Everyone deserves a place to call his own, a place where he can be himself, a place to unwind, a place to destress, a place to create. I found my space, I found it in my home, it’s in my KITCHEN and my lifeline is my OVEN. I made my career choice at age 5 and it has forever remained unchanged. Lots of cajoling, loads of appealing from my parents to reconsider as it was not considered challenging enough, fell on deaf ears. It made my resolve only stronger. I wanted to be a baker and a top one at that. My grandmother was my mentor. I was awestricken as I observed her work in the kitchen. I always thought her to be performing magic as she converted the most basic ingredients into the most delicious breads and cakes.

Baking to me is like painting. I firmly believe a baker is an artist too! Baking is a medium of self-expression. The act of mixing the ingredients is an art and so is the act of presenting. The thought that goes into the creating a new recipe is equivalent to creating a new painting. Bending over the bake tray as you intricately decorate the freshly baked cake with icing, fills you with a sense of satisfaction and contentment. Stepping back and admiring your creation fills you with pleasure and pride.

For a baker, his brush is the spatula, his easel board, the oven and his bakeware, his canvas. With all of that and of course flour, butter and eggs he creates a masterpiece. Once your creation is complete and ready, the aroma of that freshly baked muffin recently out from the oven makes you feel competent and complete.

Stressed is just desserts spelt backwards! So True. I am sure this must have been the observation of an accomplished baker. Baking whether pursued as a hobby or as a profession is known to be a great stress buster. Studies have shown that since baking is a contact activity where the ingredients are to be measured, poured, mixed by hand it resorts to being a great stress reliever. This contact activity serves to calm the frayed and disturbed mind, bringing focus to the matter at hand. Baking as therapy has been a time-tested activity. What can be more uplifting than presenting sweet happiness to a loved one, created entirely by you. Baking for oneself or for another, the result remains the same SHEER JOY!