When I did my Masters in English Literature, I had no idea that I would somehow get steered in the direction of food. Sitting on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen and watching her pat Bhakris or talk about the varying levels of roasting sooji, food was something that I went to for comfort but never thought of it as a possible vocation. In fact, I even did a certificate course in Bakery and Confectionery in college but that was primarily so I could skip studying two other subjects I had no interest in! Much later, when I was married and had a kitchen of my own and food blogging became popular, I dived in too, blending my love for cooking and writing to record my adventures in this newfound freedom. Over time, it became more than just a serious hobby and I gathered the qualifications and experience to teach baking and cook commercially. I now work as a culinary consultant, curating product ranges and developing products for food retail, design menus for restaurants and conduct popups and food festivals as well.
Writing, however, has always been my first love. In the past six years, I was able to work on three books--The Gore Family Cookbook, Crumbs! and Pangat, and each has been an immensely rewarding experience. Hearing from readers—not just about recipes they’ve tried but also about how they related to the narratives in my books, is all the motivation I need.
For the past few years, I have been increasingly drawn to studying the cuisine of my roots—of Maharashtra—and making it more accessible to an audience that is largely predisposed to equating it with Misal and Vada Pao—when in truth, it is a far more sophisticated and varied set of sub cuisines waiting to be discovered!
You can follow Saee's work and journey with food, here.