FAQs

Thanks for the feedback and support on Thursday’s posting! And the various links to SP – the one who cannot be named.

If you feel like jumping on the bandwagon and auctioning your own gourmet meal for your favorite cause I’ll be happy to post the details here for you so we can all eat our way to a better world.

Response to FAQs

1. What do I want to do this? Many reasons :-)

We live in interesting times and this is an easy way to bring about change.

Food, politics and social causes run in the family. Dad was an activist who got involved in the freedom movement in his early teens and went on to many other causes. He was also a terrific cook.

My great grandfather started one of the oldest restaurants in Bangalore called Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan over a century ago. Lunch or breakfast there is a Bangalore tradition. Writers, politicians and journalists have always hung out there. Check it out at http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2003/06/16/stories/2003061601810400.htm. All the 40+ 4th generation cousins I can think of are foodies.

2. Is this a biz?
No, its social entrepreneurship. I am keeping my day job to pay the bills!
While restaurants e.g. Il Fornaio donate 1% of their sales, 100% of Thali’s sales go directly to a cause. You directly donate the $$ online or send in a check and trade your receipt for dinner. Indicate that your donation was encouraged by California Thali

3. Why not make thali’s for one?
I don’t have the time! Need to cook for 4 to get any scale efficiency on 5+ dishes and generate enough $$ for a charity. Feel free to store it for later or creatively arrange to split it with a friend.

4. What kind of social causes?
I have a list, ranging from the Smiletrain, Kiva, Shankar Eye Foundation, Scholarships for post-docs, etc. Feel free to send in your suggestions.

5. What kind of political causes?
Send them to me and I can see if I support them. Anything that deals with equality for women and minorities usually sound good to me.

6. Lead time to plan dinner?
I usually have some slack on Fridays (since I work on Saturday) so plan to run CT once a week or once in two. Menu will be posted on Wed night. If we have guest chefs, I’ll post that too on Wed.

7. Why bid? Its dinner plus a cause. So if you care for both, you may be tempted to donate more. And I may be tempted to add a bottle of wine to the gourmet meal.

Now back to food!

Tentative menu for next Friday's Thali for 4 to go -

1. Spinach Chicken Curry

2. Walnut raita (my daughter's favorite)

3. Veggie - depends on what I find fresh

4. Alu parathas

5. Rice

6. Kheer

7. Home made papad from India

Check out some of the recipes at Sanjeev Kapoor's site listed below.

The sweet peppers were a hit – here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

10 peppers about 6” long
4 slices walnut bread
¼ cup crushed walnuts
One onion
4 medium green chillies
½ bunch of coriander leaves
3 large potatoes boiled
Salt, dried mango powder, red chillie powder to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 350
Slit peppers and remove seeds
In a mixing bowl soak and shred bread
Add all the other ingredients (chopped, diced, mashed) and spices.
Stuff peppers
Arrange on baking sheet and cook for 15 min covered
Take of the cover and drizzle olive oil, cook uncovered for 10 more min or till they are done.


Next week’s dinner goes to either Kiva (www.kiva.org) or Obama (http://www.obama.com/). Your choice.