JWB Takes Up TEDx Jaipur’s Clear Plate Challenge & Eats All Their Mini Burgers

• Komal Panwar


• 15 Oct 2016

 

In all of our lives, there’s one word that lights up a fire in us, all of us, at once. Food. Half the reason why Tom & Jerry fight is food. Sometimes Jerry steals Tom’s milk; Tom lures his little friend with a block of cheese.

I’m a person who abandoned her fast because she needed a Sub. Yeah, I’m Joey Tribbiani The Second. And, yeah, I’m damn proud of it. And so, when TEDx Jaipur invited me for a ‘food related’ cause, and I’d already had my breakfast, I was glad my jeans had pockets. Where else would I stuff ‘em mini-burgers?

Photographer Chaveesh and I reached On The House all determined and excited. Said a hi there, a hello there, and grabbed on to the watermelon juice immediately after. TEDx Jaipur’s Meghna had revealed the surprise to me in advance because I rock.

Yeah, there was going to be a cook-off! But first, Ajit Sharma (Global TEDx Ambassador & Curator –TEDx Jaipur) briefed everyone about why we’d collected there in the first place. The intention was selfless and beautiful: to eradicate poverty.

“We need to connect the dots between food and larger worldwide conflicts. For example, the uprising in Syria mostly has the shortage of food to blame. In India, a shortage isn’t as much a problem as wastage is. Today, we’re here to pledge our support towards eliminating poverty.” Ajit said.

Dushyant of collected the audience together and told them what had to be done.

After cooking, our challenge was to lick the plate clear. I rock at that. Kabhi ghar aao, Maggi khilaungi.

Heh, I already knew. Many were surprised that they had to cook.

Mom, remember that dal palak I had cooked that you had to turn into parathas? I’m going to change that!

A lot of ingredients were brought in trays. The chefs from On The House were assisting us. We were given Foccacia bread, chopped vegetables, basil, and more. It was time to make some Bruschetta.

Each table had their own fancy way of making the Bruschetta. While some guests loved tomato, some didn’t want tomatoes at all.

At one table, I saw Apra Kuchhal putting all the ingredients together, and making it easier for the rest of her team!

Well, I gobbled up mine as soon as it was ready, sorry Chaveesh!

That’s the thing with food, though. Ek baar khaaoge toh khaate reh jaaoge, no one can eat just one. Tun tun.

After the couscous salad and Bruschetta, we moved on to the mini-burgers. Slurp. I’m usually not a burger person. But hey, the burger buns were just there sitting in front of me.

I picked up one of the buns, buttered it up, threw a potato patty on top of it, lettuce, tomato, top of the bun and TADA! I opened my mouth and decided to stuff it with the mini-burger.

Wrong decision for two reasons: a) The burger’s presentation was to be judged. b) I didn’t want to die on choking. I mean who’d want to die like Joffrey Baratheon!

Aparna Sahay & Dharmendar Kanwar, after much contemplation, decided on a winner (which could’ve been me, had I not swallowed my mini-burger).

DESSERT TIME! Okay, thanks to my baker friend, I knew a little bit about icing, so when we were asked to do some icing on the muffins, I did a pretty cute design and ate it afterward.

For those who think of me to be a cruel Blogger, I got a burger for photographer Chaveesh, and he ate it.

Apart from being food drunk, having a hoity tummy, some new recipes, and the important lesson of not wasting food, I came back with beautiful memories and the gorgeous red apron!

Burrrrp.

Photo Courtesy: