ARISTA'S ARTISANAL BAKES

A cake we made for my brother. We like to think of it as the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde cake.  Not that he is diabolical like that by any means.   

A delicious weekend special we created  

Custom wedding cake  

Photo by  Jakub Kapusnak  on  Unsplash So, you go out and buy yourself some eggs. When you get home, you get a funky smell coming from the eggs. Clearly one of the eggs is off, and it is always easy to find that one. But now you are in doubt about the others. Are the rest about to go bad too? Are some of them safe to use, or even bake with? Yes. Sometimes if eggs have been on a supermarket shelf/ in your fridge too long, it can go bad. What you can do to test them, is fill a bowl with water. Place the eggs in the water one at a time. If it floats, it is off, and it can be thrown away. If it sinks to the bottom, it is good to use. Happy Baking!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Chrizaan. I am responsible for the marketing, and administration for ARISTA’S ARTISANAL Bakes. Also, I’m Arista’s younger sister. I do not have a hospitality/ culinary background. Instead, I have a degree in Animal Production. However, a large part of my degree program included managing/ running a business. So, believe me when I say, working in a cooking/ baking business is quite tough. Sometimes, when we have a really big order, I’ll jump in and help prepare the ingredients for Arista. I never knew how much really goes into the food/ baking preparation. And the working hours? It’s brutal. I’ve learnt a new respect for everyone working in the hospitality industry. So, from now on I’ll be a contributor on the blog as well. Do you have any experience in the hospitality industry, and if so, what is your honest opinion about what goes on behind the scenes?

Yes, I know what you must be thinking. But it’s kind of a funny story. I have this thing about bread. It’s like Christmas when I see freshly baked bread. I feel like a little child in a candy store. I really go gaga over bread.   The smell alone sets me over the moon. I can’t explain. One day my sisters and I were walking at the slow market and there was freshly baked bread. I could feel the excitement building up. And my sisters were walking so slowly . . . I just wanted to get to the bread! My youngest sister gave me one look, and said, “You’re such a bread slut.” I was smiling from ear to ear. The whole world can come to a stand still while I enjoy my bread. There is nothing as sexy as freshly baked bread. I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care what kind of bread. I love all kinds. I mean artisan bread, not that processed stuff you buy in the shops. Imagine a piece of freshly baked ciabatta bread (that’s my favourite of course). And put some butter on it. As you ...

I've had enough of the professional culinary (chef) life. So, I decided to start my own business. At that moment it sounded great and like lots of fun. I shared the great news with my family and friends. Everyone was like, “Yes, you should do it”, and “It was about time.” So I resigned from my job and took the plunge. I knew more or less what I was doing, because I started restaurants for other people, and made them successful.    I did some research about how to start your business from home.  Then I just got started. Making cakes for those who asked.  In the beginning it was difficult I must admit. Its a whole other ball game out there.  Yes, in the chef world everyone knows everyone, and you can go on reputation alone. But in the real world no one knew what I could do, and what I was capable of. So I had to market myself and my products.  I had to start from scratch. I had to learn fast, and a lot of new skills. Like how to build a n...