Today we’d like to introduce you to Naina Bhedwar.
Hi Naina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been drawn to food for as long as I can remember. At around the age of 5 or 6, I would stand on a small stool at the right hand of Hanif, the talented cook at the home of my maternal grandparents in Kolkata, on the East coast of India. 40 years on, I still cook some of his recipes. My grandfather would regale me with tales of food he’d enjoyed on his many travels and my paternal grandmother would proudly show me the variety of food she grew in her home garden. The Indo-Persian community on my mother’s side of the family are world-renowned for their all-encompassing love of food! Needless to say, I was immersed from the get go. Admittedly, it took me a little while and a few twists and turns to realize that I wanted food to be not just a passion but a profession. Now that I am finally here, I can’t imagine it any other way.
At 9, my father’s banking job took us from India to Melbourne, Australia. In the mid-80s both the local and immigrant food scene there was just a glimmer of what it is today, but it still offered a variety and diversity I had never encountered, intensifying my burgeoning interest in all things delicious. Helping my mum in the kitchen as a young teen, learning and imbibing her efficient ways were all stepping stones to the present moment. Annual travel back to India saw frequent stopovers in the Far East, studded with memories of crisp, succulent, Thai and Singaporean style Chicken Rice in many a Bangkok Food Hall and soups served in young coconut shells by waiters on roller skates! Any chance we had we’d be on a road trip to somewhere, seeking new foodie adventures and opportunities. I wish I had taken notes!
We returned to India in the early 90s, somewhat wistfully on my part. The “west”, as any developed country was nicknamed in those days, had gotten under my skin and I knew, someday, I would return for the long term. Postgrad studies took me to Durham in the UK, were living with three roommates, none of whom really knew how to cook forced me to draw on my reserves of passion, theory and knowledge and bring my proverbial ‘watched pot’ to an actual boil! This is where my practical journey began.
Moving to London sometime later sealed the deal and from then on, there was no looking back. I would eat at the finest restaurants I could afford and then return home to feverishly try and recreate what I had enjoyed most! I remember being told by many friends and acquaintances that I should apply to be on Masterchef or start my own business.
Spending my days working as a Special Education Coordinator and teacher at a small London private school and every other waking minute either cooking or thinking about cooking, it took a while to work my way to a point where I believed what others were saying. I credit some of my dearest friends, who cannot go without mention, for championing my food and cooking in a way that made me finally realize that this deserved to be more than just a hobby.
Meeting my American husband, greatest champion, gentle critic and chief taste-tester, was exactly what I needed to vanquish the last shred of doubt. I started working with a small catering group in the evenings and taught in-home cooking classes on weekends. All the while, I was being romanced long-distance, across the Atlantic and taught cooking classes at The Cook’s Warehouse on visits to Atlanta. It seemed that my relationships with both my fiance and with cooking were destined to get serious pretty quickly! We even put a ring on it after a particularly successful class in August 2010, earning us a mention in Creative Loafing the next day! These glimpses into the professional world of food combined with the decade and a half of teaching I had under my belt helped me solidify my dream of teaching others how to create delicious food.
Two years later, I left London, again somewhat wistfully, and made the move to Atlanta, GA. The relationships I had already formed here would lead to more opportunities and not long after landing, I was the proud owner and sole proprietor of Kesar Kitchen LLC. With a mission to demystify the world of spice and help foodies from all walks of life bring home the flavors of India, Persia and the Middle East.
Starting a new business, simultaneously nurturing a new marriage and bringing two brand new humans into the world has had my plate very full for the last nine years. I may have had to take a few breaks from teaching clients but, in the meantime, I have begun teaching my two beautiful sons to explore and love the world of food much as I do.
My path to being a professional in the food industry has not been as straightforward or traditional as for some, but the huge variety of experiences and certain confluence of events often reminds me of mise-en-place, of individual ingredients carefully laid out before cooking commences. Each patiently awaits its turn in a recipe which, with thoughtful combinations and a thoughtful method, creates a kaleidoscope of flavors.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been winding, undoubtedly. The greatest challenge for me has been in recognizing and nurturing my own talent and skill.
The culture and generation I come from did not especially allow for women to easily explore careers like being a professional Chef. Living in an expensive city like London, while providing some of my most memorable eating experiences, was also limiting in not allowing me to easily take things to the next level.
A great deal of inner work, endless self-study, combined with the love and support of so many has been the perfect recipe in getting me to a place of pride and confidence in being the self-taught Personal Chef that I am today. Having said that, culinary school still looms large on my to-do list. For now, my commitment to constantly learning and adding new skills to my repertoire only continues to gather steam!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
First and foremost, I cook with spices and all things spiced! With Indian upbringing and Persian heritage my palate knows spice intimately. Flavor, through spices, is my number one priority.
In fact, my business is named after my most favorite spice, Kesar (pronounced Kay-sur), or saffron. What I love most about it is how, when it makes contact with a warm liquid, it transforms from silky, magenta hued threads into a golden nectar with a sweet, floral, complex fragrance and flavor. In many ways, it’s the essence of my own ever-evolving transformation, represented in the world of spice. It is rare and expensive, no doubt, but lends such beauty, elegance and flavor to the dishes it is used in, I am compelled to bring it into as many recipes as I can.
I pride myself on my teaching ability ~ the most useful tool I have to demystify the world of spice and make it familiar to anyone and everyone who loves to cook. Or, better still, use spices as a way to unlock a world of flavor for those who think they don’t like to cook!
While I dabble in a wide range of world cuisines, I specialize in the flavors of India, Persia and the Near East / Eastern Mediterranean. I love the colors, flavors, abundance and history in each and every of these world culinary traditions. I look for and constantly adapt traditional recipes, putting my own spin on them every way I can. I especially love discovering more about the links and connections between the food of my community, the Indian Parsis who came from Persia more than a millennium ago and modern day Persian food. Connecting with the richness of one’s past through food helps, I feel, to better enjoy what we eat in the present and future.
I am proud of the fact that I can make food both look and taste delicious. We eat with our eyes and all of our senses, so they should all be served equally.
I think the fact that I work with spices across several different culinary traditions sets me apart. I let them stand alone, speak for themselves while also melding flavors and creating new and unexpected profiles. I also both teach and cater so I can reach audiences who like to cook for themselves as well as those who prefer others to cook for them!
What’s next?
My home kitchen is about to undergo a pretty big renovation and facelift. This is going to dramatically impact my work because it is the space in which I have some of my most creative moments.
We moved into the home that this kitchen is a part of two years ago in early 2020, just two months before the pandemic began, so it feels right that now, as we appear to be entering something of a new phase, where people are learning to live with the pandemic in a whole new way, that I should be recreating and redefining my space too.
I look forward to working in a new, clean, uncluttered, beautiful light-filled room and hope that this opens up new avenues of creativity for me. I have played with the idea of creating more original content for Instagram or YouTube. Though the technical aspect of it is extremely daunting to me, I feel like the right space will invigorate me to take on that challenge!
I also have plans to accrue a larger number of corporate clients to whom I wish to offer uniquely organized, fun and interesting team-building event packages.
Pricing:
- Private in-home events (like buffet and restaurant style dinners) are for a minimum of 6 people and a minimum of $1200, including service
- Private in-home cooking classes start at $100 per head, with a completely custom menu
- In-home private chef services are priced at $300 per visit (+food costs), leaving you with 3 complete meals of a main and side dish to feed 4 adults (each) generously.
- Virtual cooking classes start at $100 per household
Contact Info:
- Email: kesarkitchen@gmail.com
- Website: www.kesarkitchen.com
- Instagram: kesarktichen
- Facebook: facebook.com/
kesarkitchen - Youtube: Kesar Kitchen
Image Credits:
Kelly Jackson Suzanna Divine Wilson Tong
