Inktober 2022: How this Punekar is creating unique dishes influenced by the annual art challenge

Neither is Pranav Joshi a trained chef or has done a course in the culinary arts nor is he a professional artist but what the Punekar does know is the art of storytelling. It is this very skill that he is using to combine his love for food and art to make what he likes to call "Inktober-influenced food". He does it by using the daily prompts some of which have included words such as ‘gargoyle', ‘eagle', ‘forget' and even some of the most unimaginable words like ‘booger' and Joshi has a plan for that too.

After 18 days, Joshi's Instagram account called @floydiancookery is a colourful grid of food swatches that will only make you watch them all. From a Victorian Sandwich for ‘gargoyle' to a Crème Brulee for ‘flame' and even a colourful Kaju Gulkand Laddoo for ‘bouquet' - his account is a visual treat not only for those who love food videos but also art because every single one of them has a thought behind it - you may not get some at first but if you scratch your head, the answer is definitely there for you.

So, what really inspired this series? Interestingly, even before he attempted Inktober, Joshi had cooked 25 dishes in one day for Onam in 2021. The dedicated art project seemed like the next big challenge for him to take on and that's how it started in 2021. "I always like fun challenges and keep taking them up from time to time. I had first given this an attempt last year. My girlfriend was doing Inktober and she was the one who actually inspired me to do the challenge. I thought - how can I mix cooking with this? Since people use these prompts to sketch, I decided to cook with them and then sketch what I cook at the end of the day. I did not post videos, I just did a few stories here and there," he shares.

However, this year was different because the universe had other plans for the freelance creative professional from the neighbouring city. Memories of last year's work and planning popped up mid-September on his social media, and just like that he brought a whole plan to life that was not only cooking. Since, his videography and photography skills have improved, he decided to put out videos because that is the medium people are consuming these days. One must remember that Inktober has daily prompts so that would mean a herculean task to do 31 videos in 31 days. Interestingly, Joshi is a different breed when it comes to something he is passionate about. Being a sucker for Microsoft Excel, he has planned and detailed every one of them on a sheet, that he refers to everyday, but may change if he finds something better or something doesn't work out like he would have thought.

Storytelling with Inktober
Now, food and Inktober aren't alien combinations. For the uninitiated, the Inktober challenge was started in 2009 by American artist Jake Parker as an attempt to improve his own skills and develop positive drawing habits. The personal challenge became so popular that it became a worldwide annual ritual for artists and like-minded people around the world. Ever since then, many people have gone on to pick their own themes through areas of interest and many of them have included food. The artist simply picks 31 dishes or items to illustrate every day of the month, and that too has become really popular over time.

However, Joshi didn't want to do the same thing and instead took it a step further. "Unlike other people, I use the prompts to make different dishes from them. Every morning, I put out a story on my social media to tell people about the prompt and ask them what dish they would make with it," shares Joshi.

The 27-year-old uses not only social media to tell his story but also his YouTube channel by the same name, to share the videos which he works on daily. "I have become better at shooting, creating, editing videos and even at cooking. Since a lot of people love watching videos more than anything it seems like the best medium to use to engage with them", adds the freelancer, who tells us that he works for as much as 18 hours on the concept every day but loves every part of it. This doesn't come as a surprise because on the day we speak to him, he has just returned from the gurudwara, which is the inspiration behind the prompt ‘kind'.

Such is his love for challenges that Joshi even made his own cutting board in the process before taking up this challenge. It came about after he couldn't find the right size in India - they were either too small or foreign-made expensive ones. Now, he does all of this in his kitchen and clearly over the last one and a half year since he started the page in May 2021, he has over 8,900 followers on Instagram.

Quizzing, art and Inktober
However, the Inktober challenge isn't limited to just food and art inspired by the prompts. Feeding his love for storytelling, Joshi, who has been an avid quizzer since he was a child also shares nuggets of interesting facts about different ingredients and dishes he makes. "I have always loved quizzing so it just came naturally to share interesting facts about the dishes I am creating," he adds. These stories and posts put up by the Punekar on his page not only include facts but also trivia, science, tips and jokes, the last of which is also the reason why he started the page in the first place after his friend told him he couldn't do much with milk.

In today's day and age, it is a known fact that unique concepts automatically stand out and one like this that not only involves food but art is definitely a winner, especially because of the idea behind it. So, it is no surprise when Joshi tells us that he is also going through a learning curve while doing what he does. "I'm learning about writing, scripts, storyboarding, cooking, the recipes coming up with new combinations, dishes that I haven't hadn't heard before." It is evident he says when one looks at the first video, he puts up to the latest that has been uploaded - the shots tying up with the music, lighting and camera angles.

Ask Joshi if he plans on ever creating a limited-edition menu or pop-up at a venue in Mumbai, and he is quick to say no. Having done it once previously, the Punekar says he doesn't see value in it. For him, the value is making videos that will make people engage with it. It is an aspect that he has seen ever since he started his page. The constant engagement has led him to build a community that engages with him very often, and as many as 150-200 followers for this series. Even through his busy schedule, the Pune local says he replies to each and every one of them because connecting with them is what makes him happy. "I engage with them because I get to meet and learn so much. One person told me how they make a dish from Kathmandu for the particular day's prompt. I had no clue that the dish even existed, and got to learn about it from them," concludes Joshi, who gears up to shoot his videos for the rest of Inktober the next day.

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