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Cuisine for the court
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To help the players with a good serve on court, Chef Banja of Taj Krishna, is doing his bit serving the best food.
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WONDER WHAT cuisine is being served to Tamarine Tanasugarn, Clarisa Fernandez, Mary Pierce, Elena Likhovtseva, Sania Mirza and rest of the players participating in the WTA Indian Open 2003? Well, Chef Banja's kitchen in Taj Krishna is busy these days making the `sports cuisine' that is being served to the players at the hotel and the stadium as well.
"Most of the players are foreigners and the European diet is very different. Also, the players don't eat a meal per se at a time. Further they cannot practise on an empty stomach. Thus we are working around the given basics of a chiefly 60 per cent carbohydrate and 15 per cent protein diet to prepare the energy-generating food," says Chef Banja, executive chef, Taj Krishna.
Isotonic drinks, fruit juices, some almonds, cashews and peanuts for the instant energy release supported by the health cuisine and non-carbonated drinking water served with food, the sports diet has been well taken care of.
Thus a daily spread has a high carb and protein breakfast with various egg mixes, fruits and choice of cheese. Lunch, again a continental offering, served at the stadium, consists of Minestrone soup, roast chicken, baked fish and a high starch inclusion of rice or tossed pasta in plain olive oil touched with a dressing with herb.
The in-between meal for high tea presents different types of roll, from oatmeal or the bread and spinach roll, along with banana, peaches, orange or kiwi fruit. "Polynesian fruits have been imported for the occasion. Salads are very essential, with lots and vegetables and Polynesian fruits tossed with onion mint," says Chef Banja.
The culinary course of the day wraps up with a chikjen fricasso, baked fish, pasta, rice and for the dessert, an apple pie. "We have tried to keep the food healthy and not boring at the same time. We would want the players to come back and eat. We haven't got any single complaint or request for inclusions in the spread, proving that the food has been well accepted," says Chef Banja.
SYEDA FARIDA
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