Our event  took place at the Indian restaurant Spice Kitchen on April 3, 2025 with the intention of supporting a local business.

Ashland is United (AiU)  also believes that food is a powerful connector fostering relationships and creating bonds across cultures and communities.  It transcends borders, languages and backgrounds. In this time when people are feeling isolated and divided, AiU developed a program to nourish your heart and mind.  People were invited to not just a prix fixe menu but also an in-depth yet interactive session on Indian food practices while supporting one of our local businesses. There was an overwhelming response to the announcement. AiU member Karen Waldstein welcomed everyone and talked about how this was an opportunity to renew connections and make new friends. The restaurant owner Abhishek Sharma and chef Deepak began with masala chai (Indian spiced tea) and tikki (spiced potato patties), jeera rice (cumin flavored rice), saag paneer (cottage cheese in a spinach gravy), aloo gobhi (potato and cauliflower tossed in coriander, turmeric and cumin), dal makhani (black lentils cooked to perfection and laced with cream), butter chicken (skewered chicken cooked in a tomato and cashew cream sauce), Goan fish (salmon cooked with Goan spices; Goa is a western state in India) and jalebi (stringy fried dough dipped in spiced sugar syrup) for dessert! This was a treat for those who were familiar with Indian cuisine and those for whom this was a first time experience.

AiU member Rajashree Ghosh provided contextual information on Indian food. She began with how restaurants outside of India provided for a watered down second tier Indian food. The influences from Central Asia, British and Mughals have all made the cuisine complex and layered. Everytime you see a “naan”, you know it is a Mughal gift - they brought with them new techniques of cooking in a “tandoor” or open clay oven. That eating with hand is a given - preferably right hand just like you would eat a taco or a piece of cheese from a charcuterie. She mentioned ancient practices of Ayurveda that determined some of the ways of eating. Each state, region and linguistic group in India offered different kinds of food. Food is an important identity marker. She also mentioned how food is intertwined with life cycle rituals from birth to death. 

All in all this was an occasion for those present to engage with each other, provide opportunities for continued learning about food. Conversations ranged from recipes (that chef Deepak willingly shared), how long people have resided in Ashland, how newer residents and those that have lived longer in Ashland are finding meaningful ways to engage with the Town.

In closing many of those present wanted a repeat of this event. AiU will be working on that in the near future. Another cuisine, another culture!