‘Eat Your Clafoutis As If It’s Your Last Baked Goodie’ By Ria Mathew

Not to mention the black cherries, wine, melted butter and crème! Like any one who wakes up to a busy day, Ria walks the plank with a free will. Even though her ship keeps her engaged the entire day, she bottles up her passion for baking and cooking in tranquility. Let’s have a look into her scrawls on the pot!

Baking is not the cup of tea for Indian kitchen. What’s the magic behind your pastries? They tend to pull one’s temptation …can you share your inspiration behind baking?

I agree with you,on the fact that baking is not the cup of tea for Indian Kitchen. It's simply because that wasn't the main method of cooking in India.Our elaborate meals were always made on the stove top!

I was born into a family of home cooks & bakers so, baking came naturally to me. When I was in school, a piece of homemade cake or a cookie was a part of my tiffin box daily and, my classmates were always fascinated and delighted about it. I never knew that there were so many people who were afraid of it until I started to blog my family recipes.

I grew up in Kannur, a small coastal town in North Kerala, the place where some of the first bakeries in India popped up during the British rule.So,after seeing all the wonderful stuff they make,I wanted to explore more. With the help from my fabulous Mother (who is a caterer and a cooking instructor), Aunts, Cousins and of course some good baking books, I was able to do what I wanted to in the kitchen,in the form of cupcakes,cakes ,cookies,pies, tarts, quiches etc., from a very young age.

I feel, the need to explore provides me the magic I need.It makes me realise that there are no boundaries for my dreams. When something grabs my attention at a patisserie,like it did when I was about 12 years old when I laid my eyes on a Triangle Cake at a Pastry Cottage in Goa. I got back home and dream about it. Really, I do dream about food!. Then I try and find out the ways with which I can replicate that cake at home. Finally,14 years later, I found the magic to recreate that Triangle Cake at home.You can find it's recipe on my blog.

Do you just taste, what you cook, or do you eat them? Can you share your tip to stay healthy without giving up temptations?

 My husband Jobin and our toddler,Ian ,loves to eat every single thing I make.So do I. I prefer to taste everything before I serve them and then enjoy my share along with my boys. So yes, I cook and eat whatever I make. 

I am a person who gives into temptation very fast, especially when it comes to food.A nd, I feel there's no point in depriving yourself from enjoying what you like.You will end up eating or drinking those calories later, unless you are a person who doesn't yield to temptations. It's all about portion control. If a recipe tells you that it will yield 32 cookies or a 10 inch cake that is going to last for more than a week. So,I usually just make half the quantity. I also try to avoid eating processed food. Fresh, locally sourced, home cooked meals are the best way to stay healthy.

Does someone assist you in ‘food photography’? The food photographs hallucinate a viewer’s mind for the real pastries!

It's just me. Infact, it's a tug of war between me and Ian. He loves to eat and fights for that food on the plate when I am setting things up. So,usually, I put him to sleep and then do whatever I want in the shortest amount of time. Cleaning up after takes up most of my time and that's when I wish I had someone to help me !

We can’t help trying your Lemon Yogurt Cake! Where do you get your ideas for ‘fusion baking’?

I do agree that it's a delicious cake. To be honest, I came up with that recipe because I was short of certain ingredients. I just made use of what I had on hand then,with some proportions I thought would work and it did! It certainly is one of the best cakes I've tasted so far. You should try it too!

Are you an ardent follower of Julia Child, Martha Stewart or Cenk? What are the three magic ingredients you use in most of your recipes?

I have admired Julia Child all my life and look up to her for her hard work and contributions to the food industry and I've tried a few of Martha's recipes. I follow them whenever I can, because generally, I am busy with my daily chores.

My 3 magic ingredients are patience,attention to detail ,with a pinch of love.Believe me, that last ingredient works like a charm,always!

How far does baking contribute to your family meals? How do you make time to cook and bake, whilst your toddler keeps you busy the entire day?

I am a big advocate of one pot meals so if I need to rustle things up, I just put a few ingredients together and let it do its own thing in the oven. It could be a Fish en Pappilote, Roast Chicken, Kebabs, Pizza etc., I am now working on a recipe for a fat free Baked Chicken Biriyani. No sauteeing, no nothing! Just chicken, some spices, yogurt and rice.

Ian can be kept occupied for a while and that's when I do my prep work for our meals. He is getting bigger so it's a bit challenging to carry him on my hips while I cook. It's very rare that I can cook one thing at a stretch unless Jobin is at home. He is a great dad and contributes so much!

A hypothetical question – If given a choice between the ‘realm of touring at free of cost’ and ‘getting locked up in a 17^th century Victorian kitchen’, which one would be yours?

Oooh! That's a tricky one! I love Victorian kitchen and its furniture but, at the same time I enjoy the freedom to roam around and eat what I feel like, especially when it's something that I haven't cooked! 

So, can I have both, please?

Indeed, how could one forbid the pleasure of playing an oven? No wonder that Julia Child made a hearty cook! She quotes:

“You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.”