Culinary Achievers

We very well know by living in the 21 st century that, as we have evolved the things have become more and more refined. The natural processes of storage and cooking have been replaced with chemicals and microwaves etc. This has become a major health concern for people today as they turn towards healthy ways of preparing and consuming food. That is when Spa cuisine comes into picture. Spa cuisine is essentially taking our food preparation and cooking methods back to the simpler and less refined ways of the past. With spa cuisine we try to use the natural elements in food to assist the body in its day to day processes without placing unnecessary strain on it.  Hence, Spa cuisine has few characteristics which define the cuisine like; usage of natural ingredients instead of processed and refined food products. Spa cuisine uses seasonal ingredients as it ensures availability and freshness. Some restaurants may even grow their own produce.   Spa meals are...

Santosh Reddy is an alumnus of class 2008-2011 from the prestigious Indian Academy of Catering technology and Culinary Arts- Brand CAI as it is called today. He has to his credit 14years of professional experience in Indian and International hotel chains. He has trained and worked with hotels like the Taj group of hotels, Holiday Inn, The Leela, Fairmont, etc.His first assignment as a Pastry Chef was with The Park, Hyderabad after which he moved on to Movenpick Hotel & Spa, Bangalore.He is presently heading the Pastry at the Radisson Blu, MBD Hotel, Noida. During his professional career Santosh has acquired a lot of distinction to himself and the hotels he worked for. “The Chocolate Box” Pastry shop at Radisson Blu, was awarded by Times Food as the best Pastry Shop in the NCR Region (Noida) for the Year 2013 and 2014.Santosh spearheaded his team of six chefs at the AAHAR Competitions 2015 where he won 4 gold medals, 5 silver medals, 3 bronze medals in various different categori...

what do the people of the world crave for? Love? Baloney. It’s a purpose. It’s a sum total of your priorities, your memories, the people who come and go, your choices and the results of all that and much much more: mixed around like a concoction of reality and hope. It all started when I was losing myself, when I was losing touch with the world around me and being felt like I was surrounded by a sky full of dementors. Anyway. This was that point in life that probably one would say “every teenager goes through” but personally, I think what matters is how each one’s thoughts wander during such events and controls the mind and soul of a human being- the crucial state of mind that makes all the difference. I was a victim- or rather Survivor- of deception and misunderstanding- two simple words that could cause so much chaos in an 18 year old’s mind. Typing all this makes me second guess myself- is this the truth? Or am I just drowning in self pity? Coming up with an answe...

Ten years back when we started getting trained to be chefs, the practical skills we gained were only through the practical sessions under skilled Chef Trainers or through books. Even with such minimum resources available we could still learn culinary skills which helped us to grow strong in the industry. In the present era of 'Internet', everything is available to make anything and this availability of technology and know-how has become a boon for the budding chefs to gain substantial knowledge and skills. With so many talented  culinary professionals  in the industry, easy access to the online resources and the state of art culinary infrastructure in the leading hotels  in our  country we still have a long way  to make it to Culinary Olympics in general and in  Pastry & Confectionery arts in particular. Being a Chef Trainer and specialising in confectionery arts and mentoring the students hands on with various confectionery mediums like Sugar Cho...

Ayurveda–the science or the knowledge of life is known for its oldest medical systems on earth. It provides us with all the important information related to our weight, health and happiness which could be controlled by us. It has two aspects, one is preventive side and other is curative side. The preventive side focuses mainly on how illness could be avoided just by following right diet, meditation and yoga whereas the curative side consists of eight branches of medicine.  Here we emphasize on the preventive side of Ayurveda as “Prevention is better than cure”. Ayurveda teaches us that one don’t require medicine, if they follow a right diet. Ayurveda says that everything in this world is made of five elements which are Water, Earth, Fire, Ether and Air. These elements are energies made with finer molecules when combined form all life forms around us. They vary from each other by their densities and vibration. The lightest of  them all is Ether with condens...

Technology is ever changing. Innovator and inventors are constantly striving to push the boundaries of science and technology, looking for that next amazing idea that will make our lives that much more comfortable. So here's an idea; you walk into a restaurant and find yourself a table. Instead of waiting for the waiter (in know, ironic… isn't it??!!) you can place your order immediately. Instead of standing in queues like all other fast food joints, you  can relax on your table while the food comes to you. Oh and did I mention, there are NO WAITERS! Cool, right? From the food bullet train restaurant in Tokyo (where the food ordered arrives on a bullet train) to Rogo's, the rollercoaster restaurant in Abu Dhabi (here the food takes a rollercoaster ride on the way to the guest) fully or predominantly automated restaurants have become all the rage in various parts of the world. You can order food at the touch of a button then relax while your food arrives. Even cl...

Chefs are the creative minds behind today's food businesses. They are the most skilled individuals of their kitchens, and their artistic approach and decisions shape their establishments. Many chefs also play a major role in managing the kitchens, the day's service, preparation of different dishes, and supply ordering. Chefs also oversee the complete food operations apart from preparing the food. Apart from all this today chefs have to be “STYLISTS” who can create visual impact in his customers who first see and then consume the food prepared by him / her. In today's world each profession has its own definition so as food styling. By this small write up on food styling I will try my level best to delve into tips, tricks, and information on how to style mouth watering food using elements of art & design. If one has to define the job of a food stylist then it is simply a person who makes food look beautiful. It is always understood that the food stylists work in a s...