A greater part of the success of Bonsoir was not only its content, but also the healthy interaction we had with our viewers across the country. Those were the early days of television in Sri Lanka when mobile phones, text messages, and live streaming seemed like they were out of another planet. Our extra communication tools were confined to letters and postcards.
With Le Galadari Méridien one of our sponsors, we hit upon the idea of presenting a monthly component called “French Cuisine on Bonsoir”. The chef at the Méridien at that time was Emile Castillo who graciously welcomed us to his kingdom – the kitchen of what is today’s California Grill. Emile’s assistant at that time was the talented dancing chef Anushan Perera, who today, quarter century later, is the boss of the same domain.
Our rendezvous with French cuisine was early on a Saturday morning when the restaurant was empty and we had it all to ourselves. Being the gastronome she is, this was Yasmin Rajapakse’s speciality. I just tagged along to help in the filming and of course sample the finished product on camera.
Friday nights were heavy with dinners and Emile slept in the wee hours of the morning. But there he was up again, early on Saturday for his rendezvous with Bonsoir. A cold water shower and steaming cups of black coffee did the trick, we learnt.
Emile had all the ingredients cleaned, cut, chopped and presented in glass bowls which we laboriously filmed one by one. We then had to film the cooking process step-by-step to make editing easy. Poor Chintananda Abeysekera had it tough – creeping through tables and chairs, getting entangled in cables and avoiding getting his head hit by hanging pots and pans. Adding to the agony were the steam and vapour blurring the camera lenses, and, his spectacles. He was such a martyr. Or rather we made him one.
Bonsoir also filmed with Chefs Max Huftier, Antoine Rodriguez at Le Galadari Méridien and Chef Augustus de Hoedt at the Ramada Renaissance (now Cinnamon Lakeside). And with them, Yasmin took Bonsoir’s viewers on a gastronomic tour through different parts of France and through different genres of cuisine. Among the more popular ones were:
- Pommes duchesse: A seasoned purée of mashed potato and egg which is forced from a piping bag or hand-moulded into various shapes and baked until golden
- Coq au Vin: Simply chicken (it used to be a rooster) that is marinated and cooked in wine
- Ratatouille: Sautéed vegetables, including eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions
- Salade Niçoise: Typically made with tuna, tomatoes, bell peppers, and anchovies along with a very generous splashing of olive oil, this salad is so substantial that it can even be enjoyed as a main dish
- Bouillabaisse: A richly flavoured seafood soupy stew made with olive oil and many different kinds of freshly caught fish
- Pot au Feu: Slow boiled beef and vegetables
- Cassoulet: A very hearty slow cooked dish of white beans and various meats, maybe duck confit or sausage
- Mousse au chocolat: Chocolate mousse bien sur
- Tarte Tatin: An upside down apple tart, supposedly first made by the legendary Tatin sisters
- Créme brûlée: A cream dessert topped with hard caramelised sugar
- Mille feuilles: Several layers of puff pastry, typically filled with pastry cream
- Éclairs and profiteroles: Popular treats made from choux pastry, a special sort of dough made with lots of eggs, flour, water and butter