A CS MBA professional Anishaa had never thought that one day, she would be a successful pastry chef and an entrepreneur. Indeed, life does takes unprecedented turns. An expert in making customized Bespoke cakes & Turkish desserts, Anishaa Mendonza is a great chef and a great teacher too.
Despite coming from a non-business background and having an entirely different educational qualification, Anishaa runs a successful business and has been an inspiring several women out there who have been looking for that one single opportunity to grow and break the glass ceiling. On this Women’s Day, Anishaa had an exclusive conversation with Slurrp and talked about her journey and experiences.
You always wanted to be a chef or was it an accident?
Being a Pastry Chef was purely an accident. It could have never imagined me working in the kitchen happily, but it was destined. Being a CS MBA, I went Bangalore for a job interview & was selected at a salary of Rs 30k per month. A week before joining my dream job, I went for a chocolate training workshop to a Pastry school. The guy in white chef coat earned 3,36,000 of a day. I was astonished & decided I want to be someone who earns money on their own terms. I learned chocolates, went back to my hometown & started my own classes. My mother encouraged me to attend a pastry school & achieve your dreams. Thats how I graduated from pastry school & became a Pastry chef. Then I went on to do many international courses.
How would you describe your journey?
My journey was always smooth. My wonder woman, my mom who herself is a class 2 officer, always backed me up to achieve everything I wanted in my pastry career. Coming from a non-business background, it was a little tough for me to get the high-end clients initially but as I was working for passion & not for money, things got smoother. With my hard work, I achieved everything I dreamt off.
Did you, as a woman pastry chef, face any challenges?
As woman Pastry Chef, things were never challenging. I personally feel the challenge is inside the Hotel industry & not when u r Business owner.
What is your absolute comfort food? What is that one thing you bake or make the best?
Brownies anytime is my comfort food. Happy or sad have a brownie anytime any day. I'm famous in Chhattisgarh for Customized Bespoke cakes & Turkish desserts. My designer cheesecakes & brownies are the most loved among all.
Image credits: chocolicious_anishaa
What will be your message to the aspiring women chefs out there??
To all the aspiring women pastry chefs, there is no substitute for hard work. Don't get influenced by social media as long as your orders & pay cheque rolling. Please know you will be super busy in all weekends & festivals. You may have to sacrifice your celebration because you are a CELEBRATION PARTNER of your clients.
Would you like to share a recipe for the readers?
For the readers I have my Moroccan Chocolate Hazelnut Briouate (Bariwat) recipe to share with you all.
Moroccan Chocolate Hazelnut Briouate (Bariwat)
Ingredients
- 1 package phyllo dough (room temperature)
- Roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts
- Hazelnut spread
- 200 gm unsalted butter
Simple syrup:
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups sugar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Honey or orange blossom water
Method
- Place the blanched hazelnuts in a baking tray and bake in the oven until lightly tan, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a nut grinder or a food processor, transfer the roasted hazelnuts. Process until finely ground.
- Transfer the nut mixture into a bowl and add in the nutella. Mix well until the ingredients are combined.
- On a work surface, place a filo rectangle and brush it with melted butter. Top the corner of the rectangle with the spoonful of the hazelnut paste and fold to form a triangle, up to the right and left, until a brioua (singular of briouate) is formed.
- Repeat until you have exhausted all the nut paste.
- Brush the small briouate with melted butter and place it in the oven to cook for 40 to 45 minutes until golden.
- Once the briouate are baked and golden, immediately pour your honey syrup and soak the pastries.
- Move to a flat dish to cool before serving. Decorate with ground nuts and chopped dried fruits.