Meet the bakers - Part 5

First off, this post is long overdue. Work was all consuming and then a couple of Showcase meets happened :)

So I was writing to each of these bakeraanis and this time, I picked the enthu cutlet - Suma Satish. That's how I am going to call her, because her email to me was bubbling with excitement and thrill and I couldn't resist responding immediately. There weren't many details on her FB page, so I had to throw random questions at her. And then, after reading her email I realized, even if I didn't ask her any question, I would have still ended up with reams of information ! :D That's Suma for you - a bundle of excitement of a little kid.

Suma is absolutely talented; she calls herself jack of all trades, king of none (shouldn't it be queen? :P) but I think it's amazing that she can knit, paint, crochet, and apparently play a bit of flute (but stopped because the neighbor complained ! :P). As I was wondering who is she going to knit for in Chennai, her next line sent me into peals of laughter - she could perhaps knit bikinis in Chennai :P

Excerpts:

D: What got you into baking? Is this full time or do you work elsewhere?
SS: My mom used to bake when my sis and I were little. She made cookies and cakes for our birthdays. She used to break the eggs with a butter knife (we are vegetarians) resulting in shells all over the batter and 30 mins to pick the shells off LOL! So I kinda knew what went into making a cake and how it was done, but my experiments with baking started when I got married and moved to the US- no work, no friends, a humongous oven, an easy access to raw materials and some super awesome baking websites/books made my baking life simpler  And the biggest plus point was that my mom was not around so if one cake flopped I could *cough* chuck it and without her glaring at me  I took some Wilton cake decorating classes etc and since I lived in Maryland I could not operate out of a home kitchen (they have some mental law) so I used to chumma timepass bake and decorate cakes and send it free to Jay's office. We just moved back to India last month and my full time job is running after my 2yr old. (Note to self: Ask SS later about mental law? :P haha )


D: Where do you source your ingredients? and do you think you find all you need in Chennai / India? If not, what do you think that's missing and can stores like Gormei can source it for us?
SS: I have just been to Currimbhoys, Poppat Jamals ad Nuts and spices. Thanks to the Bakers Guild I have gathered a LOT of information about other stores. What I really (and I think most Home bakers would agree) is have a store like the ones in US- where they carry everything related to baking from icing sugar to colours, to cake boxes to fondant/gum paste/modeling chocolates. It would make our life so much easier. But I think Passionate Baking is doing something along those lines. I am really pleased to know that there are stores like Gormei that carry exotic stuff, I can't wait to raid their store :-P


D: What's your theme for the fest?
SS: Theme for the fest hmm... I will be keeping it real simple (no frosting or anything fancy) because I have a toddler (who loves running around the house throwing spoons and bowls from the balcony and stuffing his toys into the fridge sigh) it is challenging to make complicated things  But what I'll bring shall remain a secret (only because I'm yet to try out those recipes LOL).  (haha, girl - can't really wait to see what you are going to bring and I do hope your little one is tagging along with you !  Please do bring him:) )

D: Future plans?
SS:  Oh yeah, I plan to teach baking. I mean why buy cakes when you can bake right? Home Bakers don't shoot me  But 1st I need to figure out how to contact Jayalalitha and tell her to put an end to these damned power cuts  It will take some time for me to set it up (because I plan to teach in my house, only weekends) but I can assure you it will not be the run of mill baking classes, it will be fun because hey you are making cake- what is there to be serious about?!? (Absolutely, and let me know when you talk to JJ ;-) I will put gosham for you - SS vaazhga types :P)

She so wanted me to use this picture, so here you go ! BTW, this multi talented pretty lady also blogs at http://masalavade.blogspot.in/. And I was doubling in laughter at the uterus post ! Seriously screw loose ! :P