Texas does not give an impression as an obvious fine dining destination. At least the impression the most famous Texan gives when he entertains heads of state at his ranch at Crawford, the menu is depressingly mundane, dishes like southern fried chicken appear to predominate, wholesome and unsophisticated, much in keeping with the Cowboy image, George Bush seeks to cultivate. However, fortunately, there is another aspect to Texas and Texan cuisine and that is what is broadly termed 'South Western Cooking'. The creator of this cooking was in Bombay recently, Mr. Stephen Pyles from Dallas, the chef of the Landmark Restaurants, "Aqua Knox" as well as the Pan-Asian restaurant known as "Fish Bowl". He has been conscious of Indian cooking for sometime having tried some in New York restaurants and was anxious to come and try some of the more interesting dishes and regional specialties.

"I am trying to bring up the level of Texan cuisine, through making it a little more sophisticated, a little more creative, a little healthier for today's palate. Just because you do not find foie gras in Tamales in Mexico doesn't mean that it doesn't work and you cannot fuse these flavours".

The visit of someone of the stature of Pyles is a reminder of the extent to which India now is beginning to figure on the radar of the world gastronomic scene. This is for various reasons. Perhaps, not only because of the range of our fine dining restaurants, but because of the increasing attraction of our masalas, our cooking methods, Indian cooking is becoming "sexy". This was certainly not the case in America, a country which has been most resistant to the allure and charm of Indian cooking, but such is the momentum of globalization that all variety of ingredients and tastes are being experimented with, causing chefs with some sensitivity to reach the source of the inspiration. I asked Chef Pyles about his previous experiences of Indian cooking and he remarked that he had eaten some Indian food in New York and London, and enjoyed it.

Pyles is a reminder of the extent to which regions in the US do matter, the country is massive and covers different climate zones, this fact hugely influences the nature of the cuisine at least that part of it that is not fast food and mass produced. Pyles is a fifth generation Texan, and what he has done with what is termed 'South Western Cooking' is, by all accounts, highly remarkable. He is the author of books such as The new Texas Cuisine, Tamales and New Tastes, and almost single-handedly brought together different traditions, flavours to create a subtle, creative and healthy cuisine. When asked to describe what his food is, he started by stating the importance of maintaining the regional integrity and authenticity. He then pondered "What is authenticity in American? It's such a fusion of so many kinds of foods, from European to Mexican to Native American …" I thought it best to press him on Texan cuisine, and he admitted that there was much influence from Mexico (Not, of course, the truly evil tex-mex), but the basics are there. As he elaborated "I am trying to bringing it up a level, through making it a little more sophisticated, a little more creative, a little healthier for today's palate. Just because you do not find foie gras in Tamales in Mexico doesn't mean that it doesn't work and you cannot fuse these flavours".

The interesting aspect of his cuisine is the extent to which he feels the need to go back into history, involving himself into gastronomic archeology the grand era of Texas, (perhaps, the time of the evil St. Ana who got his comeuppance at least Hollywood style at the hands of John Wayne) and to recreate dishes with modern touch. He confesses that if his cuisine is to be described in one sentence, "it is a cross between French and Mexican". When I asked him where he would like to eat, his own favourite restaurant or chef, his icon is the technical wizard of French hauté cuisine, Alain Ducasse, and, of course, the city is Paris. The other place and restaurant he adores, is one in Lima in Peru, Rafaels (the ingredients are truly awesome), particularly the Ceviche.

What intrigued me most in discussing with Chef Pyles was his idea for creating Indian tapas, and I mean South Asian Indian is distinct from Red Indian. If Anthony Bourdain raved about the Vada Pao, as the great gastronomic experience of Bombay, there are any number of items we take for granted, ranging from the iconic onion bhajia or pakora, to the kachori or chaat which can usefully be repackaged as a form of tapas. The possibilities are endless. Chef Pyles agreed with me that we are witnessing the graceful demise of the traditional entrée, and its replacement with finger food, tapas and all manner of lounge food. We wish Chef Pyles every success with his new venture.