Meet your host Nenu at her beautiful house located on top of a lake in a gated, golfing community of San Diego. Sip on a refreshing drink as your host shares stories about life in San Diego. Then join Nenu at her open kitchen to learn to cook an Indian fusion meal blending traditional flavors with a modern twist. Watch your host prepare 2-3 dishes from scratch during your cooking demonstration which will last about 2 hours. After Nenu prepares your meal, enjoy it together at her dining table or outdoors, weather permitting. On days they are available, Nenu’s husband and children may join you at the table. Your menu includes three courses - an appetizer, a main and dessert. For an appetizer, you might try black pepper and cumin flavored pork served in tacos made from dosa batter with pickled onions and radishes and for the main, enjoy a tandoori chicken or mint fish bowl that includes spinach rice, a drizzle of mint sauce and sautéed spiced vegetables. Your meal concludes with a dessert such as rice pudding or vanilla, saffron and mango kulfi (Indian ice-cream).
If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Nenu will pair your meal with two glasses of wine or a craft beer.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Appetizer: Black pepper and cumin pork dosa tacos with pickled vegetables or Cauliflower tacos with raitaMain: Tandoori chicken/fish bowl with spinach rice and mint sauce or Yellow lentils and paneer tikkaDessert: Saffron, mango and vanilla kulfiNenu is an avid traveler who will walk the extra mile to find the most authentic place to eat, whether it’s a hole-in-the-wall or a Michelin-starred restaurant. Nenu belongs to a cooking club in her neighborhood where friends choose a cookbook and each person cooks a recipe from the book for a fun potluck. A self-taught cook, Nenu’s love for eating drove her to learn to cook. Nenu is excited to entertain people from around the world at her dining table and for those interested, can recommend the best places to eat in San Diego.
"Our experience with Nenu was absolutely fantastic! Truly exceeded expectations! Her home is gorgeous, her garden is incredible and her cooking is masterful! Due to COVID my partner and I have been unable to travel. Going to Nenu's was the most authentic cultural experience we could have had. She is so kind, knowledgeable and welcoming. We loved everything we learned from her and hope to cook some of these dishes at home from now on! Thank you for everything Nenu!"
"All aspects of this experience were flawless and memorable!!!! Nenu is a talented culinary lady. Her knowledge and passion for sharing Indian Cuisine, history, ingredients etc was an enjoyable journey. The reward was enjoying the delicious meal we had prepared, along with a new friendship!"
"All aspects of this experience were flawless and memorable!!!! Nenu is a talented culinary lady. Her knowledge and passion for sharing Indian Cuisine, history, ingredients etc was an enjoyable journey. The reward was enjoying the delicious meal we had prepared, along with a new friendship!"
"Nenu is nice and friendly. She is very into cooking and good food. The home is gorgeous and immaculate and sits on a hill above a lake. The garden and how she uses it in her cooking was probably one of my favorite parts. Nenu used uncommon items like curry leaves and Indian basil from her garden along with access to numerous herbs, fruits and plants. She introduced us to fragrant and unique spices like onion seeds. We talked a lot about different Indian regions and how that influenced the flavors and food. Nenu markets herself as possibly Indian fusion and the first dish – an Indian pork taco was fantastic. The pork was juicy and flavored well with Indian spices and topped with pickled onions and cilantro. This was wrapped by dosa. The second dish was herbed Tilapia with basmati rice and Indian potatoes and was very flavorful. Dessert, vanilla ice cream with saffron and cardamom was delicious. We finished with some good chai. Overall a very good experience. "
