A Flavor-Packed Adventure at Dome Pizzeria: Crafting Pizza Masterpieces with Hazel & Fabian

During one of the Food-explorers (Life class ) trip, I had the privilege of stepping into the culinary wonderland that is “Dome Pizzeria” in Surat, and what an experience it turned out to be! This was not merely about enjoying hot, freshly baked pizzas; it was about digging deep into the art of pizza-making—about learning how to make dough that is soft and crisp, sauce that is bold yet balanced, and toppings that sing in harmony. And I couldn’t have asked for better companions than Fabian. We were two self-proclaimed pizza connoisseurs whose enthusiasm turned every moment into a celebration of food.

The moment we pushed through the door into Dome Pizzeria, we were suddenly treated to the heavenly smell of dough freshly baked and melting mozzarella. The place was cozy and just seemed like we were stepping into a secret pizza haven in which the art of pizza-making is a form of sacred tradition. We were soon introduced to the pizza maestro who would lead us through the entire process, his hands moving with the practiced grace of someone who’d spent a lifetime perfecting the craft. Our eyes sparkled with curiosity, and then Fabian’s grin grew wider as he was already itching to get started.

Our journey began with pizza dough, the foundation of every great pizza. Who knew something so simple could be so transformative? Just flour, water, salt, yeast, and a drizzle of olive oil, yet the way these humble ingredients come together to create something magical is a true testament to the beauty of simplicity. The chef demonstrated the art of kneading, explaining the importance of every fold and turn, ensuring the dough would rise to perfection. I, ever the thorough one, was entranced by the fluidity of his movements. Fabian rolled up his sleeves and dived in with hands generously coated in flour while trying to replicate the technique.

As we worked the dough, it became crystal clear: making pizza is an exercise in patience and finesse. Each stretch was a step closer to creating something airy, light, and full of character. Once our dough had risen, the real fun ensued—the toppings. A rainbow of fresh ingredients spread out before us like a smorgasbord: the aromatic basil, plump heirloom tomatoes, zesty onions, and the pièce de résistance, creamy mozzarella. Fabian’s eyes lit up as he built a classic Margherita, layering cheese and basil with an almost reverent touch, while I went for a more avant-garde approach, combining briny olives and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The beauty of pizza-making is that its simplicity can be elevated to an art form, using just a handful of carefully chosen ingredients.

Now, we had prepared our pizzas and slid them into this burning hot oven full of eagerness. Every minute ticked away building the anticipation. The smell of cheese bubbling and dough crisping was enough to make one’s mouth water. The pizzas emerged with a gold color and bubbling inside, and we could hardly contain ourselves. The crust: perfect crispy-to-chewiness, the sauce a burst of tangy good, and then the toppings – oh, those toppings! It was the balance of flavors embodied. As we sat down to indulge in our fruits of labor, it all became clear to us: pizza is more than just a dish-it’s the celebration of the simple pleasures in life. That’s the joy of building something up from scratch, sharing it with the ones you love, and enjoying every bite.

For Fabian and I, that wasn’t making pizza; it was a moment of pure culinary bliss, a reminder of the joy that comes from the most uncomplicated of pleasures.

Art is for All!

Through this course of 8 days, I could confidently say that art has no limits, no boundaries! It definitely does not need a degree or requires you to be an expert.

Art is all about creativity, patience, focus and a lot of fun! It was quite an amazing journey where I got to try my hands on a few amazing art forms like Lipan, pottery, fabric painting, embroidery and more!

My most favorite form of art that I am taking back with me is Lipan art. Understanding the steps and processes of the art form, I also explored it further and made one to gift someone too.

I would love to be a part of this workshop the following year too.Th ank you to my facilitators Neha ma’am and Priyanka ma’am for giving this platform to explore different art forms.

MOMO Mania!

“There is nothing in this world that a plate of momos can’t fix.”

 

As a part of 7D food exploration workshop, we got an opportunity to activate and use all our senses to prepare a  delicious dish of Nepal, Momos. The inspiration came from our facilitator, Shahnaz ma’am, who came across a mother-daughter duo running a small-scale business delivering scrumptious momos to the localities of Delhi.

On the first day of our workshop, we got a chance to virtually meet with Nicole Juneja. She shared momo stories which were also her inspiration to start Momo Mood. She answered our questions about momo making and it was amusing to know that even she finds folding momos challenging!

After the guest speaker session, we were given time to research and come up with our own momo recipe. After a lot of brainstorming, the team decided to cook Tandoori momos, Paneer momos, Veg. momos, Fried momos, a variety of momo chutneys and also Thukpa soup.

Momos require delicate folding and shaping and since none of us had made it before we were initially skeptical about making so many momos for such a large group of people in such a short period of time (This was supposed to be lunch for 18 hungry tummies!). Once we got to it, surprisingly, things started to fall in place quite effortlessly- people started to take charge of their stations and soon there was so much action, energy and camaraderie that it made us realize that food truly is our common ground, a universal experience as said by James Beard.

We had less than 2 hours in hand to make delicious momos. All the momo enthusiasts started working looking out for the right ingredients, right spices, and bringing the right amount of flavors in their momo stuffing. Everybody showed their creativity in making momos of different shapes and sizes.

It was a lot of fun and enjoyment cooking and eating together. Together we were able to make the world’s best momos, chutney and thukpa (haha, atleast to us they were and will remain the most memorable ones ;)) !!! Just one of the merits of involving all 7 senses!

 

Emotions of,

Heta, Tabassum and all 7D explorers.

Mehman Nawazi Of Rander

 

Mehman Nawazi

 

Today we decided to explore the long-lost gem- Rander. I have been in Surat for the past 20 years, but this part of Surat was unknown and untouched by me despite its proximity to our school. We explored and visited the various beautiful heritage sites and charming architecture of Rander. The history of Surat and the stories associated with it brought history alive. It felt like we went back in time. The Jain and the Muslim community living together with many temples and mosques next to each other showed us how the people here lived peacefully and happily together despite what is otherwise believed to be the case. 

The people here were so generous and welcoming, including ‘Abbas bhai’ who from his busy schedule gave us almost 4 hours to help us explore the place. He was polite, soft spoken, smiling and sharing with us all the knowledge about the place. Taking extra efforts to get permissions for places which were otherwise out of reach for us. 

After all the walking, we were not just ready but really hungry for the aloo puri and khawsa that we were here for. So the next stop for us was ‘Nakhuda Nasta center’. The place was brimming with aroma and enticed our tastes buds and we were welcomed here with a warm smile. We were first shown the process of how they make these iconic dishes. He took us to the kitchen, showed the making and answered all the questions. Someone revealing their business secret is something I saw for the first time. 

And finally we ordered everything they had on the menu- Aane do!- alu puri, cheese aloo puri, egg aloo puri, chicken aloo puri, rainbow aloo puri, veg khawsa, chicken khawsa, egg khawsa! After eating to our hearts content we wanted to drink something. He was really kind to get us drinks from another shop. This seemed like a local fav- RimZim which was really refreshing and reminded us of our childhood days. Next on our list was hand churned ice cream! And not just one flavor, Abbasbhai got us 12 different flavors! When the plates arrived on our tables we were all love struck- the colors and creaminess..After eating so much we were pretty sure we won’t be able to finish it but when we looked around after 10 mins all the plates were licked clean! 

“Atithi Devo Bhava “

Something I have only heard since I was a child, I experienced today. 

This Mehman Nawazi of Rander blew our minds and made the humble experience of eating aloo puri and khawsa into an unforgettable memory. In Rander you get not just good food but also truly authentic human beings!
This is the end of the story

Regards,

Payal Jain