Abi:original - If you aren't original, what are you?

India's first Michelin Chef Vineet Bhatia at the BOLD Talks at DUCTAC Dubai. Image by Abigail Mathias He stood there smiling, reminding me of the famous Maharaja, the Air-India airline mascot. Of course I'm not too sure if India's first Michelin chef, Vineet Bhatia would much appreciate the resemblance this writer is making. But I am glad that the smile drew me in to listen to a rather lengthy talk about taking bold choices... Chef Vineet Bhatia is a pretty famous face for most of us Indians. He's been responsible for taking Indian cuisine to new heights. Here in the UAE his multitude of eateries have large waiting lists and I can't really say I've dined at them but yes I've been served some of his food in the first class lounge of a certain airline in this region. So yes, I went with my own reservations. It had been a long day of listening to many experts from various fields. Some people started late but Vineet was here on time. Little did most o...

Cooking has suddenly become my new obsession. The healthier the better actually. From merely collecting loads of recipes, I've finally started creating my own dishes. Baked bacon pasta, bean and cauliflower casserole...The helpless tasters being the husband and son, most often like what they consume. But they may be suspected to be partial to the cook -- their only food provider. Blame it on the cooking channel but I've now realised that cooking is really all about presentation. I'm not just talking about Nigella Lawson. Of course a good looking chef can make or break a tv show, but I think a neatly presented salmon bake is just as important as a well prepared slice of the same fish. Of course I have miles to go before I can reach the cooking standards of my mother and some of my aunts and uncles. I'm not even going there! For now I'm happy to try a new dish every other day and hope that the effort isn't in vain. Like most busy mothers, I have no time for labori...