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Transcript of GTprofile - Saba Sharjeal
7/30/2019 GTprofile - Saba Sharjeal
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What does it take to be
a savvy business-
woman as well as
an artist with integrity? Saba
Sharjeal, also known as The
Mad Chef, is that rare thing: a
free spirit whose colourful per-
sonality matches her artistic
confections.Saba realised her calling in
her early 20s, after years of bak-
ing for family and friends. It
was after graduating from col-
lege that she decided to create a
business that involved doing
what she loved. But it was not
easy for her, having been at the
receiving end of criticism and
doubts from those around her.
As most of us know, there is a
GTProfile
Saba Sharjeal, also known as The Mad Chef,
tasted success after going off the beaten-track
By Saba Ahmed
Beauty in theMadness
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cribbing and fussing with her mother
over the use of the kitchen. Serious and
focused, Saba decided to get to work; she
signed up for a teaching job at LSE and
later with the British Council. At her jobs
she raised the capital she needed to invest
in her business with no help from any-
body - just talent and a drive to realize her
dream. Her first piece of equipment was
a Kitchen Aid mixer which is now indis-
pensable to her. She fixed up a tiny
unused space in her house to create a
kitchen separate from her
Mum's where she could
cook up unusual concoc-tions and experiment late
into the night. Constant
experimentation, trial and
error and endless improvi-
sation is what occupied her
for months. She went off
the beaten track, throwing
in lesser-used ingredients
like cardamom and other
spices, not just the usual chocolate-vanil-
la rush.
Saba explains that the Pakistan
palette is hard to discern and to please.
People are skeptical and fussy about new
flavours and recipes. Over the past 60
odd years, two cakes have dominated the
Pakistani market: the ubiquitousPineapple Cream and Black Forest. To
bring in cakes that look great - fondant
cakes, marzipan icing, white and sponge
cakes - that have been championed and
appreciated in the West but are still being
treated with skepticism around these
parts is a tough thing. To technically
achieve a fondant cake that is moist and
creamy and looks like it could be featured
in Cooks Illustrated is no easy feat.
A complete self-starter, financed,
driven, and motivated by herself, Saba
tendency in Pakistan to disregard the
culinary arts as a venerable profession.
From early days at school, Saba
struggled with weight issues. Having a
love for food, especially sweets, she had
trouble managing her weight and was
constantly at odds with those around her.
After having devoted her O & A
Levels to Pure Sciences, Saba was at a
loss as to what to do with her life. She
thought of pursuing her lifelong dream of acting, a field in which she showed
immense talent, being chosen as the lead
role in many school plays and beyond.
Here, too, she was met with discourage-
ment from those around her. She decided
to put it all aside, and enrolled in Lahore
School of Economics (LSE) for a degree
in Business and Finance. Knowing her
own free-spirited temperament, Saba
wondered about her decision, knowing
that she had more to offer than working at
a run-of-the-mill '9-5' job. It was at
school and in the midst of her friends and
classmates that Saba began to build up
momentum for what would become her
lifelong passion and her livelihood -
cooking for others.She was known for bringing baked
goods to school, birthdays, and events
even when there was no occasion. "It all
started with the cookie," says Saba with
her trademark grin.
Saba decided to pursue a diploma in
Pakistani and Chinese cuisine followed
by an internship in the kitchen at Park
Plaza. "I was the only girl there", she
says, alluding to the chauvinism preva-
lent amongst chefs in hotels. Not only
was there chauvinism to put up with, but
the chef's themselves hoard recipes and
information. "I was going to chefs con-
stantly…itni ego hoti hai, nahin batatain
recipes…they keep a small black diary
with them in their pockets and they have
ancient recipes, excellent, beautiful
recipes and if you get your hands on that
black diary, you've hit the jackpot." The jist of her observations: your tutor wor-
ried that someday you might exceed him
in your work. She spent much time
researching and immersing herself in
how to proceed in making her passion for
cooking bankable.
She mentions the coffee shop at the
bookstore Readings as her chosen spot
for mulling over ideas, brainstorming,
coming up with the best business plan for
catering and baking. She also educated
herself through books that get into the
nitty-gritty of it all, as well as by follow-
ing food academics and inspirations like
Julia Child. This is how she believes that
she can inculcate originality in her prod-
uct and bring it to her clients. "Your only
source cannot be the internet, you can see
people who are making cakes, they are
copying other peoples' work from theinternet...they're not original. If I pick up
something from the net, I make sure to
mention the source." Her clients also say,
‘well, this cake has been made but I'm
looking for something different’ for
which she has to use different sources for
inspiration and knowledge. "I use a lot of
books. People have stopped using books,
I don't know why".
Ravenous for a career in the culinary
arts, Saba looked around and found her-
self living at her parents' and constantly
Over the past 60odd years, two
cakes havedominated thePakistani market:the ubiquitousPineapple Creamand Black Forest
‘I was going to chefsconstantly… itni ego
hoti hai , nahinbatatain
recipes…they keep asmall black diary withthem in their pocketsand they have ancient
recipes, excellent,beautiful recipes, and ifyou get your hands on
that black diary, you'vehit the jackpot’
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currently has only one assistant, her
younger sister Naira. Naira, who is pur-
suing a bachelors degree from the
National College of Arts (NCA) is Saba's
kitchen aide, friend and support system.
Being naturally creative, Saba and Naira
get together and work on the design,
hashing out the various elements that go
into the baked goods. Making cakes,
especially, is an all-encompassing artistic
experience that goes all the way from the
inside of the cake to the decoration to the
icing and, finally, the board which creates
the mood for one's birthday, anniversary,
or baby shower. The way an event plan-
ner can affect how guests feel at a cere-
mony, so can a chef. "I'm constantly try-
ing to think outside the box," says Saba.
Saba now has a set of dedicated
clients who understand that her creativity
and innovation is non-stop and that she
maintains that edge above impersonators
and half-baked hobbyists. "I know each
of my clients and I know what they
want."
The Mad Chef being an unusual
name, I asked Saba how it came about.
Her friends and family were leaning
towards conventional suggestions like
'Sweet Tooth,' and 'Cookie Jar.' But Saba,
being an extraordinary person, needed an
extraordinary name. Hanging out with
her grandmother one day, one of her
cousins responded to something Saba did
by blurting out, "You're a crazy lady,
you're a crazy cook." From then on Saba
was the Mad Chef. The name stuck - as
we all know, the best nicknames are the
ones given to us by others.
Saba wants to pursue her education
further, perhaps a Masters degree in the
culinary arts. Her dream is to have a
school where girls (and guys!) can get
serious about baking and pursue it like
other mainstreams professions. In the
process, she wants to endow the culinary
arts the credibility and regard they need,
and lack, in Pakistan.
Saba also wants to someday have a
small bakery. But she's clear about one
thing: the bakery will have no branches
because she is an artist, not a fad-driven
brand; her clients are real people, not an
endless queue of nameless cus tomers. We
wish Saba the best of luck in her future
endeavors and hope that her madness
continues to be a source of joy for others.
To technically achieve afondant cake that is
moist and creamy and
looks like it could befeatured in Cooks Illustrated is no
easy feat