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Meet the Contributors
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Fergus Fung
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Samanta Pong
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Vicki Williams
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Dane Alexander Clouston
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Gary Danko
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Prudence Lui & Anneliese O'Young
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The Gastronought
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Grégoire Michaud
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Catharine Nicol
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Debra Meiburg MW
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Jacqui Williams
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Seema Bhatia
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Natasha Loo
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Vicki
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Fideme Ngau
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Uwe Opocensky
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Kenji Yanagita
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Louis Ho
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Wilson Fok
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ILuvLubutin & SSB
Meet: Seema Bhatia
Column: Culinary Safaris
Bio:
I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Coming from a family of die-hard foodies, I grew up savouring delicious and fresh home made cuisine. From the traditional Indian Punjabi Parathas to the simple and delightful 'Ugali' and 'Sukuma Wikis' of the Swahili. Hence my love affair and journey with food began as a young girl. My mother, Veena Puri, author of India the Cuisine of the Kings, ran her own successful Culinary School in Nairobi. After higher studies in the UK instead of heading into the corporate world, I decided to follow my heart and headed back home to join the family business and so my adventure began.
Now based in Hong Kong I continue to follow my heart and teach Indian and East African cookery at various locations in Hong Kong.
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A Goan Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner I am so excited about my coming holiday to Goa. Christmas in Goa has a unique and magical atmosphere and is filled with the spirit of joy. It is glorified by both Christians and non Christians as a cultural festival where generosity, kindness and happiness are embraced to bring everyone together. My first Goan Christmas in India was an unforgettable warm and heart opening experience, unlike any other I have had.
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Mumbai Food Trail
I have finally returned after my five week trip to India and after all the activities of the holidays I am feeling a little nostalgic. Towards the end our trip we spent a few days in Mumbai(Maharashtra). I have to say that in a vast and populated country like India just as dialects change every few miles so do the cuisines. And be assured a huge part of anyone’s trip to “Incredible India” will be taken up with eating.
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Ethiopian Cuisine - A Childhood Favourite
Whenever I think of my homeland, Africa, sweet memories of my multicultural childhood in Kenya fill my heart and bring tears to my eyes. As children we grew up savouring fabulous pan African cuisine and visiting The African Heritage restaurant was a journey into Ethiopia itself.
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Discovering Gujarati Cuisine
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British India
My mother would always say "You can see the world on a plate. Embark on the voyage and you will enter the heart and soul of different cultures and cuisines." So what if you could see the world on a plate? Right form the mountain regions of the Americas all the way to the savannahs of Africa and the bustling cities of India. Look for it and you will certainly discover that food related stories have been written all over the world.
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The Extraordinary East – Bengali Cuisine
Often referred to as the entrance into the extraordinary east, West Bengal is located on the Monsoon-soaked east coast of India. Rich in culture and ethnically diverse Bengal holds onto an ancient cuisine that is said to date as far back as early Buddhism. The cuisine is made up of two regions - West Bengal which is in India and East Bengal which lies in Bangladesh. Early Buddhist writings that date as far back as the 11th centaury are said to have glorified the rich produce that was derived from agriculture in these regions. Vast river systems, favorable weather conditions and fertile soils have all allowed an abundance of fresh river fish, rice, fruits and vegetables to blossom in this region. As a coastal cuisine Bengali food does employ the use of coconuts; however contrary to other Indian coastal cuisines coconut oil is not used as a medium of cooking. The cuisine is delicious and unique and it is primarily cooked in mustard oil. Mustard greens are used as a vegetable and the seeds are used as a spice.
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