We first featured Nik Sharma’s culinary works when we shared our Top 5 Favorite Ice Cream Flavors from A Brown Table, and we wanted to know more about the mastermind behind the cool treats. Before the birth of A Brown Table, Sharma’s initial career wasn’t culinary at all. Instead, he earned his degree in molecular chemistry. Taking a chance and following his instinct, Sharma recently decided to leave his pharmaceutical job to follow his passion for cooking, all which have lead him to San Francisco where he currently works as a pastry chef for a local bakery, while also continuing to post his A Brown Table recipes. It’s been a long process, but he’s enjoyed every moment of it.
Audrey Magazine: Can you tell us more about your childhood and what really sparked your passion for cooking?
Nik Sharma: I grew up in Bombay, India before coming to school–Graduate school–little more than a decade ago. I recently moved from Washington DC to San Francisco, and I’ve been here for a little under a year now. My dad was a photographer. He did a lot of work at an advertisement company. My mom worked in hospitality and managed quite a few hotels. In that sense, I kind of had the exposure as a kid, but I never really picked up my own camera until I moved out of the house, and decided to start blogging. My parents wanted me to follow a stable career because you know that’s how it is with Asian parents. I was more keen on science and biochemistry, which is why I pursued a degree in molecular biology. But that also [brought] it back to food because food is so much chemistry, biochemistry, physics and all those elements behind it. It’s kind of nice having that background because you get to apply it all the time cooking.
As an immigrant, for me, it’s been all about the experience about bringing the flavors and the stuff that I grew up with–the techniques in Indian food. But also bringing that to my new home in the United States, and I’ve built on fusion of Indian and American food.
AM: When you first began your food blog, were there any difficulties starting it up?
NS: I never knew how to use a camera, for one. As much as I take the wrap from my father for advice, it’s really difficult when he lives in another country. So I knew I had to make mistakes and learn. I think that was actually beneficial to me because I wanted to stand on my own two feet. I wanted to do this properly and learn from it. I think the best way to learn anything is to make mistakes. In that sense, I feel fortunate that I got the chance to make mistakes and learn from them.
AM: What is the one thing that you hope readers take away from your blog?
NS: I think when readers come to my blog, I just want them to have a good time. I just [want] people to come and appreciate the food [and] see that there’s a lot more to not only Indian food, but I think with any other traditional cuisine. I think there’s always one or two ingredients that become really popular… and they become all the rage. Like matcha right now is one of the most popular ingredients, but I think there’s a lot more to appreciate in Japanese cuisine beyond matcha. With my blog, I just hope that I get that point across that there are different things you can do. It doesn’t always have to be a set way. It doesn’t have to be naan and a curry.
AM: How did you develop your unique style in your photography?
NS: One of the comments I’ve been getting a lot lately is about is seeing hands of color, which is something I did not intend. When I first started blogging, I experimented a lot with hand shots because the reason I wanted to start the food blog in the first place, and even the reason why I love to cook, is because I find not only the final product interesting and fun, but it’s also the process of getting to the final stage. I wanted to capture those moments. Unfortunately, at that point, it was something that [wasn’t] done quite often in food photography. Getting that acceptance was initially tough. This isn’t mainstream. It’s different. In that sense, it was hard and I kind of stopped doing that for a while because I wasn’t sure. I’ve had no formal experience with this stuff.
After reevaluating, a couple years ago. I said, ‘You know what, I miss doing it the way I want to do it.’ I feel like I’m in a way bent to everyone else’s rules. I feel like the problem with rules is it becomes restrictive and I kind of went with the attitude [that] people will like it or people will not like it. Do what you want to do and see where [it] goes. Fortunately, people liked it.
AM: Any wise words to our readers?
NS: I think you should always follow your instinct. I think when people give you rules it’s better to go with instinct and break the rules. Why not? You might actually create your own set of rules. I think just follow what your gut tells you and your heart. I think you’ll be happier in the long run. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll still be happier and say ‘Well, I tired it my way and I learned from this’ and move on.
All photo courtesy of A Brown Table.
