Saturday, March 21, 2009

Sensational India Festival: April 4 & 5

Do you enjoy Indian cuisine? One of my favorite combinations is a spicy vindaloo with some fresh naan. Or maybe some coconut soup with a dosa. If you enjoy such food, or other Indian cuisine, then maybe you should check out the Peabody Essex Museum on April 4 & 5.

The museum is celebrating the art and culture of India in a weekend-long festival: Sensational India! You'll find dance, music, film, food, hands-on art activities and more. You can check out their new exhibition ReVisions, Indian Artists Engaging Traditions – featuring works of painting and sculpture contemporary Indian artists and the masters who influenced them. For families, you can hear tales from India read by storytellers, learn your fortune from a parrot and make your own finger puppets! Sensational India! is made possible by Samir and Nilima Desai; The Desai Family Foundation.

For a complete list of all of the events and activities during this festival, check out their website. I am going to highlight a couple events which will likely interest foodies.

April 4 (Saturday):

--Adult Cooking Demonstration: A Taste of India.
From 11 am–noon in the Bartlett Gallery. Make reservations by April 2
Chef Shruti Mehta creates traditional Indian dishes and shares the secrets of this aromatic cuisine. Her demonstration and stories link the art of cooking with everyday life in India.


April 5 (Sunday):
--Lecture at 2:30pm in the Morse Auditorium. Make reservations by April 3.
Award-Winning Author and Actress Madhur Jaffrey is regarded by many as the world authority on Indian food. She will discuss her newest work, Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India, an appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory. The book includes recipes for more than 30 delicious dishes that are recovered from Jaffrey’s childhood. A book signing follows the lecture. This program made possible in part by the George Swinnerton Parker Memorial Lecture Fund.

Admission: Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11.

Program reservations by calling: 978-745-9500 x3011.

1 comment:

JacquelineC said...

Wow. I hadn't seen this info yet -- and we're members! I'll be in Denver so I'll miss it, but it seems like a great event. I also enjoyed Jaffrey's book.