Even though Christmas is three full months away, Ritz Carlton rang in the festive spirit with its recently held third edition of the annual cake-mixing event. Chefs in white amid participants who had donned red aprons and santa hats made for a pretty, Christmasy picture, standing around a dry-fruit arrangement depicting bells and holly.
On executive chef Anupam Banerjee's instruction, wine was bought in and poured over the dry fruits and the air was laden with a heady aroma. About 20 pairs of gloved hands got to work at mixing it with the dry fruits that will find their way into cakes and puddings to be made come November.
"We like to start early, much before anyone else, because it signals the beginning of the festive season — first Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, then Christmas," said Anupam.
But this is when home bakers start, said socialite Ila Naidu. The mixing takes her back to her Delhi childhood, "when buying and cleaning the dry fruits were an event in themselves". "And we would start this time of year, so that the dry fruits would be soaked and ready when my mother started Christmas baking," she said.
Her baking, she added, starts much later, "about a week ahead of Christmas". "I only do cookies and stuff," she explained. "The cakes I still leave to my mother." If the mixing celebrates the Christmas spirit, for Suman, it signals a different set of festivities.
"For us, it's Dussehra and Diwali before Christmas," said the homemaker. "And it's a great atmosphere."
Her friend and art consultant Tripty, who usually keeps her distance from the kitchen and culinary activities, was at home during the mixing. "This is also about spending time with others," she said.
Cher Pradhan, an expat from Singapore, agrees that the event is as much about socialising as it is about the mixing itself. "I come here to talk to chef, his wife is also from Singapore," she added. While many were busy greeting fellow old-timers, Nirmala Balakrishnan was content taking in the celebratory atmosphere. "I used to own my own restaurant before I had kids, but I've never tried my hand at baking," she quipped. Anupam said, "I try to keep back some of the soaked fruits back for the next year so I can mix it with the next batch. It adds to the richness."
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Even though Christmas is three full months away, Ritz Carlton rang in the festive spirit with its recently held third edition of the annual cake-mixing event. Chefs in white amid participants who had donned red aprons and santa hats made for a pretty, Christmasy picture, standing around a dry-fruit arrangement depicting bells and holly.
On executive chef Anupam Banerjee’s instruction, wine was bought in and poured over the dry fruits and the air was laden with a heady aroma. About 20 pairs of gloved hands got to work at mixing it with the dry fruits that will find their way into cakes and puddings to be made come November.
"We like to start early, much before anyone else, because it signals the beginning of the festive season — first Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, then Christmas,” said Anupam.
But this is when home bakers start, said socialite Ila Naidu. The mixing takes her back to her Delhi childhood, "when buying and cleaning the dry fruits were an event in themselves”. "And we would start this time of year, so that the dry fruits would be soaked and ready when my mother started Christmas baking,” she said.
Her baking, she added, starts much later, "about a week ahead of Christmas”. "I only do cookies and stuff,” she explained. "The cakes I still leave to my mother.” If the mixing celebrates the Christmas spirit, for Suman, it signals a different set of festivities.
"For us, it’s Dussehra and Diwali before Christmas,” said the homemaker. "And it’s a great atmosphere.”
Her friend and art consultant Tripty, who usually keeps her distance from the kitchen and culinary activities, was at home during the mixing. "This is also about spending time with others,” she said.
Cher Pradhan, an expat from Singapore, agrees that the event is as much about socialising as it is about the mixing itself. "I come here to talk to chef, his wife is also from Singapore,” she added. While many were busy greeting fellow old-timers, Nirmala Balakrishnan was content taking in the celebratory atmosphere. "I used to own my own restaurant before I had kids, but I’ve never tried my hand at baking,” she quipped. Anupam said, "I try to keep back some of the soaked fruits back for the next year so I can mix it with the next batch. It adds to the richness.”
On executive chef Anupam Banerjee's instruction, wine was bought in and poured over the dry fruits and the air was laden with a heady aroma. About 20 pairs of gloved hands got to work at mixing it with the dry fruits that will find their way into cakes and puddings to be made come November.
"We like to start early, much before anyone else, because it signals the beginning of the festive season — first Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, then Christmas," said Anupam.
But this is when home bakers start, said socialite Ila Naidu. The mixing takes her back to her Delhi childhood, "when buying and cleaning the dry fruits were an event in themselves". "And we would start this time of year, so that the dry fruits would be soaked and ready when my mother started Christmas baking," she said.
Her baking, she added, starts much later, "about a week ahead of Christmas". "I only do cookies and stuff," she explained. "The cakes I still leave to my mother." If the mixing celebrates the Christmas spirit, for Suman, it signals a different set of festivities.
"For us, it's Dussehra and Diwali before Christmas," said the homemaker. "And it's a great atmosphere."
Her friend and art consultant Tripty, who usually keeps her distance from the kitchen and culinary activities, was at home during the mixing. "This is also about spending time with others," she said.
Cher Pradhan, an expat from Singapore, agrees that the event is as much about socialising as it is about the mixing itself. "I come here to talk to chef, his wife is also from Singapore," she added. While many were busy greeting fellow old-timers, Nirmala Balakrishnan was content taking in the celebratory atmosphere. "I used to own my own restaurant before I had kids, but I've never tried my hand at baking," she quipped. Anupam said, "I try to keep back some of the soaked fruits back for the next year so I can mix it with the next batch. It adds to the richness."
Even though Christmas is three full months away, Ritz Carlton rang in the festive spirit with its recently held third edition of the annual cake-mixing event. Chefs in white amid participants who had donned red aprons and santa hats made for a pretty, Christmasy picture, standing around a dry-fruit arrangement depicting bells and holly. On executive chef Anupam Banerjee’s instruction, wine was bought in and poured over the dry fruits and the air was laden with a heady aroma. About 20 pairs of gloved hands got to work at mixing it with the dry fruits that will find their way into cakes and puddings to be made come November.
"We like to start early, much before anyone else, because it signals the beginning of the festive season — first Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, then Christmas,” said Anupam.
But this is when home bakers start, said socialite Ila Naidu. The mixing takes her back to her Delhi childhood, "when buying and cleaning the dry fruits were an event in themselves”. "And we would start this time of year, so that the dry fruits would be soaked and ready when my mother started Christmas baking,” she said.
Her baking, she added, starts much later, "about a week ahead of Christmas”. "I only do cookies and stuff,” she explained. "The cakes I still leave to my mother.” If the mixing celebrates the Christmas spirit, for Suman, it signals a different set of festivities.
"For us, it’s Dussehra and Diwali before Christmas,” said the homemaker. "And it’s a great atmosphere.”
Her friend and art consultant Tripty, who usually keeps her distance from the kitchen and culinary activities, was at home during the mixing. "This is also about spending time with others,” she said.
Cher Pradhan, an expat from Singapore, agrees that the event is as much about socialising as it is about the mixing itself. "I come here to talk to chef, his wife is also from Singapore,” she added. While many were busy greeting fellow old-timers, Nirmala Balakrishnan was content taking in the celebratory atmosphere. "I used to own my own restaurant before I had kids, but I’ve never tried my hand at baking,” she quipped. Anupam said, "I try to keep back some of the soaked fruits back for the next year so I can mix it with the next batch. It adds to the richness.”