A little about me...

A sneak peek into my adventurously appetizing food inspired life.

Oh Haaayyyy Ninjas! Thank you for investing your time in my journey. My name is Annika and welcome to AnnikaEats.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Wolf

FOOD.

It is quintessentially the one word, which excites me and (I can say with a zesty confidence), most people across all ages, regardless of their ethnicity or environment. It is part of our historic human development. We celebrate occasions with cake (or todays day and age, Dessert Tables!), gatherings are inevitable without a lavish buffet spread and personal challenges are taken up through the fulfilling process of baking bread. Let us face it; we celebrate life, death and everything in-between with food and family, which are the binding forces of our human experiences. What makes food so sensational is the constant change through cuisines, spices, condiments, dishes and traditions that have their own unique existence world over. It’s funny, I am supposed to say something about me but instead the first word that came to my mind was food.

“The pleasure of sitting down to a good meal is not limited to just eating what’s set in front of you. It can also be about the sensations or memories associated with it.”
― Dianne Jacob

ROOTS.

I believe I am just like you, a foodie in some sort or manner; who is persistently trying to understand my relationship with food while I satisfy my cravings and constantly explore this multifaceted and dynamic culinary world. Originally I am from Bombay, India but antecedents going back to Goa and Kerala, currently based in the stockpot of all locations, Dubai. Having studied professionally to become a Chef, my passion for food goes way back to a time where I could barely stand on my feet as a toddler. My level of respect for this industry has grown with my development of knowledge and skills. From starting a small scale business back home in India at the age of 13 to working for one of the top 10 culinary schools in the world, to creating content and writing for internationally renowned digital magazines in HK, UK, US and India, I have come to learn that the culinary industry is so much more than being a Chef and food production.

POSITIVE NINJA VIBES.

You must know starting a blog has been marinating in the back of my mind for a little over 4 years. I have been contemplating and planning this for a very long time, as it does take a pound of patience, ten liters of dedication and a heaped cup of commitment to create something. I had set a benchmark for myself and this blog had to match it, there was no other option. Food and I have a deep affinity towards eachother and the purpose of this space was a representation of that.

Having said that, I started sharing my life changing experiences with food on Instagram quite unexpectedly a while ago and I can say, hand on my heart, I absolutely adore the community of food lovers (aka Ninjas) that have come together. This steamed my motivated to finally get out of my kitchen for a bit and onto my laptop to kick-start my “mise en place” aka prep work (see what I did there) to set up this space of my culinary journey. So you can experience my view of life through sight, taste, script and emotion.

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

The emergence of the Ninja Clan:

I refer to my community/following as ninjas. The short and crisp version (just like a good short crust pastry) would be, history and pop culture have accounted Ninjas to move swiftly, their actions are precise, every gesture has a cause and their movements have stealth to them. To work in a professional kitchen these are qualities that a Chef must possess, where there is careful consideration for ingredients and food being prepared. What a lot of people don’t know is, in order to be a Ninja they have to be honest and righteous. They have to be self aware and emotionally intelligent to foresee what is coming. Much like the mantra I live by, not just with food but also throughout my life. Hence, I believe in sending positive ninja vibes to my community as fundamentally they come from a well-balanced and pure space. Obviously the stealth mood is great while pottering about the kitchen and raiding the fridge at midnight.

“A great meal is an experience that nourishes more than your body.”
― Ruth Reichl, Delicious!

BLOG.

Every journey has its challenges and the one I went through with this blog was no easy task to get to this point (much like preparing puff pastry), making decisions about branding, concepts and many more aspects that are not my expertise but I can proudly say, every color, spacing, line, image and word on this blog is the work of a team that is motivated solely through passion and love.

With no further ado, welcome to my blog about all things food, whether recipes, product tests, restaurant reviews, events or even global tastes through my travel experiences. This blogs is about all things baking and cooking, discovering the perfection in imperfections, finding the extraordinary in the mundane and satisfaction in simplicity all through food. I am thrilled to discuss and share all my triumphs and faults in the kitchen to help YOU become a better cook/baker. But let my faults be our little secret.

My palate is non judgmental, my dramatic side does take over many at times, I listen to music in the kitchen consequently making me dance in the kitchen but I can honestly say, I love food. Considering I cook, eat and constantly serve the people around me it is important that I share the joy of living a fulfilling life, keeping moderation on the scales of balance.

I intend to showcase food the way I experience it and this is my plate!