The eyes followed the cookie tray as it came out of the oven and sat to cool. The eagerness of the children gathered at Arundati Rao’s Escapades culinary for the cookies had nothing to do with craving for cookies; they were more excited to lay their hands on a job well-done.
The summer baking class for children at Escapades is an annual affair and each year the young participants come geared with an enthusiasm to be able to compete in Mastercheff Junior. This year, to make the class a little more memorable long after the cookies and cupcakes are over, Arundati Rao decided to throw in a surprise.
As they waited for the cookies to cool, Arundati introduced freelance illustrator Shubhasree Sangameswaran to her class. Shubhasree handed everyone art paper, colour pencils, pencils and crayons. She then explained nuances of illustration and how food illustration can be a most useful tool to explain a recipe in the easiest possible way.That being the next leg of their class, the children displayed the another side of their creativity.
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Arundati explains that the illustration class was included for the visual recall of the goodies the children had baked. “Children are eager and are quick learners with the things we bake. My classes for children have been on for three years. The class includes baking and food illustration for children aged between 6-14 years. It is a hands-on class. The idea is to get children into the kitchen and bake so they understand the effort and enjoy the process of and also take responsibility for their decisions. For instance, the cake won't turn out fluffy if you over beat the batter, so be aware, be responsible for it.”