It is a given that parents, much like PR professionals, will
agree to any publicity being good publicity. Recognition at any level, of the
hours that they put in, is more than welcome. As is the case with most of these
days, the aim is undoubtedly to celebrate the true essence of the bond shared, in
this given case, between fathers and children. Many such male figures are chefs;
this means that much like parenting, they are involved in what is a daily
round-the-clock commitment. This begs the question, do chef fathers spend time
in their personal kitchen, and how does it differ from the regular routine that
they encounter on a day-to-day basis?
For independent chef and entrepreneur Vasco Alvares,
stepping into the kitchen at home is a novelty. And this novelty is welcomed by
his little ones. “At home, my wife rules the roost (or kitchen-counter at the
very least). I don’t step into the kitchen much, unless it’s a case of specific
interest. However, my kids love to cook and through their interest in what I do,
have learnt to work on their own food and even prepare their own breakfast.
Watching me enter the kitchen at home is like Christmas having com early for
them,” he says.
Café
also quizzes other chefs on their relationship with their home kitchens and
kids:
Working with your kids brings one a very unique joy. For me,
at home, stepping into the kitchen is on demand. There will be specific
requests, most of them exotic. However, these requests are then turned into a
team effort. One person will handle the buying of the groceries, another will
work on the peeling and cutting and so on. However, no matter what we work on,
the end result and overall experience is always rewarding.
Anupam Ghulati,
Executive Chef, Goa Marriott Resort and Spa
For me, it’s always about bonding. Every professional has
his own way of linking up with his own kids, and the culinary trade is not
different. There are very strategically distributed tasks and (dare I say it)
it’s like having ‘commies’ that you adore working under you. What I truly take
away from this experience is how kids can never tire of pasta. Somehow, every
time we work together, I realise that that’s the first choice option for kids
to dive into headfirst. I take away as much from these experiences as they do,
and I love it.
Karlton De Souza,
Chef and Restaurateur, Horizon Grill
Unfortunately, my kids are only five years old, so there
isn’t really much we can do in the kitchen together. However, it’s a work in
progress, as I plan on working out a manner in which we can work on a barbecue
in sync with each other. That being said, they show a tremendous level of
interest in my work and even turn up to the workplace to see me in action. This
is heart-warming and shows that there is much that we can hope to achieve
together.
Shubhendu Kadam,
Executive Chef, Alila Diwa Goa
