2012

With new directions in a new year, Aarvli extends itself into 2012. Our students have completed almost two years of training in spoken and written English and are ready to take another step. Republic Day festivities were arranged by team of eager organizers from the student body. Rangoli, streamers and sprinkles of laughter decorated the classroom and office space. Instructors and students addressed the gathering, covering progress, areas for development, expectations, aspirations and goals for the year ahead. With a grasp on theory, the students support the instructors’ decision to expand the learning environment beyond the context of the classroom. Plans for practical training and the preparation of a kitchen laboratory are already underway.

Shortly, we will take our students (in small batches) through the kitchen, involving them right from selection and purchasing of goods, through storage, handling, processing, cooking, presentation and service at their own staff cafeteria. By introducing them to every function first-hand, we expect to give the students a wider and more detailed perspective of hospitality and how every effort comes together to deliver an experience.

While preparing our kitchen laboratory for this exercise, an exploration of local and regional markets is being conducted in parallel. To develop a sensible and efficient purchasing system, we’re taking care to rear farmers and suppliers for fresh and seasonal produce, while minimizing the time and distance perishable goods travel before we receive them. Localizing requirements offers many solutions but a limited reach of ingredients is often the compromise, but investing time in relationships with small producers and a little ingenuity more than make up for the deficiency. 

Seafood is fresh as it is abundant – the real attraction to Coastal South Maharashtra. Contained within the simplicity of the regional cuisine, are some particularly adoptable habits for nutritional well-being in the present age. The diet reflects low reliance on protein from animal sources besides fish and seafood, which are broadly acknowledged as preferable. Rice is the primary carbohydrate and widely cultivated as well. Vegetables and fruit are mostly consumed according to season from local cultivation. Coconut is used generously, ensuring a rich supply of the healthy kind of fats. Kokum features widely and it imparts many healthful benefits besides the distinct tang - which, in the minds of many, represents this region in a single culinary note.

This weblog covers our pursuit of discovering, developing and sharing some of the treasures of the richly- blessed Aarvli and its surrounds.