“Cooking was my calling”

Whenever we traveled and had to settle for a McDonald meal for lack of time or availability I would almost throw a tantrum as that was not my idea of a meal by a long shot. It was my love for food and keen interest in trying out new types of food all the time that got me interested in pursuing catering as a profession. This is the silver jubilee year of my enterprise — which I started with a passion for food, experimenting, daring and innovation.

An education in catering definitely helps one set the ground for a home-based business or one started on a grander scale. In the earlier days there was not much choice. An aspiring gourmet either went to the Sophia Polytechnic and got a diploma in catering or went to the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition at Dadar, like I did. Today you are spoilt for choice as there are several diploma and degree courses one can avail of in a number of institutes to earn a BSc or a BA in catering and even an MBA. There is ample opportunity and place in this stream for everyone.

On completing my course from the Dadar Institute I realized that cooking was my calling and decided to further enhance my skills. I enrolled for the Intermediate Cookery Course at the Cordon Bleu School in London which was very intensive and opened up a whole lot of new experiences and gave the necessary confidence to launch out in the field.

My training and expertise has been in Continental cooking, and desserts, so necessary to round off a good meal. It is very popular with the vegetarians too for everyone wants a couple of "fancy” dishes on the table.

It was in my parents’ house where I got all the support, encouragement and help to set up my kitchen and it is from there that I have been operating ever since, steadily expanding the facilities with new equipment and kitchen tools. Working from home definitely has its advantages by way of flexibility and organization of time. You have the freedom to be creative with no rules to be adhered to. You are your own boss. You can set your own standards of quality so long as you remember to stick by them. Once you have organized yourself by way of procuring ingredients and training your help then it moves very fast and you can make your working day very short. The other advantage, of course, is having your family to help you out. There are days when no number of hands are enough, forcing you to put to use any and everyone entering the kitchen, assigning them tasks.

As for clientele, it pretty much works by word-of-mouth publicity as no amount of advertising can prove your worth. The proverb, "The proof of the pudding lies in eating it” holds true here. Some of the best creations do come up when your clients tell you what ingredients to use and then give you a free hand to come up with something novel, beyond their expectations.

Occasionally you may have a client telling you "I ate this yesterday at a five star restaurant. Can you duplicate it?” That’s a challenge for you have to depend on the client’s description and understanding of the ingredients. I have also had customers saying, "We ate this in Switzerland and this in Paris. Can you replicate it?” You have to try your best to live up to their expectations. The faith reposed in you to recreate that dish is a sort of compliment and confidence in your abilities.

Food being so varied, everyone has their own perception of a dish with their own likes and dislikes for certain ingredients that may evoke some complaints. A customer may come up to you saying, "It was nice but…” The suggestions offered should be heard out most carefully for they can be very useful. You have to remember the customer is always right and be flexible in your dealings with them if you want them to be loyal to you. Cooking is very interactive and at the end of the day you have to make what the client wants to eat.

PINEAPPLE WALNUT LOAF

Cottage cheese (200 g)

Mayonnaise (200 ml)

Pineapple slices (400 g)

Walnuts (100 g)

Celery (100 g)

Gelatin (2 tbsp)

Pineapple juice (6 tbsp)

Blend together cheese and mayonnaise. Add chopped pineapple slices, finely chopped walnuts and chopped celery. Dissolve gelatin in pineapple juice and mix thoroughly into the mixture. Pour into a well greased mold and set in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Turn onto plate. Garnish with whole walnuts and pineapple pieces.

DOUBLE CHEESE PIE

Pastry

Refined flour (150 g)

Butter (75 g)

Cheese (65 g)

Water

In a bowl sift refined flour. Lightly rub in butter. Add cheese. Mix lightly, adding water if necessary to make a dough. Chill for 30 minutes till firm enough to handle. Roll out pastry and line a 9” flan ring. Let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Filling

Butter (80 g)

Flour (80 g)

Milk (150 ml)

Salt, pepper and mustard to taste

Cheese (100 g)

Eggs (2)

In a pan melt butter and stir in flour slowly. Add milk. Stir to make a sauce. Add salt, pepper and mustard to taste. Then add cheese. Once the mixture has thickened remove from stove. When cool, add two lightly beaten eggs. Pour into pastry case and bake in an oven for 30 minutes at 180°. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

LEMON SOUFFLE

Egg yolks (5)

Sugar (180 g)

Lemons (2)

Gelatin (1 tbsp)

Water (3 tbsp)

Cream (200 g)

Egg whites (5)

Beat egg yolks with sugar till thick. To this add lemon juice and gelatin dissolved in water. Gently fold in lightly beaten cream and stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into bowl and allow to set for one hour. Decorate with piped rosettes of cream and glazed cherries.