Italian Kitchen at Pratik’s

Italian Kitchen at Pratik’s

Resuming writing after a hiatus of several lazy months, here I am dishing out a piece that promises to be just as ‘fresh out-of –the oven’ as its title suggests. And not surprisingly, all it took for this epicurean to resurface was some quality time with her best friend,  connecting over classy delicacies and fabulous wine- Well, some of the most creative ideas strike in the most random of places and times, be it in the shower, while driving a car or maybe just in bed.

Having justified my absence and the subsequent emergence, I shall not make way for any further aberrations and speak mainly about what interests you and me the most- food.  That being said, even though the two foodies ( Pratik and me)  had already narrowed down on some of the most happening restaurants in Delhi, Pratik insisted that one of my three evenings (given the short trip I made) should be spent at home, savouring his mum’s Italian spread.  He claimed to have had the yummiest Italian so far at home (atleast in Delhi) and yes, the food did a good amount of justice to this tall claim.

So at about 8 pm that evening, I made my way to his kitchen, only to track down the inviting aroma of warm cooked cheese and rich sauces. There I found Aunty, very carefully placing her piping hot culinary delights onto a large tray, ready to be transported to Pratik’s room. And this was it- my gastric juices  churned up, my stomach groaned and my appetite, well, more than doubled. The food was very nicely laid out on a table and looked pretty posh with that wine bottle beside it.

The regale, I can still picture-  a creamy Baked Beans Casserole, crusty Vegetable Pizzas, Garlic Rusks and an aunthentic French Wine to go with that. Seriously, could it get any better? Just very indulgent  I’d say! The Casserole was what we digged into first. Crunchy onion and capsicum sautéed with baked beans and a Capsico Worcestershire sauce, sandwiched between layers of  thick white sauce and macaroni and topped with grated cheese and oregano, baked to perfection – this was epic enough to give serious competition to its Big Chill and Spaghetti Kitchen counterparts. For a second, an unwanted term called ‘calories’ popped up in my head and before it could actually make its place, I drove it away instantly. Next to be devoured were the thick crust Vegetable Pizzas with good old chilli flakes and oregano. Warm and crisp, they were loaded with veggies, jalapenos, olives, babycorn and the basic pizza necessity- bubbling hot Mozarella cheese. As we ravenously sank our teeth into the very first slices, we happily forgot about every Dominos and Pizza Hut there was. The rusks, with an unusually lovely garlic flavour, blended well with the haute cuisine. Complementing this ‘awesomeness’ ( as I’d call it) , was La Dona Tigana, a sparkling gold star rated white wine, sourced especially from France by Pratik’s French friend. The subtly flavoured wine was a perfect companion for the delicately seasoned meal.  And though this was one of my first wine experiences, I’d like to make two very keen observations here- Wine is something you’ll either really, really love or totally want to give a miss; you can’t just be indifferent to it. Also, wine is not alcohol, it’s what your senses (if God gifted you with those) will get hooked to from the very beginning and will learn to appreciate more and more over time.

With so much to gorge on and relish, the bonding became even better. There was college together, there was education abroad, there were good and there were hard times, there were frugal canteen treats and there were flamboyant dinners. There was the love of friendship and love for everything food. And like all our very wonderful dining experiences, this too went down our records as the ‘Classic Italian Kitchen at Pratik’s’. Not long before I come to sample yet another part of the world at your place, Pratik! Cheers, Aunty! 🙂