Young chef bakes her way to culinary success
Umesh and Ashu Loona believe that it is important for parents to identify the talents of their children from a young age and help them to nurture them.
The Loona’s are doing just that by supporting their daughter, who has an admirable knack in the kitchen and flair for baking. The young chef is none other than Ishani a nine year-old Standard Five pupil at Northside Primary. Ishani has never been to cooking school but she has culinary skills which are quite advanced for her age.
She relies on recipe books and videos from You Tube to source recipes that she will then creatively adapts and adds her personal touch. Currently the bright Chef has taken her love for cooking to thrilling heights. She has a facebook page, Jasmine Kitchen- Young Chef in the Diamond City that affords her the opportunity to share weekly recipes posted every Thursday with her followers. The show is shot at home in a purple coloured state of the art kitchen specially received for Madam Chef by a professional team.
Ishani shares that her passion for making gastronomic delights was instigated after she saw a cooking show in India that featured another young chef that motivated her to follow her dreams. She says that cooking is fun and she enjoys working her magic in the kitchen. Ishani launched her first video on May 18th last year, which happens to be her birthday. When she is busy creating mind blowing recipes, one is sure to find her making various creations such as Snowballs with Mango Biscuits, Oreo Milkshakes, Lamingtons, Choc Chip cookies and other variations to recipes that she comes across. She says that is difficult to single out a favourite recipe, but she does admit that she has a weakness for sugar free oatmeal biscuits.
In the recipe, she substitutes bananas for sugar. Ishani made these cookies for the Vibe team to sample and we agree that they are mouth-wateringly delicious. Ishani’s younger brother, Ishwar Das Umesh is always nearby every time when there is a new batch that comes straight out of the kitchen. He has declared himself the official taste master, and always gives her sister’s creations lots of love as evidenced by her chocolate covered face.
“I want to create healthy versions of recipes that are already available, adding my special touch,” Ishani says. She is a huge fan of Cake Boss show, which airs on TLC Channel on DStv. When she is not cooking, she is playing chess or golf. She is also passionate about art. Her father emphasises the need for parents to cultivate an entrepreneurship spirit from a young age.
“Warren Buffet started off from a young age and look where he is now. Identifying what your child loves helps children to channel the energy that they would have used to say watch television into fun learning projects.” Since she launched her first video, Ishani has been featured on Botswana Television, and has attended several Pop up markets as well as the Lady Khama Charity Trust event.