Suneeta Rao
SUNEETA RAO INTERVIEWED BY SHERNAAZ ENGINEER & PHOTOGRAPHED BY AKASH MEHTA Are you a foodie? Mum feels I have a refined palate! And I have a maid who is a great Andhra cook. She has surpassed my mother and grandmother, both great Andhra cooks themselves, who trained her! Besides, both my sisters are gourmet cooks. One lives in Switzerland and one in Bangalore. The one in Switzerland has access to amazing ingredients! Your food philosophy? Make it good, make it frequent – but don’t overdo it. Any dietary dos and don’ts? I don’t eat too late at night. And nothing deep fried. But at about 7.30 p.m. I can get puckish and have to try hard not to munch on wafers or Lehar Kurkure! Are you a junk foodie? I’m very aware of what I eat. Once in a while, in the US, I may indulge in a big whopper. But when I want a pizza I’ll go to proper restaurant and order a thin crust. Your favourite food? It’s a tough fight between my Andhra home cuisine and Kerala or Mangalore sea food. Andhra food has incredible variety. You don’t miss the lack of meat as there are so many different things you can do with each vegetable. And the pickles and chutneys add zest. You have to be able to handle the spice, though. But my best friend is Gujarati and I love their sweetish food too. I’m very versatile and adventurous with food. Till the age of fourteen I was vegetarian and then switched when my aunt introduced me to Kerala cuisine, with its divine sea food. Do you cook? Not regularly. I prefer to cook when I’m sharing. I make good pasta and salads. I used to bake a lot in school – apple crumble, brownies. But I just don’t remember recipes and must always use a reference. What do you enjoy drinking? I’m a wine person. Any tips for aspiring gourmands? It’s all in the ingredients – try not to mix too many things. Indulgence or abstinence – which is the better option? You can’t make choices between extremes! Don’t overdo it. Your sweet treat? I’m a confectionery freak, especially when I’m in Europe. I dart into every little bakery! Your comfort food? Pasta with pesto. I wish pine nuts weren’t so expensive in India. But I grow a good basil at home. What nourishes you? Love. How clichéd can I get! |
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