Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

LGBT

When Jowar meets Fettuccini
Move over foreign imports, quinoa and couscous. Jowar, nachani and amaranth seem to be the new power-puff ingredients on our restaurants' menus.

Riyaaz Amlani

The latest to join the list is Smoke House Deli which will launch a health menu at its outposts later this month. With vegan, gluten-free and probiotic options (the menu explains each term), the varieties include jowar gnocchi and fettucini, nachani tarts, millet-flavoured risottos, amaranth-infused salads as well as banana flour cakes. Chef Glyston Gracias, who has helmed the menu with inputs from restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani, shares, "I was always interested in trying jowar in my recipes since my Maharashtrian classmates in school would get jowar rotis instead of chapatis. Using jowar, instead of wheat flour, is a tougher process. However, the nutrient and iron content is high, allowing it to fight lifestyle diseases. Nachani is high in nutrition and aids in weight loss, which is why, we decided to use it to create a tart."

Jowar Fettucini with tomato braised vegetables

Queer cousins overseas
Given that this paper follows the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) closely in Mumbai, it is always good to get a perspective on what the community is doing overseas. And, what better way than looking at pictures to do this, because of course, a picture can say a 1,000 words, yeah, or gay, more specifically. So, we see some serious stuff in Italy, with demonstrations, whereas France lets its hair down, as it gets its first gay carnival. Nice. No, not just metaphorically nice, but literally nice, as the carnival was held in Nice, France.

GAY PRIDE: People take part in 'Lou Queernaval', the first gay carnival in Nice, France. Pic/AFP

How about some Gandhigiri?
Anil Dharker (right) seems to drop a question to the audience at an event to launch publisher Pramod Kapoor's (left) book, Gandhi, An Illustrated Biography, by filmmaker Shyam Benegal. Combining never-before-seen pictures with anecdotes and slice-of-life episodes, it was released last evening at NCPA. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

SoBo over Bandra?
Even though we aren't fans of the tiny galleries inside the newly inaugurated The Bombay Art Society's Art Complex in Bandra, the 128-year-old art society is ready with its annual show featuring works by established as well as emerging artists. The annual show, currently in its 124th year, will have 274 artworks on display including this year's award-winners - Jitendra Thorat, Kailas Yadav, Chandrajit Yadav and Swati Naphade, among others. However, despite the fact that the society now has its own gallery (three of them), the show will take place at Jehangir Art Gallery. When this diarist checked with Shraddha Purnaye, manager, she said, "We had booked Jehangir Art Gallery in advance. We weren't sure that the complex would be inaugurated in time, since there was no confirmation from the Prime Minister's Office. Besides, we felt the show will get more footfall at Jehangi, since the complex is relatively new."

The Bombay Art Society Art Complex

Look's who's joined Twitter!
It seems like the box-office celebrations over Neerja got to filmmaker Ram Madhvani. The social-media-shy director, who brought to life the story of Pan Am air hostess Neerja Bhanot, joined Twitter yesterday. Ace lensman Atul Kasberkar, who debuts as a producer with the film, congratulated Madhvani on the move by posting a photo of the duo on his account.

Atul Kasbekar and Ram Madhvani. Pic courtesy/Atul Kasbekar's Twitter account

Art musings in Alibaug
Great things happen when food meets design; this, everyone would agree with, was the bottomline when India Design Forum (IDF) moved to Alibaug on Sunday. As part of the design trail conducted by IDF throughout last week, an eclectic bunch were ferried away for a day, where they were first introduced to the organic goodness of The Table Farm.

Pinakin Patel

The thriving back-end of Colaba restaurant, The Table, the farm was a fitting addition to the design trail with its kitchen-garden principles. As restaurateur Gauri Devidayal took us through lanes of fresh turnips, broccoli and papayas - all planted with attention and maintained with rigour - it was met with enthusiasm with the trailers, especially gallerist Usha Mirchandani, sporting a lovely summer hat, who has turned her attention to knowing her food better. From there, the trail headed to the Dashrath Patel Museum of Design, dedicated to the first director of education at the National Institute of Design (NID). The space, designed by Patel, is now under the care of interiors and lifestyle designer Pinakin Patel, who lives next door. Patel shared memories of Dashrath - we sensed a hint of melancholia here - but soon returned to his usual eloquent and buoyant self. Patel, who has just launched a new line of tunics, quipped that it was suitable for all ages, and that he will be back in mainland Mumbai soon.