H&S Chef Of The Month: Meet Chef Arva Jivanjee
H&S Chef Of The Month
Chef Arva Jivanjee
Nationality: Kenyan
Interview With H&S Magazine
Who Is Arva Jivanjee?
I come from humble beginnings and I’m a proud mum of 2 beautiful girls who inspired me on my journey to become a home baker & specialized chef for eggless pastries and desserts. I am certified in Professional Baking from the Academy Of Pastry & Culinary Arts (India) & Specialized Chocolatier at the Slattery School of Excellence (UK). With years of work experience in the manufacturing industry & specializing in medical equipment and supplies, who would have known that years later I would build a passion for baking & become a successful home baker. Having my family, loved ones, and friends by my side, I have developed a sense of creative, unique, and passionate baking which makes me a proud home baker & founder of my home business “Bake Me Some Buns” from my little kitchen at home in Nairobi, Kenya since 2016.
Type Of Cuisine?
Eggless, Vegetarian, Gluten free!
When I first started baking, I was afraid to use eggs because I believed that the food I would make would not be appetizing or would not turn out as expected. Bearing in mind that my daughters had developed food allergies during their childhood years, this enhanced my skills towards eggless, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free baking. Who would have thought cooking without eggs would be so enjoyable?
What Inspired You To Become A Chef?
My 2 beautiful girls who inspired me on my journey to become a home baker & specialized chef for eggless pastries and desserts.
What Is The Biggest Challenge You Have Faced In The Culinary Industry?
Hard to point to one challenge, but just to name a few:
• To convince customers that eggless baking is equally tasty and delicious as any other normal baked recipe.
• Maintaining consistency of the texture and taste of the baked products at all times while baking on a large scale.
What’s Your Biggest Achievement In The Culinary Industry?
Today, I comfortably consider myself as one of the few pastry chefs that has built a name and brand in the local market that is known for eggless and vegetarian baked products. I have also expanded my line of products to not only baked goods but also known for my gluten-free, homemade dark chocolates.
My passion for baking and coming up with new recipes inspired me to become the first Kenyan author for a children’s cook book, which consists of eggless, vegetarian and easy healthy recipes for children to cook on their own with minimal supervision.
When It comes To Cooking, What Is More Important To You, The Technique, The Ingredients Or The Creativity?
If you ask me, all the above are equally important!
Baking is an art which requires technique with the help of the right tools and equipment. The ingredients are the most important in order to maintain quality and consistency. A chef needs to use good quality ingredients in order to achieve a great finished baked product.
Finally, creativity is the magic portion, which uses both technique and ingredients to create a final delicious and attractive product.
Recipe Of The Week: Veg Cracker Pizza Bites
Preparation time: 45 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 24 appetizer bites
The Veg Cracker Bites
Ingredients:
• ½ cup eggless, gluten-free and lactose-free mayonnaise
• ½ box crackers (about 24)
• 1 tin of black olives
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
• 1 tin sweet corn
• Oregano for garnish
• Paprika for garnish
Preparation: The Veg Cracker Bites
Wash the cherry tomatoes and place them on the strainer. In the meanwhile, place the crackers on a plate and spread mayonnaise gently onto the crackers. Carefully cut up the olives and tomatoes into halves or quarters & place them carefully onto the crackers. Pour sweetcorn from the can onto the strainer to drain out the liquid in the can, then sprinkle the sweet corn on top of your crackers, to complete your cracker pizza.
Plating
Garnish with dash of oregano/paprika powder and serve on a tray!