Nidhi Gandhi Joshi - I Have Truly Believed That Cooking With Love Is All That Matters, No Matter You Cook Professionally or at Home (Chef From India)

I love traveling, exploring multiple cuisines, and trying new ingredients. Baking is my first my love&layering naked cakes definitely has the most special place in my heart. Be it traditional recipes or any other cuisines, my cooking style mainly revolves around using seasonal produce, giving it a bit of my healthy touch, and plating a wholesome dish for the family. I am someone who cooks from her memories & not from recipes

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

My journey started with my graduate degree in Mass communication& with a specialization in advertising. After working for a few years, I took a sabbatical from work, only to realize that my graphic designing skills would be better put to use in designing cakes! 

From an Ad manager to a cake Designer to a Chef and also a Mother to a 6-year-old, my roles have not only changed but also passed every hurdle and helped me discover my creative hunger & passion for everything to do with food.

I grew up binge-watching food shows but never got a chance to enter the kitchen. But I guess it was supposed to be a part of the storyline all dots connecting me to my Ikigai.

I started as a self-taught baker and went on to baking professionally for 4 years. I wasn’t sure if I could achieve more in this field after my son was born, but eventually, I managed to complete my CTH LEVEL 2 culinary course and a short-term patisserie workshop from Le Cordon Blu (Paris), as my son turned 1! It was a gift from me to myself, about how every Mom can be both a Mother & a successful entrepreneur. 

Eventually to try my hands at newer stuff I started blogging about my culinary and baking journey on Instagram. And to my surprise, in no time I was working as a recipe curator and making food videos for my blog and brands like Faasos, Oven story, Behrouz Biryani, Sweet Truth, Firangi Bake, Mandarin Oak & a lot more.

I started a product curation line, my first step towards healthy alternatives such as millet cookies, sugar-free cakes, and desserts under the brand - Kishoflife. Soon I realized that becoming an entrepreneur didn’t mean I could ignore any of my mom's duties, so eventually took a break from the retail space. 

My handle @kishoflife is my daily record of playing a Wife, a Mom, a Chef, a fitness enthusiast, and Me inspiring and taking inspiration from food. I am a child in a candy shop when I shop veggies from a local market because I strongly believe food touches the heart and stomach when it’s made from fresh produce, seasoned simple, sprinkled with love, and has a story to tell. 

2. What led you to take up this career path?

A chef by chance, I use to post pictures of the cakes I baked on the, then ever so trending Facebook. I use to sketch & create3–6-tiered wedding cakes back then. When I took a break for maternity, I realized creating something from scratch be it baking or inventing a recipe gave me creative satisfaction. I utilized my maternity break to brush up my skills with culinary education and taking my career choice a level higher.

I love traveling, exploring multiple cuisines, and trying new ingredients. Baking is my first my love&layering naked cakes definitely has the most special place in my heart. Be it traditional recipes or any other cuisines, my cooking style mainly revolves around using seasonal produce, giving it a bit of my healthy touch, and plating a wholesome dish for the family. I am someone who cooks from her memories & not from recipes. 

3. What does your typical day looks like?

I am someone who loves to plan everything in advance! However, with motherhood it is quite the opposite, you actually have no idea how the next day is going to be like. As an early riser, I wake up with some Ayurveda morning routine. Followed by some me-time working out or yoga, a king-size breakfast while balancing between my son’s online school is mostly how I start my day. 

The rest of the day (most of it) is for my work. Conducting my recipe trials for the website or for brands I have tied up with. On the days I am off the kitchen, I indulge in R & D about seasonal produce, discovering ingredients, and exploring new food trends. 

I like to take up something new to study every year, which of course is also a part of my daily routine! Last year I completed my Basics of Ayurveda and Child Nutrition, this year I plan to get deeper knowledge about the nutrition aspect of food. That pretty much sums up the balance between Motherhood, work, and cooking meals for the family on a daily basis. 

4. Does one's approach change when cooking professionally and at home?

I have truly believed that cooking with love is all that matters, no matter you cook professionally or at home. When you cook with passion & love is the one which will touch the palette and the heart.

It’s sad that in today’s time, food is mostly adulterated when handled professionally owing to the cost-cutting! The trend is moving towards the fast-food bandwagon. What one needs to remember, is while keeping your profits in place, one should not compromise on the quality of the food. The only approach one needs to focus on is curating a menu keeping in mind all tastes and preferences &not for a particular taste like at home.

5. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

Not a dish in particular but all the food I grew up eating for example a complete Indian thali with seasonal and local veggies, puri or rotla, sweet and sour Gujarati dal, a side of pickle and typical Indian kachumbar salad, and an Indian sweet to finish the meal. A wholesome and well-balanced meal in terms of taste and nutrition is what I strongly associate myself with. 

6. Can cooking be learned at culinary schools or natural talent is required?

Well, anything can be learned and bettered only if there’s an underlying passion and interest for it. Likewise, with cooking or baking, a natural calling is what I would say is required, which further leads you to master the art.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

I am not an avid reader, every year I make goals to complete a book that is not a recipe book! But eventually, end up losing interest at the beginning itself. But out of all the books I have completed & that have touched my life &and helped me in my self-discovery route, there are the two books I treasure – ‘What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey’ and ‘Ikigai’. When in any doubt about myself, I read a page and get myself back on track.

Nidhi Gandhi Joshi - A Part-time Wife - Mommy - Chef - Momprenuer

Interviewed By: Navya Garg