The Urban Foodie: Working with Atul Kochhar

Wednesday, 25 April 2007

Working with Atul Kochhar

Tomorrow morning I start my first day back in a kitchen in quite a few months with the very talented Atul Kochhar. I have chosen to work with Atul for many reasons; firstly to understand his mastering of spices and flavours that he combines with such renowned subetly. Secondly I wish to reconnect (albeit quite tangently) with my Pakistani roots through learning to cook many of Atul's fine dishes that are in essence classically Indian, yet have a contemporary context about them. I have admired his work for quite some time, and was very intruiged by how Atul has ressurected many of the exquisite dishes that were created for the Indian Moguls, Rajas and other nobilities of their time. It takes me back to the sights, smells and tastes of Rajasthan in particular - memories of a trip I made to India whilst I was studying at St. Martins. I'd better start brushing up on my Hindi!
http://www.benaresrestaurant.com/

6 comments:

Hannah said...: Good luck on your first day chicken - hope it goes well today
Hannah
xxx; 26 April 2007 at 12:59
Anonymous said...: Dear Steven, how did it go? I hope it went really well. I am sure you are really tired and overwhelmed now - what with being back in a kitchen, having to learn lots of different things and everything, but you will be a great success, I am sure of it!; 26 April 2007 at 20:43
Anonymous said...: Sounds like you had an awesome time...hmm perhaps u should take a holiday to the subcontinent and travel and find out more of the local cuisine...dunno, thats what they do on tele lol!!! Hmm, better still I'll introduce you to my mum, I reckon she is the world's best pakistani cook.

It must have been hard working in a kitchen that is I imagine very fast paced, stressful and so forth...I hope you had a lot to take from it...I'm waiting for my meal though lol.; 30 April 2007 at 23:16
Anonymous said...: How exciting to be working at Benares, we went to eat there last week for our anniversary. It was Thursday pre-theatre, your first day - and it was just wonderful. We got to meet and speak with Atul too, who seems such a lovely man - I haven't stopped smiling since.

Good luck with it Steven, I hope it's everything you wish for.

PS - am wildly supporting Atul on the GBM this week!; 1 May 2007 at 10:14
Anonymous said...: Please Steven, would you give us an update? I am sure I can speak for many of us when I say that we are dying to find out how you are getting on?

Thanks very much in advance! Erica; 5 June 2007 at 23:03
Anonymous said...: Masterchef 2007 just made it to Australia! Hoorah! We have been glued to our seats ... congratulations to you all - what a journey and it's obvious how much you all grew from it - particularly you and hannah. It puts other reality TV to shame seeing people with genuine talent putting themselves through all this and just getting better and better.
You are obviously doing too much to update here - but be great to find out what you are up to!; 22 July 2007 at 02:45

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MUSINGS AND QUOTES ON FOOD

"My weaknesses have always been food and men, in that order."

Dolly Parton

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times - in water, in butter, and in wine."

Polish Proverb

"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do."

P.J. O'Rourke

"An empty belly is the best cook."

Estonian Proverb

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch."

James Beard

"The smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us...."
Marcel Proust

"When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thick, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in it in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb. The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad, and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one's ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the fender, of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries."
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it is safer to harrass rich women than motorcycle gangs."
Unknown

"Scallops are expensive, so they should be treated with some class. But then, I suppose that every creature that gives his life for our table should be treated with class."
Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet

"Never eat more than you can lift.."
Miss Piggy, Diva.

"The squid is so cooperative. Its body forms a tube that can be stuffed with marvelous fillings. You don't have to be Greek to enjoy this one. "
Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet

"The joys of the table belong equally to all ages, conditions, countries and times; they mix with all other pleasures, and remain the last to console us for their loss."
Jean Antheleme Brillet-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste