Butter Chicken in 9 Steps

Chef's Table is a Netflix series about six award winning renowned chefs from myriad cultures, regions, and philosophies. In spite of their different backgrounds all of these chefs are ultimately preparing food that is a true representative of their unique identity and ecology. The documentary series with its beautiful music and photography illustrates that cooking has a theatrical element to its inception, creation, and execution.

All of the six chefs featured here illustrate that although the ultimate purpose of food is sustenance, a well thought out plate of food evokes childhood memories, and excites senses. Cooking is creative. It is a constantly evolving art form, as shown by the stories shared by the following remarkable chefs.

These chefs discuss the same recurring themes. Firstly, they all share the same passion for preserving the authenticity of the ingredients. They stress that a final dish can never taste better than the ingredients used in its preparation. The difference between a good dish and a fantastic dish is the quality of ingredients used. Secondly, they all strived to find their own unique voice. They went off the beaten path to create dishes that are a representative of their personalities. Lastly, in the end what made them remarkable was their hard work, determination, and perseverance. It takes time to come in terms with your own identity, and achieve excellence. But, they did not give up. I strongly urge you to watch this inspirational documentary series.

In this blogpost, I will be discussing the first episode about Chef Massimo Bottura. The discussion about Chefs Dan Barber, Francis Mallman, Niki Nakayama, Ben Shewry, and Magnus Nillson will be coming up in the subsequent posts. 

Episode 1: Massimo Bottura - Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy

Three Michelin Stars

Ranked Second in the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, 2015.

I first got to know about Chef Massimo Bottura when he appeared on last year's Masterchef Australia, my favorite reality cooking show. Chef Bottura in his restaurant offers traditional Modena ingredients with his unique modern reinterpretation. Massimo says that one of the main ingredients in his cooking is memory. When Chef Bottura first opened his restaurant in a small Italian town his modern take on traditional Italian cooking was both rejected and ridiculed by the locals and critics. But as Massimo's wife Lara Bottura explains, he flourished in the initial friction and resistance between the traditional Italian cooking and his contemporary interpretation.

In this episode, it was quite evident that Chef Bottura and his wife are true life and work partners, who have embraced the restaurant as an extension of their family life. Chef Bottura says, "Happiness is much more big if you share with others." I believe that is what he is able to achieve by creating a family run restaurant with his incredible wife. I think, who you ultimately choose to marry not only plays a key role in your personal growth, but also has a huge impact on your professional growth. Chef Bottura credits his wife in opening his eyes to the art world. Since cooking is a creative art form, Chef Bottura draws a lot of his inspirations from the art and imagery around him.

So without further adieu, let's talk about Butter Chicken. A good bowl of Butter Chicken has the umami flavor. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness, spiciness and saltiness. This balance is achieved by using fresh tomatoes, which are cooked in aromatic spices, mace flower, cardamom, and a pinch of saffron. The freshest ingredients you will use, the better the curry will taste. In the summer I like to use heirloom tomatoes from our garden, and in winter Roma tomatoes do the job. Since the secret lies in achieving the perfect balance between sweetness and sourness, adjust the quantity of organic ketchup and honey accordingly. Also, roasted chicken adds a smoky flavor to the curry. I hope you will give this recipe a try. 

Butter Chicken
Butter ChickenStay tuned for the recipe going up on www.cultivateflavors.com.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in 4 Steps

In Grade 10 English class, we read John Wyndham's apocalyptic science fiction novel The Chrysalids. Wyndham wrote the book during the Cold War, only a few years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a young adult oblivious to the political relevance of the novel, the book for me was a coming of age story. In Wyndham's dystopian society, the young children David Strorm and Sophie Wender were required to conceal their true selves, and were instead forced to not deviate from the theological standards set by their puritan society.

In Grade 11 English class, we read J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. My friends and I instantly identified with the teenage angst and alienation the protagonist Holden Caulfield expressed in the book. He became our hero. He lamented that adults were phony, who failed to understand the true essence of a young adult. Salinger by creating Holden Caulfield, was able to describe the contradiction the young adults experience not only in how the parents are treating them, but also in their own personalities.

In my adolescence, being a hyphenated first generation Pakistani-Canadian, I also struggled with forming my own individual identity. Instead of seeing the hyphen as a bridge between my ancestry and my culture, I saw it as a division, barrier, and dichotomy. I felt my one identity was in contradiction with the other. I couldn't be both; to be one, I had to give up another. To celebrate one, I had to conceal another.

During my annual trips to Pakistan, on the rides from the Karachi Airport to my grandparents' house, I remember staring out of the car window, observing the people on the streets, and struggling to identify with them. Even though, I was more genetically similar to the people of Pakistan, my language, my culture, my identity belonged in Canada.

Almost 15 years after reading The Chrysalids and The Catcher in the Rye, and identifying with David Strorm and Holden Caulfield, I strongly feel the connection I have with Pakistan. The hyphen is now a bridge between my two cohesive identities. After my grandparents's passing I have not travelled to Pakistan in 6 years, but I am more aware of its presence in my life than ever before. Pakistan for me would always represent the love my grandparents had for me, and the reverence I have for them, and the country they sacrificed so much for. Their stories are part of what I teach my daughter, and what I cook at home.

My Dada (grandfather) who lived to be 91 years old, without any chronic ailments, enjoyed having oatmeal for breakfast. These breakfast cookies are a concoction of everything nutritious he included in his diet, with the exception of chia seeds :). I have inherited my love for healthy breakfast from him. These cookies are simple to make, and require just one mixing bowl, a good ol' spatula and a pastry blender. They are not only ideal for breakfast, but you can snack on them throughout the day without any guilt. They are packed with nutritious bananas, oats, raisins, nuts, and chia seeds. Give them a try and let me know how you like them.

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Nutritious Breakfast cookies, containing bananas, oats, raisins, coconut, walnuts, almonds, tahini, and chia seeds. All the goodness without the bad calories. Full recipe: http://www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com/2016/01/banana-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-in-4-steps.html
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Monday, January 18, 2016

Egg Fried Rice in 7 Steps

A plate of food for me is more than about sustenance. It embodies the cook's identity, personality, locality, culture, heritage, and lifestyle. It represents the care the cook put into preparing the dish. 

I recently watched a TED Talk called, "Don't Ask Where I'm From, Ask Where I'm a Local" by Taiye Selasi. Selasi observed that asking someone where they are from is usually a divisive indication, with that question we are trying to identify the 'otherness' of an individual, as opposed to establishing a commonality. Conversely, it can be argued that asking someone about their origin simply represents an innocuous curiosity about the individual's background and childhood. 

But, this question is often posed to ethnic minorities. As an individual with ethnically ambiguous looks, I have been frequently at the receiving end of this question. Although, the said query pays homage to my ancestral background, it does not completely encapsulate who I am as an individual. This question makes us different from others, and on some level indicates that we are not truly from the land we live in. Instead, we have this mythical land to return to. 

Both set of my grandparents were born in British India, but they had nothing in common with other citizens of the Great British Empire. They belonged to the Muslim faith, so in circa 1947, they became part of a new nation called Pakistan. After her exodus from India, my grandmother who was used to cooking Bihari food, started incorporating local flavors of her new land into her cooking. 

My upbringing in multicultural Toronto represents what I cook at home. My travel experiences, and the ubiquity of the ethnic food aisle have made it easier for me to prepare food from places, where I am not technically from, but in some ways a part of, because of the culture I grew up in. 

So without further adieu, I present to you the recipe of Egg Fried Rice, inspired by Thai flavors. You might wonder why I am using three different types of sauces, soy, fish and oyster, when all three of them are ultimately salty in flavor. The answer, my dear reader, is that fish sauce and oyster sauce render a rich umami flavor, and add a level of complexity, to this very simple and quick rice dish. 

Egg Fried Rice
Egg Fried Rice - influenced by Thai flavors.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Friday, October 23, 2015

Food Chronicles

One of the earliest memories I have of my grandmother is of her using the mortar and pestle to grind the meat for Shami Kebab (meat patties). Food is such an essential part of our lives. It is more than just about sustenance, it is about creating memories, stories, it is part of our heritage.

It is also about different cultures coming together. My husband and I usually plan our vacations based on our food proclivities. In this blog, I plan to record the recipes I cook at home. I will try my best to provide the exact amount of ingredients, which for me is the biggest challenge, as I feel we really cook from our senses.

I hope you will join in, dear reader, and give me your valued feedback.