Sunday 24 November 2013

An Unforgettable Meet with MasterChefAustralia: Rishi Desai

I watch Master Chef Australia rigorously. 
Naah!! I am not fond of cooking, instead a foodie. I just love food. Different kind of cuisines, their texture, smell and of course the taste; after all variety is the spice of life and I believe in eating with all five senses, sometimes sixth too :D

Back to MasterChefAustralia, well, I love watching contestants cook, followed by their nervousness and judges’ comments, followed by smiles on contestant’s faces. It is like a magical world fomme. I always wished, that somehow the ready dishes pop out of television and yeah one more thing as I casually used to tell mum that how I wish, I get an opportunity to meet Rishi (Hrishikesh) Desai, the indi-heartthrob of MasterChefAustralia with great sense of humor & food.

Rishi Desai's, visit home has made at least one wish come true. I just couldn't believe, that yesterday I saw this guy on TV at 9 and today he was in front of me. Thanks to Godrej Natures Basket's workshop which opened door for many to come and interact with Rishi, like real chit chat about food, his life etc. He is a real chatter box and he knows how to keep the show going with his talk and his charm of course.

As he entered, the whole aura changed, everyone welcomed him with loud applause. He unveiled the ‘Celebrate Australia’ fest in association with Tourism Australia at Godrej Natures Basket. Camera started rolling and he got started with cooking.
A complete "house full" watching him cook his first dish of the day - the Greek Salad
First he showed us Greek Salad followed by lamb steak, which he cooked in some delicious Australian BBQ sauce and last Halloumi cheese dish and everything looked so delicious. We watched Rishi with all smiles while he kept cooking and telling us stories about his son, his life at Australia, work, future plans and the show. He kept cracking jokes and enlightening us with his cooking techniques or “engineering” techniques of cooking. After all he is a scientist and is inclined towards innovation.
We Mesmerized, Rishi cooking and laughing with us & finally Greek Salad with Lamb Steak tossed up in plate
As he said, cooking is also a science, and that we shall try to break conventions when it comes to cooking too. We shall know why we are doing something and shall not continue doing so just because it has been practiced the same way since ages. Something he has been doing and planning to get in his cook book too which is in progress, that is he wanna turn Indian food upside down with his creativity.

Szechuan Dumplings with Caramel
Soy Sauce and Chinese Tea
He has experimented and has brought Indian touch in Master Chef Australia (MCA) too while preparing his dishes, he also spoke about Heston's episode when we all praised him for the Szechuan Dumplings (inspired by Indian modak) with Caramel Soy Sauce and the Chinese tea, he did in that episode which was praised by MCA judges too. We teased him for his snowman dessert too ;)

He told us that his cookery book will be out by 2014 and will comprise of Indian dishes with whole new touch and will in fact comprise of many Kolhapuri dishes which are his roots.

The session ended with CEO & MD of Godrej Natures Basket handing out a token of appreciation to Rishi,  as we all waited to go and meet him personally. Thanks to the event organizers, they organized the whole one on one meet with Rishi for us post workshop. We could meet, talk and get clicked and yeah autographs too. Hats off to Rishi's patience that he greeted and spoke to each and everyone with all smiles and posed with each of us coming one by one for the camera.

My best moment of the day was, when I got my snap shot with him :) 
Me with Rishi
It was a indeed a QUINTESSENTIAL event and a non-stop grinning day fomme :D
Truly mind-boggling and mesmerizing. Thanks Rishi Desai, for coming to India. It was pleasure meeting you, an unforgettable meet.

A sneak peek @Rishi Desai -
A 35 yr old scientist from Canberra, who is basically from Kolhapur, India. 
Has been fond of cooking since he was 5 and gives the credit for all the cooking he has learnt to his mum.
Studied in India and worked here for sometime till he moved to New York for further studies and then to Australia in 2008 with his wife Mitra, to whom he gives credit for his Master Chef journey. He has a son named Sharang. 
He also has his pop up restaurant in Canberra and wanna do something great in the field of food.
For food lovers, Rishi's own cookbook will release in 2014. So, ab dilli door nahi!!

Guys dont' forget to watch him come in top 4 of MasterChefAustralia 5 on Star World, next week. 

Time to bid Adios!!


1 comment:

  1. Wonderful blog on the unforgettable meet.
    It was amazing reading your blog and thanks for sharing it with us

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