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Step into the world of Nouvelle Indian Cuisine and cook in style with the help of Asha Khatau!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

From Asha Khatau’s kitchen to yours! With the thought of “expressing herself” in mind, the gourmet queen Asha penned her book, Nouvelle Indian Cuisine, which officially released on 30th November 2017.

“The book was a great way to express, what I believe is my unique style of cooking. I was not worried about what people would think. I played around with flavors, had fun, experimented, and at the end of it, tried to bring the world together on a plate” said Asha Khatau

Ms. Anuradha Paudwal said “Asha ji is family, she is like a little sister to me. She has done a great job in this book. I would also like to thank Amruta ji for removing some time from her hectic schedule & marking her gracious presence on our request. I wanted the best lady for the launch of this book. This book is not special just for its content but also the fact that she has entered her 60th year makes it even more special. As far as Amruta ji is concerned, all I can I say is that we have the very best lady as or the first lady, we are proud of you” 

Chef Vicky Ratnani said “Definitely this book must go international because there are many people around the world who aspire to cook Indian food. I think the kind of dishes this book has are very trendy easy to make at home. This book is fabulous and one day I will surely cook these recipes”

Nouvelle Indian Cuisine by Asha Khatau, the latest book in The Best of Epicure series, Nouvelle Indian Cuisine by Asha Khatau, is a modern and experimental approach to traditional Indian cuisine.

Nouvelle Indian cuisine, which was inspired by French nouvelle cuisine, began over a decade ago and is now on its way to becoming mainstream. The hallmarks of this cuisine are dishes plated aesthetically in a modern style that are also lighter on the palate.

The recipes featured in this book use the best of traditional Indian flavours while combining them with modern culinary trends. In other words, Indian food prepared with western sensibilities and a modern style of plating and serving making it distinctively unique.

With over hundred delicious recipes to choose from, this book is sure to please the gourmets, foodies, and the young generation. These recipes are easy to master and equally impressive.

About Asha Khatau- Asha Khatau is a well-known figure in the field of gourmet vegetarian cooking. After twenty years of experience in providing memorable meals for her family and friends, Asha was persuaded to start her own cooking classes about eighteen years ago, which run under the name of ‘Epicure’. The classes feature regional cuisines from all over the world. She has also conducted cooking demonstration all over India as well as different parts of the world. During her extensive travels in India and abroad, she makes it a point to visit local bazaars and restaurants to taste authentic flavours and ingredients.

The success of her cooking classes inspired her to write her first book The Best of Epicure’s Vegetarian Cuisines of the World, which was awarded the ‘Best Vegetarian Book in the World’, at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2002, considered to be the Oscars of the cookery world, in the cookbook category.

She has delivered ten more books so far and each one of them is super-successes. Her book, Delectable Desserts of the World, has received an honorable mention at the World Media Awards 2006 in the Best Foreign Cookbook in the World category. Exciting Vegetarian Cuisines of the World placed her among the ‘Top Ten Chefs in the World’ for her research on vegetarian cuisines, at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards at Paris Book Fair 2011.

At a show celebrating 20 years of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards it was announced that Asha’s first book Vegetarian Cuisines of the World was chosen as one of the ‘Top 20 Books in the World’ and is amongst the ‘Best of the Best in the World’.

Her latest activity includes consulting to eminent caterers and restaurants in Mumbai, for menu planning as well as training people in international cuisines, designed to client needs. Her cookery videos are now available on YouTube. She also volunteers at SPJ Sadhana School and Om Creations.

 

Finally Indians can freely enjoy every sip of Sugarcane Juice with OMG! -Oh My Ganna

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Healthy snacking is fastly catching pace in the country and has become an important part of our Lifestyle. This trend is pushing F&B companies to create innovative and better healthy options. Juices are the best way to ensure a healthy snacking habit. Considered as the King of juices, Sugarcane Juice is blessed with extremely high nutritional properties. Indians love their traditional beverage and are crazy for freshly extracted sugarcane juice served in glasses by vendors across the country. But with these available platforms hygiene is the biggest concern along with round the year availability. Taking up the challenge, Nutricane Beverages Pvt. Ltd., a young company committed to creating natural beverages in India announces the launch of its first bottled Sugarcane Juice OMG! (Oh My Ganna) with a non-refrigerated shelf life, same great taste and nutritional values as fresh sugarcane juice without adding any chemical preservatives.

With OMG! one should be able to sip a beverage without the guilt of consuming something unhealthy or synthetic, especially when we are blessed with such goodness in nature. OMG! is crafted to deliver our nostalgic memories of sugarcane juice in an innovative form while keeping the essence intact.

OMG! comes in a 250 ml recyclable glass bottle at an attractive price of INR 40/-.The super fluid has hit the market in two avatars –OMG! Cumin Crush – Sugarcane juice with cumin flavor and OMG! Ginger Groove –Sugarcane juice with ginger flavor.

The company is proud to introduce the King of juices to the Indian market. The wait for a revolutionary beverage which can become a part of our healthy lifestyle is now over. Thanks to the indigenously developed technology which has taken its inspiration from Make in India, Nutricane is able to offer India’s own real flavor in the most hygienic and refreshing form.

Sugarcane Juice is blessed with extremely high nutritional properties. It can treat Jaundice, beat dehydration, work as a deterrent to fight diseases like cancer, enhances immunity level and is good for glowing skin. If consumed in moderation, Sugarcane Juice is also helpful for diabetic patients. Due to its highly perishable nature, it cannot be preserved beyond a few hours, which has restricted the availability of canned sugarcane juice in India. OMG! will now allow Indian Consumers to enjoy every sip of this superfluid with a promise of hygiene, intact nutritional values and extended shelf life.

 

 

About Nutricane Beverages Pvt. Ltd:

Nutricane Beverages Pvt. Ltd http://www.nutricane.in/ was founded with the idea of offering Natural beverages that can truly provide the sip of goodness, taste of freshness, a healthy mix & a natural fix to the beverage consumers especially the rising millennial of India and other markets. Taking start-up innovation to next level, the company worked hard to craft the real flavor of the country by developing world class patented technology as a big beverage revolution.

 

The company dares to create niche categories in the beverage domain by picking real flavors of the country which will be crafted naturally in their purest form for consumers. OMG is the next big innovation in the F&B space, crafted naturally in India for the world. OMG is a refreshing, tasty, healthy, nutritional and natural product portfolio which is soon hitting the Indian Market.

Affinity Express crossed another milestone, launched new salon in Ghaziabad

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Affinity launched its new hair and beauty studio, Affinity Express at Crossing Republik, Ghaziabad on November 21. With this, the group plans to establish its presence in Ghaziabad and cater to customers looking out for premium services at reasonable prices. The event witnessed complementary launch services like Bomb, AVL and Olaplex. The Affinity express team displayed the Olaplex service which is not easily available in other salons. This is a protein treatment for hair that rebuilds broken hair bonds and the three step procedure results in incredibly healthy hair and thus is important for hair that have been treated with chemicals.

 

Speaking on the occasion of the opening, Anand Singh, Franchisee owner of Affinity Express, said, “We are delighted to launch Affinity Express in Crossing Republik, Ghaziabad which is built on the belief of offering world- class services to its customers. The collaboration with Affinity to come up was due to the fact that we have witnessed Affinity’s satisfactory services over time and this encouraged us to work with the brand. Also, the reason behind choosing Crossing Republik was that customers here are looking forward for superior services that give them satisfaction and we, at Affinity use the best products which do not result in product/ Skin damage. Thus, we meet the customer demands and plan to use this opportunity efficiently.”

Vinay Madan, Partner & Director – Operations, Goodman Projects Pvt Ltd, Affinity Express, added, “Affinity, as a brand strives to keep its customers satisfied by offering the best products along with efficient services. We expect that this salon at Crossing Republik will become a pioneer in beauty and hair services in the region. Also, we plan to open 350 salons by 2020. The cities targeted are Srinagar, Batala, Patna, Hyderabad and Jaipur.”

 

About Affinity:

 

Affinity Salon was incorporated more than 25 years ago. In total, the chain has 80 operating salons which are situated in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Mohali, Jammu, Agra, Lucknow, Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad. The directors of the company are Vinay Madan, Vishal Sharma, Manish Saharaya and Mukul Harmilapi. Affinity pioneers in establishing brands such as Sebastian, Nioxin, etc. In terms of turnover, it is a 100 cr+ group.

 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurates Smile Foundation’s initiative, ‘The World of Children’

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

It is said that a child’s smile can brighten up anyone’s day – imagine what would happen when 550 innocent smiles light up a place. This was the view that greeted attendees at NCUI Auditorium, August Kranti Marg, on November 19, 2017 on the launch of Smile Foundation’s ‘The World of Children’ initiative. Approximately 550 children from privileged and underprivileged background were present for the landmark event, which was graced by the Guest of Honour, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, amongst other prominent dignitaries.

The event witnessed the launch of the initiative – ‘The World of Children’. Conceptualised as a one-of-its-kind platform that brought together children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, ‘The World of Children’ is aimed at enabling children to discuss their issues challenges, and ideas with each other, as well as youth icons and inspirational leaders from the world over. The initiative is aimed at helping children and adults understand the problems that plague today’s youth and to find the right outlet for their energy and enthusiasm through meaningful, thought-provoking discussions, relevant advice, and guidance.

The event kicked off with the introduction and formal welcome of His Holiness onto the stage, followed by an address by His Holiness to the children in attendance. It was followed by another address and Q&A session between His Holiness and the students. Children from Gramin Vikas Samiti, Nai Disha, Ina Raja Memorial Education Trust, Neev – Mission Education centres of Smile Foundation and from the privileged schools – Bharti Public School (Swasthya Vihar), Bharti Public School (Mayur Vihar), Mount Carmel School, Queen Mary School, Kothari International, Victoria Public School, Mother Global Public School, and Ahlcon International School were the schools participating at the event.

Reciting anecdotes from his life and experience and laying emphasis on self-creation, His Holiness The Dalai Lama said, ”I see much development in the field of education in the recent years. One can change the way of thinking in order to reduce the gap of rich and poor, both of them have the responsibility to bring in education. I always stress, you should develop self confidence. I would like to contribute to the task taken up by the Smile Foundation and take the mission of equal education and infrastructure to all and bridge this gap. Self creation is very important and you can become a great person through will-power, hardwork and dedication.”

Citing India, His Holiness The Dalai Lama said, ”India is my home, both physically and mentally, since last fifty years and I am a student of the Nalanda tradition. In this tradition there is a lot of emphasis on reasoning, logic, and experiment and not faith. Ancient knowledge of India is more meaningful today, today the world is going through a crisis; it is highly developed but there is no inner peace. Inner peace comes from training of mind and not temporary shortcuts.”

His Holiness in his message to the children concluded, ”It is your responsibility to build this 21st century into a better, compassionate and peaceful generation. In order to build a better world you need determination, strictly secular education, universal responsibility.”

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation, said, “The children today – whether privileged or underprivileged, need support, advice and guidance to help them realize their true potential, make the right choices, and discover a meaningful purpose in life. The lessons that are learnt in childhood tend to stay with us throughout our lives. We believe that the wise words, advice and guidance of real-life achievers such as His Holiness – the Dalai Lama will positively influence the thought-process and decision-making of the children and will be cherished by them all their lives. We are extremely thankful to His Holiness to grace us with his presence and enrich us with his thoughts. The only objective of “The World of Children” is to ensure that the young minds of our country grow up as good human beings and responsible change-makers committed to build a better world for all.”

In today’s world, depression amongst children the world over is on the rise, as are other critical issues such as loneliness, insecurity, and anxiety etc. This has resulted in a rapid increase in drug abuse, violence, and suicide amongst school-going children of all ages. What’s worse is that these issues often either get swept under the rug because of the fear of social rejection, mistaken for a lack of will, or ignored.

“Ignoring this problem will not make it go away, which is why we are looking to address it with our latest initiative, ‘The World of Children’. Through this unique, one-of-its-kind outreach programme, we are looking to encourage children from various socioeconomic backgrounds to openly discuss their problems with their peers and elders, and to find solutions to those problems through their own experiences, learning, and observations. This will not only help in raising greater awareness about the various issues that plague children today, but also in creating a supportive and nurturing environment that can help them in overcoming challenges, making the right life choices, and realising their true potential,” added Santanu.

Established in 2002 to effect a positive change at the grassroots level, Smile Foundation has been ceaselessly working towards alleviating the problems and challenges faced by underprivileged children, their families, and their communities. Smile Foundation has won widespread recognition and accolades for its pioneering work in the field of child empowerment over the years, engaging and empowering underprivileged children, youth and women through relevant education, innovative healthcare, and market-focussed livelihood programmes.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is a national level development organization benefitting over 400,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through 158 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.

Website: http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/smilefoundationindia.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smilefoundation

 

 

 

Yerba Mate Tea Comes to India…!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM) has come to India with the agenda of opening its route to the Indian tea market by means of popularizing the benefits and scientific significance of the Argentine tea. The Residence of the Embassy of Argentina, Delhi recently hosted a high tea event  in the honorary presence of Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM) along with the esteemed participation of tea sommeliers, Tea Trails, Food Halls and distributors.

INYM recognizes the fact that like the people in Argentina, households in India have immense love for Tea and endorsesthe therapeutic effects of the tea, also dubbed as the drink of the Guarani Indians. Describing the beneficial qualities of Yerba Mate, ‘Jerónimo Lagier, Director, INYM said, “With a higher count of antioxidants, it is a greener version of the healthy Green Tea, which increases one’s immunity and also satisfies the taste buds – with the Indian blends such as Ginger, Cardamom, Tulsi, Ginger, Honey and Green Tea. Our purpose in India is to cement our relationship through this drink as we know that India also consists of a large demographic of tea drinkers.”

The event marked the launch of Argentina’s National drink ‘Yerba Mate Tea’ in India. It was organized in a bid to commemorate Indian herbs and Yerba Mate Tea for its health-giving effects. Yerba Mate Tea is not only a delicious drink but also has ingredients that boost the body’s defences. The main event was followed by an elaborate tango performance and interaction session between the launch team and guests. Distributors and manufacturers of various other tea brands graced the event with their presence in obligation to partner with the Argentinian tea manufacturers.

The guest list for the evening tea included renowned food bloggers from Delhi , who imparted their expert advice on global tea culture and variety of teas as well as shared their valuable feedback on Yerba Mate Tea.  Ace tea sommelier, Anamika Singh, enriched the occasion with her special blends followed by a session on the world of brewing. The event had a bright attendance of tea enthusiasts who collectively praised the tea for its taste and nourishing effects.

Often considered as a ‘Greener Green Tea’, Yerba Mateis traced back to the late 14th century and is known as ‘The Gift of the Gods.’Yerba mate contains life sustaining vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll that is directly assimilated by the human body which, when combined provides with essential elements for good nutrition and shields againstailments such as Cancer, Diabetes and High Blood Pressures. Launch concluded on a high note with the traditional ‘Gourds’ which involves drinking Yerba Mate through a Bombilla Straw as customarily used by Argentine people.

I tried a variety of blends, Paradise and Beauty were the ones I liked the most. Yerba Mate is surely gonna be one of my preferred beverages now as I loved the aroma and taste.

 

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