Under the canopy of leaves, women, an odd man or two and a child sat in neat rows on wicker chairs. Cooking enthusiasts and gourmets rubbed shoulders with the merely curious. The white walls, the green trees and blue tiled roof, added to the ambience on a sunny afternoon.
The programme began with Chef Golino taking a fake phone call from ‘Aishwarya’, his girlfriend. Chef Golino, who hosts a popular TV show on a food network in Italy, is known to be a comedian. So much so that he was nicknamed Cookmedian by an Italian journalist. An hour with him and the ready wit becomes evident. Case in point was an anecdote Chef Chandra told. During a discussion about meaning of names, Chef Golino apparently pointed out that Chef Manu’s name would easily translate as the first man on the moon.
Their easy chemistry tempered with good humour made for an entertaining afternoon. The chefs presented three recipes using EAT products like orecchiette pasta and Provolone Cheese.
Along with the recipes, the chefs handed out helpful tips like how to properly cook pasta, and how broccoli ought to be blanched before fried. The gathering lapped it up.
After each of the recipes were prepared by the chefs, the helpful staff passed samples of the dish around. After the session Chefs Chandra and Golino took questions, and spent time with individuals who just wanted to chat a bit.
“It’s important to spread culture and good taste. I think that Italians and Indians can meet and the meeting point is their simple way of cooking,” said Chef Golino talking about why he thought such demonstrations held significance.
Watching the demonstrations, some were inspired to cook. “I think it was fun. I don’t cook at all. But some of the stuff that the chefs showed were interesting and simple. So, I think I might try some out,” said Malvika Mehra, a participant.
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