Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts

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Survival guide with just 5 ingredients - Chef Shailesh

I think we’re lucky, really lucky because we live in a civilized and urban world where nearly everything we wish to eat can be easily delivered to our doorstep using an app. The saying “No one knows a man better than his grocer” may well have been usurped by “no one knows a man better than his food delivery app”. Consider also that talented chef’s today are experimenting and creating Indian haute cuisine in an attempt to command respect globally. Such cuisine is truly Indian but when presented looks identical to the highest quality French cuisine . Chefs are pushing boundaries and opening boutique restaurants where Indian favourites like butter chicken aren’t even on the menu. At such restaurants, the traditional Indian naan is being served stuffed with blue cheese which at times leads first-time diners to inform the chef that the cheese in the naan is spoiled! Yet undeterred, Indian chefs continue to push the boundaries of Indian cuisine. But while the lifestyles of us big city dwell...

Importance of Cooking and Baking Tools

The saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is true when speaking of the leading city-state of the ancient world- and nearly as true for the perfect baked food. It takes years of training to become an expert chef who can make yummy pastries and cakes. And while an outstanding baked food doesn’t take as long to be ready as did Rome, the end result can be just as gratifying. As a skilled baker, I take pride in my work. Like people in other professionals, I also use a number of tools to help me bake food that is loved by many. By using my baking tools I provide others with edibles such as bread, cakes, pastries, cookies and a number of other baked foods almost too numerous to list. When I bake, I use tools such as a weighing scale, a whisk, a spatula, a baking pan, measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a pastry brush, a mixing bowl, a rolling pin and a dough hook. Each of these tools is essential for baking as, without them, I would not be able to make the v...

How cuisines evolved from ancient to modern times in India

Food has always been the spice of life, especially when it’s Indian cuisine. Indian cuisines consist of a wide variety of traditional as well regional cuisines. Given the variety in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups and occupation, these cuisines differ significantly from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The religious beliefs and culture in India have played a significant role in the evolution of its cuisine. India’s unique blend of cuisines evolved through large-scale cultural interaction with our neighbors namely, Persia, ancient Greece, Mongolia and West Asia. With the coming of Arabs and Portuguese traders, chili peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. came into existence. European cooking styles were introduced during the colonial period. This has since then always, added to the variety of Indian cuisine. The history of Indian cuisines can be taken back to the ancient days when the culture of preparing cuisines in a proper ...

A sweeter way to bag your sweethearts: through cakes and goodies

There is nothing more endearing than sumptuous gifts like cakes and other small sweet goodies such as cupcakes, muffins, pastries, to linger the heart of your sweethearts. The delicious flavour, the lip-smacking creamy frost and the unsurpassed designer decoration will leave your loved ones spellbound. Chocolates have become a mainstream thing for gifting your loved ones because cakes are a favourite amongst both men and women. People are now taking professional classes to bake different types of cakes like travel cakes, cakes with various flavours, fondant cakes, etc. Gifting a basket full of cupcakes, muffins, pastries and self-baked cakes is the best gift you can give to your sweetheart. From Valentine’s Day to birthdays and to anniversaries, every day is a reason to celebrate with your loved ones with goodies and cakes. There always few important days in your life, which you might tend to forget due to workload, like your every month anniversary. You might just forget to ...

Hobbies to inculcate: Patisserie Making

Hobby is a great way to relieve stress. It brings joy and enriches our lives. It is a stress-reliever and engages an individual for relaxation. Hobbies help an individual to become more patient and composed. It lets an individual to relax and indulge in activities, that aren’t associated with work or other responsibilities. Baking is a great therapeutic activity for a person who loves to cook new recipes. Activities liking baking pastries and cakes stimulates an individual’s sense of taste and can also be a pleasant surprise for others too. Baking not only gives pleasure but it also helps to ease depression and anxiety. There are several schools for baking and pastry classes, where students learn to make cakes and pastries for weddings and special occasions. Acts as a meditation therapy Baking is a simple and repetitive activity which relaxes the mind and therefore acts as a meditation therapy. Whipping up cream and butter and whisking eggs creates a space ...

Welcome to the sweet life: a guide to Baking and Patisserie

The human tongue can sense four flavours; sour, bitter, salty and sweet. Half of us have a tendency of not eating sweets at all and half of us have a tendency of being addicted to sweets. I feel having a sweet tooth is the best thing; one has a variety of options to soothe their tongue. Some of us crave for sweets when we’re not well or when we feel low; they act as an energizer for us. For some of us, sweets are the best gift for our loved ones, be it lovers, friends or family, sweets bring a smile to everybody’s face. Too much of anything is not good for the body though and the same goes for sugar as well thus creating an even bigger market for sugar free products for health conscious individuals. The world of Pastry has evolved in the last few years. Traditional Indian sweets or ‘mithais’ are slowly being replaced with French pastries . The pastry world offers an array of flavors, textures, colors and shapes and something to satiate everybody’s taste buds. Thanks to soci...