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? ”
This story is from the January/February 2021 edition of DesignSTL.
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This story is from the January/February 2021 edition of DesignSTL.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
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