Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

All eyes on the ball

With a keep-safe-distance placard as his stump, a child plays cricket at Shivaji Park in Dadar.

Meeting over a micro-cuisine

Piyava Ambado

Home chef Shanti Petiwala is a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin, a sub-sect from Konkan whose diet is vegetarian. But living by the sea means that the community sees certain fish types as staple, and not as meat. Petiwala recently hosted a pop-up and served tomato saar shots, piyava ambado, bangda hubbe and sungta- bimbul ghashi. With not too many eateries serving up authentic eats belonging to Maharashtra's sub sects, this one was unique for diners.

Shanti Petiwala

G20 smells coffee

The team at the G20 summit

The burgeoning coffee industry in India found itself under the spotlight at the recently held G20 Summit. Mumbai's Subko Coffee Roasters was among the few coffee-makers who were nominated by the Coffee Board of India to represent the country. Lionel Crasto, coffee education and quality control associate, Subko, shared that it was a wonderful opportunity to not just familiarise global delegates with Indian beans, but also strengthen the community of desi coffee-makers. "We had to prove that we are innovative, sustainable and worth showcasing to an international audience. The whole Indian coffee community bonded and took this up as an opportunity to educate people about our industry," he told us.

The real deal

Vikas Khanna

What happens when the sketches you create meet their inspiration in real life? It was a touching moment that drew our attention to illustrator Aaryama Somayaji's post. Somayaji illustrated chef Vikas Khanna's latest title, Barefoot Empress, which was released in November. The illustrator shared a picture of Khanna showing the book to the main character, Karthyayani Amma. "I have created real people illustrations before, but never focused on a person knowing that they are out there working. The way she looks in the book is very different from how I usually would draw her," Somayaji said. The illustrator added that Khanna and the team wanted to avoid making the illustrations look stereotypically cute. Somayaji revealed that she had never met the inspiration for her adorable illustrations. "I was endeared to her, and wished to draw her from the moment I saw her on film," she said.

Hail, Souza!

Lot 61 from Zinkant's collection. Pic Courtesy/Saffronart

In a weekend event, leading auction house Saffronart's live sale of artist FN Souza's works from the Collection of Barbara Zinkant - the artists's former wife - clinched a white glove sale. All of the lots were sold, accruing a total sales value of more than Rs 5 crores. About the auction, house CEO and co-founder Dinesh Vazirani said, "We're pleased with the exceptional results from this special auction. Zinkant's collection reflected her intimate, complex history with the rebellious artist. The auction's ringing success is indeed indicative of the rising place of progressive Indian art not just in India, but globally, as we witnessed two hours of highly enthusiastic bidding from around the world. We look forward to an equally, if not more, exciting 2023."

For you, baby

Shilarna Vaze with her five-year-old daughter. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

If you're a new mother worrying about feeding your kid, a book by a mom chef is soon coming to your rescue. Authored by chef Shilarna Vaze, - the co-founder of catering company Gaia Gourmet - the book comprises a big bunch of recipes for babies between six months and four years of age. Vaze shared with this diarist that during her food journey with her child, she realised that most baby cookbooks are either too Western-influenced for Indian diets or are too traditional or regional. "As a modern Indian woman and chef, I wanted to combine the two, but not from the lens of serving fusion food," Vaze added.