Part Eight: Santiago, Chile

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I returned from the snow envigorated and enlivened to tackle the fourth and final class. Caitanya Bhagavata has been doing an excellent job in translating the class, and his Spanish printed class notes apparently show a written excellence also. The weather has continued to be icy cold, but that is not an issue in our little cooking class room, where the heat of multiple burners and 25 bodies makes for a very cosy environment.

The class featured two vegetable-based dishes - a very light melange of Zucchini, Tomato and Red Peppers, and a very rich combination of Cauliflower, Potato and Sour Cream seasoned with turmeric, cayenne, black pepper and ginger. I also demonstrated a yogurt and chickpea-flour based sauce for soft buttery chickpeas, and a very unusual sweet and sour pickle made from eggplant slices that could be prepared in only half an hour, flavoured with dry-roasted cumin seeds.

Again panir cheese appeared, this time in Malai Kofta, seasoned and formed into patties, deep-fried and soaked in a cream and garam-masala enriched tomato puree. Pure decadence! And, as they say, a meal is not complete without a sweet. I chose the famous semolina halava, studded with apricot pieces, chunks of banana, and a hint of orange zest.

After the class, and before the final feast, we all posed for a group photo on the stairway adjoining the temple. Tonight's class marked my nineteenth and officially the second-last class of this tour. After Saturday's class for the media at Penaflor I would be heading to Peru for a couple of weeks of rest and recreation - no classes, but plenty more culinary adventure nonetheless.

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