How about some Cake?

I have some new developments to share. I have been mulling over it for a few days now but the seeds of thought were sown about 2 years back. Finally, after much thought and deliberation, I have decided to get into it. “What?” you ask? Baking. I mean not just baking and eating it all myself. But baking, as in trying it out professionally. I send out my first two orders yesterday. I am really excited.

I got into it this, quite by accident. After my first attempt at baking, I was put off for many years. When the oven that I got as a gift for my mother-in-law ended up at my house, and it began calling out to me, I just tried it out on a lark. And I found out that I was good at it. Then the compliments followed and then requests for taking orders. But I was not too sure. I thought people were just pepping me up. Then one cake after the other, I began experimenting. I just kept looking out for every single opportunity to take a cake along with me. Now either those people were really hungry and happy at the free dessert or maybe I really was good at it, I was not too sure, then.(Yeah, yeah, call me over. I will bring cake.)

In fact last year, my dear friend Uma (quite a savvy baker, herself) and I, actually put up a stall and baked like crazy people. The result. Every single piece was sold. We were smiling from ear to ear.

I have some people that I experiment on, in the name of Coffee Meets!! Thank you my dear guineas for egging me on and being ready to try any cake that I bake. Thanks to you, I have the guts to try it out on others too!

I have been doing some research in the past few days as to where I should be sourcing my ingredients from and how to price the cakes. I am sure that I do not want to compromise on quality and will sell only to people serious about having a good cake and eating it too! I am really passionate about baking and my two key ingredients in all my cakes are passion and love! Now we can’t measure or price that. So I am doing this with one very clear intent. I want people to enjoy cakes.

After embarking on bake street, I must say this: There is nothing like a home-made cake. No amount of tempting is going to get me to actually buy that cake from a shop anymore. Not only are they over-priced but am told that they use cream made out of Soy (a cheap way of substituting fresh cream) in those cream-based cakes. If you have a thing for cakes and you indulge in those cream cakes, you are unknowingly inviting health troubles. It may not have any immediate bearing, but you are risking your health in the future. I have also read that giving your children products with soy as an ingredient in them is like giving them a birth control pill. It has some great potential to harm, as girls are gaining puberty at very early ages these days and soy is known to be the potential culprit. Please do read up more on this and check with your doctors. This bit of news was enough to scare the jeebies outta me. So, if you feel like eating cakes, buy the ones without the cream toppings.


This is one of my hot favorites:

Chocolate Temptation

And, I made this one today (this picture is borrowed as my pictures did not turn out well):

Cappucino Cake with White Chocolate Topping

Cake, anyone?

Feasting

Have you seen the movie ‘No Reservations’ which stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart? It is not an amazing movie or anything. I just happened to catch it as I was flicking through the channels on TV. You see, I am usually under pressure to watch something on TV. I must, must watch some TV everyday. I don’t know why, but I must watch. Usually after my little girl has hit the bed at night, I try and catch up on TV. Whoever said that housewives can lounge around the whole day and watch TV, needs some serious medication. I am speaking for most housewives here, when I say that we have to really push other stuff around and steal time to watch TV. So at the end of the day, you might have some work looking at you in the face, waiting to be done. But what the heck!

I did wander a bit now, didn’t I?? Ok, now in this movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones is a master chef (with a typically type A personality), at a restaurant. Every dish that is made is crafted to perfection. I am going to deal with that aspect of the movie. For the rest of the story, you have to watch the movie.

I kind of felt a little like that today. Actually, I feel like that all the time in my kitchen. I feel like - a master chef. To me, cooking is a great stress-buster. And I cannot even begin to tell you how much I like feeding people. I am meeting so many like minded people these days, personally and in the blog world. Women who take serious pride in what they do. Women, who have left their demanding careers behind to pursue the even more demanding job of a homemaker. Gone are the days when people looked down upon our lot!

Yesterday, I spent my morning doing what I love best. Cooking. I treated two of my close friends and their families, to an authentic Onam lunch. Served on the Banana leaf and all. Though I did not make all the dishes, I made nine of most famous ones. And I had the time of my life doing it. One dish after the other left the stove and I was done with the cooking, way ahead of time. So well planned and executed it was. I was pleased with myself and the outcome. Usually, I would be cooking even after the guests have arrived and I would be mad as hell if someone crosses my path. But this time it was handled very differently. My friends (lovely as they are), offered to come over and help. ‘Cause there is some seriously crazy amount of cooking involved. But I would have none of it. I am not very good at handling a crowd in the kitchen. It is too confusing.

Check out the spread!!



The instructions to my husband and daughter are very simple. Steer clear of my kitchen. Usually, my daughter wanders about and wrecks havoc. But Mr. Bean entertained her rather well today. I think she was just scared that I would actually cancel the lunch and she would not get to have fun with her friends. I have to throw such idle threats about (bad mommy that I am), to get my way.

So people, do come on over. Mi casa es su casa.