There are so many people on Bowen who not only love to eat, but love to cook. While some of our foodie friends kindly offer us the opportunity to taste their food by opening up restaurants, there are so many others whose food-lives are unknown to us. This column is an attempt to pry open the kitchen windows of our local friends and neighbours who have a passion for cooking. Some of them are trained chefs, some of them make a living from cooking, and others are self-taught, excellent, passionate home-cooks.
If you have a foodie friend who might make a great feature, please contact: [email protected]
Amrita Sondhi is the owner of Movement Global Fashions...
1. What's your favourite kitchen utensil?
A very sharp knife.
2. What's your comfort food?
Kitchari with vegetables.
3. If you could only have one cook book
My own cookbooks! The Tastes of Ayurveda (2012) and The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook (2006)
4. Who's your biggest culinary in?uence, and what did they teach you?
My mother, how to be creative and use the five senses and to be excited by international food and ingredients.
5. When did you realize you loved to cook?
When I was a child and had been given a children's cookbook. Probably age 9 or 10.
6. Tell me about a culinary challenge, and how you overcame it. (For example, when you had to adapt to a particular diet or allergy. Or learning a totally new cooking style.)
When I had trouble with my health I really began following Ayurveda and eating for my body type, the season and the time of day.
7. How has living on Bowen in?uenced your cooking?
Bowen puts us in touch with Nature and our senses. It is a very artistic and creative community so it inspires me to continously use my creativity in the kitchen. Here I can create more healthy healing recipes that I love to share and test out on well-travelled, appreciative community and friends.
8. What are you cooking/eating lately?
Today I made a delicious bok choy, mixed vegetable, tofu stir-fry with soybean sprouts and basmati rice for lunch that I shared with Vikki, the owner of the Juniper Gallery.
Amrita's comfort food, Kitchari
cup split mung dal
cup basmati rice
2 cups water
Salt to taste
2 tsp flax or hemp oil (or ghee or butter)
In a medium pot on high heat, combine all ingredients, except oil, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid and cook for 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with oil before serving.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Amrita's healing tea
This tea is great for busting a sore throat or cold before it settles in. Turmeric is a natural anti-in?ammatory and a natural antibiotic.
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8th tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 a lemon
1 stick cinammon
1 slice of fresh ginger root (if you have it)
1 tsp unpasteurized or raw honey (optional)
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
