Friday, April 24, 2015

THE WINNING RECIPE ....RENDEZVOUS WITH NUPUR KANUDIA...#KitchenAidProbaker 2015


'Being crowned India’s First ProBaker Icon is a mark of utmost thanksgiving and gratitude to the all mighty. I am ever so thankful to the jury, KitchenAid and chef Peachy to provide this honourable platform to me. I hope I justify their choice in the times to come'…says Nupur Kanudia


TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR INTEREST IN BAKING?
Nupur: I started baking at the age of eight and knew it right then that, this was my calling. I used to look up books and TV channels to get whatever most I could learn from them, had to convince my mom to buy me an electronic hand mixer as it was a must for my baking. She flattered me with my own baking cupboard among three sisters. Anyone who wanted to buy me gifts was around the baking parameters. I continued my baking interests after marriage too and was ecstatic that I could now experiment with eggs in my desserts which were a taboo in my mums place. A very encouraging husband in Raghu and his family never let my fire die. I was the official dessert provider for all family dos and festive distributions alike. I named my work frame as Mochamania. As I moved to Gurgaon, my sisters and nieces encouraged me to continue baking and get commercial too. After a couple of workshops here and there and endless hours on the net just browsing techniques, recipes etc, I finally bagged my first order, followed by some more from friends and family. My community, Laburnum really encouraged me too by ordering their birthday cakes from me and continue to do so.


ON KITCHENAID PROBAKER 2015
Nupur: Raghu pulled out an advert from The Good Food magazine and insisted I enrolled for it, after toiling around the idea and setting my preconceived notions aside, I sent them my original recipe of Thandai cupcakes with saffron buttercream. As luck would have it, it got selected by the eminent jury and I was invited to the Regional round of Delhi. I was super excited to receive the Artisan for a week; it was a real dream to own it even for that much time.
Left to Right Chef Thomas Blanchard, Chef  Bakshish Dean , Mohit Jain & Chef Avijit Ghosh -The Finale at Academy of Pastry Arts, Plot no 64, Phase 4 , Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon
The generous Jury selected me as one of the Elite 8. My happiness knew no bounds as not only could I now keep my dream machine for good but was also awarded by an intensive 5 day sugar craft workshop by none other than the famous Chef Peachy Juban from Manila.
The most amazing workshop at Academy of Pastry arts India #PeachyJuban #KitchenAidIndia
KitchenAid had organised the best possible workshop and schedule for us, really like a kid in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, I was going crazy. Zero tiredness even after standing for straight 6 hours every day. We ate yummy lunches and dinners every day, hosted by KitchenAid. The evenings were hosted in the choicest of locations like Kingdom Of Dreams, Farzi Cafe, Bernardos and Johnny Rockets (itinerary planned by Rupali Dean) Nikita and Kanika were our buddies even before we knew. As for the course content, Chef Peachy taught us over 20 techniques, even out of her schedule. She was so patient, humble and concerned about each contestant’s progress, a true guru and guide, along with an amazing sense of humour to lighten our tiredness. I loved every moment of her class. I feel I can now do so much more with my cakes for which I would otherwise have to spend through my hat to learn such techniques. I just Love Chef Peachy and KitchenAid for that and Look forward to many more opportunities to learn from the Maestros.

Rupali Dean ( that's me ) & Nupur Kanudia