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Lunch was at a nearby elegant small hotel called Koder House, which specialized in the Jewish cooking of Cochin, the style of which is more Mediterranean than Indian. Our table, located in the rear of the dining room off a sunny courtyard was cool and beautifully set. A welcoming ginger wine was too sweet, but had nice ginger flavor and bite. A salad with onions, small, local potatoes, tomatoes and parsley was refreshing. A chicken soup with balls of ground chicken meat was a beautiful golden color achieved without the usual turmeric. It was delicious, full of rich chicken flavor. The main course was very good, though a little surprising in one aspect - it contained French fried potatoes as a side dish! The principle protein was a beautifully fried veal cutlet serve along side a prawn curry, small green salad and aromatic, yellow rice in addition to the potatoes. Everything was quite tasty, though the potatoes on the plate were nothing special. However, they subsequently brought out more potatoes for an additional helping. These were amongst the most delicious fried potatoes I have ever had as they were still hot and crisp on the outside. The flavor was deep and satisfying. Dessert was a gelatinized chocolate water served with orange slices. It was not particularly memorable.

We boarded a bus that took us to “Jewtown,” the area of the city that was at one time home to many Jews, most of whom left for Israel when that country was founded. The Jews that had lived here originally came from the Middle East and lived in Cochin in relative harmony. Now only a handful persist. Nevertheless, the synagogue is the oldest in India and quite charming. We shopped in the area for awhile before heading towards lunch. On the way we stopped in a Cochin neighborhood, where we passed a large Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu before seeing a demonstration of pappadam making in a small, private home. It was wonderful to see how friendly and guileless the people of Cochin could be as it seemed that they all wanted to be photographed. The children were especially pleased by it. When in the neighborhood of the pappadam demonstration, a group of several small children came running over to me asking me to take their photos when they saw my camera. The oldest was eight and the youngest three. They spoke English well and were extremely friendly, introducing themselves and asking about me. My cynical self was expecting that they would be looking for a handout, but they made no effort in that direction. They were simply pleased to see the photos on the camera. I wish that I had something appropriate to give them for a gift. Pens are very popular, but I had already given away what I had earlier in the day.

A few steps from the door of the hotel, the waterfront holds a busy ferry service shuttling pedestrians, motorbikes and vehicles to islands and Ernaculum, the more modern part of the city. Just past that, we met the first of the famous Chinese fishing nets, that were brought to the area a millenium or so ago by Chinese traders and still remain in daily use. They are ingenious contraptions that depending on their size take four to six people to operate. We enjoyed a demonstration of one that brought up a few interesting fish. I was invited to participate in the process by the leader of the crew, a man who called himself “Bernard.” From there we continued along the coast with the old fort to our left and the beach to our right passing by the small fish market. Moving away from the shore we came to a snake charmer who mesmerized four cobras at once in front of the old Dutch Palace buildings. Our walking tour also took us to St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in India and the original resting place for Vasco de Gama, who died in Cochin in 1524. Bernard and his Chinese fishing net crew Netmending Fresh seafood for sale

DAY FOUR: Wednesday, March 5 I woke up early again to work on my photos and journal, but I was somewhat stymied and frustrated by problems connecting to the internet with the pre-paid wi-fi card I had to purchase. Like many other commercial enterprises in India, the wi-fi internet service is a product of the seemingly ubiquitous Tata Industries, a family owned company based in northern India. The family that owns the company, the Tatas, represent another example of the heterogeneity of the country as they belong to the Parsi or ancient Persian Zoroastrian religion, rather than the more common Hindu, Muslim or Jainist religions of India. I managed to get a few things done before heading to breakfast around 7:30. I ran into a few of my trip mates at the outdoor dining area overlooking the harbor. I enjoyed “string hoppers” or iddyappam, a local specialty as well as Malabar coffee. The hoppers were served with an egg sambal. The Malabar coffee consisted of local Kerala coffee mixed with some milk and served in a special metal set. The coffee is poured back and forth to aerate it and cool it enough to be drinkable. It was rather pleasant sitting there and socializing before undertaking a walking tour of the waterfront. Iddyappam with egg sambal Fresh fruit on a banana leaf plate Julie Sahni demonstrating the technique of pouring Malabar coffee

Thank you, bague25 and Shaya. I love to travel and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do so in recent years. I particularly enjoy traveling to places with interesting cuisines. I find that those places generally have interesting cultures and histories as well and make great overall destinations. Much of my travel is opportunistic in that it depends on what is available when I am. That being said, I had been wanting to go on this India trip for some time, but it had previously never fit with my schedule. This time it did and I took advantage of the opportunity. India and Indian food always intrigued me, though I never considered myself as someone particularly knowledgeable in either. This was, however, a great opportunity to increase my knowledge and experience on both counts. In that regard this trip was quite successful. India is a fascinating country to visit. On the one hand, people are exceedingly helpful and friendly, but on the other, the officials can be extremely intimidating and one is best off if one knows the intricacies of the game of baksheesh. While a model of integration in many respects, there is also an undercurrent of tension, especially in certain locations of shared cultural influence. In this regard, the history of India is truly fascinating. I can understand your father's reticence. That paratha was perhaps the most amazing bread of the trip, which is saying quite a bit. It is a Kerala style paratha and is very, very rich. I do not have a recipe for this specific version, though Julie Sahni provides a number of paratha recipes including stuffed ones in her book Classic Indian Cooking.

You would be sitting on Madison Ave. & 24th St. between Mike Mills and his 17th St. Bar & Grill baby back ribs and The Bourbon Bar. Sounds good to me!

The website appears to be working now. There is a pdf map available there.

For lunch we had everything we saw made, plus a vegetable soup using local vegetables and lime juice that reminded me of a Mexican tortilla soup and papadams. Everything was quite delicious. I particularly enjoyed the appams. The fermented toddy gave them a distinctive flavor that was quite pleasant, reminiscent of sourdough bread, but with a unique consistency. When soaked in the sweet coconut milk, it was like a coconut-sourdough bread pudding. We gathered after lunch to head back to the mainland where we would get our bus to Fort Cochin and the Brunton Boatyard Hotel. It was at this time that we met our guide, George, a particular favorite of Julie’s. He regaled us with information on the ride to Cochin including history of the region and an abbreviated Hindu Theography illustrated by telling us a story about some of the principle gods, Shiva and Mahavishnu and Shiva’s brush with a demon. Pretty fascinating, he helped me gain a new perspective on Hinduism. The highlight of the bus trip was a stop at a coir factory. Coir is the husk residue of the coconut that is wound into an incredibly strong and durable fiber. The communist run factory felt like something out of the nineteenth century as the workers plied their age old craft. I purchased two kitchen floor mats for a total of 200 rupees (about $5). Spinning coconut husk fibers to make coir The Brunton Boatyard check-in followed shortly thereafter as we arrived in Fort Cochin, the old section of Cochin. Once again, we were greeted with a flower garland, an anointment and drink (sweetened pomegranate juice). The hotel is beautiful and quite elegant in an understated, Nordic way. After some time to settle in - I purchased an internet access card and finally was able to call home and check e-mail. We met to attend a performance of Kerala Kathakali, a traditional male dance form using broad gestures and expressive facial features similar to Japanese Kabuki. The dances portray interpretations of ancient stories and sagas. We arrived at the theater in time to witness the dancers putting on their elaborate make-up. The show started with a performer demonstrating techniques and meanings of Kathakali gestures and facial expressions all set to rhythmic percussion. Following this, the main performance took place, an interaction between a god and a demon disguised as a beautiful woman. Initially intrigued, the god ultimately suspected treachery , which was borne out as the spurned woman turned back into her demon form. The god killed the demon to end the tale, the moral being, “under any circumstances, evil should be punished.” While intricate and visually arresting, the bulk of the dance was soporific to my tired eyes at least until the excitement of the end. Applying makeup for Kathakali In full costume Dinner was at the hotel restaurant called History. We had an arranged menu starting with a delicious “Mutton” Soup, that was, of course, goat. The meat was shredded in the soup, known in its native language as “Attukal.”. This was followed by a beef vindaloo with a delicious multilayered paratha. Beef is not taboo in Kerala given the number of Christians and Muslims in the region. Unlike vindaloo in America, this was not overly spicy. A Goan dish, it was made specially per our request as we would not have another opportunity to sample it. It was the best example that I have ever had as it had more flavor than heat, which is not at all to say that it lacked heat. A few found theirs to be too salty. The paratha was a marvelously complex bread with swirls of layers within. The swirls are achieved by multiple foldings of the dough, which is flattened by whacking it on a flat surface rather than with a rolling pin like northern parathas. In any case, it was the perfect foil for the vindaloo. The next course was a shrimp curry with rice. This too was excellent. Dessert was a lovely coconut pudding. Beef vindaloo and Kerala paratha

We had a little time between the demonstration and lunch. I was able to sample some fresh, gelatinous coconut meat from a green coconut. It had a mild flavor to go along with its gelatinous consistency. I liked it.

Kozhi Piralan, or Keralan Braised Chicken, followed. This used cubed, boneless chicken as opposed to the cubed chicken with bones at the plantation, a difference resulting from restaurant versus home cooking. Onions and tomatoes were also cubed. For this dish, the ground spices that included cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds (indicates a “Mopla” or northern Kerala Muslim influence) and coriander seeds, were not made into a paste before being added to the dish, therefore it is not a “curry.” The coriander seeds provided a thickening agent for the gravy. Other ingredients included chili powder, turmeric, coconut milk (Julie recommends frozen coconut milk in the states and light olive or grapeseed oil in lieu of the inferior coconut oil available at home), green chili, curry leaves and incredibly fragrant coconut oil. Coconut oil is a major product in India and especially here. In addition to its culinary use (primarily southern), it is used as a hair conditioner and skin care item. The region’s name “Kerala” even means “land of the Coconut.” The next demo was of “Mutton Stew.” Curiously “mutton” in India does not refer to an adult sheep, but rather goat. For this dish, the mutton had been cubed and pre-boiled. Unusual for this region, ghee was used for the frying rather than coconut oil. The gravy for this “stew” was thin since no coriander was used. It also utilized two grades of coconut milk , thick and thin, the qualities of which stem from being either first pressed or second pressed. The final preparation was appam, a special south Indian pancake using rice flour and fermented toddy (palm tree sap) The toddy was passed around the group. To me it smelled similar to Japanese sake. Julie agreed that sake would probably make a good substitute. The batter was spread in a special curved pan with a larger amount collecting at the bottom to create a spongy center. One side only was cooked This is generally served with either a chicken dish or sometimes with a sweet coconut milk. Making appams

The group convened at 10:30 for a cooking demonstration. Two hotel chefs, Sanu and Agila (a woman), prepared a number of dishes for us. As the prep work was done over the prior day, the end result, the actual cooking, looked deceptively easy. The devil, as it is said, however, is in the details. The first dish that they prepared was “Kerala Fish Curry.” This was similar to the home-made fish curry that we had seen prepared and eaten on Monday with a few notable differences, stemming mostly from the milieu. Monday’s curry at the spice plantation was cooked in a clay pot, while this day’s utilized a non-stick metal Indian wok at a much higher heat. The plantation’s curry used entirely their own or local ingredients. A key ingredient for this curry was Kashmiri Chili, which was used to provide a vibrant red color. Another difference was the cutting technique used in the professional kitchen - Western style cutting on a cutting board instead of in the hand. Mise-en-place Sanu and Agila Kashmiri Chili Powder Preparing Coconut milk Preparing Kerala Fish Curry Julie defined a “curry” as a dish that uses a masala (mixed spice) paste when the spice was added to the cooking. For this one, the masala paste consisted of Kashmiri chili for color, chili de arbol for flavor and heat, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Other spices and herbs used included a ginger and garlic paste, curry leaves, sliced green chilis, shallots, fenugreek seeds (which Julie calls “a stamp of south India") and since this is a fish dish, kokum (mangosteen or “fish tamarind.” Coconut oil and 1st press, freshly made coconut milk were principle ingredients as well. The coconut milk was made by using grated fresh coconut, mixing with some water and processing finely before straining through a sieve. This would be repeated with the same coconut a little later for a second pass or thinner coconut milk. The fish used for this dish was a local ocean fish called “seerfish.” It was firm and meaty. Good substitutes would be sea bass, cod, halibut or swordfish. The fish had been cut into cubes. Replacing the fish with prawns would make it a prawn curry, etc.

DAY THREE: Tuesday March 4 I slept well, but once again woke up at 4:30, which was just as well as it gave me time to work on photos and write the previous day’s entry in this journal. Once done with that, I made it for an early breakfast that was significantly more restrained than that of the previous morning when I had to try everything. I enjoyed another dosa masala, more Kerala coffee and fresh papaya and pineapple juice as I did on Monday, but I tried a few additional items including a surprisingly good chocolate croissant. After breakfast, I returned to my room to shower and pack as we would be leaving for Fort Cochin later in the day. Making a dosa masala Dosa Masala with Sambal and Chutneys

Cool. Looks like we didn't miss each other by much! Did the cooking class happen to be with Nimmy Paul?

Thank you. I can't find them right now for these dishes, but I will continue to look for them. I do have them for some other dishes that will be coming down the pike.

Is it me or is the website not working properly today?

We were seated on a beautiful verandah where lunch was laid out for us. There were three tables, two smaller rectangular ones on the other side of a small pool (lovely with various water lilies and flowers arranged within as appears to be a local custom) and a large round one in front. The meal consisted of the dishes prepared during the presentation as well as Kerala “red” rice (what we would consider brown), banana dough fritters, bitter gourd, pineapple raita, fried fish, papadams, appams, vegetable curry and pickled green mango chutney. Banana dough fritters Kerala red rice Pineapple raita Green mango chutney Vegetable curry Pappadams Appams All of this amazing food was washed down with a refreshingly cold Kingfisher lager. The Kingfisher cost an additional 100 Rupees for a large bottle. Curiously the bottles were not uniform in color. Some were green, others brown and others clear. The table conversation was fascinating as we discussed various Indian customs, especially as they effect women. Topics included the plight of Indian widows, dowries, arranged marriages, similarities and differences amongst the major religions in India. For example, while I was under the impression that arranged marriages and the caste system were typically Hindu customs, our Syrian catholic host, Anu, explained that her marriage had been arranged as is typical amongst her people, she had a dowry (typically a per person share of the family wealth) and that though not necessarily as strictly proscribed as the Hindu castes, class distinctions are a way of life throughout India irrespective of religion. A number of these elements appear to be changing, especially in the large urban centers and amongst the educated classes, where arranged marriages are less a factor than in the past. Coconut custard-like dessert Anu eating Kerala style with her right hand Our leisurely and outstanding lunch and visit had come to an end as we headed back aboard our boat for the return to the Lagoon. The rest of my day consisted of a shower, a dip in the pool another rejuvenating massage and a rather disappointing, albeit fun, dinner at Fort Kochin, the seafood specialty restaurant of the hotel. I had a mixed seafood grill that included calamari, kingfish, tiger prawns from the sea and freshwater giant prawns. The kingfish was by far the best item on the plate. The tiger prawns had some flavor, while the calamari and giant prawn were tasteless. I tasted a Chinese style seafood and corn soup that was awful and a seafood curry that was good. I returned to my room, where I quickly fell asleep, enjoying a refreshing night.

Oooooh, forshadowing! I love it!! I can't wait to see what happened along our mighty adventurer's trail. Doc, did you catch the name of the cooking vessel for the fish dish? What materials there? The photo has it looking quite thick to my eyes. Your photography is amazing! ← Genny, the name was mentioned, but unfortunately, I don't recall it and can't find it by Googling. It is made from thick, heavy pottery. I was tempted to buy one, but thought better of carrying it.

That's too bad. I never got there, but it seems that enthusiasm for the place really waned after it moved into its new digs. It seems that a change of venue is often not good for a business that is seemingly doing well, even though at first blush it would appear that a move makes sense. Sometimes intangibles are lost in the process. I wonder how much competition from the likes of David Chang and others hurt it?

Thank you, Heidi. The spices were made into a paste with water. The mangosteens are somewhat prune-like. I believe that they were also in water. Starting in Kerala was a nice way to become acclimated to India. India can be very overwhelming, which is one of the reasons that I am glad I was there with an experienced person in Julie. Most of the other people on the trip were also experienced travelers. both of these things made the trip much easier than it might have been, especially when we got to the north. Another element that helped keep things from becoming more overwhelming was the fact that language wasn't a major barrier as English is very widely spoken and the people are largely very friendly and helpful.

She also prepared a cabbage and coconut based vegetable stir-fry. Mis-en-place Frying mustard seeds Coriander seeds Chilis and fresh curry leaves adding Coconut, cabbage, carrot and onion A fascinating detail of the demonstration was the knife-technique used by the mother-in-law to cut vegetables. They typically do not use cutting boards in India. Instead, the use their thumb as the base on which to finely cut whatever it is that they are cutting. Her knife control was exquisite. I had the opportunity to inspect her scarless fingers as well. Julie explained that the technique is started and mastered from an early age and that most, if not all, Indian cooks cut, dice and slice this way. After the demonstration and prior to lunch, we had the opportunity to buy limited quantities of several spices grown here at the farm as well as some from an uncle’s farm in the mountains. I took the opportunity to buy recently harvested and cured vanilla beans for 350 Indian Rupees per bag of about twenty beans (less than $10/bag), fresh nutmeg, mace, cardamom, peppercorns, mangosteen, and cloves. In all I spent about 1000 Rupees (roughly $25) for something that will make great gifts.

In heavy aluminum alloy pots that looked like tire rims, she prepared a chicken curry with many of the same ingredients minus the mangosteen and the spice paste. A curious thing about the use of spice paste here compared to other areas of India is the lack of pre-frying the paste. In other areas of India, especially to the north it is standard to fry the paste in oil before adding it to the dish. In Kerala they consider the “raw” paste to provide more vibrant flavors. Adding turmeric to the base or the chicken The chicken is in the pot Carrots and potatoes are used Grinding Fresh Spices Adding coconut milk The fish continues to stew The chicken cooks

I didn't say that it would be easy It is apparent though that the boundaries of this technique are just starting to be explored. I like the way you think.

We returned to the plantation house to a cooking demonstration by the mother-in-law. In the clay pot of the area she prepared a fish curry with fresh caught fish from the nearby Arabian Sea, coconut oil, coconut milk, onion, garlic, ginger, chilis, curry leaf and a mixture of freshly ground powders including turmeric, chili powder and cardamom, and mangosteen (otherwise known as “fish tamarind“). Picking fresh curry leaves Ground Turmeric, Chili and Cardamom Onion Garlic, Ginger and Chilis ready to add to the hot coconut Oil Mangosteens Frying the base ingredients Mixing the Spice Paste Mixing in the Spice paste Adding the Mangosteens or "Fish Tamarind" Simmering Sauce Adding the chunks of pristinely fresh fish

Hi Genny, thanks for your interest. This is actually the same organization I went to Mexico with, although since that trip the organizational balance seems to have tilted more towards the Viking range Co. and less towards the CIA. I did indeed travel by myself within the group. One, the trip was not inexpensive, so finding a travel companion wasn't easy. My wife would have liked to go, but she didn't wish to leave our children so long (two weeks) while being so far away from them. She very kindly let me, who had no such compunctions go, though! This particular trip was pretty evenly mixed between couples and independents with no clear gender imbalance. My goal was simply to experience Indian culture with a particular emphasis on the food. My sense was that I think India is one of those countries in which the previously uninitiated are better off traveling with experienced people. I think Julie Sahni fit that bill perfectly. As the trip unfolded, the wisdom of my approach was demonstrated repeatedly, though in the end, even that was not infallible.

We gathered after breakfast to begin our cruise along the backwaters of Kerala. This activity is billed as one of the great attractions of the region as well as India and I could see why. The early morning rains were gone and the sun was out as we took seats atop our tour boat and headed out into the lake and into the backwaters. The avian life consisting of various cranes, herons and other anhinga like birds was plentiful as the path of our boat through the reeds invariably disturbed them into beautiful flight. The human life on and along the water was equally fascinating as it appeared that time has bypassed this are in certain respects. The most fascinating element were boatmen whose low slung dugout canoes were laden in the center by mud from the bottom of the shallow waterway. The men would get out of the boats, dive to the bottom , dredge mud and bring it to their boats. These low caste men do this to provide clay to use for bricks and other purposes. While on the water, the opportunity to use my large zoom lens was great. For awhile it worked fine, but then suddenly it lost the ability to focus. Fortunately, my other lens worked fine and I was able to continue photographing though from a greater distance than with the longer zoom. This was bizarre as it happened suddenly and without apparent provocation or explanation. Unfortunately, I missed a particularly good opportunity to photograph one of the mud men. It wasn’t long before we arrived at Philipkutty’s Spice Farm along the backwaters, where we were greeted by the young female owner, her mother-in-law and her charming, smart and beautiful 4yo daughter Anya. The story of this farm is both sad and uplifting. The young owner was forced by the heart attack death of her then 34 yo husband to take control of the farm and make a go of it. Two years since he died, it appears that she has done a fine job with this lovely, organic property. Their principle crop is the coconut. She explained that there is “tender” coconut, which is essentially unripe, that is harvested throughout the year. These are used for their coconut water as well as the meat. The coconuts that we were served upon our arrival at The Coconut Lagoon had come from this farm. Mature coconuts are harvested on a 45 day cycle after having been on the tree for approximately one year. These coconuts are used to extract milk and oil. The milk is obtained by pressing the fresh meat from these mature coconuts, while the oil is obtained from pressings of dried coconut. Both elements are essential ingredients for the local cooking. After a welcome lemonade, the owner, Anu Mathew, who is Syrian Catholic and speaks excellent English, took us on a tour of her property to show us some of her crops. Mango trees held unripe, green fruit. At this stage, they are used to make a delicious, slightly sour chutney. The bulk of the property, which formerly been rice paddies lies below sea level. It was difficult to make a living with rice, so a number of years ago, the farm converted to growing everything that we were to see. This included Indian cluster figs, clearly related to the Mediterranean variety, but the fruit arose in clusters from the trunk rather than from amongst the leafy branches; nutmeg; mangos teens, which have recently appeared in a study in JAMA as being a particularly good lipid-lowering agent; true cinnamon bark; drumstick trees; curry trees; holy basil, peppercorns; jackfruit trees; papaya trees and perhaps their most intriguing crop, vanilla beans. Vanilla is a transplant to India, but in recent years the Indian vanilla industry has begun to grow and flex its muscle. The plants and the beans appear to thrive here as the area has become known for its quality, organic product. The time for harvest of the beans is in December, while around this time of year the vines begin to flower. I do not know if this is true of everywhere, but the vanilla flowers here are unable to be pollinated naturally. In order to become pollinated, each flower must be serviced by hand, a procedure demonstrated for us by Anu. Each pollinated flower then produces a single, long fragrant bean pod. Once harvested the beans are cured and sent to market. Cluster Figs Hand Pollinating a Vanilla Flower Growing Vanilla Bean "Old" Vanilla Bean from the last harvest True Cinnamon Bark Nutmeg and Mace Coconuts Papaya tree Young jackfruit Green Peppercorns "Drumstick" The lands and waterways of Kerala are perhaps the most important spice lands of India and by extension the world. Ironically most of the spices grown here originated elsewhere. There are only three spices that are native to and originated in India. These are turmeric, cardamom and the peppercorn.