trails but believe me this Sula festival is a boon to India. Sula is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With over 200,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.

The fest on the 7^th and 8^th of February this year saw close to 11,000 fest-goers who had a weekend to remember and this year was a grander production with even more amazing memories.

A huge Greek-style amphitheater was bathed in sunshine rays, truly making it a world class Music festival by itself, with thousands of music lovers sipping wine and enjoying a mix of nationwide and internationally celebrated artists. In the distance you could see white tents dotting the wine farmlands offering exotic accommodation for the festival, that’s if you didn’t already book the hotels around the Sula vinyards.

 I enjoyed the groups that performed, Young The Giant, Gentlemans Dub Club, Will abd the People, Yes Sir Boss, Speed Caravan, Cuban Beats, Kefaya, Sandunes, Hamza Feat but Lucky Ali still stole my heart along with Bombay Basement and Swarathma and Manuidhira some good fusion Indian music there floated around with quite the right beats.

The Sula wine festival is one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state/country! This beautiful city of Nasik is the original home of the wine festival with a spectacular gathering of wine, food, music and fun – at the interiors of the farmlands of Maharashtra, just few hours away from Mumbai! A hip crowd of thousands of wine lovers flock to the two day Festival, making this one of the most desirable wine consumer event of the year!

If you want to celebrate the spring season with wine and food pairing, simply visit the Sula wineries! Wine appreciation and evaluation is done by understanding a wine through its colour, aroma, flavour, texture and body.

Wine tasting sessions help you broaden your horizons on wine and also help you know how to pair food and wine, how to serve wines or how to know which wine is perfect for gifting.

 

Well, I came away happy with taste buds tingling with a thousand flavours, ranging from mild citrus hints with strawberry notes, creamy mousse, dry Citrus  - lemon zest, nectarines, rose petals and lychees,  crisp, light-bodied, woody and oak and not to mention smoky, acidic and aromatic.

 

 

 

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.Elsie Gabriel

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.

Elsie Gabriel.

Begun eight years ago by an industrious grape-growing brand- Sula Wines, the festival began as a way to introduce and educate the populace about the merits of wine, music and festivities. Since those early beginnings, Sula has grown in stature to become one of the top wine production houses in India, and the Sula Wine Festival has grown to become the #1 tasting event in India, featuring varieties of wine, paired with gourmet food offerings, fashion shows, and unbeatable musical entertainment.

I took in the sun, the fun, the notes of music and wine –all making a heady mixture, uplifting me to experience an unforgettable wine festival..I have been on the Australian and South African wine trails but believe me this Sula festival is a boon to India.

Sula is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With over 200,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.

The fest on the 7^th and 8^th of February this year saw close to 11,000 fest-goers who had a weekend to remember and this year was a grander production with even more amazing memories.

A huge Greek-style amphitheater was bathed in sunshine rays, truly making it a world class Music festival by itself, with thousands of music lovers sipping wine and enjoying a mix of nationwide and internationally celebrated artists. In the distance you could see white tents dotting the wine farmlands offering exotic accommodation for the festival, that’s if you didn’t already book the hotels around the Sula vinyards.

 I enjoyed the groups that performed, Young The Giant, Gentlemans Dub Club, Will abd the People, Yes Sir Boss, Speed Caravan, Cuban Beats, Kefaya, Sandunes, Hamza Feat but Lucky Ali still stole my heart along with Bombay Basement and Swarathma and Manuidhira some good fusion Indian music there floated around with quite the right beats.

The Sula wine festival is one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state/country! This beautiful city of Nasik is the original home of the wine festival with a spectacular gathering of wine, food, music and fun – at the interiors of the farmlands of Maharashtra, just few hours away from Mumbai! A hip crowd of thousands of wine lovers flock to the two day Festival, making this one of the most desirable wine consumer event of the year!

If you want to celebrate the spring season with wine and food pairing, simply visit the Sula wineries! Wine appreciation and evaluation is done by understanding a wine through its colour, aroma, flavour, texture and body.

Wine tasting sessions help you broaden your horizons on wine and also help you know how to pair food and wine, how to serve wines or how to know which wine is perfect for gifting.

 

Well, I came away happy with taste buds tingling with a thousand flavours, ranging from mild citrus hints with strawberry notes, creamy mousse, dry Citrus  - lemon zest, nectarines, rose petals and lychees,  crisp, light-bodied, woody and oak and not to mention smoky, acidic and aromatic.