Celeb chef Sarah Todd believes it is extremely rewarding raising a child as a single mom. She has just finished co-curating a spanking new, drool-worthy menu as consulting chef at the buzzing The Wine Rack in mid-town Mumbai, bringing in fresh local produce to give an edgy spin to classic dishes. A former model, a classically trained chef from the coveted Le Cordon Bleu, a hot favourite contestant in MasterChef Australia Season 6… Sarah Todd turned author with The Healthy Model Cookbook, and also runs the Antares Restaurant & Beach Club at Vagator beach in Goa. She is a familiar face on the screen with the series My Restaurant in India (televising Sarah’s career graph), Serve It Like Sarah (her adventure, travel and food ditties) and Awesome Assam with Sarah Todd (dipping into local Assamese recipes during her travels in the state). All while she successfully parents her son, as a single mom.
Excerpts from a conversation:
So how old is Phoenix now? Any particular reason for choosing the name Phoenix?
He’s seven. The Phoenix is a firebird reborn from the ashes. I was told that I would find it very difficult to conceive owing to the polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) I was diagnosed with, in addition to the extremely tough time I had with my menstrual cycle. Honestly, I was also experiencing some upheavals in life at the time I discovered I was pregnant. So it truly felt like a miracle. That is the reason I decided to name my son, Phoenix.
Do you whip up any desi food treats for him? What is his palate like? Name one dish that you make and he absolutely loves.
He loves paratha and anda for breakfast. He simply loves kheema (also my favourite).
Are you the mom who loves whipping up yummy treats when his gang is over?
Absolutely, I love making feasts for all his friends. I love it when they are all sitting around the table enjoying a meal together; they love the sausage rolls I make.
Shilpi Madan for Indian Express