--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 International Goan Convention Toronto, Canada
Early Bird Discount Registration closes March 31, 2008 http://2008goanconvention.com/registration.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nice picture Joe-Utorda-UK. And no one should laugh or even as much as smirk at anyone eating fish-curry under Rs.25. Arn't those the most memorable meals one has...cheap they maybe, but they are cooked with great humility and care and love of cooking (I hope)! I was introduced to being a budgeted gourmand by a hotel owner (their family hotels make it to the Conde Nast Traveller list each year for some category of outstanding hotels) many years ago. We were students at St.Xaviers College, Dhobi Talao and the canteen, then run by Goichis awaiting their break on board ships had decent fare but one gets tired of formula cooking. And I met a new friend (he loved Goa he said, for there are no beaches in Central India) and for all his expensive designer clothing, would want to eat at cheap eateries around the city. It was difficult to leave the comfort and the company of the colourful women at Xaviers for some sweaty dark haunt but many many years later, one has grown to look back and think, these sorties turned me into a passionate gourmand. One initially thought this friend was a money-conscious Indian trying eat cheap; I was soo wrong. Unfortunately, I did not know nor care about his background then. We are still friends an except with the occasional serving of tea, I have never once eaten with him at establishments! Over the years at Xaviers this became a habit, of bonding (as guys, one went drinking but.......discovering great-food places?) and at the end of out stint at Xaviers, one knew ever hole-in-the-wall from good tea, to the crispiest puris across from Bombay VT to Anton's baangda-xiit-koodi in Jeer Mahaal (strictly served between 6:45 -7:30pm, cost Rs.3.50 and credit available) to Anant Ashram, deep in the gullies of Girgaum, of places with no names and places that sprang up only at night on street corners, of biryanis made traditionally and over 24 hours, so painstakingly..........of chaai that was red and thick and consistent and every sip, so satisfying. A pet project over the years is the hunt for the perfect maasale dosa: this was not in Karnataka nor Mumbai but in the Katmandu valley, extra large, and crisp and perfectly done.....maybe the cool thin air of the Hymalyas and the fading light may have added to the effect but memorable it was for only Neptali rupia 4.50. And a word on Goa paau-baaji: there are so many well-known places, one would not known where to begin. But, one fond memory comes flooding back, this used to be called the Vasco hotel and except for the occasional fly, one never saw too many folks enter this place. The floor was red cement and the afternoon sun flooded the small space. The year was 1970 and the year one attended afternoon school. And the year one ventured out to a resturant by oneself........and all for paau-baaji (special baaji, I cannot remember why this name since the approprate name would be ootonem-chi baaji).......was the most maagical comming together of watery maasala with floating grated coconut and ootonem (the lentils one dishes out at saaibin happenings) and a touch of tomato with fresh fluffy paaus.....the person behind this magical dish was the aunt of a poster on the GoaNet......she was a kind person because one did not often have money......the cost was Rs.1.50 or 2 and she served this out of a haandi, freshly made and she watched one eat this though her black-framed eye glasses. She gave me the impression the joy of someone eating her carefully cooked baaji meant so much to her...this was an early introduction to memorable food and she was perhaps an unsung gourmand; her intention was not money-making- she loved to cook one could tell. And so Joe, hunting places under Rs.25/$5 is now almost a compulsion, one does this with a certain purpose and exitment and new taste experiences! > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Talking Photo: This Fish Curry Rice will cost Rs.100 for Five Persons > > For Rs.20, you get what you see in the pic.. > i.e. Fish Curry with fish, fried fish, Rice, a small portion of veggies, > salad, > tisrio and Solakodi