TABLE TALK
What's cookin' At My Kuwaiti Table? By Nejoud Al-Yagout
Every once in a while, an initiative comes along that is so unique, one gasps. And that's the case with At My Kuwaiti Table (AMKT), a podcast that just launched in Kuwait, the brainchild of Krysia Derecki (KD) – producer of AMKT and wife of H.E. The Ambassador of Australia to Kuwait. At My Kuwaiti Table is presented by (in alphabetical order) Chaitali B. Roy (CBR) - author of Women of Kuwait: Turning Tides and Dr. Lavinia Davenport (LSD) - wife of H.E. The Ambassador of Great Britain to Kuwait. And Anees Backer assists with the technical production of the show. Now, who would think of interviewing local women by asking each guest to introduce her favorite dish? These three ladies would! And as they come face to face with each guest, the questions begin, starting from the significance of the chosen dish and expanding to topics that reflect the guest's interests and contributions to society. This is one of those iconic, original creative platforms that you know is going to resonate. 42
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The marriage of food and conversation, an age-old union. What is it about food that helps a person open up and relax? CBR: I believe food has a direct connection with comfort and relaxation. I am a complete foodie. For me, food is a mood booster. And I like to experiment. When I travel, I have to try the local delicacies. And so when Krysia suggested using food as a conduit, a conversation starter, I felt it would work very well. LSD: Food & relaxation must be linked to being fed as a child when one had not a care in the wide world but was just showered with love & yummies. In my case, those first mouthfuls of goo were put into my newly formed mouth by my Goan nanny Mrs Dan - on the roof of our Nairobi pent-house flat. I rejoice that in coming to Kuwait, I, at last, come across so many people from Goa. So, in that respect, it is like coming home. KD: For me preparing and cooking the evening meal is a necessary joyous daily ritual. Like I did when I was younger with my mother (who is a fabulous cook and baker) my son sits up on the kitchen worktop and is either drawing or chopping something for the meal – he also learns about healthy eating and cooking skills, we chat about our day, sharing stories and jokes. We always sit up at the dining
table to actually eat – so he lays out the cutlery and the mats and plates and I dish up and then we have more conversations while enjoying the meal. I also get him to talk about the food what it looks like and tastes like – it is a good idea as it gets him trying new foods he may refuse to eat otherwise. At My Kuwaiti Table is still in its inception. Will this be a seasonal podcast or are you only presenting one season in a series of episodes? KD: The idea for At My Kuwaiti Table came from my love of listening to one of my favourite podcasts – Honey &Co, The Food Talks – (Honey & Co. is a restaurant in Fitzrovia in London, which serves up delicious Middle Eastern inspired food and their podcast is interviews with chefs, food writers, or food producers). In another life I would have loved to have been a chef so I feel blessed to be able to use my broadcasting skills to produce our own podcast with a foodie angle. And when I moved here in January 2018 I was meeting so many amazing women – ladies who are talented, interesting and inspirational. At My Kuwaiti Table (AMKT) is a celebration of both these things – food and interesting conversations with great women. To give you a taster we have lined up a poet, an activist, an architect and inventor and many more.