Dec

In the Kitchen with OIC: Cooking with Spice!

by Joyce McGreevy on December 21, 2020

Nistha Trehun teaches an online class on cooking with spices, using Indian tradition as inspiration for any cuisine you like. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

Live from Berlin, Nistha shares the art and science of spices with people around the world.
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

Nistha’s Top Ingredient: Indian Tradition

What’s in your spice collection? And how long has it been there? Even confident home chefs can feel intimidated when it comes to cooking with spices. Sure, we regularly summon familiar favorites into culinary action. But are they favorites because they’re familiar?

Meanwhile, turmeric, cardamom, fenugreek, and other spices may languish in a cupboard, their magic wasting away, if we’re not sure how to use them.

Cue Nistha to the rescue. The India-born, Berlin-based chef (whose name in Sanskrit means “trust”) helps people around the world spice things up—from everyday cooking and eating to their health and even how they learn.

Oh, I see: Inspired by the Indian tradition of cooking with spice, Nistha Trehun is on a mission to enhance our appreciation of food in general.

An array of spices shows why the Indian tradition of cooking with spices helps create a variety of tastes, flavors, and colors. (Image by Veganamente and Pixabay)

Beyond bottled lookalikes: Spices reflect a rich variety of form and function.
Veganamente/ Pixabay

Kitty in the Kitchen

As with many chefs, Nistha’s fascination with cooking began early. Growing up in northern India, she lived in a 20-room house with her extended family and a kitchen that offered the lively appeal and rich aromas of a restaurant.

“When I was really young, I used to tell my mom, ‘I want to cut onions,’ and she would give me a very small knife, not that sharp. I would have tears the whole time, but still I wanted to cut them.”

Despite her keen interest, “Kitty,” as her family called her, was mostly kept out of the kitchen, as were the other children. Why?

“In [my mom’s] generation, parents always wanted the girls to learn cooking. But while I was growing up times had changed, and for my parents, education became the only thing that mattered. So, I studied. A lot.”

Nistha’s discipline earned her a gold medal, graduation at the top of her class, and a degree in business administration.

“In my college, everybody would say, ‘I want to be an engineer or a doctor.’ And I was saying, ‘I want to open a culinary business and name it The Kitty Party.’”

Today, The Kitty Party is a flourishing, moveable feast that mirrors Nistha’s love of travel. She actually launched the business in South Korea when she and her husband transferred there for work. She quickly fell in love with Seoul. “I went walking every day and know every street in the city.”

A close-up of students in Nistha’s class shows how the Indian tradition of cooking with spices extends to desserts and pastries. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

With on-site classes like this on pause, Nistha creates hands-on experiences online.
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

So Many Questions

As her in-person culinary events proved popular with locals and travelers alike, a common theme emerged.

“People had so many questions about spices! Because it was my first time out of India, that came as a surprise to me.” Until then, Nistha had assumed that everybody grew up with daily exposure to the traditions and techniques of cooking with spices.

For example, many people know cumin as a powder that they sprinkle, last minute, into Western adaptations of cross-cultural dishes. But in India, cumin is so much more—a virtuoso seed that produces numerous flavors depending on its origin and variety, and how it is stored, heated, crushed, milled, measured, and combined.

A supper dish beautifully presented shows the creative possibilities of cooking with spices using Indian tradition as inspiration. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

“Combining spice with another ingredient builds dimensions of flavor that did not exist before.”
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

Nistha also discovered that she loved answering people’s questions. Combining scholarly drive with her passion for spices, she redoubled her research and experimentation and set out to share her mission: “To teach that whatever your style is, whatever your taste, you can still use spices in your own cooking. You do not need to cook Indian for that.”

Spices, she says, are something that everybody should eat, not because they’re Indian, but because they are healthy. And she enjoys dispelling misconceptions about spices, such as the notion that “spicy” always equals heat.

“People often assume that by spices, I mean chilies, but there are also many spices that help preserve the flavor of food.”

After Seoul, Nistha, her husband, and The Kitty Party, moved to their current home in Berlin. When the pandemic put customer foot traffic on pause, Nistha didn’t miss a beat. She simply moved the party online.

Nicknamed “The Dancing Chef,” she enlivens her online events with dance breaks and personal stories. Recently, she hosted a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with students who logged on from Mexico.

Nistha sporting a vivid turmeric-colored shirt shows how cooking with spices based on Indian tradition also feeds her creativity. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

“This is my turmeric shirt.” Nishta invites students to wear their favorite spice colors.
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

Worldwide Spice Advice? Nice!

This combination of cultural tradition, culinary insight, and sheer fun has made Nistha a top-rated presenter on Airbnb Online Experiences.

Her audience represents almost every continent. It includes couples and college students new to cooking, families enjoying togetherness across time zones, Fortune 500 employees engaged in team building, travelers from Brazil to Taiwan to Kuwait, professional chefs across Europe, and even a chef’s assistant from Antarctica.

Nistha’s events cover a wide range, too. Students can opt to cook a full meal, prepare traditional Indian beverages or desserts, or explore a single seasoning. Or, under Nistha’s guidance, they may combine spices they already have with foods so simple (bread, cucumber, a steamed vegetable) that anyone can easily participate.

Regardless of topic, unlocking the power of spice always takes center stage.

A turmeric latte garnished with star anise and edible flowers show why cooking with spices based on Indian tradition involves more than just adding a dash of powder. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

Star anise and edible flowers garnish an elegant turmeric latte.
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

“People are especially fascinated by turmeric, but often have no idea how to use it,” says Nistha.

She recalls the man who kept turmeric in his cupboard for 17 years because it seemed too precious to use. The woman whose friends believed turmeric pills and health drinks could substitute for foods. The people who bought chain-store lattes sprinkled with turmeric and were disappointed with the taste.

Nistha smiles. “You can’t just sprinkle on turmeric. It needs to be gently heated in good fat for a few seconds to release curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory. This also removes bitterness. In India, people call turmeric a ‘holy spice’ because it helps keep disease at bay.”

As for subbing supplements for food, Nistha wonders why anyone would deny themselves the social practice, celebration, and sensory experience of cooking and sharing a good meal.

“When we eat something, we are not just mechanically satisfying our nutritional need like an appliance charging its battery. We smell the aroma, see the colors, feel the textures, and most important of all we satisfy our tastebuds.”

A cook booklet, The Simple Spice Box Recipes, by Nistha Terun, sums up the art and science of cooking with spices based on Indian tradition. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

Nistha’s new recipe booklet is a tribute to her favorite Indian spices.
© Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party

Nistha also emphasizes that cooking with spice from the Indian subcontinent does not apply only to recipes based on Indian tradition. After all, she says, people who like olive oil don’t use it only for Italian food.

“I’m not here to teach you complicated menus. I want to teach the power of each ingredient.” What you cook, she says, can be as simple as a one-pot meal.

In short, any day’s the right day to spice up your life. Says Nistha, “We can’t afford to lose these small pleasures of life if we want to thrive as humans.”

Nistha teaching by Zoom from Berlin combines the festivities of December with the fun of cooking with spices based on Indian tradition. (Image © by Nistha Trehun, The Kitty Party)

Need a “seasonal” gift with lasting appeal? Click here.
© Joyce McGreevy

Follow Nistha on Instagram and Facebook. Explore The Kitty Party here.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/India/The World's Chefs

Sep

Crossing Cultures To Tell A Story of Turmoil

by Meredith Mullins on September 9, 2019

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Environmental disaster in Ogoniland, Nigeria (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

The World Is Screaming

The power of an image can be far reaching. A story can be told—or a message delivered— in even a single photograph.

And when a space is filled with images that have a common theme, the story becomes exponentially compelling.

This is the impact of photographer Philippe Chancel’s series “Datazone”—photographs made in remote and diverse corners of the world to reveal realities that we don’t ordinarily see. The interwoven essence becomes increasingly clear.

Damaged ship and house after earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan, part of the Datazone exhibit at the Rencontres d'Arles, using Chancel photographs and crossing cultures to deliver a message via documentary photography. (Image © Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and the Melanie Rio Fluency Gallery.)

The aftermath of natural disasters
Tohoku, Japan (2011)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

This series of images delivers the disturbing message that our planet and its inhabitants are in trouble.

Chancel is adept at crossing cultures to reveal the signs and symptoms of what Datazone Curator Michel Poivert calls a world in decline. “The world is screaming,” Poivert says. And we have to take notice.

Philippe Chancel’s Datazone at the Rencontres d’Arles
© Meredith Mullins

“Datazone” at the Rencontres d’Arles

The Datazone exhibit was one of the highlights of the 2019 Rencontres d’Arles photography festival. The images filled the cathedral-like Église des Frères Prêcheurs. The 16^th century gothic space lent a symbolic importance to the visual storytelling.

Directional lines on the floor led to each of the countries represented, reminding us that the world’s problems are not isolated to a few “hot zones.” We are surrounded by turmoil.

Chancel includes 14 countries in the Datazone exhibit.
© Meredith Mullins

Chancel’s sensitive and thoughtful explorations from the past 15 years show us brutal dictatorships, environmental tragedies, the effects of climate change, war, natural disasters, and the dehumanizing effects of modernization.

French photographer Philippe Chancel
© Meredith Mullins

The Datazone exhibit includes 14 different sites, from Fukushima to Haiti, from Marseilles to Nigeria, from North Korea to Afghanistan, from Antarctica to the United Arab Emirates, from the West Bank in Israel to the Greece/Macedonia border. From Kazakhstan to South Africa. From the U.S. (Flint, Michigan) to India (Mumbai).

Marikana, South Africa (2012)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

The places were chosen by Chancel as areas in peril. They became part of his journey perhaps because of a specific disaster or social or political event. But they were often selected because the issues were off the main media’s radar or were insidious growths, moving slowly toward danger.

Dehumanizing modernization
Marseille, France (2017/2018)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Moments of Truth

Once on site, Chancel chooses his photographic moments carefully. No clichés. No staging. No special effects. Just reality, which is sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatically direct. He shows us hidden truths.

In many scenes, Chancel shows us the future conjoined to the past. Skyscrapers mixed with barren desert land. Opulence and poverty in close proximity. High speed roads alongside well-trodden paths. Natural beauty overtaken by industrial disaster.

The past and future together
Abu Dhabi (2007)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Chancel shows us not just the effects of war, but the change in life as a result of years of war. We are shown the compounds, surrounded by barbed wire, built to protect the rich warlords from attack . . . and the mercenaries who guard the concrete structures with Kalashnikovs.

Guarded compound in Kabul, Afghanistan (2012)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

He shows us the aftermath of natural disasters, such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor tragedy of the Tohoku region of Japan.

The photographs are not the immediate headline-grabbing scenes, but images that tell of the long struggles and hardships that follow such tragedies for years.

The people of Haiti continue their life after the devastating 2010 earthquake
(Port au Prince, Haiti, 2011).
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

He unveils the theater of a dictatorship that requires blind loyalty and enthusiastic support, as well as the growing international tendency to create border barricades to prevent the influx of refugees.

Theater or truth?
North Korea. Pyongyang (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

In several series, he shows us how the pristine beauty of many places on earth is in jeopardy and how once thriving ecosystems have been destroyed.

We see the oil seeping into the life of the people of the Niger Delta from fractured pipelines, threatening the very existence of the farmers and fishermen of the area.

Oil-scarred land of the Niger Delta
Ogoniland, Nigeria (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

And we sense the melting ice of Antarctica, once described by explorer Charcot as “a vast, magnificent city made from the purest marble”—a dream that he would like to keep dreaming. That collection of “towering amphitheaters and temples built by divine architects” is melting. Yes. Climate change is very real.

Melting majesty
Charcot Point, Antarctica (2017)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Although the Datazone exhibit has ended, additional exhibits of the Rencontres d’Arles can be viewed until September 22. The Datazone work will next be shown at Paris Photo 2019 in the Grand Palais of Paris from November 7–10 at the Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency and can also be seen on Philippe Chancel’s website.

Contrasting realities
Abu Dhabi (2007/2011)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Oh I See: A Wake-Up Call to the Planet

When Chancel’s images are taken as a whole collective—crossing cultures on so many continents—the future seems all too clear. This is a wake-up call to the world. The only question that remains is what shall we do . . .

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 6 Comments

Afghanistan/Africa/Asia/Crossing Cultures/Greece/Haiti/India/South Africa/USA

Aug

Cultural Encounters with a Competitive Edge

by Meredith Mullins on August 12, 2019

Bullfrog who is part of one of the most bizarre competitions in the world and also a part of the cultural encounters of competitions around the world. (Image ©

Is this the celebrated jumping frog of Calaveras County?
© iStock/Stevelenzphoto

Five of the Most Fascinating Competitions in the World

Grab your frog, your worm, your spouse, your crying baby, your cheese-chasing outfit, your cherry pits, your cockroaches, and your mustache wax.

Let the games begin.

From Calaveras frog jumping, to British cheese chasing, to Japanese baby crying, to Finnish wife carrying, to Indian mustache competitions, it’s time for some competitive cultural encounters.

What is it that drives us to compete . . . besides that thrill of victory? And, more to the point, what is it that drives us to compete in competitions unique to our cultures?

Most competitors in these kinds of contests say the same thing: it’s just fun.

But it may also be the cultural connection. Often, the competition is part of a country’s traditions and customs, shared with pride.

We will leave cherry pit spitting, worm charming, and cockroach racing for another day and focus here on an OIC Moments introduction to five of the world’s most fascinating competitions.

Hip hop at its best
Courtesy of Frogtown

A Hip Hop Dream: The Calaveras Frog Jumping Competition

Mark Twain made this competition famous in his first well-known short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” based on a tale he heard in a bar in Angel’s Camp, California during the gold rush.

A bar bet was offered that the jumping frog “Dan’l Webster” could outjump any frog around. A city slicker visitor took the bet and, while Dan’l Webster’s owner went to get the city slicker a frog to compete, the visitor filled Dan’l Webster with buckshot.

When the race started, Dan’l Webster was, as Mark Twain described, “planted like a building.” He was so heavy he could not jump. So the city slicker’s frog won the race and the $40 bet.

Fast forward to the present, where, each May in Angel’s Camp (since 1928), the frog jumping competition continues (minus the buckshot).

Frogs, like current champion Rosie the Ribeter (holding the world record since 1986 of nearly 22 inches), Jumping Jack Flash, E. Davey Croakett, Springs, You Can Croak, San Francisco Warty Niners, and Will B Happening, compete to jump the farthest, cheered on and guided by their frog jockeys.

Slum Frog Millionaire may hold the record for the worst jump, says his frog jockey.
© Merita Callaway

The frogs rest at the “frog spa” until it’s their turn to race. Then they are placed on a small green faux lily pad. They must start with all four feet (including toes) on this “launch” pad.

The next three hops are what count, and must be completed within one minute.

The frog jockeys, naturally, want their frogs to jump in a straight line. However, frogs have their own idea about how, where, and when to hop, making the competition a bit unpredictable.

Some frogs just sit (an homage to Dan’l Webster?), even though their jockeys are yelling, pounding on the stage, and doing anything they can think of to motivate their frog.

How do you motivate a frog?
Courtesy of Frogtown

Some frogs place height rather than distance as a priority, and some make a good first jump but then zig zag or U-turn resulting in a short measurement or even a negative distance.

If a frog breaks Rosie the Ribeter’s world record, an additional $5,000 is part of the prize. However, no recent frog has come close to the 1986 record.

So . . . search for that perfect frog from that secret place for the 2020 competition and begin the training regime. And don’t worry . . . be hoppy.

Extreme Cheese

What better way to welcome spring than to tumble down a steep hill in pursuit of a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese?

The annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake in the Gloucestershire, England countryside attracts locals as well as daredevils (or cheeselovers?) from around the world.

The competition, which is thought to have begun long ago as a pagan rite of spring, has been popular since the 1800s and was first mentioned in writing in 1826.

The thrill must be in the “journey,” not the “destination,” since no one ever catches the cheese. The Double Gloucester gets a head start and is heavy enough to reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.

The contestants, on the other hand, slide, stumble, dive, somersault, flip, fly, and bounce like rubber balls down Cooper’s Hill—like toy humans whose owners should know better than to hurl their breakable bodies down such a steep slope.

Every year, there are injuries such as fractured bones, bruises, sprains, dislocations, and torn muscles. But everyone seems to have a good time, in spite of the inherent danger. If it’s misty or raining (as it often is in the Cotswolds), the steep hill becomes even more challenging.

Not only do the competitors have to scramble down the hill in pursuit of the cheese, they have to claw their way up the hill to position themselves for the start of the race.

The competition is so wrought with injuries that the official competition was closed in 2010. The rogue competition continues.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The winner is awarded the wheel of Double Gloucester cheese—made by the same cheesemaker for the past 30+ years). (It is interesting to note that during WW II rationing, the competition used a wooden cheese with a tiny bit of real cheese in the center.)

What is the secret to success? As one of the past winners offered, “If you go fast from the beginning, the hill will do the rest.”

What seems to work best is a basic philosophy of reckless abandon.

Why Would You Want To Make a Baby Cry?

The Naki Sumo baby crying competition has the answer to why it’s not cruel to make a baby cry—and why a parent pays $150 to enter a baby in this competition.

In the case of this 400-year-old Japanese tradition, the baby’s cries ward off evil spirits as well as portending good health for the baby who breaks into tears first. (A rare instance where being good natured doesn’t count for much.)

The April competition takes place at several Japanese shrines, but the most famous event is at the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.

Babies compete in pairs and are held by sumo wrestlers who are, on their own, some might say a bit scary. But it is up to the sumo referee to incorporate clever scare tactics to get the babies to cry.

The referee can wear a mask (often the bird demon tengu), can shout, or can just yell Nake Nake (Cry! Cry!).

The first baby to cry is the winner. If the babies cry at the same time, the loudest crier is the winner.

If video does not display, watch it here.

Strength and Endurance in Wife Carrying

Some competitors in the Wife-Carrying Competition seem to think its Finnish origin is because, after a long dark winter, people just want to go a bit crazy.

Others believe the tradition of Wife Carrying has deep roots in local history. In the Finnish legend, “Ronkainen the Robber,” a gang of men pillage villages and carry the women off on their backs to marry them.

Today, in Sonkajärvi, Finland, the Wife-Carrying Competition takes place on a 278-yard obstacle course that is said to be the distance needed to be safe from these pursuers of yore.

The man carries the woman through the course on a sand track with several obstacles, including waist-high water.

A challenging obstacle course makes wife carrying more difficult than you might think.
© Nick Lambert/Sunday River Resort

The woman doesn’t have to be the wife of the man. The man can convince his wife, “steal a wife” (or so say the organizers), or select any woman who is willing to be carried through an obstacle course on his back.

The woman must be at least 18 years of age and weigh at least 108 pounds (although these rules may differ depending on the country of the competition). Some competitions require helmets for the women; some do not.

The winner receives the trophy, as well as the “wife’s” weight in beer. Awards are also given to the most entertaining couple, the best costume, and the strongest carrier.

Wife Carrying is gaining popularity around the world. Competitions are also held in North America, Poland, Australia, China, and England.

Mustache Magnificence

There are mustache and beard competitions around the world, where categories like most creative beard, most realistic mustache, most Dali-esque mustache, best Fu Manchu, best sideburns, and fullest beard are in the spotlight. Countries vie to be the next facial hair leader.

For a different kind of contest, we travel to India and the mustache competition at the Pushkar Camel Fair, where length, creativity, and volume are the focus of attention.

Men grow their mustaches for years in anticipation of entering the competition. They arrive with their mustaches tightly coiled or carefully woven, so that they can unfurl them dramatically for the crowds.

Some swing their mustaches like lassos. Some raise their arms triumphantly, mustache ends in each hand. Some just strut and smile because they know their mustaches are enviable. They don’t need to win a prize to tell them that.

Each year that these unique competitions occur, they become more embedded in the culture’s customs and traditions. Yes, everyone is there to have fun, but they’re also part of a cultural encounter, which gives them further insight into the country’s traditions. And that makes the competitions even more meaningful.

To prepare for next year’s fascinating competitions:

Calaveras Frog Jumping at Frogtown in Angel’s Camp: May 14-17, 2020

Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake in Gloucestershire, England: May 25, 2020

Baby Crying Competition in Tokyo, Japan: April 26, 2020 (Of course to enter this one, you have to have a baby born in 2019.)

Wife Carrying Competition in Finland: July 2020

Wife Carrying Competition in North America: October 12, 2019, Sunday River Resort

Pushkar Camel Fair in India: November 4-12, 2019