Soma is originally from India but calls the US her home since 1998. She is an accomplished civil and environmental engineer and is the CEO of Proteus Consulting. Cooking is her hobby and she loves to share her passion and experience with others.
For her cooking is not just the handling of objects and food items – it's really a way of sharing and nurturing other people. Through her classes, she shares her knowledge and insight about Indian cuisine, food, customs and culture, as well as her adventures with fusion cuisine.
Soma began teaching Indian cooking classes in 2010 to support a charity she deeply cares about – Water For People. 50% of the proceeds from her classes and events go to this charity.
She lives in San Diego with her two adorable dogs, Freo and Ozzie.
 |
| Ozzie and Freo |
Her Story
Soma grew up in India and learned the art of cooking by observing her mother and other family members churning out delicious meals at home every day. She was not allowed to participate in the process as she was ‘mandated’ to be an engineer and her parents thought that interest in 'the arts' may hamper her drive in the sciences. But she explored and analyzed the flavors and textures of the various ingredients she tasted and let it simmer in her mind over the years. She moved to the United States in 1998 to get her Masters at SUNY Buffalo and there was no delicious home-cooked meals anymore! She started experimenting with various ingredients and their flavors, and loved it. Her challenge was to make the dishes 'just as Maa used to make'. There were some long expensive phone calls to India, and over the years she perfected the craft.
Due to her 'day job' as a water engineer, she traveled a lot in the ensuing decade – Rochester, Irvine, Raleigh, Singapore, Australia (Brisbane, Perth) and then finally settled down in San Diego in 2009. During her journeys around the world, she had the opportunity to taste and feel many flavors. This further diversified her repertoire and she experimented with fusion cuisine designing interesting combinations that her friends loved.
Cooking is her passion, her creative outlet. She thrives on interacting with people. She hopes that by sharing her experience, she may be able to help another person realize the soulful nature of food. Hence, she teaches cooking classes. She also does private events like birthday parties and acts as personal chef.
Comments
Post a Comment