Cooking was once considered a great art. It still is, but a thick slice of science and technology has entered into it. A number of institutions now offer catering technology courses, while others have nutrition and dietetics studies. Society also has changed. Cooking was considered something exclusively for girls. But today, there are young girls who, without the trace of a blush, admit they cannot boil water, while boys flock to take up catering courses. Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is a pioneer in this field. He is a familiar face on Zee television, where his weekly programme "Khana Khazana" has a viewership of 150 million in 53 countries. He is known for his easy-to-make recipes. And exotic! He has even made pakodas with grapes.

Thirtysix-year-old Kapoor who wanted to become an engineer took to catering on the advise given by a friend of the family. He started with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under their Kitchen Management Scheme and he came out at the top of his batch. After that, his rise was swift. A part of the catering team for the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, he went on to be Chef in Hotel Varanasi Ashoka and Hotel Samrat in New Delhi and Chief Chef at "Zanzibar", New Zealand's first African Restaurant, and later at "Shamiana" in Wellington in the same country. Back in India, he joined the Frontier Restaurant in Hotel Ashoka in New Delhi and then moved on to Mumbai's Juhu Centaur Hotel. He has organised food festivals all over the world.

Nominated for the "Best Executive Chef" in India by Food Service in 1993 and 1994 and winner of the award in 1995, he was also chosen for the Mercury Gold Award at IFCA Geneva (1993) for "Best Meal Concept and Creation". His latest accomplishment is the "Khazana" restaurant inaugurated recently in the Al Nasr leisure land in Dubai. Well decorated and with a beautiful ambience, it boasts a menu of about 160 dishes. The 150-seat restaurant, entirely his concept and planning, has had an overwhelming response.

Kapoor's latest is a cookbook "Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes". This is in addition to his cookery books in Hindi and Marathi. All three are marked by a carefully-planned display of recipes that makes it easy for the reader to follow and practise. And now, he has worked out an Interactive CD-ROM on Indian Cooking. It gives an insight into our culinary culture, tradition and history. Apart from a store of 125 recipes, the CD-ROM also teaches some basic techniques involved in microwave cooking. Such easy references surely place the basics of cooking within everyman's reach.

Sujatha Pradeep