CHAI high!

A cool, crisp evening, a refreshing cup of steaming hot tea and the company of a rather enterprising individual. This was how Letsstalkfood spent a rather productive Wednesday. I had the utmost pleasure of catching up with Abraham Joseph, Founder and CEO of GLF Hospitality and its signature brand CHAI NATION. Geared with a double Masters in Business Management (University of Plymouth, UK) and in Electronics (Sathyabhama University, Chennai), this food entrepreneur is here to play hard ball! 

Abraham Joseph with his cup of CHAI

When people leave what they are mechanically trained to do, to pursue something they are passionate about, you know something in the world is going right. Such is the case of Abraham, who was a senior certified mortgage advisor in London. He tells me that entrepreneurship has always been his calling. Constantly thinking up new and innovative business ideas, his ultimate goal was to settle down in his home town and start a business there.

The “yes I want to start a business!” thought comes as easy as pie BUT the question of “what business should I start?” is one that many who wish to be entrepreneurs constantly wonder about. Some of the lucky ones, Abraham included, have managed to correctly identify and slam shut a need-want gap prevalent amongst consumers.

Extensive research on market opportunities led Abraham to stumble upon an untapped tea segment in Cochin. I was surprised when he mentioned that almost 90% of Indian households consume tea, yet however, tea as a product does not share as bright a limelight as coffee does; which is ironic considering tea consumption totals over 10 times more than that of coffee! Some of the inputs his research gave him was that Coffee was considered an elitist drink and more acceptable in social outings whereas tea had an association with home and low end tea shops. In several cases, making of tea is connected with an environment that lacks basic cleanliness and hygiene. This was the gap that Abraham wanted to fill. If a tea drinker is provided with a facility that gives him his daily dose of fresh, hygienic tea with snacks, with no compromise whatsoever on quality accompanied by an affordable price structure, you have yourself a fantastic business opportunity all hands down!

Abraham refers to tea as being the India’s national drink and hence he christened his venture “CHAI NATION” with an apt tag line: “MY NATION. MY CHAI”. Along with reaffirming affection toward this beverage, it is a perfectly adaptable name across the country; future expansion goals are just around the corner!

Nothing comes easy of course! The amount of research and development that went behind the scenes was exhausting! Travelling across states, constant tasting to achieve the best blend appreciated by the Kerala palette, setting up operations; there was a truckload of homework to be done! When everything clicked into place, a proposal was submitted to the management at Infopark and like they say...the rest was history!

Keeping the white collared crowd as the target group, CHAI NATION had its humble beginnings in small unit in Infopark two years ago. Sincere efforts and exceptional quality have seen a 2 staff Café grow into one with 14 permanent staff, a second outlet at Muthoot Technopolis and a third one launching this July at Cognizant Technologies Pvt Ltd, Phase 2 of Infopark.

“CHAI NATION thrives on a quick snack concept. Research has shown me that Keralaites gives great importance to the snacks that accompany a good cup of tea. Hence apart from a variety of teas, we also provide a range of snacks from proper kerala mutta kuzhalappam (or pancake) to burgers, cakes and sandwiches.” Despite the success, Abraham is ever mindful of the trust and support his management give him, with special mention to his Head of Operations, Mr.Vivek Joy, “with a decade of experience in the F&B sector, Vivek has really aided in helping CHAI NATION reach greater heights” he adds. His strongest support he says comes from his better half, Anju and their adorable son. “She stood beside me through everything” he says

CHAI NATION positions itself as a young, hygienic brand with quality driven focus. Upon asking how they differ from the usual vendors, Abharam said “We take pride in bringing our customers the best Chai our land has to offer. We use high quality tea leaves sourced from our exclusive estates and tea companies at Nilgiris Estates. The blend that we use is cherished around the world for its strong flavour, dark colour and intense aroma. We also ensure that we use no artificial colours or flavours that hamper the end product. Our wish is to provide customers with a sip of good health and wellness”

A short, relaxing break from the race of mundane day to day activities is what CHAI NATION has on offer along with its teas and delectable snacks. When I had arrived for our chit chat, I could hardly see the café for the amount of people clamouring for a cup of delicious warmth! 

Crowd control however is a problem they have not faced, as a self service-token system is followed. Keeping tabs mentally and serving such a vast array of customers would be an impossible scenario and hence the 1^st come 1^st serve system was set in place. This led me to wonder out loud about how they manage when a staff member falls sick or quits. “Cross training” Abraham answers with a big smile. He tells me that every member of the staff right from the team manager to the team member is trained across each and every activity; be it soft skills, cooking, blending the beverages, billing. Smart move this! Of course it is a time consuming and laborious process with regular month end staff meetings but the end results have succeeded in removing any impediment that prevents the customer from enjoying their cup of tea.

CHAI NATION focuses on two main business models; retail sales, driven through their outlets and institutional sales, driven by tie ups with corporates for bulk orders. This has given then a major foothold in the corporate F&B industry as far as experience is concerned.

Abraham has simple tastes and that extends to the brand he gave life to. Instead of diluting the concept of tea with 40 different varieties , CHAI NATION serves up 8 varieties of hot teas and 5 varieties of iced teas. The main objective being attaining volumes. Apart from beverages, they also tickle your taste buds with shakes (only full on fruit pulp with absolutely no ice cream), juices, burgers, cakes and sandwiches and over 40 plus variety snacks.

Abraham trusts the wonders of the word of mouth. He says that reviews about the café go online in a matter of seconds after consumption of their products and they have all been extremely encouraging; “CHAI NATION is without a doubt, the grooviest, most happening tea café in Infopark” to quote one among the many customer remarks. The crowd CHAI NATION draws is a recurring crowd whose tastes have been aptly catered to. “Customers keep coming back for more and we pull all stops to ensure that they get the best” says Abraham. Keeping in mind the stringent entry policies at Infopark, advertising for CHAI NATION has been kept at a minimal through social media and the all-powerful WOM. But with plans to extend to various other locations, advertising and branding plans are being drawn up. A major event that CHAI NATION partnered as F&B associate was the RAAHGIRI in association with KOCHI METRO. A massive crowd was flawlessly handled thereby gaining much appreciation from the KMRL. For more information on the event, please log on to: http://blog.kochimetro.org/2016/05/02/thuruvulsavam-when-road-made-way-for-happiness/

By the time we wrapped up our discussion, the crowd had thinned down considerably and we pulled up chairs right outside the café to enjoy the fresh air. A tasting was scheduled as well with the best sellers being my target. Some of the fastest moving products at CHAI NATION are their Regular chai, peach iced tea, mango shake, mayo chicken sandwich, chicken and veg burgers and banana chocolate cake slices. Despite me repeatedly telling Abhraham to provide me with only tasting portions (my body tends to disagree with my passion for food always!) he went full on with the beverages and snacks “To get a proper feel of what we serve” (I’m not complaining!)

I was first served a soothing cup of hot regular tea which was deep in flavour and satisfied my soul! I just wanted to cuddle up with it under a blanket!

The glasses used were authentic kerala cutting glasses with logo and name branding across the top. This heavenly drink was followed by a black tea and masala chai. Abraham suggested I try the black tea with a slice of their famous chocolate banana cake…bliss I tell you! The chocolate seemed to romance the silkiness of the black tea. The cake was light, moist and self saucing…a right treat! I am personally not a fan of masala chai but this cup served was a lovely blend of cinnamon, mace and other spices, adding a firework of flavours to every sip.

With the hot beverages drunk and loved, we moved on to the cold beverages. I was first asked to try their famous mango shake. This shake put every shake I have ever tried to shame and it was so thick, I could bet on holding the cup upside down and it still wouldn’t fall off! CHAI NATION uses frozen Alphonso mango pulp for this delight. Chuck the straw and give me a spoon to polish off this cup-o-love I say! 

The mayo chicken sandwich made its entry and though it looked humble enough, the flavour was fantastic! Creamy mayo, ice berg lettuce and shredded chicken mixed together to create a perfect balance. What I loved best was that I didn’t have just bread to chew on toward the end of the sandwich. Every bite had a mouthful of filling as well. Like a loyal friend, it stuck with me till the very end! Corny I know but this sandwich made me happy!

I washed down this sandwich with a chug of refreshing peach iced tea. Perfectly blended, this drink doesn’t scream SWEEEEET! It was as invigorating as a cool dip in a pool! I’ve of course been saving the best for last…the chicken burger. A good sized burger for such a reasonable rate I noted when I was served. I closed my eyes and savoured each bite! 

The veges were crisp, the bun soft and fresh (miles ahead of the flaky stuff one gets at chick king!), the mayo and accompanying sauces lending a mild hint of flavour across the chicken patty. And oh wow! That chicken patty! Crunchy on the outside, super succulent and meaty on the inside! Their patties are made in house and the care they put into it really comes out! All the layers together formed a wonderfully harmonious union! If ever you visit CHAI NATION (and you must) have a burger with their peach iced tea! You can thank me later! 

Super happy and satiated (with plans to skip dinner) I round up with a final question on future plans. Abraham is as focused an individual as they come. He wants his brand to become a renowned chai chain across Kerala and then outside. Growth has been steady and assuring and efforts are consistently put in 100%

“It takes just one drink to bring two strangers together and also to drive a nation- CHAI” you said it Abraham!

If i can cook...so can you!

I love cooking and off late, cooking loves me right back. But this was not always the case. As I stir a big pot of sweet corn chicken soup I think back to my first cooking attempt and cringe. In all honesty, i have to admit that my mum has a constant toothache from having ground her teeth so much at me and all my fabulous kitchen disasters! Despite all the setbacks, the cheerleader in me kept saying rah-rah-raise hell in the kitchen!

I've managed to make maggie magically stick (and )permanently to a pan, coated the entire stove top with fresh, frothy boiled over milk, heated a curry till all that was left was charcoal and the piece' de resistance? Pulling the whistle off a fully loaded pressure cooker, sending curry on a mission to mars. So yes, I wasn't a welcome sight in the kitchen. But would I give up? No way! I promised my mum I would stay off the stove and stick to "simpler", "easier" things like slicing and dicing.
Simple I said! Easy i believed! 8 sliced open fingers, both palms almost shredded on the slicer and a real bad case of garlic allergy later I was sent off packing and adviced to READ through cookbooks, enjoy the pictures, salivate and use only my imagination to cook.

I know my mum and aunts heaved sighs of utter despair wondering what levels of food poisoning I would subject my future husband to. "Would she able to even boil water?" Asked one aunt, "her Husband's salary will all be spent on takaway" quipped another, all the while my mum clucked her tongue, shook her head and vowed to brave the kitchen exploding and teach me some basics (starting with boiling water). Well she was never able to give me any proper lessons because for some reason extremely slow chopping of onions, constant dropping of the knife and spacing out amidst the chopping seemed to bother her! I wonder why?

All through college I ate my mum's food and never cast so much as a shadow in the kitchen. Then came Chennai. Right after my post graduation I was hired by a renouned media group in Chennai. Excitement was aflow which quickly ebbed when bugets and cash crimping set in. So take out every day was out of the question. That's when my roomies and I decided to cook. Our first officially home made meal? Rice and a mixed veggie curry (which took all of 5 people to make!!) And it was the most  delicious dish we ever ate! I guess the fruits of hard labor (it was to us first timers anyway!) is indeed yum!

Then the five of us split into twos and singles. My friend Jewel and I were roomies and foodies and we got along well that way! Slowly we eased ourselves into cooking. This time we were cooking for survival. Rice became less and less gloggy, curries finally shifted from the constant potato masala and dal to bindi, cauliflower, brinjal and others. In a couple of months,we entered the sacred territory of non vegetarian cooking. Needless to say I burnt my first batch of chicken curry, served up raw fish curry and made prawns so spicy I almost emptied a fire extinguisher down my throat. But yes, we got the hang of it in a while. We quickly moved to trying out various cuisines and with pachakam.com (our trusty mallu online recipe portal sidekick) it was a breeze. From mughlai to chinese, chettinad to Italian we did it all and we experimented on some of our very "lucky" colleagues. They were not disappointed or poisoned so yay! We were good to go.

Back home. I made my mum coffee. She drank it...fully! I made honey chicken and people ate it happily, I made pasta and my cousins gobbled it up. The biggest honor? My mum asking me for tastes and improvements in her curries! I think I finally arrived! (In my eyes anyway) and just when I think I am a major masterchef, I go and burn milk into a dish. Vicious cycle this!

Prawn Curry

Mixed veg and egg noodles

Honey chicken

Good ol chilly chicken

All Things SLAY!

You can look, you can touch, you can drool…BUT horror of horrors you can’t eat! Not unless you want a mouthfull of ALL THINGS CLAY that is! The talent house behind food that lasts forever (in clay form but delicious looking none the less) is 26 year old Aimee Rajan.

A little over a year into creating delightful clay miniatures (some the size of a one rupee coin!) Aimee and All things Clay have formed a long list of loyal customers (including yours truly) who keep coming back time and again for her one of a kind pieces.

Return gifts, table top miniatures, caricatures, photo replication, key chains, jewellery...there is no end to the variety of goodies All things Clay has on offer.

Born in The US but with her family origins in Cochin, Aimee has travelled the world quite a bit, eventually settling down in Bangalore. Her miniature masterpieces have found their way from Cochin and Bangalore to across India.

Though she has sculpted several noteworthy and intricate pieces, i found her food art to be utterly mind blowing!

I remember seeing a close up of a hot, buttery, flaky naan and luscious kadai chicken that looked so unbelievably real and mouth wateringly yum, i had to help myself to some naan and chicken for dinner!

The detailing in each piece is simply out of this world...not one crack, crumb or drop was missed out on! And just how realistic are they? I think the pictures speak volumes!

Despite Aimee's hectic schedule, i was able to have a lovely chit chat with her. Fresh and honest, i loved her enthusiasm and her future plans for All things Clay.

LSF: Aimee, tell us a little bit more about yourself.

Aimee: Well, I have a background in Animation & Multimedia.  I am passionate about animated movies and anything Disney related and on a good day, you will find me attempting (sometimes failing) DIYs!Due to my father’s profession, we moved around quite a bit and have stayed in the US, Kochi, Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), and following his demise, to Dubai and finally to good ol’ Bangalore.

LSF: When did the passion for miniature clay sculptures take root?

Aimee: Around two years ago, when we had just moved to Bangalore, I was casually browsing the internet and stumbled across an image of two ice cream cones – as tiny as a coin!
Being totally curious, I just HAD to find out what this was and how it was made – all that jazz.

So I sat for days researching the world of bake-able clay and got myself some materials just to give it a shot. It definitely started off as a small hobby, with a few basic tools, two blocks of clay and no oven (and some eyeshadows!). I initially experimented with miniature food. Eventually I tried making something different every day and I haven’t looked back since!

LSF: Tell us about the first piece ever piece you made

Aimee: This might end up being a tiny tragic story. The first piece I ever made was a teeny cupcake (safe to say it was pretty ugly) but I was very proud of it back then. I had just made it and had not cured it yet, which meant it was still in raw clay form.

My sister and I started taking pictures with it, and within a matter of seconds, things turned ugly - I dropped the cupcake and my sister unknowingly stepped on it and flattened it! So in other words, my first ever piece had a lifespan of 5 minutes.

LSF: You have a major interest in creating food based pieces. What sparked this?

Aimee: Other than the fact that I am a foodie, I have always been fascinated with anything miniature (it makes me feel like a giant)! There is something endearing to me about making our everyday food into miniature – I keep adding foods to make into my list almost every day!

LSF: Other than magnets, what are the different food based clay products you have branched into?

Aimee: Currently, I only focus on food based Magnets or small Showpieces, like a baking scene.

I also dabble a bit in food based accessories as well, like donut and cupcake rings, cookie earrings etc. Hoping to branch out soon on varieties of food based products!

LSF: What cuisine form do you enjoy making clay forms of the most? Why?

Aimee: At the moment I love attempting Indian cuisine, that may be mostly because of my roots but I totally love coming closer to home when it comes to my food pieces!

I've also noticed that Indian foods are more popular with my customer base.

Furthermore, I have not seen too much of our cuisine being made into miniature, so I wanted to put as many as I can out there!

LSF: What does the future hold for All Things Clay?

Aimee: All Things Clay turned a year old a couple of months ago, and I feel truly blessed to receive the amount of support I have till now. Being young, I am very pleased with the way All Things Clay has been progressing. My ultimate dream for the next couple of years is to open a studio that will help reach out to a wider customer base, and additionally hold super simple workshops as well!

LSF: Who has been your biggest support?

Aimee: My biggest support, without a doubt, would be my family. My mom loves everything I make (I think that’s a given), my sisters are my biggest critics yet fans at the same time, and my immediate family is the most encouraging bunch I have ever met.

 Needless to say I have plenty of sweet supportive customers that inspire me to create and create everyday!

LSF: From Clay to finished product, could you outline the lifecycle of your creations?

Aimee: The process and time needed depends on each individual order.

Once the product, quote and date etc have been settled, then begins concept design, sculpting, baking, detailing, glazing, photography (which is then sent to the customer before the order is packed) and then finally packaging before the order is shipped out. Some intricate pieces could take up to 2 weeks, while the simplest piece could take up to 3 to 4 hours!

LSF: What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your venture?

Aimee: Initially when I began All Things Clay, there was a lot of trial and error involved before I could present it to potential customers.

I faced challenges in the sourcing of materials, delivering the product due to its delicate nature & figuring out the creating process to ensure a durable product. The current challenge I face is being able to give my customers early ready dates as I make every piece on my own!

LSF: I'm sure your work has inspired several budding clay artists. What advice would you like to give them?

As cheesy as it sounds, my simple advice would be to just go for it. Having zero experience working with clay, that is exactly what I did. I saw something that fascinated me.

Despite thinking i never could succeed in making it, went for it anyway and that led to All Things Clay – something I genuinely enjoy doing every single day. No harm in trying, right?

To get your very own custom made clay miniature art from All Things Clay, contact Aimee at:
https://m.facebook.com/AllThingsClayAR/

Honey Garlic Sausage Bites

These sticky sweet, juicy, yummy little treats are perfect to grace any type of party table.
They are simple to make and absolutely delicious! Make sure you have a stack of sausage packets ready at home because this recipe is a keeper!
They are best served fresh and piping hot. With the rains paying a visit every now and then, help yourself to bites of delish with a nice hot cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

Chicken cocktail sausages- 1 medium sized packet
Onion ( cut into thin slivers)- one large
Garlic (thinly sliced)- 4-5 pods
Pepper- a pinch
Butter- a good knob
Honey- 2 heaped teaspoons
Sugar- a pinch
Salt- to taste

Method:

1) Cut the sausages into bite sized pieces and boil in a pot of water until the sausage feels springy to touch.

(Tip: for cocktail sausages, leave the size be and simply score the surface so that the garlicky honey sauce seeps through)

2) In a pan, heat some oil, add the garlic slices and sauté.

(Tip: do not brown the garlic too much as the resultant taste is bitter and not palatable at all)

3) add the onions and sauté until caramelized.

4) Add the sausages and keep cooking until the onions are completely caramalized. Add salt to taste.

5) Add the pepper, knob of butter and honey and mix until well coated

6) Add the pinch of sugar to aid the sugars in the honey to caramalize and form a sticky coating over the sausages.

7) Serve hot with a cool ranch, blue cheese or mayo dip.

(Tip: this dish does not taste as good with tomato sauce due to it being sweet on its own. You could prepare a simple yoghurt or mayo dip to pair up with all the sticky goodness)

RAW Fury!

When it comes to experimenting with food, my mum is an old school extremist. According to her, a good meal consists of rice, some gravy, meats and veges. Anything that moves away from this usual norm is termed out of this world horrid. Now how does one introduce the concept of eating sushi and sashimi to such a dyed in the wool 100% cooked food worshipper? It wasn't easy.

I love Japanese food. My palette happily laps up its fresh and clean flavors. And of all the dishes I have tasted, sushi and sashimi are without a doubt my favorite. Sushi is seafood (raw or cooked) with sticky rice and nori (dried seaweed sheets). Sashimi is finely sliced seafood (raw). Both are eaten with light soy and wasabi (grated horseradish). I cannot get enough of this! I had kept this raw seafood gobbling fetish of mine secret for a while because if my mother ever came to know, she might very well disown me.
I had a little hope though because just the day before I was to confess about my sushi cravings I made my mum watch an entire hour of Andrew Zimmerns Bizarre foods and I must say after watching this man gnaw through fish eye balls and fried pregnant tarantulas, bull penis and balut (boiled fertilized duck egg), she was ready to give up on humanity. I thought considering all this, mayhaps she would think my love for sushi was as harmless as a pet budgie. Was I wrong!

One day, we were watching Jaimie Oliver on TLC. Jaimie chucks in a handful of dill straight from the garden, right into his pan of mushrooms and my mum goes "why is he throwing grass in there? He isn't even washing it! Lord knows he's going to die of diarrhoea! Big cook it seems! Mandan*!"
I should have taken that as a hint and kept my mouth shut. But you know how verbal vomit is right?  Once it rises up till your throat, it's super hard to keep it down.

"Mum, I eat sushi"
"Heh? So? You eat everything in sight!"

"Mum, this is sushi. It's kinda different from everything in sight!"
"What do you mean different?" Her tone takes on a slight edge.

"Well. It's japanese..."
Just one word and she spent about 10 mins talking about how people from the orient love eating cockroaches, monkey brains, snakes and rats.
"Just the other day they showed a chinese man eating rat which was decaying in wine!"
"Mum, it's fermenting. It's supposed to happen that way."

"I don't know why people can't have just good rice and curry and make cookery shows about rice and curry! The world would be such a nice place then! Anyway tell me about this "shoe" thing of yours"
"Mum it's sushi. And it's...um...it's seafood and rice and some seaweed"

"Seaweed? You mean what floats in the water? Oh god! You mean payal**? What is wrong with these people! Eating such dirty things! Atleast it's rice and seafood. You better throw the seaweed away when u eat this dish ok! I thought it would be something terrible! Except for the dirty payal. It sounds normal"

"Er...mum, there's more. You see...um...the seafood is...well...it's super fresh...but it's...um raw..."
"The seafood is what?" Mums voice becomes super soft death. Almost death threat like.

"Erm...raw?"
Even Niagra falls would have muted out compared to amount of noise my mum made the next second.

"Raw seafood? What is the matter with you? What is the matter with kids nowadays I just don't understand! Here I am slaving all day COOKING you delicious fish curry and prawn ularthiyathu and crab masala and you prefer eating food poisoning on a plate! Remember the time you got food poisoning from one glass of tainted water? You were shooting out both ends! You were so sick I had to wash up after you! From just water you fell so sick, just imagine what eating raw food is going to do to you?"

"But mum! It's actually nice. You should try it!" (Stupid move teenu stupid move).
"Haaa! I should try it I believe! Why? You want me to die early so you can eat raw food and live your life like a cavewoman? You show pukey faces when I ask you to clean and gut fish but you eat raw fish that is not a problem eh? When we totally run out of money at home and have to live in a tent, you have full permission to eat all the raw foods in the world but as long as we can afford gas at home all of us will eat healthy, COOKED food!"

Right then jaimie throws some fresh squid into a pan and says " now this squid are so fresh you barely need to cook them."
My mum jumps at Jaimie. "Yes! Yes! You too encourage my daughter to eat raw food! Do you know where squids live? In the ocean where our waste is dumped! Barely cook I believe! Even if you fry it to a crisp it won't be safe! If you had seen Teenu at the hospital puking and pooping you wouldn't utter the words 'barely cook'! Big cook it seems!"

"Mum. Um...no use shouting at Jaimie. I'm right here."
"Yes! I am not done with you! Next thing I know you'll be eating snails and rats like that fat, bald man on TV. Jobless people! I don't know how people watch such shows and eat such things! I can't believe you eat raw fish! I'm taking you to the doctor tomorrow and when he asks me what's wrong I'll ask him to check your brain first for eating raw food!"

Luckily I was saved by Adam Richman who was gobbling up a burger that was bigger than his head.  My mother thankfully turned her attention to his open mouth displaying masticated food.
"Ah there is another one! Teaching kids everywhere how to get heart attacks and diabetes in 3 easy steps. Open mouth. Chew. Swallow! Mandan!"

I ran for my life.

Mum and I cautiously avoid the topic of exotic foods and TLC is quickly changed to a Malayalam soap the moment she enters the room.

Peace prevails.

*Mandan: idiot
**Payal: Seaweed

Pour some SUCREE on me!

Last year, on my son’s first birthday, I spent almost a week scouring Cochin for someone who could make me a delicious batch of fudge. I made three dozen calls with zilch results! Even the most popular bakeries and cafes would not conjure me up some salted caramel fudge! And then, luck struck and I came across the name SUCREE during my search; and wouldn’t you know it, fudge was listed as one of their products! One year and that one call later, it’s safe to say that TINA ROY, the mastermind behind Sucree has become my most favourite baker (and friend!). Yes, she made a whole batch of delicious fudge and she also baked my son’s first birthday cake. From then on there is no denying that Tina has become a sort of unofficial in house baker to whom I run to for goodies no matter what the occasion.

Tina Roy

From home baker to a dessert boutique owner, Tina and Sucree have come a long way. Just a little over two years old, Sucree is home to premium handcrafted desserts. Cakes, pies, roulades, slices, bars, puddings and tarts…there is no baking challenge too big for Tina. What really sets Tina apart is how open she is to experimenting with baking techniques, products and flavours. See, I am one of those OCD ridden customers, who keeps messaging and calling with ideas and suggestions and changes…yeah…it might just get a tad annoying. But Tina has always stayed her charming self, catering to all my doubts, encouraging my ideas and baking up a storm for every new product I wanted to try! This lady has always ensured customer delight!

We had a little chit chat outlining the journey Tina’s had as a baker and the rapid progress that Sucree as a brand has had over the past two years.

LSF: When did you first fall in love with baking?

TINA: Baking has always been my passion. I used to bake as a child. My mother and grandmother are both excellent bakers. It’s not just baking that I am in love with. Even getting into the kitchen to cook a meal is an equally passionate affair. Let’s say it’s therapeutic. When I step into the kitchen, it’s magic! Creating edible delights from scratch has always been my first love.

LSF: Could you outline Sucree’s success story for us?

TINA: Sucree started as a small baking business set up at home from there on we have been outsourcing with several well-known restaurants and cafes, such as District 7, Blend!t and Walk in, we have been associated with big events and now, we have our very own dessert boutique. It has come a long way from baking a dessert a week to baking five or six times a day!

LSF: Cochin has almost reached saturation point what with the umpteen number of home bakers and their signature styles. How differently do you position Sucree from your competitors?

TINA: The quality of my products sets me apart I feel. I use premium, pure ingredients with no taste enhancers or artificial flavours. I mean, cook for my family and friends and it’s the same amount of love that goes into baking for my customer.

LSF: What are the challenges you face as a baker? 

TINA: Juggling time I think. You have to literally become a warrior in the kitchen! Baking up orders in a short time span takes a lot of time and effort. You need to have a precise idea about what you do. You can’t just chuck in a little bit of baking powder or cocoa; everything goes by accurate measurements. Having said that, I also have to add that I am a cook who cooks without a recipe, so that calls for a lot of hard work from my end.

LSF: What are the most important skills that a baker needs to possess?

TINA: Three skills are most important in my opinion: Patience, Neatness and a willingness to learn. I think half my time is spent in cleaning and arranging my trays and boxes of ingredients. Also, it is all about experimentation. You’ll never know if it works for you or not unless you try it. 

LSF: Who has inspired you the most?

TINA: My baking inspiration has been my mom.

LSF: And who has always been your number 1 support?

TINA: I have two No.1 supporters! My husband and my mother in law. My husband has always been my silent pillar of support and hats off to him for just letting me do my thing! My mother in law and I are like yin and yang! We make a perfect pair!

LSF: What is your understanding of Cochin’s changing palette?

TINA: I believe Cochin is slowly opening up to new cuisines and flavours. There is also a need for homemade goodness. I had this customer come up to me and say “Thank you for bringing some real good food” To me, this surely means a warm, home cooked feel. 

LSF: What is your biggest dream for Sucree?

TINA: This store is possibly my dream come true. Baby steps post this. Once we are established, expansion would be the next dream.

Sucree is located in The Centre Square Mall on M.G.Road. Just turn around the corner of the escalator on the 2^nd floor and you see a cute little dessert boutique with a rather inviting display! The glass case played host to a range of chocolate, caramel and fruit based delights so attuned to my taste, it felt like I had found my 

personal happy sweet tooth place! The price range was surprising affordable for such luscious goodies! Some of the treats on display were the all famous New York Cheesecake (also in a strawberry variant), double chocolate mousse, Mississippi Mud pie, Apple tartlets, Tiramisu slices, Devil’s food cake with fudge, blueberry muffins, milk and dark chocolate fudge, cream cheese and peanut butter brownies, lemon tarts, toffee cake and caramel bars to name a miniscule few! Everything had a wonderful rustic charm with a definite homemade feel on the taste buds.

I packed a selection of sweet stuff for take away but I couldn’t stop myself from tasting the scrumptious looking caramel bar. Oh my god! It was utter heaven! The caramel bar was a tri layer of ecstasy! The bottom layer was a firm yet moist short crust pastry bedecked with buttery goodness, the second layer was a glorious mix of thick chocolate ganache laced with sweet and slighty chewy 

caramel (which was perfectly cooked, I must add). The crown placed delicately atop this royal dessert was a beautifully tempered layer of dark chocolate. The first bite was a perfect medley of salty and sweet and oh the snap of that chocolate layer! It was easily my favourite dessert out of the lot!

The other must mentions available at the Sucree store are: The New York Cheesecake (smooth and creamy with a buttery graham cracker crust), coffee biscuit roll up (the sweet seduction of coffee paired with a rich biscuit base and buttercream), lemon tart (it may have been a little tangy for some but I really adore lemon curd and it went perfectly well with the soft short crust base) and finally devil’s food cake with fudge (rich, dense moist and so chocolatey with thick layers of fudge and a pretty sprinkle of edible gold glitter). With so many more desserts to taste, I am definitely going back for a second visit…or a third…or a…well, you get the drift!

All in all folks, the Sucree-Dessert boutique is certainly one to visit for all those who love themselves some sweet stuff and for those who don’t, try it, you might just become converts! All the best Tina!

EASY PEASY CHICKEN AND PASTA CHUNK SOUP

I must confess that if i had a choice, i would have just soup all my life! I LOVE soup! It's comforting, delicious, filling, warming and so dead versatile! The following recipe is a harmonious union of veges and chicken chunks in a warm stock base.

Seasoning is restricted to the bare minimum so as to entice the full and natural flavors of the chicken and veges into the limelight! Cosy up this monsoon season with a bowl of delicious warmth! I wouldn't say no to some fresh rolls for a dunk and chomp delight!

This soup is so versatile it's unbelievable! You can add in or remove as many veges as you like. You can also sub the chicken with boiled prawns, chunks of fish and squid complimented with a seafood stock to get a slurpalicious seafood soup!

For the soup, you will need:

Skinless chicken breast- from 1 chicken
Broccoli- 1/2 of a large sized floret
Carrot- 1 large
Butter beans- 100 gms
Capsicum- 1/2 of 1 large
Celery- 2 stalks with leaves
Spring onion- 1 bulb
Pasta- a handful (Tip: any pasta can be used in this soup. I lean strongly toward Spaghetti so a bunch of the same was used)
Pepper- to taste
Salt- to taste

Method:

Preparing the chicken:

- Cut the chicken breast into chunks, put into a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water and salt and cook till the first whistle.
- Switch off the stove and allow the pressure to escape. Once all the pressure is let out, open and add 2 more cups of water (Tip: adding all the water in one go would dilute the flavors; hence adding cups a little apart helps the flavor perculate into the liquid)
- Keeping the pressure cooker open, bring the chicken pieces and stock to a boil and switch off stove
- Remove the chicken from the stock and slice lengthwise

Preparing the vegetables:

- Chop up the vegetables in a chunky manner and steam cook them
(Tip: cook the carrots and beans first as they take a bit more time to soften)
- Once the carrots and beans are par cooked, add the rest of the veges into the steamer

Preparing the pasta

- Prepare pasta as per instructions on the packet
(Tip: if you are using spaghetti, break the uncooked pasta into two before cooking. Makes easier eating and less slaps on the face from dripping pasta!)
- Drain the pasta and add into a deep cooking pot

Assembling the soup:

- Into the deep pot with pasta, add the chicken, the stock, veges, a little pepper, taste for salt.
(Tip: if there is not enough liquid base, just add a little warm water into the mix)
- Bring the soup to a boil and serve in bowls complete with spoons and forks handy (for the spaghetti!) Enjoy!

COCOA CRUNCH CAKE

Every family with a sweet tooth is bound to have that one baker with a fabulous chocolate cake recipe! And without a doubt, that recipe would be a one in a million, tastebud titillating, dreamboat of a dessert; you can't help but fall in love with! I have my aunt Jaya to thank for this recipe! And no ordinary recipe this is! Why, this rich, soft, moist chocolate cake with a crunchalicious sugar frosting has taken quite a space in my family's  hearts and bellies my friend.

That's not all! This cocoa casanova has not one but THREE unique ingredients that takes the final product to the next level. Would you have guessed INSTANT COFFEE, CURD and BRANDY? 

If you find the three musketeers not musketeery enough for your taste, you need to follow the upcoming instructions.

Ok close your eyes for a moment and imagine what a bite of this cake would taste like: Your teeth crunch against a sweet, sugary wall that crumbles oh so satisfyingly to expose a satiny haven of dark, chocolatey, melt in the mouth goodness that's light and fluffy. A light flicker of coffee surprises your tongue which then smoothly flows into a cheeky twang of brandy. A "weak at the knees"moment i tell you!

Let me get you all prepped up with the ingredients and the method.

For that pillowy cake, you will need:

Flour: 2 and 1/4 cups

Sugar: 1 and a 1/2 cups

Cocoa powder: 1/2 cup

Instant coffee powder (we use Bru): 1 tsp

Baking powder: 1 and a 1/2 tsp

Baking soda: 1 and a half tsp

Egg: 2 nos

Refined Sunflower oil: 3/4th cup

Vanilla essence: 1 and a 1/2 tsp

Curds: 3/4th cup

Hot water: 1/2

Butter: to coat the baking tray

Get...set...bake:

- Sift the flour and baking powder through a sieve 

- Mix together curds and baking soda (Tip: why curds in a cake you ask? For the unbelievable softness it gives the final product i say!)

- Mix to combine the instant coffee powder with hot water.

(Tip: apart from the slight seduction of coffee, the powder helps the cake look even darker and richer)

- Add this to the cocoa powerd and mox until even and no lumps remain

(Tip: mixture too thick? Just add a little more hot water)

- Combine the cocoa-coffee mixture with the flour and baking powder and stir until it becomes even.

- Pour the mix into a buttered baking tray

- Bake at 180° for 20 minutes

For that delish sugar glaze, you will need:

Sugar: 1 and a 1/2 cups

Water: 1 cup

Brandy: 1 tbsp (things have gotten interesting now haven't they?)

Sugar high:

- On high heat, add sugar to water and stir until it reaches the syrup stage

(Tip: that's when the sugar water mix comes to the boil and thickens enough to slide off the spoon in a languid manner. Don't forget to keep stirring)

- Take the syrup off the stove, add in the brandy and stir

- Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it using a fork

(Tip: you don't have to wait for the cake to cool! Yay!)

- Pour the boozy sugar mix into the holes and spread the remaining syrup lavishly over the cake

-Refrigerate for a couple of hours to get that crunchy sugar top coating

(Tip: keep the cake in the fridge at all times to retain the crunch of the sugar)

The end result is nothing short of spectacular!

It tastes absolutely sinful served with a scoop of good quality Vanilla ice cream but even on it's own, it is a decadent experience! Enjoy! 

For any queries or suggestions pertaining to this recipe, please message me on the letsstalkfood facebook page!

WOW: What an evening!

Last Saturday evening saw a rather enthusiastic (despite the heavy downpour) gathering of women at the Rotary Bal Bhavan in Panampilly Nagar. Ladies from different walks of life, ages and professions; the super glue that held this eclectic collection of women together? A sheer passion for food.

"When women work together amazing things happen" read the tagline on a pretty in pink banner strung up on stage. "WOW" was all I could say. Other than being appreciative in every sense, WOW also stood for the organizers of the event. WOW: "Women Of the World" was the brainchild of two equally wow women: Nidhi S Bhalla and Shweta S Vasudevan. There is so much latent talent amongst women folk. Many women are unable to showcase these talents because they lack thorough knowledge of the who, why, what, when, where and how. Nidhi and Shweta see every woman as an important piece of a large jigsaw puzzle. They believe that it is only when they come together (or work together) that the bigger, better picture is created. Thusly, with the ultimate goal of bringing women together to help one another; a co joining of hearts and minds if you will, Co-founders and partners Nidhi and Shweta lauched “Women of the world” on 2^nd April 2016. Their purpose being encouraging entrepreneurship, image enhancement, networking and information exchange, thereby empowering women to throw some limelight on the best of their talents. WOW constantly looks at new and engaging events through which women can help and motivate each other, this in turn leads to immense support and learning.

The agenda of the evening was simple enough. Two solid hours dedicated to "Women Food entrepreneurs" (of course lots of fun and delicious food entailed in the mix). Cochin has proven a steadfast stepping stone to several home cooks, women who started from scratch and then with some (read: a lot) persuasion, persistence and perseverance took their culinary skills to the next level. Many now have thriving businesses paired with a huge dollop of fame and an unshakeably loyal customer base. This event was to provide a springboard of vital information for various home cooks eager to let the world know what their kitchen has on offer. WOW had arranged for eminent speakers to give inputs regarding the food business scenario with a round of Q and A to address all queries.

(L to R): Anna Austin of Cake Canvas and Harsha Tachery of Masala Box take the stage

We had the utter pleasure of being addressed by two of Cochin's culinary business gems: Harsha Thachery of Masala Box and Anna Austin of Cake Canvas.
After a brief introduction by Shweta, Harsha took the stage and delved into the "Once upon a time" behind MASALA BOX. Considering the kind of success Masala Box has enjoyed, you'd expect its CEO to be sitting on an unapproachable high horse herself, but no, Harsha, with her warm smile and open face was simply a delight to listen to. A personal requirement for healthy eating out options during her pregnancy, led to the creation of something fantastic. Masala Box ties together some of the best home cooks in Cochin (and now Bangalore) to rustle up delicious dishes, made fresh every single day. With the options of lunch and dinner available, each dish is cooked/ baked as per orders received. And then within a specific radius, the orders are delivered within a given time frame. The display of the day’s dishes, selection and payment are all done through their online portal.

Success did not come overnight for Masala Box. Months and months of homework lay ahead, a fragmented market to wade through, number crunching, projections to be made and of course getting the talent source together. One of the major hurdles faced by Harsha was getting across a brand new concept of Masala Box to home cooks who were not at all familiar with the working of the web. Once that was sorted out, the trickle of interested home cooks, through word of mouth turned out into a satisfyingly large torrent. To her amazement, being a woman entrepreneur, she was not greeted with sexist notions, but there actually were nice, helpful people out there ready to nurture and encourage her every step of the way. She was awarded the “Start-Up Entrepreneur of the year” by TiE in 2015. Apart from the single hub in Cochin, Masala Box now operates in 2 hubs in Bangalore. Positivity ringed Harsha’s face as she expressed her goal to take Masala Box pan India in 2 to 3 years.

I must say that I almost shamelessly squealed when I met Anna Austin. I was always a big fan of her work and having a one on one with a cake master of her level and recognition, was like meeting a favourite movie star! From winning the “Pretty Witty cake award” in 2014 to being chosen as a finalist in the Modelling excellence award at the Cake Masters Magazine Awards 2015, this baker has definitely gone places. She took to the mike with much apprehension and apologies as it was her first time addressing a crowd! Anna went on to show us a kaleidoscope of amazing works of edible art she had created, through a presentation. The audience sat in absolute awe! The point that hit home for me was Anna mentioning the immense support and encouragement she received from her family.

The iconic "Bhranthi" cake by Anna for the Biennale

 Anna was always an artist. She did love baking but she always felt a need to express her artistic qualities through her food. Much like WOW’s tagline, Anna’s first cake order was coaxed and cajoled for Harsha’s daughter’s birthday. From there on, there has been no looking back! Thusly her love for art and a stellar chocolate cake recipe (incidentally, Anna bakes cakes in only one delicious chocolate flavour which is said to waft the smell of Belgian chocolates- I’m as happy as a bumblebee and definitely not complaining!) led to the beginnings of CAKE CANVAS; a name suggested by her husband who is also her biggest fan! Anna like to always keep herself abreast of the happenings in the world of cake art. Ever since she attuned her talents to sculpting caricature cakes from her designer studio, she has constantly kept herself informed through online and contact classes. She reminded us that despite all her laurels, she was a very real person who started from scratch and it was only the love and support provided by her family and friends that helped her attain her success.

Post the Q and A session, we were all ready to stretch our legs when Jyothi Vijayakumar, brimming with confidence was introduced to us. A dancer by profession, this gorgeous diva is the owner of MAYA STUDIO OF GODDESS ARTS. Jyothi is passionate about Belly Dancing and she thoroughly believes that belly dancing made her confident about her body and soul and healed her inside and out after the birth of her two daughters. There was no refuting this fact as she performed for us with much grace and poise. But oh it did not stop there, she invited a few of us to try out some of her moves. Of course I jumped at the chance and though we looked like wooden puppets trying to shimmy, we ended up having a lot of fun!

Jyothi working her magic

Bursting with excitement we returned to our seats just in time for a delightful food quiz! Around the world in 15 questions it was with some peeking into their neighbour’s papers, some comically protesting the correctness of their answers…it was a fun time for sure! To keep us hydrated an amazing quencher was served. A bright, happy yellow, this drink had me bowled over from the first sip. By the way, the ingredients of this drink turned out to be a quiz question!

Guesses ranged from mangoes and kesar to orange and papaya. Just when I was controlling myself from bursting out with “blitzed laddoo”, the answer was announced. PUMPKIN! I could scarcely believe my taste buds. I would without a doubt have to say that this blended concoction was the most delicious of all blended concoctions and I would have it coroneted if I had the chance! We had BLEND!T to thank for this Pumpkin delight; which happens to be yet another successful venture from Nidhi (and the most brilliant business woman award goes to…!)

Daily juice at Blend!t

Blend!t brings health and taste together in one delicious glass! Playing around with the natural and healthy goodness of fruits and vegetables, unique combinations and permutations have given birth to a variety of lip smacking numbers. With a multitude of drinks, salads and snack options, Blend!t has found a soft spot in the hearts of all those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle with no compromise whatsoever on the taste. It’s your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, fibres and antioxidants all in one! Now all you have to do is make chocolate healthy Nidhi and I will be your fan for life!

The quiz done, the two winners were presented with baskets full of the most refreshing looking freshly squeezed, bottled juices. With an apt name of MY JUICE BOTTLE; the woman behind this venture was Suja Jacob, a home science graduate with a keen interest in health and nutrition.

I simply loved the packaging!

 Her idea of including fresh fruit juices as opposed to artificial drinks brought about My Juice Bottle. Ranging from grape, pineapple, mango and others (as per season), Suja focuses on fruit juice minus artificial preservatives. Lucky winners I must say!

The event drew to a close with eager participants milling around and getting to know each other with much fervour. Cheerful laughter, greetings and chatter rang back and forth as a wave of connecting the dots washed over everyone. A home cook with a penchant for pickle making found a packing and branding expert, while a baker found a large scale birthday party to cater to. All in all, the goal WOW set forth to achieve was slowly snaking its way to victory!

To top off a wonderful evening, we were served some delightful snacks. Spinach, Corn and Cheese tarts and brownies with white chocolate fudge, blueberries and raspberries.
If it’s one thing I hate about tarts, it would be thick, gunky short crust pastry, but Tina Roy of SUCREE had her tarts do a Goldilocks by being just right! The cheese was still soft and stringy, the veges crisp and the short crust pastry? Suitably thin and crumbly with no buttery aftermath attacking the roof of mouth!
The brownie was bliss. I usually steer clear of anything with berries; but this berry overload did nothing but enhance the smooth flavour of the milky white chocolate fudge and the moistness of the brownie. It definitely hit a home run with my palette! 

Tina of Sucree

But brownies and tarts are not the only things Tina bakes up a storm with. In fact, she has a repertoire of baked goodies up her sleeve right from cheesecakes, gateaux to pies and speciality cakes. Proof of the pudding? Sucree is set to open up its flagship store at Centre Square next week!

Tummy and heart full, I mixed in with the crowd. I met some lovely, talented women, went all fan girl with the speakers, chatted up with the gracious hosts; thanking them for such an amazing time; all the while in awe at the immense talent one tiny room held. Imagine if we were all to help each other out, there’s no telling where our lives would take us. Somewhere amazing, some place spectacular…someplace WOW I bet!

With the organisers: Nidhi and Shweta (centre) 

Contacts:

WOW: Women of the world: Nidhi and Shweta https://www.facebook.com/wewomenoftheworld/
The Masala Box: Harsha Tachery: www.masalabox.com
Cake Canvas: Anna Austin: https://www.facebook.com/CakeCanvasFromAnnAskitchen/
Tina Roy: Sucree: https://www.facebook.com/sucreedesserts/?fref=ts
Jyothi Vijayakumar: Maya Studio of Goddess Arts https://www.facebook.com/mayastudioofgoddessarts/?fref=ts

Nidhi: Blend!it- juice bar: https://www.facebook.com/blenditbar/

Suja Jacob: My Juice bottle: 9746893444