Aviator Vijaypat Singhania, flush with the triumph of having completed his MI 70K, a world-record high-altitude solo flight in a hot-air balloon, descended majestically at the World Trade Centre on December 2, to inaugurate the UpperCrust Show 2005. Assisted by UpperCrust Editor Farzana Contractor in popping the champagne, he was suprised to find himself sharing centrestage and spotlight with Bollywood hunk Salman Khan, just back from a hectic shoot in Delhi. An extra glass was called for. But Salman, ever the gentleman, and an actor high on life, politely declined the champagne and asked for a glass of water instead! That was how the UpperCrust Show got off to its rocking start. Salman, looking deliciously irresistible like so many of the foodie goodies temptingly laid out in the food stalls, was all rippling muscles in a tight T-shirt and jeans. And Dr Singhania, who had shed considerable weight to undertake his record-breaking flight, looked elegant himself, stylishly attired in a silk kurta-pyjama. He rubbed his hands in great delight once the lamp had been lit and the champagne poured, then charmingly said, �The reason why I accepted Farzana�s invitation to be here was that I knew I would get great food here...after my starvation diet of three months!�

and jeans. And Dr Singhania, who had shed considerable weight to undertake his record-breaking flight, looked elegant himself, stylishly attired in a silk kurta-pyjama. He rubbed his hands in great delight once the lamp had been lit and the champagne poured, then charmingly said, �The reason why I accepted Farzana�s invitation to be here was that I knew I would get great food here...after my starvation diet of three months!� All our out-of-Bombay readers who could not be there, we hope you�ll get a taste of the food extravaganza with this account, and thank you those who came from Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Dubai and Singapore�we were thrilled to have you at the show!

The UpperCrust Show put together a vertiable feast of food and food-related products in an exhibition that drew professionals from the hospitality and catering industry as well as people just curious and fascinated by the prospects of being in such an exciting setting.

Truly, the World Trade Centre played to capacity crowd over the UpperCrust Show weekend. Visitors shopped over the three days, they actually wined and dined at the food stalls, they took in the side shows, stomped grapes to make wine for Chateau Indage�s 2006 vintage, gawked at the celebrities, attended the chefs� demonstrations and sampled the food that was being cooked live before them. And in the end, when the curtain came down on the champagne event, a good time was had by all.

On the first day, there was Executive Chef Christopher Baker of the J.W. Marriott, Italian Chef Roberto Mancini from the Grand Hyatt and restaurateur Pinky Dixit, of the new vegetarian eatery Soam, who demonstrated what Gujarati cooking was all about. Executive Chef Joy Bhattacharya of the Hilton Towers concluded the cooking demonstrations at the Courtyard. At the Expo Centre, cookery book author Asha Khatau and nutritionist Dr Niti Desai held a workshop for healthy eating. This was followed by a chocolate-making workshop for children by the gorgeous chocolatier Zeba Kohli. Bombay�s Cocktail King, the colourful and versatile Eric Lobo, stirred his audience with one lesson after another on how to make cocktails and mocktails.

The star of the second day was undoubtedly celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor who floored his audience with a demonstration of cooking using Turkish hazelnuts as the main ingredient. Kapoor then made it a point to walk around the exhibition stalls and sample the goodies that some had to offer. But the day began with Shanaz Mahimtura, who spoke about designing dream kitchens and what they ought to have and not have. Later, Dr Bindu Sthalekar, the eminent dermatologist, told her audience what it took in food and diet to look and feel like Bombay�s champagne and caviar set of people. The last speaker was the popular restaurateur and caterer Amrish Arora of Fountain Caterers, who gave his appreciative audience tips on how to start a catering business.

Another star was the lovely Deepa Awchat who, along with her flamboyant husband Dr Suhas Awchat and a vibrant team of kitchen assistants and musicans, cooked some authentic and yummy Goan delicacies from the menu of her restaurant Goa Portuguesa. Incidentally, the restaurant celebrated its 17th anniversary that day, and a cake was cut and passed around to all!

On the last day at the Expo Centre, Czech Consul General, Dr Irena Krasnicka, took a fascinated audience through an audio-visual show on the cuisine and culture of her republic. While downstairs in the courtyard, Chef Farrokh Khambatta of Joss cooked up a storm by producing an incredible menu of six signature dishes before an amazed audience. Socialite Queenie Dhody, queen of style and entertaining and makeovers, spoke about the art of entertaining at the Expo Centre. And Gurlein Manchanda, the chic wedding planner, talked about celebration event management. Pooja Raheja of Le Chocolat, the first lounge in India dedicated to the experience of chocolate, made �Choctails�.

Downstairs, Chef Harpreet Kaur of Taj�s Masala Kraft cooked Indian food before a hungry audience at lunch time. She was followed in quick succession by the multi-talented Italian chef, Dezio Dario of the InterContinental whose cooking and cuisine is exactly as it was back home when he left Sicily 16 years ago. Moshe Shek, donning apron and chef�s toque, stepped into the courtyard to bring the cookery demonstrations to a classical finish.

The product stalls at the UpperCrust Show were a great hit. There was Everest Masala, R.R. Oomerbhoy, ITC selling its famous chutneys, preserves, biscuits and ready-to-cook meals, Olive Tree Trading was selling olive oil and pasta sauces, Manama Farms and Foods had a selection of jams and squashes, and Bectors Food Specialities was selling a range of ready-to-cook masalas.

There was wine too: Chateau Indage, Grover Wines and a diet whisky from McDowells, all offering free sampling. There were also a number of chocolate and confectionary caterers�By The Way Restaurant, Not Just Desserts, Home Chef, Z. Chocolate, Fantasie Chocolates, Sweet World, Le Chocolat, Sweet Bengal, and M & N Chocolates.

Anyone looking for a digestive could taste the pickles at the Rajasthan stall, the mukhwas, and the digestives from Jaipur. Coffee Board had eight varieties of coffee. One could also choose from Al Kabeer and Venky�s range of frozen foods or try some soya food, papads or oil-free snacks. There was some nice old furniture at the Old World Charms stall, pet products from Shake Hands, lots of tissue paper and kitchen rools, and kitchen appliances from kenstar and kitchen sinks from Franke India.

Among the rich fruits, there were California grapes, California prunes, American pears, Turkish hazelnuts, flavoured cranberries, and gourmet dates from Bateel. Visitors who spent a good hour browsing around the stalls got a quick bite at Kamat's chaat corner. The UpperCrust stall was right next door, pffering discounts on subscriptions and selling aprons, bags and coasters with recipes on them. At Rs 20 the bags were a real steal and were perfect way to carry your purchase! The women's India Trust showcased its range of hand-made products and linen, Prime Plasticware had some unusual utilities, and the two publisherrs, English Edition and Popular Prakashan, sold cookery books.

And the programme most eagerly looked forward to was Chateau Indage's grape-crushing event. It took Farzana Contractor to get the crowd to shead their footwear, roll up their pants, and leap in among the grapes!