(From top) Chef Shaun Kenworthy at a cookery workshop at INOX City Centre; figurines to be showcased at an exhibition by Nimble Fingers at Academy of Fine Arts; actor Arjun Chakraborty and family tuck into a Sunday brunch at Starstruck. Pictures by Rashbehari Das and Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Frills, trimmings, the little extras that make a package perfect. That’s what chef Shaun Kenworthy of Flurys whipped up before an enthused crowd at INOX City Centre on Tuesday, thrilled to learn the tricks of the confectionery trade.

The basic sponge cakes had been prepared before hand to avoid “setting off fire alarms” at the multiplex, leaving the stage free for the special culinary effects with the ever-favourite chocolate, of course, taking the cake.

“Being anniversary week for INOX, we wanted to do something for our female patrons ? something different and interactive. So we decided on tips straight from a master confectioner’s mouth,” said a spokesperson for the Salt Lake entertainment destination.

It worked. Women of all ages ? and a few men ? lapped up the lesson.

The workshop kicked off with a blackcurrant cake, lying plain and bare on Shaun’s “turntable”.

The first step was to spread some blackcurrant jam ? which could be replaced with blueberry, raspberry or any other fruit flavour ? over a cake. White chocolate sticks were placed carefully all around it with a ribbon adding the final touch.

The chocolate sticks, too, can be made at home, by rolling melted chocolate around a marble mould.

The next cake was a chocolate one with butter cream (a mixture of white butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar). The finishing touches here included white and dark chocolate that had been melted and set into squares to create a marble look.

Cocoa powder was deftly sprinkled using the back of a spoon. Chocolate fans, white meringues and a gel made of melted chocolate and glucose to lend sheen completed the creation.

The almond sponge cake was produced next. Whipped cream was dabbed over it, after which Shaun showed how to make it neater by wrapping a piece of paper around it and gliding it over the cream. It was dressed up with dark chocolate sticks, the marble-look squares and cocoa.

Another chocolate cake using biscuits and a tiered “romantic wedding cake” was demonstrated to an audience surprised at how easy the magic can be ? or how effortless an expert can make it all look.

Craft cry

Glazed terracotta utensils, buffalo-horn salt-and-pepper shakers, handmade paper files with terracotta embellishments, Thanka and Madhubani prints ? utilitarian craft and art purely for art’s sake will be showcased at the Academy of Fine Arts from June 23.

Organised by Nimble Fingers, an NGO, the Vibrant Summer exhibition has brought together craftspeople from various parts of Bengal.

The annual exhibition, in its second year now, seeks to provide a platform for talented artists.

The participating artists feel that it is difficult for individuals to organise exhibitions, welcoming endeavours like this one.

Nimble Fingers spearhead Shyamashree Sen feels craftspeople need to reorient themselves and use their skill to fashion utilitarian products in order to make it more commercially viable.

“Most people live in small apartments these days and can’t afford to stock up on any artefact that catches their fancy,” said Sen. So creative expressions that come to good use are the perfect solution.

The artists themselves could not be more aware of the changing times. Still, they continue to create beautiful masks, figurines and paintings from terracotta, dokra, handmade paper and more, as well as catering to the demands of the hour. Not just notepads and the like; some are even factoring in technology. One has even made a charming handmade-paper CD box.

If Bengal handicrafts are lagging behind, the artisans put at least some of the blame on the state government.

“People are hardly aware about Bengal’s pata paintings, whereas Rajasthani crafts and Bastar bell metal work is world famous. That’s because the governments in those states has promoted the crafts, attracting export orders,” said one artist.

The craftsmen are also trying to promote their products as the environment-friendly option. Handmade paper is wood-free and is recycled from cotton and vegetable waste to make folders, files, notebooks and bags.

More exotica is available in water hyacinth paper products, a material which resembles tussar.

The most charming display of the exhibition is a line of figurines of gods and goddesses carved out of bathing soaps by a mentally-challenged craftsman, Shubro Banerjee.

Brunch bites

If you slept through Sunday breakfast and are in the mood for a laid-back midday bite, head to Starstruck in Forum. The restaurant on the fourth floor has just begun to lay out a Sunday brunch buffet.

Start off with a variety of salads including Tossed Salad, Italiano Salad, Russian Salad and Tangy Chicken Salad. The main course is a mix-and-match of items like Lamb Valancia, Goan Fish Curry, Kadhai Paneer, Ginger Coriander Noodles, Dal Makhani and Mixed Vegetables in Schezwan Sauce.

Afterwards, spoil your sweet tooth with Starstruck Gulabjamun, Peach Cheesecake, Chocolate Walnut Brownie with vanilla ice cream.

The buffet, available between noon and 4 pm every Sunday, comes at Rs 299 for adults and Rs 199 for kids, plus taxes, with a beer, vodka or soft drink thrown in.