Junoon Spice Room. This is one my favorite place at the restaurant. Generally my day begins here (weighting, grinding, creating mixtures).
http://junoonnyc.com/index.php?option=co
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Lisa Ekus
One of my first American friends is also my great teacher "Lisa Ekus". She has nutured a whole generation of Chefs and promoted them on the world stage. I was honored to be invited to her house in Massachusetts. I clearly remember Hatfield on January 21st, 2006. Jane Fella came to pick me up from the station and I did not feel to be a stranger even for a moment.
This was the first American home I had visited too. We did a big cooking class to benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
http://www.sakiv.org/LisaEkusFoodBankEve
Her husband David cooked a great dinner of pan seared scallops and home grown greens.
The cooking class was amazing, except that I added too much water to the flour to make breads. We kept adding more flour to make it right. And finally ended up with too many rotis.
In years to come, we have shared great meals together (City bakery, 11 Madison, Tamarind, Otto.....and ofcourse my first apartment) and she has had a very encouraging impact on my life. I have always shared her thoughts with my students and cherished her friendship.
Yesterday when she came to celebrate her daughter Amelia's birthday at Junoon, It was overwhelming to think about our journey together since our first meeting.
I am so much thankful to her and her family for making me feel so accepted as a friend and a chef.
Here is her side of the story:http://www.lisaekus.com/blog/?p=813&utm_
Baisakhi: A new season of Harvest
Baisakhi: The New Harvest Season. For me this is a great example for gratitude to Mother Earth for her gift of food. Learm more about the history of festival with easy recipes.
http://www.vkhanna.com/BaisakhiMeaning.h
CNN: Vikas Khanna shares 5 tips for staying calm.
5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.
The kitchen - both in the professional sense and at home - is a hectic place. When the mille-feuille goes awry, it's easy to slip into a whirl of profanities that would make Bobby Knight blush.
Instead of flinging the nearest soup ladle at an unsuspecting line cook, Vikas Khanna, the executive chef of Junoon and the creator of "The Holy Kitchens" documentary series, says keep calm and sauté on.
Five Ways I Keep Calm in the Kitchen: Vikas Khanna
1. Positive energy
"My grandmother taught me that your energy is transmitted through the food when you cook. Before preparing every meal my grandmother had a cup of tea and thought through everything she would be making before she started. I later came to understand that this technique is called visualization. When it gets hectic at Junoon, I try to remember her technique."
2. Keep it clean
"At the end of the night I always restore my sense of equilibrium by helping the porters clean the kitchen. When the kitchen is in good order and everything is cleaned and organized I feel a sense of clarity that prepares me for the next day. There are few things more frustrating than not being able to find your favorite pepper grinder or finding that your knives are not ready for work."
3. Meditation brings inner peace
"Meditation has positive effects that last much longer than just during the session. While we were building Junoon, I made sure that we set aside some space for all the employees to recharge their spiritual batteries. When we are able to share a few moments of calm contemplation it helps us handle the stress of the busy kitchen."
4. Not reacting in the moment
"Between you and me, sometimes people behave badly under stress. When this happens, it is your reaction that is the most important thing. If you respond in kind then you will escalate the aggravation. My greatest power is my ability to hold my response. I wait until after the dinner service is over and discuss the situation privately and gently. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get angry; I just choose to be in control of when and where that happens."
5. Remember your place
"I am just one in a very long line of cooks that stretch backwards through time; my mother (okay, she cooked only rarely) my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and the ancestors I never met and never heard of. One day I will be forgotten just like my ancestors and my legacy will be nothing, but the cooks that I have taught. I hope that I leave behind patient, calm and talented chefs."
Does cooking make your head boil, or are you as cool as a cucumber? Share your kitchen temperament in the comments
The kitchen - both in the professional sense and at home - is a hectic place. When the mille-feuille goes awry, it's easy to slip into a whirl of profanities that would make Bobby Knight blush.
Instead of flinging the nearest soup ladle at an unsuspecting line cook, Vikas Khanna, the executive chef of Junoon and the creator of "The Holy Kitchens" documentary series, says keep calm and sauté on.
Five Ways I Keep Calm in the Kitchen: Vikas Khanna
1. Positive energy
"My grandmother taught me that your energy is transmitted through the food when you cook. Before preparing every meal my grandmother had a cup of tea and thought through everything she would be making before she started. I later came to understand that this technique is called visualization. When it gets hectic at Junoon, I try to remember her technique."
2. Keep it clean
"At the end of the night I always restore my sense of equilibrium by helping the porters clean the kitchen. When the kitchen is in good order and everything is cleaned and organized I feel a sense of clarity that prepares me for the next day. There are few things more frustrating than not being able to find your favorite pepper grinder or finding that your knives are not ready for work."
3. Meditation brings inner peace
"Meditation has positive effects that last much longer than just during the session. While we were building Junoon, I made sure that we set aside some space for all the employees to recharge their spiritual batteries. When we are able to share a few moments of calm contemplation it helps us handle the stress of the busy kitchen."
4. Not reacting in the moment
"Between you and me, sometimes people behave badly under stress. When this happens, it is your reaction that is the most important thing. If you respond in kind then you will escalate the aggravation. My greatest power is my ability to hold my response. I wait until after the dinner service is over and discuss the situation privately and gently. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get angry; I just choose to be in control of when and where that happens."
5. Remember your place
"I am just one in a very long line of cooks that stretch backwards through time; my mother (okay, she cooked only rarely) my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and the ancestors I never met and never heard of. One day I will be forgotten just like my ancestors and my legacy will be nothing, but the cooks that I have taught. I hope that I leave behind patient, calm and talented chefs."
Does cooking make your head boil, or are you as cool as a cucumber? Share your kitchen temperament in the comments
Food and Spirituality
For Vikas Khanna, the spiritual power of food is to be taken very seriously. His grandmother taught him that food has a higher form of consciousness, and today, he's professing the same. The chef has made a new DVD series called Holy Kitchens (Deepak Chopra cameos in one). The series illuminates the connection between faith and food, and is available to anyone who wants to learn about the subject, including students at the Harvard Divinity School. In the clip above, he journeys into the kitchens of The Golden Temple located in his own hometown of Amritsar Punjab. It's estimated that this infamous Sikh Temple serves approximatly 80,000 free meals a day. Hit play for a preview of the first short film called The True Business
Good Things Come in Threes
April 18, 2011, 6 PM
27 W. 24th St.
Indulge in a splendid, four-course dinner of decadent Indian trios paired with delicious wines when chef Vikas Khanna and owner Rajesh Bhardwaj invite you into their Flatiron hot spot. Your evening will begin with a tour of Junoon’s unbelievable spice room, where chef Khanna will show you how he creates the unique, signature blends that you’ll experience throughout your lavish meal. Dinner will showcase an expansive range of Indian flavors through triplets of Sigri/Patthar, Tawa, Handi and dessert. In case you’re not already an Indian food guru, we’re talking: Murg Makhanphal Kebab with purée of avocado, ginger juice, cilantro and Garam Masala; Kakori Kebab with finely minced lamb, cardamom, green papaya and spiced yogurt; star anise sea scallop with cracked white peppercorn and cinnamon roasted pepper chutney; and Nadru Kofte with Kashmiri lotus root, homemade cheese, cashew nuts and cardamom. Both Khanna and Bhardwaj will also speak about their journey from top-notch restaurants in India to New York City, bringing your evening journey all the way home.
Event Details:
$95 for four courses of trios paired with wine and a tour of Junoon’s spice room; tax and gratuity included.
To Reserve:
Call 212-490-2100 and mention “Zagat Presents.”Good Things Come in Threes
April 18, 2011, 6 PM
Junoon
27 W. 24th St.
Indulge in a splendid, four-course dinner of decadent Indian trios paired with delicious wines when chef Vikas Khanna and owner Rajesh Bhardwaj invite you into their Flatiron hot spot. Your evening will begin with a tour of Junoon’s unbelievable spice room, where chef Khanna will show you how he creates the unique, signature blends that you’ll experience throughout your lavish meal. Dinner will showcase an expansive range of Indian flavors through triplets of Sigri/Patthar, Tawa, Handi and dessert. In case you’re not already an Indian food guru, we’re talking: Murg Makhanphal Kebab with purée of avocado, ginger juice, cilantro and Garam Masala; Kakori Kebab with finely minced lamb, cardamom, green papaya and spiced yogurt; star anise sea scallop with cracked white peppercorn and cinnamon roasted pepper chutney; and Nadru Kofte with Kashmiri lotus root, homemade cheese, cashew nuts and cardamom. Both Khanna and Bhardwaj will also speak about their journey from top-notch restaurants in India to New York City, bringing your evening journey all the way home.
Event Details:
$95 for four courses of trios paired with wine and a tour of Junoon’s spice room; tax and gratuity included.
To Reserve:
Call 212-490-2100 and mention “Zagat Presents.”
.
Junoon
27 W. 24th St.
Indulge in a splendid, four-course dinner of decadent Indian trios paired with delicious wines when chef Vikas Khanna and owner Rajesh Bhardwaj invite you into their Flatiron hot spot. Your evening will begin with a tour of Junoon’s unbelievable spice room, where chef Khanna will show you how he creates the unique, signature blends that you’ll experience throughout your lavish meal. Dinner will showcase an expansive range of Indian flavors through triplets of Sigri/Patthar, Tawa, Handi and dessert. In case you’re not already an Indian food guru, we’re talking: Murg Makhanphal Kebab with purée of avocado, ginger juice, cilantro and Garam Masala; Kakori Kebab with finely minced lamb, cardamom, green papaya and spiced yogurt; star anise sea scallop with cracked white peppercorn and cinnamon roasted pepper chutney; and Nadru Kofte with Kashmiri lotus root, homemade cheese, cashew nuts and cardamom. Both Khanna and Bhardwaj will also speak about their journey from top-notch restaurants in India to New York City, bringing your evening journey all the way home.
Event Details:
$95 for four courses of trios paired with wine and a tour of Junoon’s spice room; tax and gratuity included.
To Reserve:
Call 212-490-2100 and mention “Zagat Presents.”
.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Gordon Ramsay, Purnima and Andrew Blackmore
On April 2nd, 2007 we shot Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. I still remember how encouraging Chef Ramsay has been thoughout my career.
Dillons was transforming to Purnima and the greatest Chef in the world was helping me to do that.
I am forever grateful to Chef Ramsay for being a true friend and my mentor. But my highest gratit...ude comes from the fact that Chef Ramsay introduced me to Andrew Blackmore.
In the years since then, Andrew has become the voice of expression for me -, whether it is Holy Kitchens, SAKIV, Events, Junoon, Television, Cookbooks or just daily expressions of life.
Thanks Andrew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vbedded
Dillons was transforming to Purnima and the greatest Chef in the world was helping me to do that.
I am forever grateful to Chef Ramsay for being a true friend and my mentor. But my highest gratit...ude comes from the fact that Chef Ramsay introduced me to Andrew Blackmore.
In the years since then, Andrew has become the voice of expression for me -, whether it is Holy Kitchens, SAKIV, Events, Junoon, Television, Cookbooks or just daily expressions of life.
Thanks Andrew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
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