An educative culinary trip

A culinary demonstration, held recently at The Institute of Hotel Management SJP Campus on the occasion of International Chef’s Day, turned cooking into learning experience and a fun event to watch.

The event, which saw a lot of culinary delights being whipped up, was an informative experience for the students of the institute.

While the first half saw two chefs roll up different dishes in different styles, the second half included a special dessert session, where the intricacies and presentation style of desserts were discussed.

Dishes that were made included tandoori pink salmon and murgh methi tikka by chef Rishikesh from Taj Westend, and ‘pan seared king fish with caramelised onion and sweated spinach’ by chef Kasi Viswanathan M from Atria Hotel.

The latter half of the event had chef Arvind Prasad, pastry chef with ITC Gardenia, presenting desserts like cocomille feuille prepared with special chocolate, ‘lemon and coconut pudding’ derived from lemon curd, ‘white chocolate savirin with raspberry coulie’ and ‘espresso croquent and milk chocolate symphony’.

The cookery session saw a lot of first-year and second-year students of the institute ask different questions.

They were also excited to answer questions posed by the chefs.

About conducting such an event, chef Rishikesh said, “The skill of the chefs were showcased at this platform, which was meant to encourage the students and help them get an essence of the industry. A true reflection of what happens at our hotel was depicted through the demonstration.”

Supporting these views, chef Kasi said that it was nice to see how the students
were interested in knowing little details like ‘how much salt should be added and when’, which showed their dedication.

“The students’ learning skills were well shown in their responses at the demonstration. They especially liked the interactive style of the event,” he said.

Arvind Prasad, who goes by the belief that ‘food is first eaten by the eyes’, talked to the students about how detailing and presentation also mattered in desserts.

About the desserts he showcased, he said, “The desserts that I presented had a very classical and a bit of contemporary touch. The most important feature, however, will always be the taste, where all the ingredients need to be well-balanced.”

“Although these desserts are not the ones which can be made at home and are exclusive desserts, I made them to showcase what the present benchmark is to the students,” he said.

The students were extremely happy with the experience. “It’s a blessing to be able to work with executive chefs, even if it was for just one dish. I was lucky to be chosen as a volunteer, and the way the chef advised on the technique for the dessert, along with the different tips that he shared, were very educative,” said Belal, a first-year student of Hospitality and Hotel Administration.