Chef Diaries

What made you decide to enter the culinary world and why did you want to become a chef?

I was born and raised in New York City as a first generation IndianAmerican. Our strongest connection to India, our culture and extended family was through food. From as far as I can remember, I spent my days in the kitchen (I am the youngest of three girls) observing my mom cook and began helping her and learning through action. I became obsessed with the creativity of cooking and soon thereafter began watching tons of cooking shows in America. This led me to continue cooking on my own, creating a blog www.chefpriyanka.com 12 years ago for my original recipes and my culinary career took off from there! I am a self-taught chef and I focus on vegan and sustainable global cuisines. I am a Food Network champion, an author, writer, TV host and world traveler.

What do you do to stay on top of the new cooking trends?

Browse social media! That is the best way to discover "trends." I follow a ton of accounts who are chefs and food content creators. Once the social platforms see who I'm following, it'll get a sense of my interests and show me relevant and trendy content related to my interests!

Eat with your eyes first: A multi-color plate of foods means a healthy and delicious plate of food! Treat every being as you want to be treated - with respect and compassion.

If you could give one piece of advice to new vegans, what would it be?

Have FUN and experiment! This is your opportunity to think of vegetables as the star of the plate. Using whole dry spices to flavor your food; experiment with a new vegetable every week.

You seem to focus a lot on providing nourishing foods sourced from plant-based ingredients. How did you become vegan yourself?

I became vegan about 5-6 years ago for environmental and ethical reasons. I am an animal lover at the core and I can't bear to see another being harmed just for our consumption. Plus, I grew up vegetarian, so I knew the versatility of vegetables, their benefits, and their delicious taste!

When did you realize you wanted to write a book?

Tell us a little about your book "The modern tiffin"?

I've wanted to publish a cookbook probably since the age of 12, ha! I think it's a dream for most cooks, aspiring chefs, and professional chefs. Having your recipes in a keepsake book that the world can read and cook from is one of the most gratifying feelings. The Modern Tiffin is a true culmination of me - a combination of my regional Indian heritage with my world travels and experiences

I've been to 40 countries globally and have learned a tremendous amount about varying agriculture, approaches to cooking, new dishes, and sustainability. The reason the book centers around the 'tiffin' is because I grew up taking my lunch everyday to school (my mom packed us a gourmet Indian inspired lunch everyday) and even when I entered the workforce after college, I packed my lunch every day for work.

I understand the value of cooking, how it made my body feel, and the ease it had on my wallet. So I wanted to combine all of those aspects into one book - The Modern Tiffin!

As a cook, how do you stay energized and motivated to produce quality dishes throughout your shift?

I am not a line cook or a restaurant chef - most of my work involves developing recipes for brands, building on brand partnerships, writing for my books, and creating/hosting restaurant pop-up events. I like to challenge myself by incorporating new ingredients and produce that I don't use often; I lean heavily on my memories and experiences from my travels; and I lean the most on cooking sustainably - low-waste cooking.

What is your most popular dish and dessert? What sort of flavors do you think really entice consumers?

My most popular dish is my viral Spinach Jalapeno Pesto pasta My most popular dessert Cornmeal Gulab Jamuns from my cookbook The Modern Tiffin. I think people like the ease, look and taste of these recipes.

BY: ANNABELLE BAUGH

To date, numerous people have been severely disfigured by dermal fillers and other types of non-surgical aesthetic procedures performed by non-qualified aesthetic practitioners. Considering anyone without training could once administer these popular aesthetic treatments, it isn’t surprising that there have been serious complications.

But the introduction of the 2022 Health and Care Act, passed in July, gave the UK Government the power to implement a new licensing scheme. However, many aesthetic doctors feel this new licensing scheme will not be sufficient, as it will not prevent nonmedically trained professionals from performing these procedures. We asked Dr Chia Tan, the founder of Harley Street MD, an aesthetic clinic in London, for his opinion on who should be able to perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

“Non-surgical aesthetic procedures are not without risk. When complications arise, you need health professionals that are both competent and equipped in dealing with them as soon as possible.Vascular occlusion, skin necrosis (death of skin cells) and blindness albeit rare, but implications are severe and could be permanent.”GMC registered doctor Dr Tan. went on to explain “It is therefore important to only have these procedures carried out by trained and regulated clinicians who can both minimise the risk as well as manage the complications. Left untreated or mismanaged, they can lead to disfiguration, which may require invasive reconstructive surgery. In addition, acid peels and other types of procedures, such as radiofrequency, and laser resurfacing may also result in third-degree burns and severe scarring when they are not performed correctly.”

Left untreated or mismanaged, they can lead to disfiguration, which may require invasive reconstructive surgery. In addition, acid peels and other types of procedures, such as radiofrequency, and laser resurfacing may also result in third-degree burns and severe scarring when they are not performed correctly.”

It is now over six months since the Health and Care Act was passed and this new licensing scheme has yet to be implemented. The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners, the British Beauty Council and the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health recently submitted a joint letter to the Department of Health and Social Care.

A response was issued by the minister responsible for taking the scheme forward, Maria Caulfield. However, she did not confirm the date the new scheme would come into force — although it is predicted a timetable for the enforcement of the new licensing scheme will be made public in the next month.