Thursday 24 January 2013

Meet the Bakers - Tasneem Ayub

Wasn't I waiting for this opportunity! To write about one of my favorite people, an amazing cook, a very warm and humble person, eager to learn even at this age, a wonderful human being who has no airs despite what she has achieved; I've been one of the fortunate recipients of her love and affection (and chiding too at times), not to mention the yummy food each time I dropped by announced / unannounced.

Oh! did I mention her amazing sense of fashion? You have to see her closet to believe it!

In conversation with Tasneem Aunty (as she's fondly called)

D: A little bit about your family, Aunty?
T: My father was a businessman and my mother was the HOD (Eng Literature) and later the principal of Ethiraj College. I am the youngest of 7 :)

D: So when did your initiation into cooking happen?
T: I perhaps learnt to hold a ladle even before I learnt to read / write :). The 11 am meal used to be my favorite; I used to cook up a storm making lamb chops in a mud pot and all this was made on firewood.

D: Your inspiration?
T: My mother, most definitely; She would ensure that we always ate healthy with the choicest fresh ingredients; She'd sometimes source the products herself and prepare the best food for us. Then, my brother who was a big foodie and a great cook himself, was a big influence on my cooking. My brothers and sisters who always used to bully me around and make me do all the work ;-) . And of course, my husband and son who are the guinea pigs for all my recipe trials. Not to mention, Sandhesh Reddy, Chef and entrepreneur!

D: Wow! That's some inspiration. So what are your passions other than cooking?
T: I love gardening and love to potter around. (Psst: She's crazy about collecting some lovely cutlery and crockery. The collection is so huge that you could almost display them in a museum)

D: Your husband - Ayub uncle and your son Feroze are racers, national champions! What's the dinner table conversation like?
T: Ha ha! Do you even need to ask! Of course, it's CARS.

D: Oh! But I remember uncle said in an interview on Star Sports, that you always talk about food at the dinner table! 
T: Haha! It's always cars and it annoys me to no end! My yelling falls on deaf ears :-(

D: What's your forte as far as cooking is concerned?
T: My forte has been biriyanis and the typical muslim sweets / desserts. This Ramzan I'd made 12 different varieties!

D: How has HBG inspired you?
T: If not for KP who nudged me into this, this would have never happened! :)



Tasneem Aunty is also a big fan of organic food and AMC cookware. She'd applied for catering college, but the conservative family background made her mother hide the acceptance form! ;-) 

She also blogs at http://ammeeskitchen.blogspot.in and http://theeffervescentcook.blogspot.in

To taste the amazing badam sweet and khajur made by Tasneem Aunty, please come to the Baker Showcase on Feb 2nd.












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5 comments:

  1. Wow! What a lovely personality Tasneem is! People who are into food are always warm and beautiful people, I read somewhere and that seems so very true when I read this.

    Now 12 different dishes is something more than a storm - It's a tsunami!

    Thanks Deepa for introducing an illustrious person to us!

    I am itching to eat Haleem now ;)

    Joy always,
    Susan

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  2. I rushed to Tasneem's blogs hoping to find some great recipes. Tasneem, please do put up some recipes form your repertoire. People like me would be eternally grateful.

    Joy always,
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tasneem Auntry rocks!! Cant wait for Ramzan already! all the best aunty - Naveen Radha :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you Susan and Naveen..😀

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really informative experience sharing through this blog about this author.. Nice
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    ReplyDelete

Munch on....