Artist Feature: When Desi cuisine goes Global!!

Hello Aalayam family!

 

Welcome to the May edition of Aalayam replete with desi and videsi inspiration. Trust me, this month is truly global in its appeal. We start with an "Artist Showcase" – of a prolific Hollywood Screenwriter and Indian food blogger – Kathy Gori, who I chanced upon in the blogosphere, yes, thanks to the evocative imagery in her blog, but most interestingly due to her quirky and zesty interpretation of classic Indian dishes into global palate pleasers. Talk about a fresh perspective!

It's not everyday that you come across somebody who embraces an aspect of a culture that is not native to them, and does so wholeheartedly. It is even more heart warming when you see them make that culture their own, and give it their own signature seasoning. If this is not a true blue Aalayam story, for all that it espouses, I don't know what is! 

I am pleased to present a photo essay with this artist’s interview interspersed with pictures of her and her positively mouth watering work. Through this, I hope to weave a story on who Kathy is, where she derives her everyday inspiration from, and of course showcase her work, and the motivation behind it. So sit back, and enjoy this gastronomically pleasing post, its gluten free inspiration, and get amazed at the creative soul curry this artist dishes out!

Baked Samosas, Take Two! Or Three or Four.....Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

Supriya (S): Kathy, we all love the vibrant and verdant punctuation your cuisine "art" makes in the blogosphere. And we want to pick your brain to know more about it! First of all, what got you started?? And why Indian Cuisine? 

Kathy (K): I have always cooked and loved exploring all sorts of cuisines. Growing up in San Francisco, I was exposed early on to all sorts of ethnic foods. I was a vegetarian when I was diagnosed with cancer 25 years ago in my 30's. After surgery and while doing chemotherapy I switched to a macrobiotic diet which I thought would help me, instead it made me weaker since the food groups were so limited. My doctor suggested I try cooking Indian food for its Ayurvedic properties. 

My sister in law who has lived and worked in India for many years got me started. She gave me the proper books and showed me what to do. Since I already loved Indian food it turned out to be a real "no brainer" for me. I started hanging out at small Indian markets in Los Angeles, talking to the older ladies there and learning from them. I think they were amused at first but then started to take me seriously when they saw how I really wanted to learn. That was 24 years ago.  I'm still learning and cooking Indian food.

Yam Koftas, Gluten Free Holiday Party Poppers. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: Where do you derive your daily inspiration from? What gets you started crafting a dish?

K: I read a lot. I read Indian papers and cookbooks from India. I like traditional methods, and I'm interested in the variations on a dish from town to town, region to region.  I'm of Italian ancestry and I know that the same dish may take many different forms depending upon where in Italy one is talking about. There is not simply "Italian Food" anymore than there is simple "Indian Food". India is so vast and complex, and has so many cuisines. that every region has its specialties. When I shop in the Indian markets, I'm always interested in the vegetables. I get inspired by them and start to think about what I can do with them and how they may fit together. I also look for similarities to Western vegetables which readers in the US may have to use if they are unable to obtain bottle gourd, or ridged gourd.


Once my imagination is fired up I start reading everything I can about what I've gotten hold of, and I take it from there. In Los Angeles I had access to everything easily, but living in Sonoma in Northern California I have 50 mile round trip drives to get my more unusual Indian vegetables. That's another reason I like to cook with vegetables that are very universal as far as recipes go. Americans are always surprised to discover that Indian cuisine contains turnips, pumpkin, and a lot of other vegetables that they're familiar with. Bottom line is they discover that  it’s a pretty small world after all.

Kathy Gori is a Hollywood screen writer and Bollywood kitchen blogger, who is reinterpreting America's perception of Indian cuisine through her culinary adventures. Read Kathy's gastronomic chronicles in http://www.thecolorsofindiancooking.com/

S: How do you give a modern slant to age-old Indian recipes?

K: Mainly by cooking with a lot less oil and salt than is found in most restaurant dishes. This is true of every cuisine and not just Indian food. When I first started cooking Indian food one of the things that appealed to me was the ability to enjoy one of my favorite foods without worrying if it was healthy or not. 

Since I was a cancer patient at the time I wanted the food to be as fresh and clean as I could make it. I always reduce the amount of oil called for in dishes. I sometimes "sweat" the vegetables, tell people who are worried about sodium that lemon or tamarind are a great salt substitute, and if I'm doing any sort of frying I try to use the least amount of oil possible. Also, I cook almost exclusively with organic virgin coconut oil. For recipes that contain butter, the butter I use is grass fed or pastured butter which I can turn into ghee.

The Mystery Of One of The World's Best Bar Snacks, Chicken '65!! Gluten Free. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: Can you talk to us a little bit about your creative process? Do you listen to music while you cook and stage a dish for the blog? Do you work with  your husband - one chops, while the other one sautés? How does it go? And finally, do you sit down and enjoy the flute with a glass of your favorite drink?


K: Yes, I listen to music while I cook. Mainly Indian music, or Cuban music. My husband is my photographer, and I help with the staging of the dishes. When my sister in law comes to visit we work together as she's done in India. She tells me that's what sister-in-laws are for. I do not drink for health reasons, my husband likes a good Indian beer, and we have friends in the wine business who always know how to bring the most appropriate wines for a dish. Chai is always served with dessert.

The Great Pumpkin, Kerala Style. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: What are your favorite dishes? Any recipes you can share with us?

K: It's hard to pick a favorite dish, but usually when we are having a large number of guests (we entertain a lot) I will make a goat biryani, or prawn pulao. I have been doing a lot of Kerala recipes over the last several years since one of our best friends is constantly going back and forth. He will try a dish made by his school friends' wife in Trivandrum and then come to the US and have me make it. He is my "canary in the coal mine". He lets me know if I'm doing  things correctly. Gujarati friends have started me back on that cuisine again.


Two of my favorite easy company dishes are  Shrimp Thiyal and Gujarati Khandvi

An Italian Classic Gets an Indian Twist, Mango Panna Cotta With Salted Pistachio Brittle. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: What have been the highlights of your career as a Hollywood Screenwriter and food blogger?

K: My husband and I write as a team and have earned our living this way for nearly 30 years. We love our work and have just finished our first TV pilot . We usually work in film so TV is new for us and very exciting. I've cooked for a lot of movie people we've worked with who have come to our house for dinner. Probably one of the biggest thrills was being invited to cook for the Dalai lamas monks when they visited Los Angeles from India.

S: Has your blogging changed your everyday perspective - at home, at work and at play?


K: Well, cooking has always been my recreation and my joy. It gives me the instant gratification one cannot get from earning ones' living as a screen writer. It sometimes takes years after one has finished a job to see the final product on the screen, it only takes a couple of days cooking goat in clay to enjoy a biryani! When I cook I love sharing what I'm doing and discovering. It's why I started the blog in the first place. I was invited to do a podcast on Indian food and there wasn't enough time to really get into the recipes or show anyone how to do things since it was all audio, thus The Colors Of Indian Cooking was born.

Super Slaw Goes Indian. A Super Food for Super Bowl Parties. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: What does being a creative entrepreneur mean to you ?


K: I started my blog originally to share my love of Indian cooking , now after doing this for nearly 5 years I'm expanding my thinking to writing a cookbook and sharing what I've learned over the years with others. I've been asked to teach classes in Indian cooking so I'll probably expand my horizons to that also. I suppose it means growing in all ways that come naturally from what I'm already doing. Since I write for a living, I'd love to write about Indian food, and giving others a hands on experience with teaching seems a good fit for me.

Gluten Free Little Dumplings, Nettle Koftas in Yogurt Sauce. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

S: How, in your opinion, does your art contribute to the preserving of culture?


K: I believe in old school, always have. When it came to my cooking I was always interested in how my grandmothers did it without all the modern conveniences. I'm interested in "from scratch" once one knows the basics about how something is done then one can have fun with the dishes. 

Popeye Goes Bollywood. Spinach Indian Style. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

What I love about the work of the great cookbook writers/ chefs such as Tarla Dalal, Julia Child, and my friend and mentor Paula Wolfert is their love of and hunger for knowing how things were done traditionally. 

Their explorations and preservation of Indian, French, and Moroccan cuisine are invaluable in a  rapidly changing world.  Like them I'm interested in the methods that were passed down in families, the skills that are being lost every day. I always feel by learning how to cook a dish, the old way, in clay, or making something by hand I'm helping preserve the way things were done for anyone else that may be interested.

Dal Makhani, 2 Dals, 8 Hours, One Slow Cooker. Boom! Dinner! Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsofindiancooking.com

Cooking From Boxes? Nariyal Ladoo, A Fast, Easy, Sweet and Gluten Free Answer. Images copyrighted to Kathy Gori - thecolorsorindiancooking.com

S: Finally, what does a Day In The Life Of Kathy Gori look like?

K: My day???  This is it more or less:

8:00 am the alarm goes off..snooze alarm hit.
8:10 up and dressed
9:00 We drive to our local coffee place in town where we sit and get our conversation fix with the neighbors
10:00 Do the days shopping, on Fridays this means the local organic farmers market
10:30 Dog walk
11:00:  Alan and I write
12:30: I start preparing lunch which is our main meal of the day, unless I'm doing a big Indian dinner for friends
1:30: Back to writing
3:30: Out for air and to get away from the desk
4:00 Writing again
6:30 Dog walk
7:00: Light dinner , tweeting, socializing, movies
12:00 Uke practice
1:00 bed (maybe)


When we're deep into a script and writing to deadline however all bets are off and writing hours take over almost everything.

Kathy (background, with her famous Nariyal Ladoos in the foreground) is photographed by her husband Alan, shown here relaxing in their new home..a creative new space, where she looks forward to handcrafting artisanal recipes which are India inspired..and for the global palate. 

Kathy is eagerly looking forward to putting their sprawling yard to good use by planting a vegetable garden where she plans to grow bottle gourd, bitter melon and methi, and who knows, have a few chickens clucking around. 

Keep doing what you do Kathy, and keep delighting our gastronomic senses. Aalayam wishes you the best for the years to come!

Kathy Gori, you have touched our sensibilities, pleased our eye with Alan's scrumdelicious! (I am borrowing Winnie the Pooh's word here) photography, shared your very inspiring story, and most importantly, made us hungry!! 

Thank you for giving us a oodles of inspiration. We deeply cherish it!

Love,
Supriya

Reflections: 2013, The year that was... & 2014, The year that will be!

Dear Aalayam people!

Year-ends are time for reflection, for looking back, and for looking forward. Here, at Aalayam, I have the unique opportunity to not just reflect on my own journey for the past year, & look ahead on the road-map for the new year, but also share the reflections of people I have worked with in 2013, and look forward to work with in 2014!

So, here’s the much awaited year-end Reflections post – a heartfelt peek into the ruminations, plans and aspirations of seven inspirational, accomplished  and gorgeous ladies, who Aalayam has been fortunate to have been touched by. I look forward to working with many more of such artists in the future…feeling blessed that I am to be part of this amazing journey with  you! So…here goes!

Reflections: 2013, The year that was…& 2014, The year that will be!

 Supriya of Aalayam

2013 has been a year of great beginnings – the beginning of new friendships, deeper and more meaningful relationships: with you dear readers, at my home, at my work, and through Aalayam. It was serendipity that I met Divya Thomas of “Karmasuthra” to impel Aalayam’s solstice with the intriguing brand. I deepened my kinship with Lavanyaa of “Varnanggall” and continue to benefit daily from our “across the continents” soul swap. My girls started their Bharatanatyam dance lessons with Sridevi Jagannath of “Laasya”,  and had their first ever performance in front of hundreds of parents…and lovers of the Indian classical dance form. I vacationed with my girls friends in Las Vegas, thus beginning a tradition of “getting away” from the encumbrances of everyday...if just for a few days. I began my journey of supervising homework (yes, my Twins started getting homework this year!) and playing soccer mom while juggling work and blog deadlines! (Thank God for Coffee!)

In 2013, I began to forgive more…give more…do more …expect more…but also…worry more. My mantra of “Why be Average when you can be Exceptional” worked well for me…but burned everyone else around me out!

In 2014, I am looking forward to continuing the eloquent relationships Aalayam is enabling me to develop, enjoy and embrace. I am looking forward to working with Smruthi Gargi Eshwar of “Studio SMU” to bring to Aalayam the modern retelling of Indian mythology and folklore through the visual medium. I look forward to working with Kathy Gori of “Colors of Indian Cooking” to revisit my classic Indian favorite dishes through her eyes (Ok – lens!), and her flair of storytelling.  I look forward to working with  other talented artisans and entrepreneurs to tell their story in true blue Aalayam style. And of course, I look forward to continue to work with Deepa to bring to you our sincere and passionate ideas, and their modern day interpretation through the dais Aalayam has provided us.

And finally, in 2014 – I promise to forgive even more…give even more….do even more…expect even more…but only from myself. I promise to influence…not control. Plan…not worry. I promise to take more time to myself to rock in Zumba class, do more Yoga, read a mind blowing mystery novel and get dirty in the mud with my kids!

That was my soul searching soliloquy. What are your reflections for 2013? What do you look forward to in 2014?

Wishing you loads of love, luck and happiness,

Happy New Year!!

Supriya

I want to end this year and start the next one with four simple words – “Live your best life”. I am a few years away from turning forty but now is as good a time as any to take care of my mind, body and spirit- after all, living one’s best life starts with taking care of oneself. Between work, family and all other humdrum priorities that demand our constant attention it is very easy to forget ourselves. This year I am going to prioritize health and wellness. I am also going to remember to let that inner child in me come out more often – to laugh and giggle silly!

I am going to live more for the moment and not let the “what if’s” disempower me. I will remember to be thankful for all that I have. My profession affords me happiness and a greater purpose. I am also extremely fortunate to have rediscovered myself through this creative platform. Aalayam nurtures the artist in me and allows me to engage with many other incredible artists and a great partner to create beautiful inspirations.  

This year, I am also going to just stop coasting through life and push myself out of my comfort zone. I love dancing but I have always put off taking formal dance lessons. Swing, lindy hop, salsa, fox trot – there’s a whole world out there and I intend to explore that! 

So, 2014 – I am ready for you , ready to dance in the rain and ready to live my best life!

My dear Aalayam family, I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year- one that will allow you to live your best life as well! I will be bringing you many wholesome inspirations in the coming year and look  forward to our time together!

Cheers!
~Deepa

Divya of Karmasuthra

2013 has been quite amazing. Traveled plenty, met some amazing people, made some fabulous friends, I found some unusual and interesting components that I could incorporate in my jewelry. And I’ve made stuff and continued to make stuff that will never look the same…compared to what I’ve made in the past.

What 2014 holds in store, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Because I love surprises, and I just hope that they are all going to be pleasant. I prefer to go with the flow and see where it takes me. So let’s see!

Divya

Lavanyaa of Varnanggall

As we embrace the New Year all the valuable things that prevail must be celebrated and resolutions are to be made to change the rest. Surrounded by the festival lights, caught up with the bustle of daily chores I would like to slow down a bit and use this time for my professional and personal reflections.

  

Although Varnanggall started as a very small venture with very minimalist stock, it’s rejoicing to see how it’s developed, thrived and gained prominent visibility in the year 2013. It’s been an interweave of challenges, compromises, and deep emotions no matter how much you are camouflaged  by the tinsel and fairy lights, we are constrained to face the real world out there. Being in this art biz, personally it has given me that extra edge to research and learn cultures, people and lifestyles that well aligns with Varnanggall’s vision too.

In the year 2014, I would like to wake up to continued dreams, aspirations, goals – Creating a perfect balance of the whole model by emerging again with new rhythms of colors, making the entire system productive, sprouting new ideas and respiring only positive energy by weeding out all the clutter and to be humane.

I greatly thank my family, friends and mentors who have made this year so pleasant and beautiful for me by offering love, assurance and guidance!

Here’s wishing the entire Aalayam family a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Lavanyaa

Sridevi of Laasya

An interesting year to begin with..new ideas, new techniques in teaching, in summation, a feeling of heading towards a new creative horizon for the school and its teacher..

As a teacher, I explored the idea of choreographing pieces to commemorate the famous sculptures of Belur and Halebeedu..through an innovative piece called Narthisidalu sura naari (Life in sculptures)..to glow in dark concept using Bharatanatyam techniques to portray the beautiful Rangoli patterns for Basant Bahar, annual festival conducted by HumSub.. The music and rhythm section of Laasya school, under the guidance of Guru Ranganayaki Rajan, initiated a musical rendezvous, where the students sang and played Mridangam / tabla (Drums) as a way to encourage each other to get over stage fear..

Over the months, Laasya School took several student -led initiatives to improve techniques among young students age between 3 to 5 by interspersing yoga, strength training and a fun cardio routine. Summer months for Laasya is truly magical, as the students complete their Arangetrams (Formal graduation). 

After successfully completing its 18th annual with a presentation which was truly a kaleidoscope of items showcasing over 100 students  to an audience of over 500, the school feels blessed to be chosen for a Dance production for Pratham, an organization with a motto, "We believe education is the fundamental right of every child and no child should be deprived of this basic right simply because he or she does not have access to it or does not have the resources to realize his or her dreams."

Needless to say, as the artistic director of Laasya, I feel blessed and thank God for channeling my energy  to explore my creativity..

Sridevi

Smruthi Gargi Eswar is a graphic artist, painter and modern art aficionado who is interpreting Indian mythology through her bold retelling through paint, canvas and visual media. Follow Smruthi and her series "Sister Misfortune" on https://www.facebook.com/SmruthiGargiEswar

To me, my series “Sister Misfortune” seems to have an independent life of its own, carrying its weight as it explores new avenues. The series collaborated with performance artists from The Storm Factory at the first Alernational event, (an artists and performers collective based out of Bangalore). A couple of images from the series, were projected over performing contemporary dancers, bringing the goddesses out of their frames into a whole new medium. Sister Misfortune also had an outing (its second show in Mumbai) for the Art Hop event, at the Art Loft in Bandra.

My new series “Old City Cave” has also been developing simultaneously. I am still in the process of bringing it together and hope to do more of that in the New Year. In this series I am attempting to bring the lens we view old civilizations with, to view our own. To perceive our time with magic and mystery we seem to deny our selves. In the coming year, I am looking forward to my collaborated show with the Fashion House Ritu Kumar in Delhi and the Chennai Art fair that “Sister Misfortune” has been invited to.

It’s hard for me to have any real clarity over what 2014 is going to be like. My work and life seems to take its course in some independent way. So I am looking forward to it, hoping that there are going to be more pleasant surprises than not.

Smruthi

 Kathy Gori is a Hollywood screen writer and Bollywood kitchen blogger, who is reinterpreting America's perception of Indian cuisine through her culinary adventures. Read Kathy's gastronomic chronicles in http://www.thecolorsofindiancooking.com/

2013 was a year of big changes for my husband and me. Both my parents passed away and a great deal of the year (and most of the year before) was spent in caring for both of them. I am so glad we were able to be there with them for that time.

In between dealing with family business we managed to get our regular work done. My husband and I are screenwriters and though we usually write for the movies, we just finished our first TV pilot! It looks like we now have a director for it so we 're looking forward to a productive and busy new year. We'll also be starting another movie project.

I am back to my regular cooking schedule and am working on putting together a cookbook while Alan continues to take amazing pictures of all the food. I've also been asked to teach some Indian cooking classes and though I've never taught before I think that might be a lot of fun.

I'm excited to emerge from the rather dark place the last year and a half was and Alan and I are both looking forward to a busy and exciting new year.

Kathy