The Stappu Wall

A place for Arts, Culture, Trends and Us. Not particularly in that order.

[stappu]

10 Epic Texts to Celebrate Father’s Day

I admit it guys, Father’s Day is a tough one for me. I mean, what can you get your old man who never gets old? Unknowingly hilarious, healer (read repair) of household appliances, adoringly caring, or a referee for us kids and many such attributes is what constitute of a Father.

One thing I love the best is when Dads (who are old school) have just been gifted a new touchscreen phone. What follows after the unwrapping is downright funny. Just last night, I got a blank text from my Dad and when I called back I was informed that my Dad had accidentally swiped for messaging instead of calling. The funny thing is he was waiting for 5 minutes with his phone on his ear, not realizing he had messaged me instead of calling.

So this led me to a few hilarious conversations fathers have while texting. I have compiled a few of them and if you have  any such awesome anecdotes, please do share.

Happy Father’s Day!

[stappu]

5 Things to do at Stappu’s Taste The Game 2.0

If you ever been to the first iteration of Taste the Game, then you know how incredibly fun it is. If you have not, fret not. You are getting a chance to be there and have an awesome time. But there are few things you must do so that you achieve maximum fun and have a story to tell your grand children.

So here are the things you need to do:

Spend an evening enjoying beautiful Art

Taste some uniquely delectable foods.

Get to know first-hand our Stappu Artists.

Join in for the fun events to be held.

Have an excellent time!

See you there!

[stappu]

It’s No Dirty Dishes Day!

Well, technically it was. Few days ago!

What will you do when Earth becomes uninhabitable due to reaching a level of pollution where we cannot do anything to curb it? Think about this when you next go to dispose of the daily newspaper or that can of beer. Fortunately, we humans know the solution to the mess we create. The answer to our mess is Recycle (ta-da!)

Let me help you with how Recycling will help our giant blue ball of an atmosphere.

Recycling helps the Environment (in a big way!)

Paper recycling saves gallons of oil, water and yards of landfill space. (I am not kidding on the ‘gallons’ part.)

Recycling helps the Community

Plastic bottles, aluminum, and glass when recycled conserves energy which can power up light bulbs for a long duration. (Trust me, I have got my sources.)

Recycling helps to achieve a Peace of Mind.

I mean, come on, when was the last time you felt guilty when you disposed of an unnecessary object properly?

Just so you know, Stappu is taking an initiative to curb down the pollution issues by recycling the glass jars which are sent across to amazing people like you. To know more, head to http://www.stappu.com/category/Recycle  

[stappu]

Live. Laugh. Bake.

It is said that if cooking is an art, then baking is a science. Yours truly is not a cook but I know the tidbits of the same. An occasional help to mom in the kitchen is my only exposure to cooking. (Does counting the number of whistles of cooker or stirring the mixture of soup come under the category of cooking?)

For a person who loves baked food, baking seems a little unnerving. A lot of factors are at play and needs to be calculated accurately. Factors such as a little less flour, an extra dose of butter or the quantity of sugar, are some of the things that come to the top of my head. To make matter worse, there’s a lot of science involved too. If you are a Pro at baking, then I am pretty sure you already know all this. If you are a beginner, trying your hand in experimenting with food, then the present time seems like pretty good. You can learn about amazing things we found on The Internet through our social media pages.

Regarding the baking, Stappu has a lot of bakers as Artists. The reason we love our Artists so much is because they have such pure talent at what they do, not to mention, the sheer artistry in their each and every creation, that most of the time takes our breath away. So on this beautiful World Baking Day, let’s show our Artists some love for their tireless efforts and celebrate it with having a cake, or maybe two!

As Julia Child said, “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to the imagination in the kitchen.”

[stappu]

5 Reasons why Stappu is the ultimate marketplace for Food

Food is the ultimate source of nourishment. It’s funny how food has become one of the primary factors for maintaining emotions in check. Happy? Awesome, let’s get some food. Sad? Need some food to cheer up. Every occasion caters for food. Heck, even on a normal day, we love to indulge.

The modern day has become so dependent on the Internet that even food can be found online. I am pretty sure only the hardcore foodies are less impressed since we cannot download food from the Internet. Foodies know no bounds while it comes to food. The tech-savvy people love to get online. The online options offer so many things that sometimes it becomes confusing on where to buy stuff from while you are busy playing on your PS4.

So here we are, giving you insight on the ultimate platform for Culinary Arts, I mean, Food. Stappu is the best place to get food that is beyond ordinary. Still don’t believe me? Here are the top 5 reasons to visit Stappu.

Curation: Stappu’s most prized possession. Curation is the gift to all the foodies out there to make their own basket for innumerable people and collect rewards on it. Its also a way for many to feed the creative insect inside them.

Handpicked Gourmet Food: Is there anything we need to say more about our wares? The ones who tasted, love it while the ones who are waiting are going crazy for it.

Reduced Delivery Price: To help you get more food in less cost.

What about after Food?: We have a largest and tastiest collection of desserts in Bombay. There are hundreds of unique desserts at www.stappu.com to cater your needs. Enough Said.

Origins of Art: Stappu knows the most intimate things are special and we provide you with cognizance about the Artists behind the artistically and freshly-prepared food you now hold in your hand.

[stappu]

Top 5 Chocolate Artists at Stappu

Someone rightly said, “You can’t buy happiness but you can buy chocolate and that’s kind of the same thing.” A beautiful concoction aided with the help of Theobroma cacao seeds, chocolate is one of the best things ever created. Today, there are so many varieties of chocolates that it’s hard to figure which one hits the sweet spot. Be it the milk chocolate, white chocolate or, my personal favourite, dark chocolate every type has a robust flavour and palatable memories attached to it that makes it more intimate for consumption.

I guess I am going away from the topic. As they say, ‘The power of chocolate is strong with this one.’ Nevertheless, Stappu has got quite some incredible and highly talented chocolatiers. Trust me people, these Artists are crazy good with cocoa stuff. So here are the top 5 Artists who are chocolate experts.

Sanjoy Solomon - Bean Therapy

A professional chef, Sanjoy’s creation of different flavoured chocolates will bring a smile to anyone’s face once tasted. His expertise in using chocolate as a savoury ingredient is exquisitely spot on. Get his dark chocolate creations here.

Heta Parekh - Bliss Fix

A self-taught Heta initially started preparing chocolates as a hobby. Today, her experiments with various flavours has earned her a reputation of a chocolate-maker. Get her creations from.

Aditi Keni & Talib Hussain - Eatyadi

The duo are all about the festivities that occur in the kitchen and how they celebrate it with experiments and different concoctions for different occasions.  

Wanna try something different? Head here.

Aditi Goel - Food-E Culinary Experts

The only luxury dessert chocolate coming straight from the regions of Ecuador. The full-flavoured cocoa essence brings the texture and the fragrance like never before. The variety of flavours adds to the artistry. Get the box of sinful chocolates here.

Neetu Nandrajog - Sweet Treats

A simple and sweet lady with a passion to bake. Neetu’s talent lies in preparing cakes and patisseries of highest quality. Still, her chocolate producing skills are incredibly brilliant. Don’t forget to try her Paan Chocolate Balls found only on Stappu.

So these are few Artists who dabble in chocolates. Stappu has many Artists who are quite extraordinary at what they do and I can tell about each and every Artist in detail but my chocolate is melting and I cannot let that happen!

[stappu]

It’s Eat What You Want Day!

For the people who don’t know May 11th is suppose to be Eat What You Want Day, we are letting you know early on (so that you have got things covered and food ready to splurge on!) 

I am pretty sure you have given your hopes up in terms of getting those perfectly toned body you always dreamt of due to so many luscious foods. Come to think of it, I don’t even remember having those ‘guilty feelings’ anymore while splurging on my favourite dessert!

Coming to the point, I think everyday should be the same because going through the torture of diet and healthy lifestyle is not everyone’s forte. For a foodie, a chill runs through the spine thinking of the word ‘Diet’. So here I am, giving you 5 good reasons why everyday should be Eat What You Want Day.

1. Food is necessary for survival

2. Food is delicious.

3. Eating makes you happy.

4. Not eating makes you sad.

5. Because in the end, Food is there for you!

Psst, just so you know, http://www.stappu.com has got innumerable desserts and chocolates and cakes (wait, doesn't cakes and chocolates come under desserts?) and what not. Just tag us when you get it from Stappu. 

Have an incredible day!

[stappu]

5 Best Gifts for Supermoms on this  Mother’s Day.

MOM. Aren’t they darlings? The best that ever happened to our lives. It’s difficult to fathom what we will do without our aid of mothers. A magician, a warrior, a healer, Moms have more characteristics than an entire League of Legends combined. (Ok, maybe not all of them but you get the point.) 

So, this Mother’s Day, Stappu has personally hand picked 5 of the incredible gifts you can gift to your mother without burning your pocket, to let her know that you appreciate her Every. Single. Effort.

1. A Day Off: Give her a day off from all the household chores. Let her chill, unwind and relax. If your mom is anything like mine, then I am pretty sure she won’t let you enter her kitchen and mess things up. In that instance, try helping her with her household chores. You can even get her kitchen favourites at www.stappu.com/daily.

Just make sure you don’t mess things up and make her work double!

2.  Clean your own room: For once, just once, give those cobweb-ridden walls a spin of new look and let that spider pet of yours make a new home somewhere else. Do your own laundry and (is it one or two spoons of washing detergent required?) try to avoid your room to make mess by itself.

Placing a heap of clothes from one place to another is NOT cleaning!

3. Gift her fuzzy slippers: Maybe a bad idea if she loves to run to and fro during her work time but once she puts them on, look at the content smile on her face due to its fuzziness. 

Just try to avoid getting hit by those very same slippers!

4.  Gift her a fluffy pillow: Heaven knows you are a headache. If your mom has not said this before to you, I am quite sure she has said that in her mind 100 times. Well, fear not. Do you know what helps during a headache? The answer is a good sleep. And she can get that if you gift her a good, fluffy pillow. 

Make sure the pillow doesn’t make her more cranky or your sleep will get deprived!

5. Bake her something: Of all the things you can do, try your hand (if you ever done cooking before, that is) in making something edible for her. Preferably, a good breakfast can set the mood good and you might be able to get in her good graces for some future situation.

Just don’t burn the kitchen down!

Too lazy to plan anything, here you go: www.stappu.com/sparkles. Pre-order some customized Mother’s Day goodies for her to eat. She might share a slice with you. It is a win win!

[stappu]

Food Popups

Raise your hands if you have ever been to a food pop-up or even heard of one. Food pop-up is a new fad that is making rounds on the streets of Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore. 

One of the most astounding concepts to be ever influenced from the Western cultures, food pop-ups present food ardents with an elegant culinary experience. For all the food enthusiasts out there, the thought of having a freshly prepared food from the person on the other side of the kitchen is simply an intimate feeling.

There is always something new under the sun to experience. That’s the beauty of it. Food events offer the mob to taste something unique. Studies have shown that food enthusiasts are more prone to sharing their unique pop-up dining adventures than a regular time at a restaurant. And who wouldn’t? With the high cost of maintaining a regular restaurant out of the way and chefs own freedom to concoct the cuisine they want, food popups are truly a blessing to everyone involved.

The venues are never specific or permanent. It’s the spontaneity factors that play a major role. Wherever the pop-ups are, people will throng to try something new or the usual with new dining concept. Just the idea of a food event happening at any place and at any given time is enough to keep a food fanatic excited. Apart from the chefs displaying their talents, pop-ups showcase the variety in the cuisine styles and help to gain new culinary experiences.

Some of the most popular pop-ups that have taken place in Mumbai in this past year are:

1. Taste the Game (Stappu) at House of Tales Gallery, Kala Ghoda

2. Bombay Local at Khar Gymkhana

3. The Olive Summer Souk at The Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bandra West

4. Don’t Give a Fork at Road House Bluez, Andheri

5. The Local at St Joseph’s High School, Juhu

[stappu]

When Food and Art combine...

'Food is energy for the body and Art is the tonic for the soul.’

The most primal of human instincts is survival. Every action or reaction by man can be traced to the most basic of human nature and needs - to eat and thus, to survive. Food is not just the most basic form of sustenance but for us humans, is also the most primitive form of comfort. 

Over time, as we progressed, with our highly developed intellect (and opposable thumbs?) it simply wasn’t enough to satisfy the need of our bodies but also that of our colossal minds. Along with the nourishment required to keep one hale and hearty, there was a constant hunger for satiating the human soul with reason, philosophy, science and most of all Art (quite contrary to the pabulum that is so widely available today). Art, some would even argue, is simply logic, philosophy and science written in the language of our soul. In my opinion, Art is beyond that. It is the extension of the soul, a missing jigsaw piece that is ever yearning to return to its origin and complete the void. 

Ever had that inexplicable feeling when you look at a great painting, or listen to that perfect melody or read the most meaningful lyric? That is your abstract mind quenching its thirst and, albeit momentarily, being supremely satisfied. That is a moment of calm, balance and peace. It the amalgamation of Art and your Soul. 

So, how do Food and Art combine? Food is a basic necessity, common to us all and Art is a luxury, where individuality and personal preference define its very existence. However, our reaction to even a basic necessity as food slowly transforms into emotional fulfillment when it helps satiate senses beyond our taste. Art is defined by the ability to arouse emotion and for many of us nothing gets us as excited before and as satisfied after as food. Not just any type of food but one which is aesthetically pleasing and passionately created. In short, a bowl of bland gruel or a large blueberry cheesecake will both quite easily fulfill our basic needs of nourishment, maybe the gruel will be better. However only the blueberry cheesecake will arouse the sense of joy and craving when seen and then the sense of satisfaction after being devoured. That is when food is Art. And that is how you, through one masterstroke, satiate the body, mind and soul!

At Stappu, we constantly make an effort to discover Artists who are passionate, creative and talented enough to create culinary marvels that transcend the conventional notion of food. We then encourage them to express themselves without restraint to help satisfy the craving, both body and mind, of every gourmand or gastronomic enthusiast. It is what we’re passionate about because we wouldn’t have it ourselves any other way!

Discover how food and Art combine in the most unique and eclectic way at www.stappu.com

[stappu]

The Art of Tilt-shift Photography

I am sure you have seen some unrealistic photos which look like toys or miniatures but yet somehow they are not and its the actual thing. If you think those photos are out of this world, then welcome to the club! This unique technique of capturing photographs in such a fashion is termed as Tilt-shift Photography.

The operation of manoeuvring the camera is such that a life size object or a location creates an illusion of miniature scale version is downright amazing! The selective focus of a scene and playing (read: working) with it so that the necessary subject is controlled and given a perspective of being something else creates an euphoria of looking at the everyday stuff in a new light.

Flickr has many awesome photographers who have clicked pictures using Tilt-shift technique that you can spend the whole day looking at those mesmerising pictures and still wouldn’t feel like you wasted your day. Since we don’t have all day to waste I have got you 10 of the amazing photographs. Enjoy and if you think there are more, send it in! We are all about the Arts.

By Bishta

By Lorenzo Baldini

By Photo Sonntags

By Tom Karlo

By Mike Steinhoff

By manuel scandal

By Jorge Puente

By Ray Chang

By Ignacio Lázaro

By Christophe CHAIX

[stappu]

‘Tis the Season of Easter

Let there be peace in your hearts and pockets full of sweets to indulge on this Easter Sunday. As Janine di Giovanni said, “Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.” 

A very Happy Easter to all you beautiful people.

[stappu]

The Festival of Colours

Holi. A festival which adds colour to our life, quite literally. The vibrant colours, the cacophony of Bollywood songs and the mouth-watering aroma of garam pakodas herald the spring in the most enthralling manner. Ahh, those sweet memories of throwing dazzling colours, water spewing pichkaaris (Indian water guns) and, of course, the scrumptious delights fills the heart with nostalgia.

By legend, Holi is a celebration of the victory of good over evil, but over the time it has begun to embody the celebration of life itself and how joy and love is the unifying factor for all humanity, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or nationality.

So here’s a shout out to YOU (yes you, the one who’s the bystander from the high balcony, the spectator from the ramparts, the spoilsport - the ‘one who does not play’) and also a carefully compiled list of things required for a Holi celebration:

Bhaang: Come on, you knew this was going to be the first one on the list. The exhilarating, edible drink comprising milk, dry fruits, sugar, spice and cannabis, is what keeps the dance going on even after you have exhausted every move from Michael Jackson to Mithun. The drink itself is like a backpack of energy that you can carry around with you all day!

Sweets: Diet or keeping fit is not a concern on this day when there are delicious sweets all around. How can you possibly celebrate life if you’re conscious about what goes into your belly. Worry about that gym session tomorrow! After all, a wise man once said, ‘A waist is a terrible thing to mind.’

Colours: Colours are like temporary tattoos that are proof of the fact that you either had a ball celebrating the festival or were a sitting duck for most of the revellers (or maybe both!). Dazzling red, bright yellow or sombre blue, every one of them decorates your body in an artistic and vivacious way. More the colour, more the fun. Remember to wash off the colour behind your ear, though!

Friends: What is a Holi celebration without your best pals? Smearing a coruscating combination of colours till their faces are unrecognisable and then hoping the colour doesn’t wash off easily is probably the best part of the day!

Clothes: This is the day when the most outrageous shirts and trousers come out from the wee corners of your wardrobe. It’s like Narnia except the magical land entered into this side of the wardrobe! Be it the 8 year old favourite shirt you just cannot part with (even though you’ve outgrown it several times over) or the hawaiian print shirt your uncle brought back from his vacation at an island, these fabrics have memories attached to them which just cannot be washed off!

So this Holi, Stappu truly hope you have unforgettable memories of vivid colours and mouth-watering treats! 

[stappu]

5 Food Etiquettes Debunked by Stappu Misfits

Food. The ultimate source of power for all the Stappu Misfits. A successful day at work depends on what food we got for pre-lunch, lunch and post-lunch. 

And lunch at a workplace comes with certain rules and regulations which, needless to say, should be followed. But we like to live dangerously, sometimes. So here are the 5 myths which we successfully debunked at Stappu.

1. Being Healthy Is Important

2. Playing it Cool When Food Arrives

3. Less is More

4. Eat Conservatively

5. Desserts Must Be a Small Portion

Which of these food etiquettes you threw out the window when you saw that cheese-dripping slice of your favourite pizza? Let us know in the comments.

[stappu]

Latte Art

Coffee. One of the best things ever discovered  by mankind. In my opinion, coffee has become one of the elemental things to survive the day. Even just the floating aroma can work magic on the people. 

The mythical land of Internet has coffee memes more than I could count. With the advent of modern technology and the ability to exchange otherwise mundane daily routines on the web, the internet has sparked a whole new love and addiction for coffee. Coffee memes are extremely popular on the world wide web and are probably the joie de vivre for most coffeephiles.

Coffee. The one true gift of nature that has, over time, become an essential part of everyday life in many cultures, across continents. Even the complex, robust aroma and the varied taste can end up being a balm for the mind and a spark for the soul. Whether it is the morning officegoer, the much-in-love sunset couple, the midnight oil burning student or the all-day always on call mom, nothing quite spells a break or rejuvenation like a hot cuppa.

So coffee has various styles catering to differing preferences and palates. What might come as a surprise is not just the countless varieties of coffee but also the Art behind the many concoctions involving the wholesome bean. For e.g. the ‘latte’, quite popular amongst urban folk across the world, is “A coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk.” according to Wikipedia.

The recent generation has come to love designs and patterns, no matter how abstract, in their day-to-day life. Be it a form of graffiti or clothing, there are several forms of Art which  have  their own elegance and beauty in our society. One of them is latte art. Have you ever had the pleasure of an intricate design on the top of your coffee drink? If the answer’s ‘Yes’ then you are one of the lucky ones. The form of Art fabricated by pouring steamed milk into an espresso is beyond beautiful. There are so many techniques and how-to videos (if you are thinking of giving it a shot) that I have exhausted half a day’s work just by looking at those tutorials. Suddenly it has filled me with tremendous respect for every Barista.

Did you know?

There’s a World Latte Art Championship managed by World Coffee Events happening every year which accentuates the artistic impression of barista in an on-demand performance.Since 1980s, the art form created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso, or so called latte art, has been widely welcomed within the modern society, which thirsts for elegance and beauty. With the strong need of the society, the Baristas, coffeehouse bartenders, have sought for creativity and evolution for the latte art since then, resulting in plethora of patterns and even variants in the industry.

[stappu]

Molecular Gastronomy

Ever heard of Carbonated Mojito Spheres, Cocktail in Ice Sphere or Rainbow Foam? No, they are not the names for some alien food style. What if I told you that they are some of the instances of the Molecular Gastronomy? The term was mentioned just once in the previous blog of Gastronomy (if you have not read that yet, give it a try) mainly for the reason that this term, ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ can take you far down the rabbit hole than intended.

The textbook definition says food science is the study of  the chemical composition of food and food ingredients. And even though that’s accurate, I feel there’s more to it than just the sciency-stuff composition. The interest in food science has grown quite exponentially in the recent years and I think the reason for this is the growing conscious of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, one can argue that the reason for such awareness can be people’s curiosity for endeavouring innovative culinary creations. Several distinguished chefs have now embraced molecular gastronomy to conceive peculiar dishes which will make you feel like you are in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie.

The fundamental concept of understanding Molecular Gastronomy is what the physical and the chemical changes the food undergoes through when it’s getting cooked. The best part is, if one utilizes the principles of physics, chemistry and biology systematically, one can create some of the scrumptious foods in a surreal artistic way. Yup, the possibilities are endless if one chose the style of cuisine which embraces molecular gastronomy.

[stappu]

Gastronomy

Has it happened to you that the moment your brain registers the word ‘Gastronomy’, pictures of fine food with intricate designing starts their slideshow? If it does, then it's good to know that I am not alone in this. Here I was, googling and salivating after artistic pictures of food and the culinary techniques involved. 

The pictures switched on the Research Mode in my brain and I went full throttle with whatever I could unearth. To put it simply, gastronomy is a fusion of fine food and art. It comprises of discovering new cuisine styles and sublime cooking techniques. Incorporating nutritional factors (which is a very necessary factor at the present time for a healthy lifestyle), gastronomy involves understanding food preparation and palatable applications.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The science behind the gastronomy is what fascinates me more. The exquisite fine food preparation technique which borderlines between the nutritional value and the cultural ethics on a broad level is beyond artistic. Still with me? Good. Now what's really going to bake your noodles is that when you delve into the depths of gastronomy, the techniques take a drastic turn into introducing chemical knowledge with scientific principles to fine food preparation. This technique is termed as Molecular Gastronomy which will have its own separate blog post.

I could go on with the post but let’s skip to the good part where you and me, we both can salivate after some bizarre yet mind blowing dishes and hope to taste it some day. As Marco Pierre White said, “Gastronomy is the greatest form of therapy that anyone can be exposed to.”