As we put the remaining booze back up into the shelves and the bowls are cleared of the leftover foods following the glitzy new year bash, it’s finally the time to see how you plan your year. Yes, the resolutions’ time is here.
If your calling has been all about food and culinary experiences, you might want to dive deep into learning regional cuisines this year. You may also like to understand what molecular gastronomy is or any of the new concepts that are redefining foods with the science behind it. While we talk about science and food, treating food as medicine is also something that you may pledge for this year. Moreover, ‘you are what you eat’ also drives us closer to having an inside-out transition by eating clean and mindfully in 2023. With all that being said, let’s learn from the culinary experts about what they are pledging for the new year and how we can up our cooking game through this year.
In giving is sharing smiles: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
We all cook to share our love with our dear ones through food as the medium. Several others are not as privileged, however, in Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s opinion, he has resolved to accelerate his pace of adding more smiles on the faces of people who need it the most through the power of food. Currently engaged with Akshaya Patra which feeds more than two million children every day, Chef Kapoor strives to increase his contribution towards the cause.
Treating food as medicine: Chef Amit Puri
For the longest, people have been consuming food without learning how it affects their vital body functions. Derailing from the fast-food lifestyle can help them understand how nutrition affects their well-being. Chef Amit Puri hence believes in bringing unpopular superfoods and fortified ingredients to the fore to help Indians come on board the conscious food consumption lifestyle.
Including healthy, farm-to-fork menus: Chef Nicholas Shadbolt
“Healthy is not tasty” has remained a misconception for a long time. Chef Nicholas Shadbolt of Al Habtoor City Hotel Collection, Dubai, however, disagrees saying that it all depends on what one makes, how they do it, and most importantly where the ingredients are being sourced from. He says that the hotel sources directly from the farms of UAE to their hotel kitchen. Interestingly, the hotel has introduced a healthy menu to suit the patron’s diverse needs, be it for heavy gym goers or those seeking the serenity of the mind, body, and soul.
Unearthing bygone recipes: Chef Prabjyot Kaur
The age-old recipes are something that we treasure to date. From the velvety dal makhani to the aromatic biryanis, etc., our fondest memories are tied to the bygone recipes. However, there’s a plethora of hidden/ lost recipes that you may like to explore. This year, Chef Prabjyot Kaur pledges to unearth the underexplored and lost regional cuisines from across India to help the patrons revisit the recipes which once their ancestors relished.
Optimal usage of Ingredients: Chef Harsh Shodhan
Ingredients are often used in dishes that they don’t belong to, leading to spoilage of both the recipe and the ingredient itself. Chef Harsh Shodhan says that this year he will focus on respecting ingredients and showcasing their importance in dishes without abusing them. He believes that fusion food is fun but to do so without compromising or manipulating any flavors/ ingredients just for the sake of creating something new.
Rooting out lesser-known global cuisines: Chef Raji Gupta
Pizzas or pasta have seen their iterations to please the Indian palate. So much so that the original recipe is lost with new-age eateries and fast food giants exploring their own, Indianized versions of these Italian creations. Chef Raji Gupta believes in bringing the expansive, lesser known full-course regional dishes from around the world that are simple, easy to make, and yet flavor-filled. Let’s get ready to take a trip of world cuisine.