One of my biggest inspirations was my Grandmother. She may be the reason I became inclined towards the food and beverage industry in the first place. My food memory comprises of the half yearly visits to my grandmothers house where we would spend hours in the kitchen together making Indian desserts. The best part of the day would be when she would let me “lick the batter”. There were a number of desserts we made but one particular dessert that still comes to my mind is the “Moa”, a traditional East Indian dessert made by slow cooking jaggery and mixing it with puffed rice. This mixture is then molded into small balls and cooled down. I still remember her allowing me to taste the unrounded and sticky mixture. I waited all year for this experience. My grandmother was a true culinary genius, in my opinion. A true connoisseur of food. She was always thinking about what to cook for the next meal. She also taught me how to always stay current. Despite her age, she never missed her cooking shows and kept experimenting with new ingredients and cuisines. She showed me that the kitchen is not a place to be afraid of, it was a playground and that every new ingredient was like a new toy.