GoanTimes August, 30 2019 issue

10 Leisure
Friday, August 30, 2019 | www.goantimes.titosgoa.com | 12 Pages
Priyam Chatterjee becomes first Indian
Chef to receive French honour
NEW DELHI: Priyam Chatterjee
on Monday became the first Indian
chef to be awarded the ''Chevalier de
l''Ordre du Merite Agricoleto'' by the
government of France to recognise his
contribution towards reinventing the
gastronomic scene in India.
Mr Chatterjee (30) is best known for
revisiting the traditional dishes from
his native state of West Bengal and
giving it a French twist.
"I am living my dream at this moment
because any form of words or dialogue
will not justify this moment," he said.
Mr Chatterjee added that the 2 major
factors influencing his culinary practice
were that of his family and France.
Born into a Bengali family of
"exceptional cooks and artists", where
feasts were a regular affair, it was only
natural for a young Mr Chatterjee to
love everything about food, be it eating,
or serving.
He realised French cuisine was his true
calling during his very first professional
stint at Park Hyatt in Hyderabad where
he met French chef Jean Claude who
trained Mr Chatterjee to "learn French
cuisine, precisely and with passion."
"In the process, what he did was
he made me fall in love with France
completely!" the chef said.
Mr Chatterjee is currently the head
chef at Jaan Restaurant Yacht in
France, before which he was the head
chef of Rooh, and Qla, both located in
Mehrauli.
He also takes a keen interest in music
as well as art.
"This is actually the first time that we
are celebrating the talent of a young
chef at this embassy by conferring this
distinction.
"This honour recognizes your talent
and your commitment to promoting
French cuisine," Alexandre Ziegler,
Ambassador of France to India, said.
The award, instituted in 1883, the
''Ordre du Merite Agricole'' (Order of
Agricultural Merit) is a distinction
bestowed by the French Republic for
outstanding contributions, among
others, to agriculture, agro-food
industry and gastronomy.
In the Philippines,
students now have
to plant 10 trees
before they graduate
On May 15, the Philippine Congress
officially passed a Bill stating that all
students from elementary school, high
school, and college (roughly equivalent
to primary school, secondary school and
university) must plant at least 10 trees
in order to graduate, CNN reported.
The trees can be planted in either
forests, mangroves, reserves, urban areas,
abandoned mining sites, or in indigenous
territory, according to the Bill.
According to CNN, the trees must be
also appropriate for the area’s climate,
and indigenous tree species are preferred.
The Bill – named the “Graduation
Legacy for the Environment Act 2016”
– was introduced by congressman Gary
Alejano to promote “inter-generational
responsibility” over environmental
protection.
“While we recognise the right of the
youth to a balanced and healthy ecology…
there is no reason why they cannot be
made to contribute in order to ensure that
this will be an actual reality,” Alejano
wrote in the Bill’s explanatory note.
He added that the initiative would see
at least 175 million new trees planted
every year, totalling over 525 billion
additional trees “in the course of one
generation”.
He added that these trees will become
the students’ living legacy to the
environment and future generations.