26 May 2011

QUEEN OF SPICES

What a privilege. Madhur Jaffrey made her first visit to New Zealand and I spent ten days accompanying her at a host of events. Many will be familiar with Madhur’s book, Climbing the Mango Trees, the account of her childhood in Delhi. She lived in large house where more than 30 people sat down to meals everyday and enjoyed a carefree life. Until the partition of India in 1947 that tore a nation in two. It’s interesting that she still thinks of the Indian sub-continent as her homeland and enjoys the culture and foodways of the total region.

She’s an eloquent and elegant actress and food writer, captivating the large attendance that listened to her at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. She spoke at a session chaired by Alexa Johnston at the Aotea Centre and at a fabulous Curry Lunch at The Langham Hotel. The NZ Guild of Food Writers had a private dinner with Madhur at Satya restaurant in Great North Rd, where the Authoka family cooked a banquet that was truly delicious, and included some fabulous new dishes for the occasion. (Loved that lamb gongura and their famous dahi puri.)

It was then Wellington to Ruth Pretty for Indian High Tea, followed by my idea of bliss; dinner in the kitchen with Ruth and Paul feasting on scampi and lamb. See the ‘Wines to Drink’ section of my Blog for Paul’s cellar treats. The final engagement was a lovely six course dinner at the James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel for over 100 people. A huge success!

But the real fun began for me when we drove to my beach house at Omaha and Madhur and I cooked together. We shared simple food; preparing a feast for friends that included spiced lamb, braised chokos, eggplant cooked in a tamarillo sauce (a creative first), Madhur’s special potatoes and a divinely creamy mango pudding. For me it was a master class in using spices!

Madhur wrote to me in an email I received this morning, “I am deliriously happy about everything you let me see and taste -- those very expensive, delicious crayfish, the likes of which can only be compared to the finest Maine lobster (though the Maine lobster has nothing much in its legs), the sea-and-land whitebait fritter we shared in the market that I might not have had a chance to even know about, the tamarillos that turned out to be so versatile, and of course, your stunning, welcoming beach house with its sea and hearth.”

I hope she returns, soon.