i usually follow food blogs.. both the write and the photo kinds.. have a few favourites.. envy a couple bloggers.. male female all inclusive.. and that has nothing to do with my personal orientation. (dude! it's food we are talking about here! who cares who makes it as long as it looks delectable and tastes ravishingly brilliant!) so, the blogs.
and this one concerns a tv show. my favourite Italian as the Anchor. David Rocco's Dolce India on Fox Traveller. favourite to the extent that i wait for each new season to be aired.. and also wait for any reruns. and this new season has him back in india, exploring a cuisine he quite fancies himself with. so obviously, my interest level can be expected to be up and high with the drool worty italian cooking on screen and trying out insane foods.
this special episode has him covering street foods of calcutta. (ok! its then calcutta, now kolkata. but it's always going to be Calcutta for me.) and first shock, the local guide is a VEGETARIAN non-bong! a girl that too! complete wannabe looks.. anyway, i figure the hell with the girl i still have david rocco to look at and the food.
so, they begin their journey through street foods. the first one "kati roll".. check!
the next stop, being some dal vada in front victoria. wierd
the next stop, alu ghughni.. check!
the next stop, Jamrul from a thela wala.
and of that was not enough shock already, the next stop was a sure shot pick-axe thorugh the heart! besan chilla! i ask you, me no true bong. but i surely bet my life that no damn bong worth his/her salt will ever say "besan chilla" is 'calcutta special/ authentic calcutta" street food.
followed by Kulfi.. and i have all my reservations as to how bong this dish is!
and finally, when i had given up all hopes, from somewhere some angel prevailed and "phuchka" came in the picture. a huge sigh of relief.. check!
and then it's his turn to cook. so, its ITC sonal bangla kitchen at his highness' disposal.
and he decides to got he street food way. ok. i know, this episode is going down as one of the wierdest. and of course, nothing to say for my disappointment.
he rustles up jhal muri.
deconstructed chicken kabiraji. utter disappointment, I tell you. trust me. he just destryed the very grandeur of the dish by doing it with dices chicken pieces. the less i say, the better.
and the worst part, the chaat!
not because he decides to make chaat. also, i can forgive him for associating chaat with calcutta.
but i expect a certain amount of research to be done on his part for this show. for the food which you eat or you cook ( taking inspiration from). and there in comes the detail. chaat doesnt have dahi in it. only a dahi chaat will have dahi in it. these are just the details. and i believe in those details.
the whole point of doing a 30 min worth calcutta food special episode seems lost.
turns out that i do a better job of being a Bong inspite of being 'Pseudo' that those who claim to be Bongs but a no less than 'Pseudos' of the highest order.
and this one concerns a tv show. my favourite Italian as the Anchor. David Rocco's Dolce India on Fox Traveller. favourite to the extent that i wait for each new season to be aired.. and also wait for any reruns. and this new season has him back in india, exploring a cuisine he quite fancies himself with. so obviously, my interest level can be expected to be up and high with the drool worty italian cooking on screen and trying out insane foods.
this special episode has him covering street foods of calcutta. (ok! its then calcutta, now kolkata. but it's always going to be Calcutta for me.) and first shock, the local guide is a VEGETARIAN non-bong! a girl that too! complete wannabe looks.. anyway, i figure the hell with the girl i still have david rocco to look at and the food.
so, they begin their journey through street foods. the first one "kati roll".. check!
the next stop, being some dal vada in front victoria. wierd
the next stop, alu ghughni.. check!
the next stop, Jamrul from a thela wala.
and of that was not enough shock already, the next stop was a sure shot pick-axe thorugh the heart! besan chilla! i ask you, me no true bong. but i surely bet my life that no damn bong worth his/her salt will ever say "besan chilla" is 'calcutta special/ authentic calcutta" street food.
followed by Kulfi.. and i have all my reservations as to how bong this dish is!
and finally, when i had given up all hopes, from somewhere some angel prevailed and "phuchka" came in the picture. a huge sigh of relief.. check!
and then it's his turn to cook. so, its ITC sonal bangla kitchen at his highness' disposal.
and he decides to got he street food way. ok. i know, this episode is going down as one of the wierdest. and of course, nothing to say for my disappointment.
he rustles up jhal muri.
deconstructed chicken kabiraji. utter disappointment, I tell you. trust me. he just destryed the very grandeur of the dish by doing it with dices chicken pieces. the less i say, the better.
and the worst part, the chaat!
not because he decides to make chaat. also, i can forgive him for associating chaat with calcutta.
but i expect a certain amount of research to be done on his part for this show. for the food which you eat or you cook ( taking inspiration from). and there in comes the detail. chaat doesnt have dahi in it. only a dahi chaat will have dahi in it. these are just the details. and i believe in those details.
the whole point of doing a 30 min worth calcutta food special episode seems lost.
turns out that i do a better job of being a Bong inspite of being 'Pseudo' that those who claim to be Bongs but a no less than 'Pseudos' of the highest order.
I have watched a few programs of David Rocco's Dolce Vita.
ReplyDeleteHis presentation is good and he is at ease with the local Indians.
i agree with you completely on this. and that's why i expected his research to be a tad bit more thorough this time around. or maybe, i'm too proud a Bong.
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