A Tete-A-Tete With Vidushi Sharma Bahl- Chef de Pâtisserie Gourmand From Le Cordon Blue, London

Chef Vidushi's Trail To Explore New Tastes, Cuisines & Concepts Across Cultures

  Born & brought up in Delhi, Vidushi realized very early on that being in the kitchen gave her a sense of happiness. She would always look for an excuse to get into the kitchen at home - be it baking for college events or helping a friend out with a bake sale. It was always a rewarding experience when she would get to see a smile on her friend’s or relative’s face when she would make them a birthday cake. It’s said that pastry chefs are generally good people; they spread happiness & cheer wherever they go with a whiff of vanilla or a sprinkle of confetti.     Shiny & colourful Kitchen aids, gleaming white marble countertops, the ever-pervading smell of chocolate, followed by the clanging of a whisk against a bowl & endless laughter was her image of a Pastry Chef. Once she graduated, it only seemed natural that I pursue my passion for baking & turn into a career choice; she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu London.     A lot of people cautioned her that it's not what it seems. Being a Chef requires grit, determination & an endless supply of forearm strength. She shrugged away all these naysayers and off she went! London beckoned with dreams of turning out to be another Peggy Porschen! She realized quite early on that it takes a lot to be a chef. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. It truly does require all the qualities mentioned above but it needs most of all, is an undying passion for food. Being a chef teaches you to look at food beyond just sustenance. It’s about finding inspiration in the humblest of ingredients and creating something extraordinary that leaves you thinking about it for days!     To enable oneself to think out of the box and create something new as if on a blank canvas, a solid fundamental knowledge base is essential along with some serious skill development. Le Cordon Bleu did just that for her; it showed her the technical side to Patisserie & some lessons almost felt like a science class. After a year under their aegis, she was loaded with every kind of skill, technique and food-related knowledge possible.     Armed with all this, she got back to Delhi & set up her atelier. Adapting her skill set & flavour knowledge to the Indian palette was challenging but fun. She loves the days where she ideates recipes & the excitement to hold a new trial, the sheer thrill of it almost takes her back to her first day at Culinary School.   She has a long way ahead of her but as long as she's surrounded by good ingredients, nothing can hold her back. The Indian Gastronomy is in its nascent stages and chefpreneurs are a very welcoming lot! It’s a very more the merrier attitude since in such a creative field the opportunities are abundant and ideas are fresh!   For more interesting articles, follow our online magazine BananiVista. Do “Like” and “Follow” us on Facebook.