Saturday 23 June 2012

Meet the bakers - Part 8

Cleaner, chef, dish washer, stylist, photographer, manager and odd-job jack - Meet Aysha Shanaz Abdulla of Ma Baker

Lovely creations and even prettier packing boxes got me curious. Clumsy as she might be (and even having a ganache on her ceiling and a 2 year old creating havoc in the house), I think her creations are absolutely brilliant. I'm actually proud to do this post on Aysha, for she is a recluse but she thought answering my questions was going to be fun ! Read on..

Excerpts:

D: Any reason why this name - Ma Baker?
ASA: I'm a full time ma to my children, bitten very hard by the baking bug. So the old Boney M song title seemed appropriate.  (True that ! )


D: Where do you source your ingredients from? Is there something you don't get in India?
ASA: There's hardly anything you don't find in India these days but the quality is very inconsistent and therefore unreliable, especially in stores that sell in bulk. Most of my stuff comes from the States, brought back by my family who travel pretty often and are willing to carry anything I need. But now with more stores that carry specialty ingredients opening up, things are getting easier. 


D: What's the most difficult part in baking in humid conditions?
ASA: The most difficult part is that you get cooked before your cakes get cooked! Its just so exhausting! Other than that there are the challenges of the butter falling flat and the frosting looking wilted but there's no point complaining and we have to just find ways to work around it, like working after sun-down.


D: What's your theme for the fest?
ASA: I don't really have a theme in mind, I'm just planning to stick to my strong points and bake what I've always got good reviews for. I may introduce one new item as a trial but it really depends on how well I manage time on the days running up to the 30th. With a 2 year old in the house and me being a one man army, its a circus around these parts on most days. Did I mention I've already had a couple of panic attacks thinking about the 30th? Yes, I'm confident like that! (haha, I am sure you are going to whip up a storm)


D: On that note, I loved the little boxes that housed those single cup cakes. Did you design those boxes?
ASA: I found a box design that I loved and then painstakingly cut out the template and handmade a box as a sample for the person who makes my other boxes. So technically I did not design the boxes myself but there was no way I could make my box supplier comprehend what I needed without actually making one and showing it to him!




I couldn't convince Aysha to let me use a picture of hers on the blog (she refrains from having her pictures published, and I respect her decision) and instead of the awesome baker, I do have one of her creations here ! :)

Cheers Aysha and look forward to seeing you on the 30th ! (Can't hide there :P)














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