Hindu Temple's annual festival offers visitors a taste of India

8/2/2008

Regional Indian foods will be featured at the 19th Annual Festival of India Friday, Saturday, and Aug. 10 at the Hindu Temple of Toledo, 4336 King Road in Sylvania. The theme is "Sangam, coming together."

Foods representing different parts of India will be sold from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. Deepam India of Toledo will feature vegetable-filled samosa from Northern India, and from Southern India will be lemon rice, "which is everybody's favorite," says Revathi Chillapalli, owner. Jelebis, a flour-based dessert dipped in sugar and syrup, is crunchy and sweet.

Ashoka Indian Cuisine, a Detroit restaurant, will have appetizers from the Western region of India such as pani puri (a small dumpling deep-fried in oil) and dahi chaat made with yogurt. Triya Indian Cuisine of Detroit will feature dosa (a crepe-type bread) made with rice (flour) and lentils, and a lentil rice curry served with two kinds of chutney.

Northern India food includes chola bhutara, a curry made of chickpeas. Items are individually priced.

The festival also includes Temple tours, desserts and drinks such as mango lassi and hot tea, and Indian sweets. There are also opportunities for shopping with Indian movies, music, costumes, jewelry, and more. The festival includes religious ceremonies and cultural programs.

In addition, a catered dinner by Deepam India will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday following a religious ceremony. The menu includes basmati rice, naan (Indian flatbread), two vegetarian curries, daal, and for dessert, Mango Dream Pie. Tickets are sold at the Temple.

On Aug. 10, a catered lunch by Tandoor restaurant will be from noon to 1 p.m. Tickets are required.

For more information, visit www.hindutempleoftoledo.org or call the Hindu Temple at 419-843-4440.

The American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of the American Culinary Federation, inducted Denise Schaefer of Toledo, a certified executive chef and certified culinary educator, into the organization during a formal ceremony and dinner at the 2008 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas on July 13.

Mrs. Schaefer is chef-instructor at Penta Career Center and a former vice president of the Maumee Valley Chefs Chapter, ACF, where she is a member.

Pure, an all-natural gluten-free bakery, has opened at 3723 North King Rd. in Sylvania. All of the products are wheat-free. Baker Kristen Palmer, formerly of Claudia's, also makes products that are vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free, and nut-free. Her goal is to provide people with special dietary needs a healthy, safe alternative to traditional baked goods.

Pure's products include gluten-free breads, hotdog and hamburger buns, pizza crust, cookies, cakes and cupcakes, brownies, scones, and pies. Special orders for birthdays, parties, meetings, and family gatherings may be made by calling 419-517-7799.

Often food is wasted because people don't know how to handle it properly once they get it home from the store. Flour and other pantry staples in their own packaging can spoil, get bugs, or absorb odors from other foods.

ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, offers these tips:

•Bread can get stale or moldy if left out on the counter or stored in the refrigerator. Bread and rolls may be frozen for up to three months.

•Brown sugar can get as hard as a rock because of moisture loss during storage. Store it in an airtight container. Often I put a little piece of bread in the container to add moisture. The bread gets dry; the sugar stays moist.

•Cheese should be wrapped first in wax paper and then wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated.

•Cooking oil should be bought in opaque or dark containers if possible and stored in a cool, dark place to protect it from damaging light. Buy only what you can use within three to six months, or one month for fragile walnut and other nut oils. Keep it in the refrigerator if you are not using it fast enough.

•Whole-wheat flour contains higher levels of fat and has a one-to-three-month shelf life. It will keep six months in the refrigerator and 12 months in the freezer.

•Ice cream should be covered with plastic wrap before putting the lid back on to prevent ice crystals from forming.

•Nuts and seeds should be stored in the refrigerator where they will last up to six months. In the freezer, they last up to 12 months.

•Powdered sugar should be kept in an airtight container.

•Spices should be kept in a dark place away from sunlight, the heat of the stove, and heat generating lighting and not near the sink. Whole spices will last longer than ground.

•Tea should not be stored next to spices or other strong-flavored foods or it will absorb these flavors.