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Uncommon salt
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Uncommon salt The average Indian knows about only a few type of salts like the common iodised salt, the purified table salt and the black rock salt, also known as the kala namak. But a gourmet salt shop in London has nearly two hundred types of salts. And the prices are shocking too. The salts can range from Rs 5,000/per kg to Rs 8000/ per kg. A small tube like bottle contains just one ounce (28 gm) of the gourmet salt and is priced at $ 3.
Himalayan pink (medium-grain) fine rock salt
A Pakistani product, this gourmet salt is pure and hand mined deep inside the Himalayan mountains. The high mineral Himalayan salt crystals range from sheer white to varying shades of pink to deep reds. These colours indicate a beneficial amount of 84 trace elements and iron. The darker the colour, the more impurities present in the salt, while a light pink colour is best for food grade. Light pink is considered the premium quality pink salt.
Indian kala namak (extra-fine) mineral salt
Kala namak or black salt is a special type of Indian mineral salt. It is actual pinkish grey rather than black and has a very distinctive sulphurous mineral taste. This black salt is used in Indian cuisine as a condiment and is added to chaats, chutneys, raitas and many other savoury Indian snacks. This black salt is collected from deep mines in India as black-brown salt blocks. It contains several important minerals, including iron and sulphur. When it is ground, it becomes brown pink and has a light taste of sulphur that gives it a smoky, spicy, egg like taste. It is not recommended as a cooking salt, as the sulphur tends to overpower. However, the hard-core aficionados dispute this. This salt is popular with vegans, vegetarians and Ayurveda devotees, who appreciate its cooling effect and digestive qualities.
Bali coconut & lime-smoked sea salt
This is a natural and tropical salt harvested from the sea around Bali. Its beautiful geometric crystals absorb many flavours. Indigenous coconut and lime are used to create a smoky salt with a bite of citrus. Bali pyramid is a crunchy salt, which holds up for a many minutes after application. This salt can add a crunchy taste to your dishes. The pyramids will crunch in your mouth exploding with a salty island flavour.
Fleur de Sel sea salt
An all-natural and a kosher product used by Jews, this is truly the best of French gourmet sea salt. It is from the Guerande region of France. Known as the caviar of salts, it is accepted by many eminent chefs as the best of sea salts. Fleur de Sel is the first harvest of the season. The crystals form on the very top layer of the salt ponds and are harvested by hand by barely skimming the surface. The second layer is harvested by machine and is called gray salt. It has a delicate taste, a moist texture, and a rich, sweet flavour that melts as it touches the tongue. Not only is this among the best tasting salts, it also has the highest mineral content and is naturally low in sodium, making it delicious and healthy. Fleur de Sel is a natural compliment to steamed/grilled veggies, salads and roasted or baked meats. In India, many of our five-star restaurants are using a variety of gourmet salts. In recent times, chefs have also been infusing salts with flavours — with amazing results. Chef Chiranjib Chatterjee of Afraa in Kolkata, for instance, has been preparing dishes with salt flavoured with rosemary and oregano, or basil and sweet pepper salts. The chefs at The Claridges, too, have been enhancing salts with the flavours of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Their Danish smoked salmon gravlax — raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill — is served with three kinds of salts: beetroot, citrus and hibiscus. These exotic salts, which cost quite a packet, have to be used in the correct way to bring out the most of their flavours and taste. A dish’s main ingredient — fish, fowl or any other — has to be lightly cooked when one is trying to enhance the taste with a different kind of salt. Who would have thought that the lowly salt had so much potential in it? Just goes to tell us that one should never underestimate the meek. They can always surprise us — and in the nicest of ways.
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Surekha Kadapa-Bose
This is going to be one helluva Indian marriage season. According to astrologer pundits, there are eight to nine auspicious days each in April and June, 17 in May and 11 in July. So that is thousands of weddings in India, and naturally that many brides.
A ‘bride’ means glam appearance, heavy clothes and jewellery plus 100-watt smile perpetually pasted on her face to look happy on the D-day. With the mercury already rising 40 plus on the scale, would-be brides must be really agonising over their attire and also looks! Actually they need not worry. We have a huge posse of designers ever-willing to help us to dress well and look our best at, whatever the mercury readings show. Even there have been special events by designer and event organisers, who have captured this astrological prediction and hosted several events to help the summer brides. Fashionistas tip for this summer brides is not to go overboard with fabrics, embellishment and cuts. “Comfort should be the most important factor”, they chorused. The trend this wedding season is combination fabric. For example, one can have chiffon, net or georgette lehenga and give it a wedding touch. Adorn these with Benarasi, Kanjeevaram silk, brocade border or velvet cutouts. Feels comfy and looks absolutely smashing! Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has gone so far as to adorn his brides in huge flared lehengas in fine cottons like mull, linen with broad borders of heavy silks and velvet. These are further embellished with heavy heritage embroidery making the apparel fit for a princess, and at the same time summer easy wear. “The outer garment can be showy as long as the inner lining, which is next to the skin should be comfortable. Line the outer showy fabric with any natural fabric like silk, raw silk, satin or cotton and you won’t feel hot,” advises designer Ajiesh Oberoi. She has used lot of net and combination fabric in her bridal attire. Fabric of the season is georgette, chiffons, tulle, satins, cotton silks, net etc. plus a combination of fabric. Designer Liz of Satya Mishra-Liz Paul duo of designers says, “In north India, most are night-time weddings where there is a slight reprieve from the heat of the day time. So one can opt for a lehenga on which one can drape a heavily embroidered duppatta. If you are opting for a saree for a summer wedding in central and southern India where the auspicious mahurats are in the morning or afternoon, then pick a georgette saree with lightly embroidered, or even plain silk lehenga in contrast colour. Or get a chiffon saree with whatever silk border you like.”
Another option as suggested by designer Heena Chhabra of Chhabra 555 is not to wear full sleeved dresses. “Even if you do opt for net sleeves with minimal embellishments at cuffs, wear flowy dresses which are ‘ventilated’ well. The better air circulation, the cooler you will feel.” Designer Sulkashana Monga of Soltee label is happy with the present-day brides. “They are willing to experiment not only with the dresses but also styles. I dress my brides in jute, eri, muga, chanderi, besides nets, chiffons or silks. The rich embellishment takes care of the wedding zing and the fabric of the heat!” she says. Besides the traditional saree and lehenga, keeping in mind the western influence on young brides-to-be, girls can opt for well-cut kaftans, gowns and, of course, pre-stitched sarees or dhoti sarees — easy to wear and very modern-looking to suit the modern bride. Another designer Mrunal Yangad of Malacha designs says, “Usual summer colours are good for weddings also. Besides the usual red, maroons, rust and golden yellow, brides this season will be seen in baby pinks, bright pink, orange, deep purple with contrast combination of blue, green, etc. These are soothing. Just take care not to wear silk blouses that are itchy. Look glam with net, sheer blouses with the right type of very light embroidery on them.” The best part of being a modern-day bride is that as there are so many functions one can experiment with several styles of dresses. For the mehendi ceremony, one can opt for short colourful printed Rajasthani ghagharas with sequined or mirror-work dupattas. Short-sleeved choli tied up with narrow ribbons will be so easy for mehendi worker to showcase her designs. For sangeet, one can wear Patiala pyjamas with short kurtis with lot of sequined work or embroidery. One can even opt for short Anarakali dress or if the bride is a tall lass then she can opt for ankle-length multi-kali Anarakali attire. Lehengas with bustier blouse anyway are very popular at the sangeet ceremony. Whatever way a bride wants to dress up, the primary focus should be on comfort and then looking gorgeous. This way, one will be able to enjoy one’s own wedding also.
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CATCH THEM YOUNG
MOBILE SHAVER
WHAT A SHOT
‘WATCH’ THESE CUFFLINKS
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The average Indian knows about only a few type of salts like the common iodised salt, the purified table salt and the black rock salt, also known as the kala
namak. But a gourmet salt shop in London has nearly two hundred types of salts. And the prices are shocking too. The salts can range from Rs 5,000/per kg to Rs 8000/ per kg. A small tube like bottle contains just one ounce (28 gm) of the gourmet salt and is priced at $ 3.
BABY’S DAY OUT
Versace is no longer just an obsession for the fashion- infatuated Indian adults. Now even kids can flaunt the Head of the Medusa logo even as Italian fashion house opens up Young Versace in Delhi, with its 2013 Spring/Summer collection ‘Treasures of the Sea’. Brought to India by Les Petits, the collection for children aged between 0 and 8 years, true to its theme, is set against the backdrop of sandy shores, surfboards, starfish, shells and other stuff related to the sea. However, if the prices leave you all at sea, then you, as a parent, are obviously not in the race for being the mother/father of the most-fashionable child. price: Upon request
FIRE-BELLOWING
DRAGON
It’s an electric razor for a man—or woman—on the go. Smaller than an iPod, it fits easily into any pocket and is ready for use anytime. What sets the ShaveTech Razor apart is that it can be charged from any laptop or computer USB, thereby making it perfect for people who travel and sometimes need to shave twice a day. This ensures they don’t have to worry about converters. One 30-minute charge gives six shaves which would be just fine for any business trip.
Price: $30 (Rs 1,650)
uses as a part of its war on terror. Now you can own an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) purely for fun and entertainment. The Lehmann GoPro Personal UAV comes fitted with a camera for brilliant aerial shots of up to 300 feet. It is an amazing device to capture shots of any sporting event or even of a party, the UAV returns within five minutes to the place from where it was launched. Weighing less than a kilo and measuring a little over three feet, the device will open up the skies for you, literally.
Price: $1,300 (Rs 71,500)
ART IN PORCELAIN