If anybody told you to sample a dish of brinjals and bananas, you would probably baulk at the idea of the food combination, which was exactly the sentiment among the audience who watched UK-based Michelin starred chef Francis Atkins prepare a chutney of aubergines and bananas. But one taste and everyone was hooked. This was star power at its best, Michelin Star in this case.
And if you have eight ?starred? and ?hatted? chefs all under one roof, the heights of culinary ecstasy can only be imagined. In Delhi for a charity event, the chefs cooked up a storm, literally, at The Leela Palace in the form of master classes and cooking demonstrations.
Even though from different countries and having varying cooking styles, all chefs had one thought in common?keep it simple. From ingredients to cooking styles, the unanimous message was ?less is more?. For instance, at one of the cooking sessions, Atkins insisted on using techniques that the audience could easily copy at home. Ian Curley, one of Australia?s best chefs, showed how to make meringues with no fuss, and went on to surround a mound of kulfi with meringue and create a ?Kulfi Bombe Alaska?. Roger Pizey, executive chef at Marco Pierre White?s restaurant, Marco?s in London, demystified macaroons and even gave tips on the best ingredients.
Australian star chef Mark Best, known for taking food to another level altogether, said he was bowled over by the masala dosa, which is what he ate for breakfast everyday while in India. His message to aspiring Indian chefs was to become ambassadors of Indian food rather than try anything else.
Alyn Williams, Michael Wignall, Laurie Gear and Marcello Tully were the other celebrity chefs in Delhi.
The chefs were brought to India by the Creative Services Support Group, which provides skills training and mentorship to underprivileged youth. For aspiring chefs, there could surely be no better role models than this bunch.