Akshaya Patra - Annual Report 2015

THE PERFECT RECIPE
Other than his mother’s precious recipes, 14-year-old Shekar cherishes just one other thing – the
dream to become a chef. From experimenting in the kitchen with his mother to trying to decipher the
ingredients in a hotel meal, food fascinates this sprightly youngster. At The Akshaya Patra Foundation,
we realized that all it took to set Shekar’s dream in motion was one secret ingredient – opportunity.
And so he got one.
With the help of acclaimed
Chef Ramasamy Selvaraju from
Vivanta by Taj, Bengaluru, a
month-long exclusive mentorship
programme was charted for Shekar
with the Chef himself taking on the
role of a mentor. The kitchen in a
five-star hotel is a bevy of
activity and a treasure house
of knowledge. Shekar was introduced
to all of it under the guidance of
Chef Ramasamy. Within no time,
Shekar had endeared himself to the
kitchen staff and learnt to handle
equipment, rattle away cooking
terms and techniques and manage
assigned tasks like a seasoned pro.
At the end of the programme Shekar
single-handedly prepared and served
a stylish meal and plated it beautifully,
with the precision of an artist. In the
words of the expert panel of chefs
who tasted his dish, ‘it was a meal
that was divine in its simplicity and
precision’. But what really made the
moment special was Shekar’s mother
looking on with pride and joy,
as Chef Ramasamy awarded Shekar
his chef’s hat after the meal. It was
not just well deserved; it was proof
that dreams do taste success when
opportunity meets hard work.
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