A two-step in the kitchen

They're husband and wife. He's the business partner at Jazz Garden, she's the pitch-in' partner. While Anand Shankarnarayan has an exper...

They8217;re husband and wife. He8217;s the business partner at Jazz Garden, she8217;s the pitch-in8217; partner. While Anand Shankarnarayan has an experience of 14 years in the kitchen and a post-graduate degree in hotel management, Dhanashree is still learning the ropes.

Though Anand is the man in charge of the kitchen, Dhanashree helps with the bakery products. Says she, 8220;Since I have done my course in baking and confectionery, it was almost natural that I contribute in that area. But when they started this restaurant, I was already in my fourth month of pregnancy. So my work was restricted to carrot cakes, banana loaves and the like.8221;

And with the birth of their son, Dhanashree8217;s work has been reduced to making the dough for the puff pastries and other goodies that Anand takes to the restaurant. Says Anand, 8220;We decided to have a baby after seven years of marriage. At the very outset, we had resolved that one of us would be at home to care for the baby till he was a few years old. And Dhanashree decided to be the one.8221;

But it8217;s not as if she only looks after the baby. Says she, 8220;We don8217;t have an oven at home or I could have made all the pastries here itself.8221; So instead, she makes the dough for the same while Anand bakes them at Jazz Garden.

They live in the same house, work for the same place and share a life together, so how are the two different from each other? Says Dhanashree, 8220;Anand is the calm, quiet one. I, on the other hand, get hyper about everything. In the beginning, when I8217;d go to the restaurant, I would get into a tizzy if the order from the kitchen did not reach the table, even before the guests could, whereas Anand would stay cool and ask me to calm down.8221;

Anand agrees. 8220;I am the one who keeps his calm in the family.8221; But what would it be like if they were to switch roles? 8220;For one,8221; says Anand, 8220;she8217;d take a hell of a long time to simply finish the job. To cut an onion takes me one-fourth the time it takes her, so you can imagine what the kitchen would be like. But yes, the bakery department would suffer 8211; she is much better at it than I am.8221;

8220;For Anand, the sky is the limit. He has so many ideas, wants to do so many things, he8217;s just waiting for the right moment to do various food festivals, so that people know food like they never have before.8221; Even at their home, it is Anand who takes over the kitchen on Mondays, and whenever there are guests. Says Dhanashree, 8220;That8217;s when I leave the kitchen to Anand. He cooks better than I do8221;.