<p>I was always inclined towards cooking. As a child, I would watch, with fascination, as my mother went about making some of the most exotic dishes, almost effortlessly. We lived in the Middle East initially and my mother would bake during her spare time. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Since I used to assist her in the kitchen, I too picked up a love for baking. We then moved to India and settled in Hubballi. I baked my first Vanilla cake when I was 11 years old, for a competition, and won the consolation prize. This was a big boost for me and I have been baking since. <br /><br /> I later did a course from Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Pune to understand the basics but I never liked sticking to the regular cookbook recipe. I would experiment, explore and lend my own twist to every dish that I made. I am an instinctive cook. If I like something that I’ve eaten or if there’s a dish that I’ve seen somewhere, then I immediately try to replicate the same thing or create something similar. Whether continental, Indian or simple homemade dishes, I don’t follow the regular formula but throw in ingredients that give a unique taste to the dish. <br /><br />The Apple Tart is the result of one such experiment. I learnt to make the basic tart and then played around with the fillings. I’ve made tarts with Strawberry and Blueberry fillings. The Chocolate Ganache Tarts and the Marmalade tarts have a different flavour. I also experiment with the shape of the tart. It can rage from round to square to oval. I have also tried making a diaper-shaped tart with a little bow on it, which is also edible. <br />I don’t use the regular ingredients and try to give the tarts a healthy twist. I use wholewheat and jaggery instead of sugar and throw in a bit of ragi and oats at the mixing stage. <br /><br />This is done to promote healthy eating habits among people. My friends and family have been my biggest support as well as critics. They have kept me motivated and shown confidence in my abilities. <br /><br />I am happiest when I make something exotic and feed people. Also, when people ask me to bake something for them, I get down to understanding the smallest details about that person and try to incorporate that into the dish. The best part about my work is it never gets boring because every dish that I make is one-of-a-kind. <br /><br />Baking, cooking and decorating are my stress busters and I find them to be very therapeutic. It is like meditation; where nothing comes between me and my work. I am so happy that I found my true calling in baking. <br /><br />Apple Tart <br /><br /><em>Recipe</em><br /><br />For the tart base<br /><br />100 gm butter <br />200 gm refined flour<br />1 pinch salt<br />1-2 tblspn of cold water<br /><br />Apple filling<br /><br />250 gms firm crisp apples<br />50 gm brown sugar <br />10g butter<br />1/4 tsp cinnamon powder<br />One pinch nutmeg powder <br />1 tsp lime juice<br />1 tblspn cornflour<br />One egg + 1 tblspn water for egg wash ( vegetarians can use cream instead of egg wash) <br /><br />Method<br /><br />Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C.<br />Sieve the flour and rub in the cold butter till it looks like bread crumbs<br />Add enough cold water to make a dough. Wrap the dough and chill in refrigerator for half an hour<br />Peel and slice the apples. And mix all the ingredients for the filling together.<br />Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 3 mm thickness and cut into 4 inch triangles.<br />Brush the surface with egg wash. <br />Place a tsp of the filling in the centre of the triangle.<br />Bring the corners of the triangle together over the filling so that it looks like an envelope.<br />Brush with egg wash.<br />Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes approximately till the surface turns golden brown.<br />Remove from the oven and let it cool.<br />Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream. <br /><br />(As told to Nina C George)<br />(Ashwini Pai is a homebaker and can be reached on 9900097191)</p>
<p>I was always inclined towards cooking. As a child, I would watch, with fascination, as my mother went about making some of the most exotic dishes, almost effortlessly. We lived in the Middle East initially and my mother would bake during her spare time. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Since I used to assist her in the kitchen, I too picked up a love for baking. We then moved to India and settled in Hubballi. I baked my first Vanilla cake when I was 11 years old, for a competition, and won the consolation prize. This was a big boost for me and I have been baking since. <br /><br /> I later did a course from Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Pune to understand the basics but I never liked sticking to the regular cookbook recipe. I would experiment, explore and lend my own twist to every dish that I made. I am an instinctive cook. If I like something that I’ve eaten or if there’s a dish that I’ve seen somewhere, then I immediately try to replicate the same thing or create something similar. Whether continental, Indian or simple homemade dishes, I don’t follow the regular formula but throw in ingredients that give a unique taste to the dish. <br /><br />The Apple Tart is the result of one such experiment. I learnt to make the basic tart and then played around with the fillings. I’ve made tarts with Strawberry and Blueberry fillings. The Chocolate Ganache Tarts and the Marmalade tarts have a different flavour. I also experiment with the shape of the tart. It can rage from round to square to oval. I have also tried making a diaper-shaped tart with a little bow on it, which is also edible. <br />I don’t use the regular ingredients and try to give the tarts a healthy twist. I use wholewheat and jaggery instead of sugar and throw in a bit of ragi and oats at the mixing stage. <br /><br />This is done to promote healthy eating habits among people. My friends and family have been my biggest support as well as critics. They have kept me motivated and shown confidence in my abilities. <br /><br />I am happiest when I make something exotic and feed people. Also, when people ask me to bake something for them, I get down to understanding the smallest details about that person and try to incorporate that into the dish. The best part about my work is it never gets boring because every dish that I make is one-of-a-kind. <br /><br />Baking, cooking and decorating are my stress busters and I find them to be very therapeutic. It is like meditation; where nothing comes between me and my work. I am so happy that I found my true calling in baking. <br /><br />Apple Tart <br /><br /><em>Recipe</em><br /><br />For the tart base<br /><br />100 gm butter <br />200 gm refined flour<br />1 pinch salt<br />1-2 tblspn of cold water<br /><br />Apple filling<br /><br />250 gms firm crisp apples<br />50 gm brown sugar <br />10g butter<br />1/4 tsp cinnamon powder<br />One pinch nutmeg powder <br />1 tsp lime juice<br />1 tblspn cornflour<br />One egg + 1 tblspn water for egg wash ( vegetarians can use cream instead of egg wash) <br /><br />Method<br /><br />Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C.<br />Sieve the flour and rub in the cold butter till it looks like bread crumbs<br />Add enough cold water to make a dough. Wrap the dough and chill in refrigerator for half an hour<br />Peel and slice the apples. And mix all the ingredients for the filling together.<br />Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 3 mm thickness and cut into 4 inch triangles.<br />Brush the surface with egg wash. <br />Place a tsp of the filling in the centre of the triangle.<br />Bring the corners of the triangle together over the filling so that it looks like an envelope.<br />Brush with egg wash.<br />Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes approximately till the surface turns golden brown.<br />Remove from the oven and let it cool.<br />Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream. <br /><br />(As told to Nina C George)<br />(Ashwini Pai is a homebaker and can be reached on 9900097191)</p>