A veteran food entrepreneur and food historian, Abeda will be talking about legacy of the spice trade and its influence on culinary history.

“Spice — the very word conjures up visions of exotic places and tastes. For a very long time spices were rare and exotic, sought in far-flung parts of Asia, Africa, and South America for their culinary and medicinal value. Today in North America — a place itself discovered in the quest for spices — we now have all the flavours of the world at our fingertips. I am forever fascinated by the intricate and interwoven stories of these culinary treasures and their journeys that connect so many cultures. Our collective love affair with spices continues to tie us all together.”
— Abeda Oturkar

—–

Dinner by Len Senater
Tonight I’ll be making a personal favourite: Gado Gado, whose fresh + spicy, cool + warm combinations are perfect for a summer dinner, and because Indonesian cuisine is so wrapped up in the history of the spice trade. This dish features cool fresh vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes and bean sprouts, with warm, cooked veggies like long beans, blanched cabbage and turmeric-tinted potatoes, blanketed in a rich, spicy-sweet peanut sauce, and garnished with tofu cubes, hard boiled eggs (optional), crispy shallots and prawn crackers. On the side, I’ll be serving a bit of tangy-spicy Acar Awak, a Nonya/Malay pickle-cum-chutney.
#GF #vegetarian #vegan options available

For dessert, another legacy of the global spice trade: Speculaas ice cream! Speculaas is a type of heavily spiced shortcrust biscuit, akin to a gingerbread, traditionally made in the Netherlands. The Dutch, whose colonization of Indonesia for its spices via The Dutch East India Company, transformed the world in many ways—the first multinational corporation, the first company to issue stock, and was the first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, negotiate treaties, coin money, and establish colonial settlements.
$5

—–

Doors open at 6pm, talk starts at 7pm
includes dinner and coffee or tea.
$20 (+HST)

—–
Abeda Oturkar is a veteran food entrepreneur who is equally passionate about preparing delectable recipes and providing foods that improve well-being. Over more than 11 years her Dubai-based food business, Spice & Aroma, grew to encompass a successful restaurant, catering business, cooking classes, consulting and culinary tours. All of Abeda’s endeavours are informed by a lifelong study of food, culinary history, spices and nutrition. She’s now looking to bring this culinary adventure to Ontario.

—–
Len Senater is the founder and proprietor of The Depanneur, who happily cooks for his friends and neighbours.

—–
Depanneur invites a local food personality to talk about something that interests them while Dep founder Len Senater cooks dinner for everyone.

Find out more on Table Talks at The Depanneur
http://staging.thedepanneur.ca/drop-in-dinners/table-talk/