THE TERM “FUSION,” as it relates to the culinary arts, is often misinterpreted, says Chef Ashok Nageshwaran. For the India-born Nageshwaran, fusion calls for far more than simply throwing together a meal inspired by diverse cultures.
“There has to be a bit of science in there,” he says. “You have to understand the history of [the dishes]. What are the similarities? What flavors go together?”
Through his catering and events company, Food Raconteur, Nageshwaran and his team create one-of-a-kind dining experiences for groups of all sizes. Each dish is a thoughtful marriage of cultural cuisines.
“It’s not one-menu-fits-all. We try to understand the profile of the host and the guests,” says Nageshwaran. “Are they global travelers, or locals who don’t want too much adventure? Will it be too spicy? ”
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IN GOOD TIME
With the help of interior designer Robert Idol, a Kirkwood couple creates a home that pays homage to the past, yet feels just right for their modern young family.
Let's Dish
"Food Raconteur” Ashok Nageshwaran wants to tell you a story.
The Right Move
New shops and showrooms bring exciting opportunities for local designers, makers, and arts organizations to sell their wares to home enthusiasts here and everywhere.
Green Dreams
Painter and gardener Lauren Knight branches out.
Cultivating Kokedama
Chris Mower of White Stable Farms discovered the Japanese style of gardening in Italy. Now, he’s bringing it to St. Louis.
Graphic Mood
Letters, icons, and illustrations that speak in a hand-drawn language
AUDRA's New Digs
Audra Noyes, of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund Incubator’s first class, opens an atelier in Ladue.
Color Block
A background in sculpture trained artist Aly Ytterberg to see objects more fully.
A Modern Story
How a little log cabin went from being a home to a guest house
Cut from the Same Cloth
“Turkey Tracks” is a 19th-century quiltmaking pattern that has the appearance of little wandering feet. Patterns like the tracks, and their traditions and myths, have been passed down through the generations, from their frontier beginnings to today, where a generation of makers has embraced the material as a means of creating something new. Olivia Jondle is one such designer. Here, she’s taken an early turkey track-pattern quilt, cut it into various shapes, and stitched the pieces together, adding calico and other fabric remnants as needed. The result is a trench coat she calls the Pale Calico Coat. Her designs are for sale at The Rusty Bolt, Jondle’s small-batch fashion company based in St. Louis. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
SUJATA MASSEY
Sometimes, an idea needs time to incubate until it’s ready to grow. That was the case with Sujata Massey’s series about Perveen Mistry, a woman attorney practicing in India during the 1920s.
SHOWSTOPPING
THIRTEEN FASCINATING 4X4S from the2020 Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
4X4 PARTY!
Recap of the 39th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
Klara Landrat & Her Journey with Endometriosis
Klara Landrat is an American-Israeli actress of Polish origin, producer, a writer known for her talent worldwide. She is starring in the Irish TV series – “Gods & Fighting Men” due for release in 2021.
HER MAJESTY PEDDLING HOMEMADE HOOCH!
QUEEN ELIZABETH looks like a dowdy, straitlaced granny, but she’s turned into a heck of a bartender — serving up her own brands of homemade hooch!
The Winter of Discontent
Even though america is preparing for a summer reopening, the Coronavirus will still be around to dog us when the temperatures fall.
India thought it had the virus beat. The virus had other ideas
Governments around the world keep repeating the same mistakes. In a country of 1.4 billion, the consequences are on a whole new scale
Reincarnation And Realpolitik
China, India, and the U.S. are vying to influence the selection of the next Dalai Lama
An Exclusive Interview With Nandakumar Narasimhan
The Little Red Train
A Room for Dad
Before Mom passed, I made a promise to her