Turning a Page
After spending three years on my Master's on the Art History of Southern India, it was time to start something new.
Though baking may not seem that connected to research, it really is not that far off. Creating my menu has brought me back to my biology days in undergrad, doing scientific experiments where I have to measure everything to the gram, document everything in my notebook, and make sure that I can repeat the experiment in the same way over and over again. Really, cooking is the process of induction: using trial and error to better understand how things work.
But what saddens me is that cooking often doesn’t get the same respect as scientists. Most cooks and bakers in history didn’t work in fancy kitchens, but in their home, making food for their families. And most cooks and bakers were women. We use their practice and ingenuity to create delicious treats, and yet, for most of the women who created these recipes and traditions, we will never know their names.
While I cannot bring back the history that was never documented, I hope to at least honour the women who did get their names written in history. That is why all of my signature cakes are named after a woman from the country that inspired it. And so, I am starting this blog to write about these women, so we can understand the cultures behind my cakes, beyond just food.
Stay tuned as I post tales and stories about the women who shaped our global history.
P.s. Scroll down on my blog page to see a storymap with brief biographies of the women after whom I named my cakes!