A good meal is an exquisite accompaniment to the dull prose of life. Eating, with a great many of  us, is a passion that tanscends geographical and spiritual boundaries and is quite often an end upto itself. It therefore follows that cooking, too, has to be an act of passion as well as creativity . As the die-hard food specialist and indeed, all of us ordinary folk with well brought up taste buds know, there's nothing to beat a meal that is cooked with care and presented with panache. Pulling the rug (or should we say the tablecloth) from under the '5-star cuisine' behemoth, are the chefs at The Park Hotels. They saute and marinate, fry and bake, poach and grill, flirting with the known and the unknown to create a range of foods and flavours that tempt, tantalise and tastefully coerce you into asking for more.











Warmth, exuberance, diversity - celebrating all these and more is Saffron, the Indian restaurant at The Park, Calcutta, Saffron, the spice after which the restaurant is named, symbolizes a richness and refinement that is unique, and a peep into its history reveals some interesting snippets, Kesara and Kumkuma in Sanskrit, zaffran in Persian and Arabic, the golden, pungent saffron stigmas are dried and used to flavour and colour food and as a fabric dye. Many Mediterranean and Oriental dishes, especially rice and fish, and English, Scandinavian and Balkan breads are steeped with the
distinct, rather exotic aroma of saffron Bringing together some of India's varied cuisine under one roof, Saffron also offers some fusion dishes that unite seemingly disparate regional culinary elements. An expert team of chefs and cooks work under the able guidance of Executive Chef V.K.Dhar, and their varied talents combine to create the a la carte dinner menu. The appetizer include Kaburgah (tender mutton chops simmered in milk and crisply batter-fried), jumbo prawns, charcoal broiled and redolent with saffron, kababs and rolls. Mouth-watering preparations of seafood are served in myriad ways with each region of the country offering an original recipe. Fresh river prawns in a tender coconut curry fish cooked Andhra style, in coconut milk and pinch of asafoetida. Vegetarian has plenty to feast on as well, and hair too regional favorites holds away. Traditional sweet dishes and fusion delicacies like cardamom mousse round off the repast.

 
I n g r e d i e n t s
ZAMEEN DOZ
(Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Almond Gravy)

chicken breasts: 4

For the stuffing: chicken mince: 400gms, crushed black pepper: 15gms, finely chopped capsicum : 40gms, crushed black pepper: 15gms, chopped onions sauteed: 50gms chopped black olives: 10gms, salt to taste


For the gravy: almonds : 200gms, cream: 300ml, red chilly seed powder: 7gms, rose water: 10 drops, titer: 5 drops, olive oil: 50 ml, saffron: 1/2gm, chopped green chilies: 1tsp, brown onion paste: 3tbsp, salt to taste.



M e t h o d

Clean the chicken breasts. Slit each length wise into two, leaving the other side intact. Let the water drain off. Add pepper, capsicum, basil, chopped onions and olives to the mince. Mix well and leave in the refrigerator. Blanch the almonds. Drain and remove the skins. Grind into a paste with a little cream. Heat some oil in a pan, Add the almond puree and saute. Add the cream a little at a time and keep stirring till the mixture starts to boil. keep simmering. Stuff the mince into the chicken breasts. Place them carefully into the almond gravy and cook for about 25 mins. Add all the spices and the remaining cream and cook till the oil starts floating on to and the gravy starts to leave the sides of the pan. Serve hot.

 


  • Performing live at Someplace Else. The Park, New Delhi is the Australian band smooth Groove. Mykal Sazdov (keyboards/vocals), Hans Botellho (guitar/vocals) and Felicity Visic (lead / vocals), make up the trio whose repertoire includes Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Country and Western. All three are versatile performers who know how to keep the crowd in a swinging mood.

 



"those five metres too the desk are the hardes
t to cross every morning." amitav ghosh, on writing a book.


Amitav Ghosh's latest novel " The Glass Palace" was launched in Calcutta at Oxford Bookstore. The event was also celebrated at Las Meninas, The Park, New Delhi, in association with the publishers Ravi Dayal and Permanent Black. The novel has been five years in the writing, and meticulous researcher that he is, Ghosh traveled extensively in Burma and Malaysia and even courted danger with insurgents during this period. The well - attended gathering only emphasized the interest and respect accorded to Indian novelists writing in English.
   

 

  

The spotlight falls on willows models gracing the ramp at a fashion show. An aisle bedecked with satin ribbons, candles and flowers for a bride. A party arena recreating the vibrant colours of Rajasthan-you desire a setting and The Park creates it for you. Banquets and conferences at The Park have gone beyond stereotypes. A whole host of interesting activities take place in the elegant banquet rooms of the Park. The convenience of having an event organised down to the last detail, makes these venues the obvious choice. Entertaining and Closed door conference or wacky theme party, a glitzy fashion show or a product launch with razzmatazz-the banquet halls at The Park provide the perfect setting.
business facilities have entered a new sphere with the variety of technologies and luxuries available - you can 'conference' with your business associate in any corner of the world or host a theme party with a difference.



Whether a corporate get-together or a casual one, a celebration or a promotion, product launches,, fashion shows, private conferences or important training programs, The Park Hotels at Calcutta, New Delhi, Vizag and Bangalore are fully equipped to cater to all needs

 


  

The woman at the information desk had a hunted air. I hereby managed to price my way through the sweaty crowd, nausea and irritation levels dangerously high. " Please understand, no flight today. If you like, we can send you to airport hotel, next flight tomorrow morning. " Memories of mildewed carpets and dishwater coffee from the last stopover at the airport hotel were still vivid. I called my friend Pinky. "Darling". She trilled into the phone, "how delightful to hear you ! Go and stay at The Park. Best place to chill out at times like this. I'll book you in, and we'll meet tomorrow".