Baker Brigade - Sara Koshy & Tasneem Ayub

It has been a personal wish and desire for me to feature these two lovely ladies on my blog for a long time. 

They are sharing a baking station for the 2^nd time in a row at the Baker Showcase, giving me a chance to chat them up! Frankly, neither needs any introduction to the food community on FB given the popularity of their blogs, their amazing culinary skills, and most of all their charm and dignity and the wonderful way in which they carry themselves. 

One meeting with both these wonder women is enough to see how easily the love flows, the respect they have for their peers, their impeccable manners, and the ease and confidence that come only with experience. While I have always wanted to write about them, at the same time, I am quite petrified at the thought since I personally think words cannot do enough justice to their sheer talent.

Sara Koshy

                               

Having said that, I have actually written twice about Sara, for Page4 and Chennai Spice magazines last year. While one of those write ups profiled her briefly as one of the most experienced and talented chefs in town, the other covered an event - a cookery demo and workshop she had conducted.

Sara is best known for her classes. And her classiness, if I might add! :-) Her blog is a source of inspiration and full of tips and techniques for those trying their hand at a variety of bakes. She has an exhaustive collection of recipes that are well displayed with accompanying “how-to” photographs illustrating the methods in a step-by-step manner, making it easy for readers/viewers to follow.

Her cookery workshops organized by one of the fastest growing FB groups Chennai Food Guide (CFG) and held at Gormei Market have covered short eats, desserts, quick & easy Italian & Thai specialties and more. Participants drool over the end results but also keenly observe the cooking process and come away duly inspired to try their hand at something different.

Besides these, Sara has been holding dessert and cooking classes at her home for many years now. Many a young girl residing in Chennai has attended her classes at some point or other in life. 

Sara has sass and a wicked sense of humour that occasionally crops up in FB forums but more over casual conversations. It is refreshing to meet someone like her who tells it like it is and makes no bones about being ‘politically correct’, especially in today’s world where it is difficult to tell friend from foe, or vice versa! Another little known fact about her is her days in book editing, which she truly enjoyed. She has worked with a publication at Hyderabad and Chennai. Being an editor myself, I can truly relate to her interest in the same.

Sara participated in a recent event called Be My Chef organised by Spoonbill, a restaurant in Chennai that serves world street cuisine. She made an Indonesian vegan dish called Tahu Goreng. Bean curd doused with a crunchy peanut sauce, the specialty was spicy and delicious, and a novel addition to the event. It was a live cooking & serving session within a 2-hour window and Sara rocked the house completely, churning them out of the open kitchen by the dozens!

Sara is truly one of the legends in this Showcase and with her smiling and unassuming manner, needs no effort to promote her bakes. Successful restauranteurs of the city are known make a beeline to her table to grab her signature creations.

Until last year, Sara refused to participate insisting that the younger ladies/new bakers should take centre stage. She had to be persuaded and finally relented, thanks to the brilliant idea by KP Balakumar to have one baking station called The Soul Sisters (pic in the post linked). Tasneem Ayub and Girija Menon were on the team and they all wore the cutest aprons inked with their signature team name on them. Tasneem is profiled here as she is sharing table space with Sara tomorrow. Girija is partnering with her daughter Nanditha Sashidharan this time and will be profiled in this Baker Brigade series as well.

Sara’s table at the Baker Showcase tomorrow will display Apricot Upside-Down Cupcakes, Mascarpone, Lime and Wild Blueberry Brûlée, Hainanese Chicken Pies, Fudgy Chocolate Brownies, Date Pinwheel Biscuits, Sausage Rolls and more.

One of her ‘legendary’ dishes is her signature Citrus Drizzle Cake. It is based on the legendary and classic Victoria sponge cake, light, moist and bursting with the flavour of oranges. The photo is not featured on this blogpost because it has the tendency to obscure everything else in sight! Be there early if you want a taste of this slice of heaven! I for one cannot wait to dig into it again; along with some of the new varieties Sara is bringing this time. 

One is completely spoilt for choice here! Am still over the moon remembering her last Showcase entries – carrot cupcakes and nankhatai biscuits to name a few. One thing I am certain of is that she will wow us all tomorrow with her surprises!

Sara's Blog

Tasneem Ayub

I am going to take the easy way out here and use Sara’s words on her teaming up with Tasneem. (And it is very strange not to add the suffix ‘aunty’ here, which is how most of us affectionately and respectfully address this dignified, beautiful lady). Keeping it professional here!

Sara came up with a very interesting observation; this is what she says: “Tasneem and I are the Yin Yang sisters!!

What's yin and yang? According to Taoists, everything in nature is both contradictory and harmonious. You have heat and cold, light and dark, life and death. Everyone knows the taijitu symbol. Yin is the black half with the white dot, yang is the white side with the black dot. 

Why yin yang sisters? Tasneem brings to the showcase her wealth of experience in Muslim cooking -  delicious kebabs and rolls. What I bring will be the typical English bake sale goodies - cakes, tarts and pies.”

Tasneem’s royal demeanor and style matches her cooking prowess and culinary masterpieces. An expert chef, many among the food community on FB have been invited to her home and sampled her culinary fare. They vouch that they are still licking their fingers after that experience, even if a while ago!

Tasneem is a quick learner and on everyone’s suggestions (more like demands!), she soon started a blog and an FB page and wrote about her cooking experiences, learnings, recipes and trips down nostalgia lane. There is an old-world charm about her, and yet she puts all the young ladies to shame with her effervescence and youthful attitude to life. Stylish, warm and humble, Tasneem always has a kind word for everyone and people never tire of singing her praises or that of her multiple skills and talents. Tasneem has an interest in designing clothes and runs a tailoring unit. Her rock-solid allegiance to her late mother struck me most when I first met her and almost every time we speak, she has a word of praise and a mention of gratitude and of being honoured to be the daughter of the Principal of one of Chennai’s top women’s colleges, Ethiraj College.

Tasneem is also a staunch advocate of organic food and healthy cooking and eating right. Extremely family-oriented, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, who are both car racers. They have recently welcomed a daughter-in-law into their home. Anjum was by Tasneem's side at the last Showcase, helping with the sales and customers, prepping and planning. 

Tasneem has a condition by birth called Erb's Palsy. In all the times I'd met her, I had neither known nor noticed it. The only reason it is being mentioned here is this strong and bold lady's approach and determination to create awareness about this condition and I have promised to help by writing about it in detail, but that is for another time and another place. :-) I salute her spirit and her attitude never ceases to amaze those who know/meet her.

At the last Baker Showcase in Feb, Tasneem announced her venture called ‘Ammee’s Kitchen’ and her biryani, fish pickle and Mughal sweets sold faster than most of the cakes around! Since the earlier Showcases featured mostly desserts, this time more savouries were welcomed as per popular demand. 

For tomorrow’s event, Tasneem's specialties are Malai Chicken & Paneer Katti Rolls, Egg Shammi, Chicken Seekh Kababs and of course her piece de resistance – Zaffrani Badam – a rich, ultra-delicious almond-based sweet - a royal recipe from the Mughal era. Tasneem’s pictures of these goodies record some of the highest number of likes and comments on the FB event page. Her food is already legendary since she has cooked them for her friends many a time, although this is the 1^st time these delicacies will be on sale. Some other specials like Walnut Chutney, which line the inside of the Katti Rolls, is one of her favourites. 

Ammee’s Kitchen is soon going to be rocking and rolling with Tasneem joining the bandwagon of women chef entrepreneurs of Chennai!

Tasneem's Blog

Baker Showcase FB event page

Baker Brigade - Amrita Samuel & Judy Patricia

Primarily started as a forum to encourage and support women entrepreneurs interested in baking, HBG always includes a few participants who are new to the Baker Showcase concept, although not so new to baking/cooking.

One such entry is from Amrita Samuel and Judy Patricia – who will be sharing a table tomorrow. 

Amrita Samuel

"I eat anything as long as it does not bite back - this best describes my relationship with food. From baking chocolate cakes with mud pies as a 5-year-old to actually making the edible versions 10 years later, baking & cooking has been in my blood. I can actually taste the recipe when I read it (the calories get absorbed too in the process!!). This love for food was one of the reasons I studied Hotel Management, but did not pursue it professionally & remained a 'hobby chef' instead. After a 15 year break, I rekindled my relationship with baking about a year ago & have been loving every moment of it since then.”

That’s what Amrita said when I asked her to tell me a bit about herself. A fairly recent and not quite an active member of HBG yet, she is in the process of learning the art of taking the right pictures of the food she creates and the style of presenting it. She has now decided to devote her time to her passion after spending 13 odd years in the corporate field of HR. Amrita is also a certified scuba diver and enjoys diving into the deep seas of the Andamans with her hubby.

As a mom of two kids aged 3 and 7 years, Amrita is happy to stick to traditional & wholesome baked goodies such as muffins and breads – which are her forte. She uses whole wheat, oil and fruits in her recipes. She also enjoys making a variety of mousses and no-bake cheesecakes.

For tomorrow’s Baker Showcase, Amrita is churning out a basket of blondies, brownies, lemons bars, cinnamon rolls, and savoury rolls such as the popular Olive, Herb and Cheese flavour. If time permits, she might also make Chicken & Sausage rolls. Her muffin section would display varieties like Apple Cinnamon, Banana Walnut and Chocolate Chip.

Cinnamon Rolls are special to Amrita, not just for their obvious taste, but also due to the complexity involved in making them just right.

Mis-Chef Bakes FB page

Judy Patricia

Growing up in a typical Christian household that revels in celebrating family occasions with a table full of baked goodies, it was but natural for Judy to follow in the footsteps of her grandma - an expert at baking. Judy received sound training in the traditional methods of baking and it has held her in good stead so far. She frequently conducts culinary workshops and classes for her friends and neighbours. After pursuing a career in the BPO industry, Judy now keeps busy cooking, baking and participating in school carnivals and selling her goodies. In a smart business move, she has tied up with an event management company and caters for all their events.

Her other talents include being a certified silver medalist in Latin dance and a regular on the cast of musical theatre shows in the city. However, Judy is now fully focused on her 2 year old culinary enterprise aptly labeled ‘Mon Desir’. So far, she has been operating purely on word-of-mouth referrals. With the Showcase, she expects to let discerning dessert lovers of Chennai know of her kitchen talents and up the scale of her business.

Judy affectionately and laughingly narrates how her 4-year-old son helps her in her baking endeavours with mixing, whipping etc – a Junior Masterchef in the making! :-)

The unique dish on her table at the Baker Showcase is called The Queen of Puddings. The others from her repertoire are Chocolate Blueberry Tarts, Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars, and Orange and Lemon Souffle.

Judy signs off by wishing all her fellow participants good luck and quips, “I want people to know that many other dishes can be baked besides just cake!”

Mon Desir FB page

Here's wishing both these lovely ladies the very best for their 1st time at HBG's Baker Showcase!

Baker Showcase FB event page

Baker Showcase 1st Anniversary Edition

Four months since my last coverage of the Home Bakers Guild (HBG) Baker Showcase and it is strangely exciting and familiar at the same time. Exciting since this 6^th edition of the Baker Showcase (4 in Chennai after 2 in Bangalore) is at a new location – the gorgeously green outdoors at Sandy’s. 

Starting out as a gourmet dessert lounge, Sandy’s has grown and diversified in the last couple of years. The city’s first ‘chocolate laboratory’ – their initial tag line - had helped organise a bake-off competition last year to select prize-winning desserts made by home-bakers. These were showcased at restaurants such as Fresca and Ox & Tomato for a month with due recognition given to the bakers who had made them.

Once again ready to encourage fresh talent and appreciate quality, Sandy’s new Cenotaph Road location is all set to host the event on their turf tomorrow (22nd June, 2013). Their lovely garden area is a perfect, picturesque setting to the quarterly Baker Showcase event.

Pics courtesy Sandy's

What makes this edition of the Baker Showcase even more unique is the fact that it also marks the completion of 1 year of HBG's existence. Some well-known baking and cooking enthusiasts are participating this time and hence the event is titled – League of Legends. Most of them have participated in earlier Baker Showcase events, own established baking businesses, and have featured in the press. These ladies sure have come a long way! They've not just learnt a lot and grown from all their varied experiences within the past year or two, they've even shared tips & tricks with new bakers on the forum, and of late some of them have succumbed to the demand of conducting baking classes - the trend these days! Some of these ladies are on their way to becoming Le Cordon Bleu chefs! 

HBG has also travelled far and wide (literally - members belong to different countries) in the past 1 year. Almost every Baker Showcase event has been a complete sell-out, with tables being cleared of all goodies within an hour or two of opening. The surging crowds at Chennai and Bangalore proved what a gigantic sweet tooth Indians have! Just take a look at the photos of past events on FB to know how popular an event this has turned into, besides showcasing the unbelievably amazing variety of sweets and savouries made by talented women of all ages and backgrounds. 

HBG has given them the confidence boost they needed to take their plated creations out of their kitchens and on to hungry customers with good taste. They have learnt the art of conversation, selling skills, photography, presentation and much, more more. Most of all that they have experienced cannot be elucidated in words as is obvious when they gush in gratitude about the support they have received from one another on the forum.

Founded by K P Balakumar and Nanditha Sashidharan, HBG is ready to head to the next level in the coming year. Both are humbled by the response from members and the purchasing public and are determined to give back to society a lot more than before. A scholarship fund for underprivileged students is being set up. Since Showcase participants retain 100% of their proceeds, the event has sponsors to provide support -- collections of which have resulted in HBG donating nearly 1 lakh rupees to various social service organisations such as Sahaayika, Deepam, Chennai Adoption Drive and War Wounded Foundation.

HBG's elegant poster of the Baker Showcase Anniversary Edition 

This event sponsor is Sathyabama University. Director of the University, Dr. Maaria Zeena Johnson, who does a lot of social work herself, very willingly and generously offered to support HBG's commitment to helping women entrepreneurs and social causes.

So now, how can YOU afford to miss out on this smorgasbord of sugary and spicy haven! Drop in and find out what your taste buds are missing! 

On June 22nd @ Sandy's, Ganapathy Colony, off Cenotaph Road, Chennai. 

If you want to grab the best of the best, be there on the dot at 4 p.m. sharp! If you want to witness empty tables, saunter in at 6 p.m. onwards!

Meanwhile, read up on some of the bakers (& what they're making for you) in the Baker Brigade series of posts over the next few hours, on the eve of Chennai's biggest bake sale! 

Write ups coming up shortly - watch this space!

HBG Forum

HBG FB page

Sandy's