Showing posts with label Adoniya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adoniya. Show all posts

Friday, 16 January 2015

Meet the Bakers - Maaria Kulsum Tanveer

Do I need to introduce this baker? This lady never ceases to amaze me every time. Her zest for life is immense. Ever so warm with a smile on her face, she is the queen! Rightfully so. Have you ever been threatened to be taken to the police if you decide to not take an order? This lady was. Funny, but that's the kind of fan following she has.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet Maaria Kulsum Tanveer.

Some excerpts from our chat:

Q. You've expanded since we last spoke. A cafe in Bessy and one in Crossword store, Alwarpet. What more can we expect in 2015? 
A: Yes we have! 2014 was crazzy, demanding, surprisingly and a roller coaster! Too many unexpected things happened but sailed through it all. 2015 is gonna be all about stabilizing the new babies :) More new workshops and lots of interesting events.

Q. How do you manage 3 stores plus custom orders?
A: I have a good team touch wood who take care of the baking and follow my recipes. All custom orders are done by me and cafe work by the staff under my supervision. My bakery and studio moving right next to home has helped big time, I get to work more hours and still always be there for my family :)

Q. You have an amazing repertoire - chandelier cakes to gravity defying cakes. What are the other things that you would want to try this year?
A: Thank you! Always thank my amazing clients who give me a free hand to try new and challenging things. I would love to try more sculpted realistic looking cakes this year and more flowers.

Q. As a veteran, what tips do you have for first timers who are showcasing in the bake sale this time?
A.Don't over do it - meaning quantity. Don't stress over how many pieces you have. Concentrate on the flavours, Don't use anything which needs chilling and have chances of getting spoilt as the bake sale is in the open area. Keep your table and packaging very attractive :)

Q. And what are you bringing to the table? :) 
A: Haven't finalised yet but jar cakes for sure which were a huge hit last time. I will also be doing some totally new flavours. The pavlova will surely be there and some new flavours of cookies!

(And as I write this, Maaria is bringing motichoor cheesecake, Gulabjamun tiramisu and Coconut burfi chilli chocolate mousse)

Q. What do you do when you are not creating those awesome masterpieces?
A: I love to watch movies, travel and to sleep. So when i am not with my family i would be doing either of the three :P

Q. A budding baker in the family? :) You think she's going to follow your footsteps? 
A: Lol yes she is! In fact, both love to bake and experiment in the kitchen. It's too early to say if this is going to be their choice of career and we as parents definitely don't want to influence. Guide - yes. so lets wait and watch :)








So, watch out for Maaria's goodies at the Grand Annual Bake Sale - Stall #5, on 24th January, 2015 between 4 and 7 pm at Spaces, #1, Elliots Beach Road, Besant Nagar. Be early if you want to buy any of these.



Tuesday, 5 March 2013

A culinary journey - Shazia Khan

I am a big fan of Masterchef (particularly the Australian edition), as I am sure most of you are. My ex-boss knew better than to call me between 9 and 10 pm when Masterchef Australia used to be aired on Star world. I love George, Gary, Matt (Moran and Preston). I've enjoyed the show and more importantly, the masterclasses. I have a dream - to some day be on the sets of this epic show, in Australia, and cover it on this blog.

But the closest I'll come to all of this, will be this weekend - to interact with and learn from the Masterchef India Season 2 Finalist and Runner up - Shazia Khan. I've been part of various culinary workshops and have learnt from every one of them - be it a recipe from scratch or some new tip; so I definitely look forward to this one.

This event - Make me a Masterchef - is conceptualized by my baker friend Maaria Kulsum Tanveer of Adoniya and managed and executed by one of my dearest friends Tasneem Akbari of Konceptz Galore.

A young homemaker and mother of two dreamed a dream. And that dream morphed into a beautiful reality. Shazia Khan is now a known face in Indian households, thanks to Masterchef India. Cooking is the biggest stress buster, says Shazia. I concur. Her greatest inspiration is her late father, her biggest motivation are her two sons and her strength is her husband. Shazia learnt cooking from her mother-in-law who was more than a mentor and guide to her.

Shazia is a member of the board of management, at Delhi Public School Bangalore North. She is part of the family business that runs many educational institutes in Bangalore. Her school also has a wing called ‘Anubhava Shiksha Kendra’ for underprivileged students where Shazia spends valuable time teaching the kids.

One day, she says, she wants to produce a travel + cookery show that'd enable her travel to the ends of the world.

And if you are in Chennai, you sure don't want to miss this workshop, on the 9th of March 2013, at the Radisson Blu, Egmore. It is a day long event, split into 3 parts - Veg - Lunch - Non Veg. For more details check the event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/608229172526020/




Thursday, 2 August 2012

Adoniya - Rich and Unique

What better way than retail therapy when you are stressed and sick. And where better to do it than at Adoniya. Added bonus was the sale of exclusive Pakistani suits by Sequence at Adoniya.

Uma and I raided Adoniya this afternoon to pick up some suits from Rashida (Sequence). I also wanted Maaria to do the stitching for me, which unfortunately has to wait until next week because I forgot to carry a sample suit.  But then, forgetting the sample suit, also means one more trip to Adoniya. Maaria - Here I come :-D

So why is shopping figuring in my food blog? This is why - the amazingly tantalizing red velvet cup cake with cheese icing and the cold refreshing lemon soda (with the perfect blend of mint).


This is how the plate looked after I devoured the cup cake. I so wish I could have scraped off the bits. Sigh ! 



And this is the suit I bought :-) (Image courtesy - Sequence) Ladies - Sequence has some awesome suits, rush to Adoniya to get yours!