Little Miss' home-made ‘Laura's Secret Recipe Mayonnaise' leaves you wanting to know the secret, her orange tang has just the right amount of zing and her brownies are deliciously soft. Add to this an exhaustive list of cakes, pies, muffins, quiches and savouries, and you have ‘Little Miss' Kitchen'. But who is she?
A Fine Arts graduate-turned-cook, Rivka Maria Shahani call herself Little Miss. “Everyone who's seen me know that I'm a short. In fact, there's a running joke among friends that I can fit into my oven! Also, a kitchen is the heart of a house and that's where I find my happiness and hopefully can bring happiness to others through my food. ‘Little Miss' Kitchen is more than just a bakery,” says Rivka.
Food has always been a passion for Rivka, who comes from a family of good cooks. She studied Fine Arts at Stella Maris and later in the U.K. Back in Chennai, she worked briefly at a boutique and then at a gallery. “I was looking to start something of my own and stumbled upon the Artisans baking institute. And I underwent online training for a week. But my mother is my mentor and biggest inspiration. I have learnt cooking techniques and life lessons from her.” Currently Rivka operates from home and takes orders online or on the phone. She requires at least a day's notice, depending on the order. Rivka's secret recipes are a result of her travels, culinary exposure and legacy. “I've travelled extensively and tasted authentic cuisines. Also, coming from a family with different ethnic backgrounds (Sindhi, Goan, Mangalorean and Parsi) I've been exposed to myriad flavours. I also watch food shows, follow a number of food blogs and have a good collection of recipe books. While inspirations are varied, I invariably tweak a recipe to to my own taste and imagination. That's my secret, I guess!”
Little Miss' Kitchen is not only known for its brownies but carrot cakes and mayonnaise too. And this month, she organises ‘Tasting Sundays' so that you can try them for yourselves. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” she smiles. Visit Little Miss' Kitchen at www.facebook.com/littlemisskitchen.
