Café D' Wine boasts of the best Wine Wall in the city! Elsie Gabriel

Café D'Wine boasts of the best Wine Wall in the city! Elsie Gabriel

Similar to the ones you may find in Europe, Café D’Wine in Khar Mumbai is an intimate wine café. Quant place which includes a wine boutique, this cozy setting  is the perfect place to relax with friends or have a romantic dinner conversation over wine.

 

Warmly welcomed by Sanjay Mirani of Café D’Wine, entering the wine café brought back my travels to the French sidewalks and the Italian Wine cafes, which enhance your indulgence in quality time over a glass of bubbly. The entire place is stylish and the décor has distinct Italian art works around.Its not a huge place where you would get lost, but a cozy place to simply indulge in a series of wines offered with various multi cuisines. It is a class apart and way above the average wine café .

I believe Sanjay is a well travelled and experienced restauranteur; and a wine connoisseur who knows his wines well.

Their personalized service and atmosphere will make you feel at home, as you graze over flavorful food selections. The ‘Wine Wall’ is very attractive and lets you study the wines at one glance, ofcourse all well explained in detail by Sanjay himself who finds the time to take you around the world with all the wines on display.

 

I simply loved the pairing of the Prawn cocktail my favorite appetizer, together with the White Casablanca Sparkling wine offered by Ralph Craven our dear friend whom it was lovely to meet after ages. Ralph outlined that the sparkling wine  has entered the fray by Good Drop Wine Cellars. Casablanca is affordably priced and it is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Moscato and Shiraz and is made using the Charmat method.

The afternoon was spent over Smoked Chicken salads, Char grilled cottage cheese, Crispy Lamb with glass noodles, Char grilled chicken with red wine sauce and some lovely lemon Meringue to complete the menu. All sprinkled with lovely conversations over the ‘Casablanca’ bubbly which stole the evening.

 

 

They have a great wine list at ridiculously reasonable prices, that’s why dropping in to unwind with some music around too, makes for a good experience.

 

The wine and gourmet combination dishes offered here are amazing and they go great with the atmosphere of the place. The staff is friendly and the food is served hot and quick. Café D’Wine obviously knows what they’re talking about when it comes to good wines!

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. “

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise.

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise.

Elsie Gabriel

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise. It sure does have a top rank place in my pantheon of great markets that I have visited the world over. A trip to the Mercadão, meaning "big market' is a must while touring Sao Paulo. Your gourmet tour starts and ends here in fact.You can pack your basket for a wild picnic or home cooking, all here.

 

The Mercado Municipal is a huge two storied building market illuminated by stained-glass windows and houses not only stands selling pickles, flowers, canned stuff, fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, poultry and seafood, but also a mezzanine floor lined with vibrant restaurants overlooking the shopping and tasting action below and offering everything from simple snacks and home-cooking samples.

To me it was an exotic offering to all my senses involving me in all the flavor s of Brazil, avant-garde contemporary gastronomy at its best.

 If you like markets with fresh food and local produce, fresh colours and smells, happy faces buying and satisfied faces selling,  this is a really fun place that is packed, lively, delicious and affordable. I enjoyed tasting over a dozen cheeses, wines and sausages of all sorts. I was in gourmet heaven.

You can pick Mortadella sandwiches, fresh local fruit and inexpensive souvenirs, this place is great. I love the humdrum of a market, the dizziness which goes into the haggling and offerings, the mundane becomes the absolutely supreme essential necessity. It is exquisite gastronomic experience here at Mercado.

I ate a Hocca's Pastel  which is a pastel,  a rectangle-shaped thin crust pie with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil. The result is a crispy, brownish fried pie either with shrimp, or codfish, or chicken or other flavors..Every bite is crispy heaven, drooool, slruppp….mine was filled with a soft flacky fresh fish fillet...

The Mercado was built in a somewhat eclectic classical style designed by architect Francisco Ramos de Azevedo in 1928 but it was only on January 25, 1933, the birthday of the city of Sao Paulo, that the market finally opened for its original purpose.

The huge central space of the Mercado Municipal is light and airy thanks to the high clerestory windows which allows free flowing breeze, fresh air constantly rotating, abundant daylight to reach even into the center aisles of the market. Along the front facade ranges a series of enormous colourfully paterned stained-glass windows which are the work of German-Brazilian artist Conrado Sorgenicht Filho and which celebrate the daily lives of agricultural workers during the golden age of São Paulo's coffee economy.

All pictures copyrighted Elsie Gabriel.

For me the market, infact any market -represents- Mother Earths offerings and that’s how it becomes heaven to me, just walking down each aisle and letting all that the earth has to offer into your very being, every sense being awakened.You can honour all that the earth grows and helps feed us...

I can still feel the Empanada burst in my mouth,with every juicy bite....

Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing, which usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, fish,vegetables or fruits, among others. Like fritters, samosas or patties known the world over they are filled with happiness always ,what say?

 

Life is a Cachaca!! Cheers!! Elsie Gabriel

Life is a Cachaca!!

I kept staring at the ‘Cachaca’ in front of me....and guess what I kept thinking about?? Is sugarcane a fruit or a vegetable!! Hah, gottcha.... I was on my second glass now and  guess what I was thinking about?? Why don’t they make this in India!!

 

We have so much sugarcane in India and may be I could think of making Cachaca!! Well let me tell ya.. I was in the middle of the Amazon jungle tropical hotel, with beautiful soothing music around , all you could think of was....wow life is a Cachaca....

The cocktail Caipirinha is Brazil's national drink made with cachaça, ice, sugar, and lime. It is the drink most commonly associated with  Cachaça. The humble cane,grass, tropical gift to mankind..call it what you wish,but this cane drink was gooood...

Slim slices of lime floating in my drink, topped with ice, well stirred with some sugar grains in lemon juice and a good portion of this sugarcane raw brew......amazing..quenching every thirst after a good whole days trek up into the forest jungle......so now you get it..you want one, dont ya....slurrppp....

Didn’t ever imagine this Sugarcane  production could turn out so good. I believe that sugancane was brought in from the Mediera islands into Brazil by the Portuguese in the 16 ^th century.God bless the sugarcane farmers...of the 16^th C that is.....

 In Brazil everything starts and ends with a Cachaca...you are on the Copacabana beach and God its Cachaca doing the rounds with shiny ice cubes dancing in the glasses being sold on the beach every where.....  

If vodka is used instead of cachaça, it is called a Caipiroska or caipivodka; if rum is used it is called a caipiríssima; if strawberry or some other fruit is used instead of lime, it is usually called a batida or caipifruta.

 1.5 billion liters are consumed annually, Brazil is one happy state, people are polite and happy. It is a sun shine country alright....

Get yourself a good aged Cachaca bottle, smoothly blended when aged to perfection, do not go for the younger cheap offerings...Next time follow me into a trail of a lot more local Brazilian brews...amazing ....

The dark variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant to be drunk straight .But never mind the history of Cachaca, come join me in a drink, celebrate life and celebrate sugarcane!!! Cheers......make it a large, this time!!!

The Mahotsav Art collection. Elsie Gabriel

The Mahotsav Art collection.

Elsie Gabriel.

A riot of colours and heady sensations enveloped me as I walked into an array of  colourful art displays by more than 50 artists at the Kohinoor art Gallery,Mumbai. I  was excited about the invitation by imminent artist Rukshana Hooda and she did not let me down. It was such a visual and healing experience.

Surrounded by  landscapes, charcoal art, wild life scenes, exotic animals in oils, acrylic on canvas, water colour, abstracts and figurative art, I found my visit very healing. The artists, who come from all over the country, showcased an array of  paintings, sculptures and graphics in the show. Mahotsav Group show was curated by Guruprio Paul. Says Guruprio who is an inspiring artist himself, “The title of the show was derived from the fact that it reveals the works of different artists, who share a common platform to display their works. Art brings people together."

 
 Rukshana Hooda, is a Visual Artist, painter from the Sir J.J. School Of Art and Sophia College Mumbai. Layers of visual sensations were portrayed  in Rukhshanas works taking you deeper into the meaning of life while showing off its intense colours. Elaborated Rukhshana, “ I have an assorted genre, very varied, from abstracts, landscapes, charcoals, moghal-Art, human forms, warli, history and Nature around me.Nature in its own self has always stayed absorbed in my expression. Human forms, stones, clouds and landscapes with types of vegetation take transformation on paper, plates, canvas, marine-ply, teak, etc. Beauty has no form still I try to capture and create on my canvas.”

I fell in love with Bhagvati Naths art works, what an excellent offering to planet Earth with her nature portraits. She had the Tigers, owls and leopards staring me in the face, springing to life. She is one artist par excellence. When you meet Bhagwati, you will see that she has been there, done that, and is in peace with  her self, half sage and sanyasi herself, her art works captivate you with striking messages of deep love, concern for animals and nature,all of which stole my soul.  “ I have lived in the wild and outdoors. Nature offers her own peace and lifestyle.I need to get out the message that all things natural are sublime and that animals are an essential part of our world.”

Deepika Misra is an artist to look out for,her offerings were also a delight, crisp and clear. I loved the colours which were very therapeutic. J.S.Munmoli, an artist whose many years in Africa resulted in striking jungle animal art forms were enriching. Extreme clarity and form were the elements which I came away with.The Leopards in the African jungles were paid a rich tribute.

Considered India’s cultural capital, Mumbai always offers a continuously developing and vibrant art scene.I simply loved the focus on introducing new artists and  experimental innovative art  which promoted a multi-disciplinary approach to contemporary art in India. The exhibition surprised me completed and that’s what I like.

Lavinia Hansraj presents her eclectic collection of luxurious soft furnishings! Elsie Gabriel

Lavinia Hansraj presents her eclectic collection of luxurious soft furnishings!

Lavinia Hansraj spells classy luxury! Lavinia has adorned many high profile and celebrity home interiors over the years and left her mark with her trendy approach which I would call ‘maximalism’ truly making the most of the  space assigned.

 Her taste for spectacular eye catching quality fabric and good finish is what you will get when you set your heart on each custom made piece of designe. She does not make bulk nor does she cater to everyday styles.

Her collection ‘Lavinia Hansraj’ coutour soft interior furnishings are striking as she makes the most of any space with eye-catching textiles, interesting furniture pieces, runners, curtains, corner pieces that accent, stand out and demand attention. Her mix in vibrant, velvet and silk fabric designs and lots of interesting little embroidery help her achieve this eloquent style. 

Visiting her exquisite offering was an eye opener. Insightful to know that Lavinia and Chetan both have an eye for design and art. But Ethan their little son floored me literally yesterday, when he took out a lovely neat blue print from his pocket and showed his creation of the ‘eternal circles’ which was his addition to the design on the cushion. Amazing family, very artistic and creative. What better way to bond, than over art!!  They inspire each other.

It was also good meeting Marylin, Lavinias sister. Of course both the parents of Chetan and Lavinia graced the occasion too, in full support.

Says Chetan Hansraj, “Lavinia is fantastic and her offering is for Diwali and Xmas.The bright colours sure will light up any room.We have worked over six months to put this together. I do assist and offer some designs too.But this is her passion.”

Of course the one by Chetan was an electric owl with crystal eyes, amazing black velvet and bewitching.

Actress and writer Pooja Bedi walked in to relish all the sensational colours, “I have Lavinia’s collection all over my house. I love her colours and mostly her Dragonfly theme. They are a class apart.”

 Loving these contemporary styled home décor was also Shruti Agarwal supermodel, “I love her clean-lined approach, I love the ‘bling’ and  brightness.”

Lavinias collection no doubt focuses first and foremost on function and tries to avoid excessive decoration used within other styles.

Lavinia works closely to achieve color combinations that compliment any setting designed by the most sophisticated individual. The result is an interesting accessory for the home which is a work of art as well as a luxurious addition to any decor.

Zenzy Mumbai-Sawadee Karp!! Elsie Gabriel

Zenzy Mumbai-Sawadee Karp!!

Meet Akshay Chitre….who has spent time in UK for his MBA but came back to give his home ground, Bandra East in Mumbai India, a run for it’s money where Thai cuisine is concerned!!

This young guy is the strong and silent type, no airs, no frills and no drama king. He just spells ‘thai food’ out for you through his elaborate menu at Zenzi Mumbai, the newest spankiest Thai food restaurant in Bandra East.

Says Akshay, “It has been only eight months now that the restaurant is here and am enjoying the Thai journey. Bandra East is home to many restaurants so why not some good Thai food.I am happy with the delivery orders that I get and can barely keep up. I am hoping that more corporate here in Bandra east order in bulk for parties and corporate lunches, that’s my aim and am working hard towards it.”

This young lad, knows what he wants and how to get it. He is very patient and calm for a young lad just back from UK. He says he tried his hand at working and then ultimately wanted to throw it all up to be his own boss and command each day as it comes. His restaurant , actually converted from a garage opposite the MIG Club in Bandra East is an amazing story of a young entrepreneur who saw a future in food and turned it around to spell success. It is always such a pleasure see young people invest good quality time in their dreams and work hard to make them a reality.His is one good example.

Akshay also writes and will soon publish his love story book he says on “Three women who narrate their love story woes.” Basically the boy, doesn't have a single lazy bone in his body, always up to something progressive and smart, he says he writes his book on his phone on three days, Mondays , Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when the crowds are less in his restaurant. He has his schedule chalked out and you can tell him apart.

Of course coming  back to the Thai food he offers which are very reasonable prices, the Prawn in baby onion and spinach was to die for, the Green fish curry with coconut spicy rise was good, but nothing to beat the fresh dumplings and Thai Tom Yum soup.You have to try it out.

It was a culinary journey to the flavours, colours and aromas of Thailand, all right. So if you are in Bandra East and in need for some good Thai food, check this small cozy Thai restaurant out,  It’s not fine dining or hi fi but if you are hungry and want to simply relish food, step in!!!

More than the food, I can vouch that Akshay will go far in life! His cool, warm and enterprising hard working qualities will surely catapult him to higher culinary accomplishments .His gourmet journey has just begun.. and how!!

Sawadee Karp!!