I had a typical Indian childhood with a mother, grandmothers and aunts who cooked fantastic food. As a kid I used to carry a three-tier tiffin box to school. Made with a lot of love, my mother used to pack paranthas, bhaji and kachumbar , while the other kids brought sandwiches and chips. Growing up with great homemade food endowed upon me passion for cookings. It wasn’t until my uncle’s foray into the field of culinary arts that I was introduced to cooking as a career. He and his wife are both accomplished chefs. They have always been an inspiration. I decided to follow their footsteps and master the art of cooking.
I have come to realise that people who do not love food or all things food should strictly stay away from this profession. Excelling at culinary arts requires a lot of experimentation and that comes only from a love for food. Our teachers from culinary school insisted that managing kitchen disasters was as important as being able to cook a hearty meal for the patrons. Once I had mistakenly set a grill on fire just half an hour before a dinner. The flames were about six feet high! The trick is to learn from these mistakes and not get bogged down by them. A student can always attempt more experiments than a professional can. Also as a student one can be more imaginative in his/her approach. From the time I attended Kendall College, Chicago, for my hospitality studies I have always given importance to learning and gaining new experiences.
Experience
I began my career at Leela Beach (5 Star) in Goa and then moved to Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Post-Taj Mahal I went to work with Auberge du Moulin de Lisogne in Dinant, Belgium.
I then ran a nightly degustation and vegetarian menu while at the Mobil 4-Star and AAA 5-diamond American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. I returned to Kendall College to create and implement the curricula for the new BA in Culinary Arts, spanning the cuisines of Asia, the Mediterranean and Latin America. I went on to blend my global exposure to food with the traditional French-Mediterranean method to reflect current trends in food as the Chef Instructor at the Chicago Tribune 3-star Dining Room at Kendall College.
As the Chef de Cuisine at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, I had the privilege of competing in the 2008 Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, where I took home a silver medal. I have hit a homerun as Executive Chef at Petco Park in San Diego, overseeing a group of approximately 120 culinary experts and operating multiple kitchens with Delaware North Companies.
My journey so far has introduced me to a lot of places, people and cultures. Food being an intimate part of everyone’s life has helped me forge stronger bonds with the people around me. I am a teacher now but the student in me will always remain and help me grow. The curiosity and hunger to learn new things keeps me going even today!
The author is Department Chef, Hotel and Tourism Management, Purdue University.
