Baked by Rishu

Life lately: Changing literally every single day. 🌀✨

From launching a brand in under 2 months, to hearing my newborn nephew’s voice for the first time 🤍, to one of my best friend getting engaged 💍🥹 — and almost losing one of my street dogs 🐾💔 — this month has been emotional, empowering, and grounding all at once. Add to that moving cities again and building a home from scratch (why do I do this to myself?), and trying to figure out how much protein I should even be eating 🥲 — I’m genuinely not the same person I was 3 months ago. LOL.

Business is challenging, yes — but no one tells you this part: it doesn’t just test your skills, it rebuilds you. Your habits change. Your circles change. Your boundaries change. The way you talk, take feedback, process emotions —everything shifts. You don’t just build a brand, the brand builds you back. I had unreal expectations — new city = instantly settled life, new brand = instant love, new menu = instant hype, new chapter = instant balance. Reality check: it takes time. (Yes mummy, you were right again 😅)

Grateful for every opportunity coming our way. Manifesting more work, more growth, more stability for Madhya ✨ Cheers to 2 months — we’re just getting started 🥂. Baby Rishika is happy today 🧿 Also manifesting: more patience, less anger, and a little more peace 🌿

Throwback to my internship days in Paris 🇫🇷🥐

Right after completing my Diplôme en Boulangerie (Bread/ Bakery), I started my internship at — and that decision was very intentional.

I’ve been baking since I was 17, and owning my own bakery always felt like a dream 🩵. My very practical, business-minded desi father would always say: “Experience matters. Haat saaf karte raho. Skill pehle, business apne aap aa jayega.” 😅 And one line stayed with me — go where there is more to learn, not where it looks fancy. 🙃

So I was clear: if I wanted to open a bakery someday 🥐 , I needed pure bakery experience — understanding products, scaling, how one ingredient creates multiple dishes, and how everything is displayed and sold. That clarity led me to Bo&Mie❤️❤️ My internship was divided into two equal parts:
• 2 months of pâtisserie
• 2 months of bread

Even after my diploma, I wanted exposure to both before choosing one path fully. Rolling hundreds of croissants daily 🥐, mixing 100 kg of bread dough, learning systems, pace, and discipline — my body ached, but my heart was full. And yes, my French improved too 😅.

My advice for choosing a better internship:
First, ask yourself why you’re doing it.
Then choose places where your actions align with that purpose.

Skills compound. Shortcuts don’t.

Being a chef isn’t glamorous— it’s earned🔥
Internships show you the reality before the title. You start at the bottom, make mistakes, build discipline, and gain respect.
Degrees open doors, but experience keeps you inside.

Trust the process. The kitchen is the real teacher. ❤️💙❤️
(BuddingChef ChefLife Culinary Journey KitchenReality InternshipLife
FutureChef CulinaryStudent behindTheScenes hospitalityIndustry
KitchenDiscipline ChefTraining NoShortcuts indian chef pastry chef )

Life lately has been a mix of chaos, learning, and small joys. 🌸

From being a baker in Paris to trying to understand what being an entrepreneur means here — everything feels new, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming😁

I’ve been reminding myself it’s okay to slow down, to redefine comfort, and to eat that extra plate of kachoris without guilt (because balance!). ✨
Family, friends, and firsts — whether it’s my dad’s first-ever day trip with me, or my own first Vande Bharat ride — have made these past months special.

I’ve also realized that growth isn’t just professional. It’s personal too. Therapy, journaling, being in the present, and being kinder to myself are as important as learning Excel formulas or tasting every café in the city. 💙❤️

This season of life feels like a bridge between who I was and who I’m becoming.
It’s messy, but it’s mine. And for now, that’s enough. 💛
(budding entrepreneur, chef life, food industry in India, self growth,life lately, street food love, therapy & journaling, family time)

# LifeLately

I wish someone told me this…
Before I packed my bags. Before I learned to say “oui” instead of “haan.” 😂 They don’t tell you this in the visa checklist. But I wish they did. 😬😬

🌈Visa stress is real, consuming and constant. You’ll think getting the visa is the hard part — it’s not. The real stress comes later, endless paperwork, renewals, and the anxiety of “what if it doesn’t go through?” It feels like you're always waiting for permission to live your own life.

🌈You can feel lonely in the most beautiful cities. One day you will sip hot chocolate then watch the sunset, still something won't feel right! It will get overwhelming when you are alone but look at the bright side you can get fresh croissant every hour that's something 😁

🌈 Roommates : They’ll either become your chosen family or the reason you lock your bedroom door a little tighter. I had both kinds. When you live away from home, the people you live with can shape your whole experience. Shoutout to the best , you know what you healed 💕

🌈Take your mental health seriously — before it takes over. I brushed it off until it got too loud to ignore. Being in a different culture, language, system — it hits you deep. Journals, long walks, voice notes to friends, sometimes crying on the side of the road — it all counts as survival.🙃

🌈Speaking the local language builds bridges. My first day in paris, I entered and greeted her with a "Bonjour Madame." I didn’t say it perfectly, but it mattered. Even the smallest effort makes you feel less like a tourist, more like you belong. Efforts are more important than perfection🌻

🌈Life abroad isn’t a reel. It’s real.
I lived the aesthetic — fresh baguettes, cafés, pastry school. But I also worked 14-hour shifts, cried from exhaustion, and battled bed bugs. Instagram doesn’t show the whole picture, and neither did mine — for a long time. 🥲

🌈Desi food isn’t just food — it’s emotion.
No baguette ever comforted me the way a bowl of dal-chawal did. makes the best 💙 Some days, a spoon of achar felt like a warm hug from home. Food became my therapy, my connection, my calm in a city that never paused.

2024
Feeling the pressure? New year! New start! New me?
It cannot be possible and honestly I would suggest don't be the new you. The old you is as beautiful as the new you. Rather than comparing how far you have come , how much you traveled ,what all you achieved or may be how much money you earned, analysis WHO YOU HAVE BECOME!

Just a few minutes before the new year eve I was about to cry. I knew exactly why I was about to and it was no one but me and my thoughts. I was seeing myself who I was becoming for something which is not even worth it! At that exact moment I felt how my 2023 was and the biggest learning of 2023 was: SELF GROWTH. I might have not learn a lot about paris or the world or breads may be but I did learn so much about ME!

2024 I promise I am gonna work harder than ever. I am gonna be happy. I have gonna love. I am gonna laugh. I am gonna be kind. I am gonna Cook and bake as much as possible 💙

Happy New year. I wish and I hope this year for each and everyone of you is the year your life completely changes . Because darling you deserve it! Believe in the power of Magic ✨
(I wanted to post a reel but honestly a bit overwhelmed with new year but I still wanted to wish everyone and express so a normal post heheh)

Quotes on the post: 1 me , 2 and 3,4 follow these pages they are fantastic 🔥

Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho; to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai. Or zindagi ke ant mein sab acha he hota hai or agr vo acha nhi toh vo ant nhi! Picture abhi baki hai mere dost! 💙✨

I was 14-15 yrs old my younger sister gave me a small drawing of effile tower. She is an amazing artist. Every time she would visit me, she would give me a small drawing. And I kept that. Till date it's with me. The universe has its own way of showing your future. Another example, my mom forced me to get a passport I don't know for what emergency reason. And the day my passport arrived at home I was sitting with my grandmother and out of nowhere I said nani Jaa re main France( nani I am going to France).
Life! Weird? Crazy!!
Le cordon blue paris has been a dream come true. But it's just a start! This institute was just one chapter, the entire movie is left my friends! See you soon ❤️

When Punjab 🇮🇳 meets Paris 🇫🇷
Tandoori chicken Coucques
Tandoori chicken tikka croissant, with coriander and mint chutney and pickled onion!
I presented this for my Advance Boulangerie creation at Le Cordon Blue Paris!
Swipe ➡️ to read about the Inspiration and Sales Description

Week 16-17 of Basic Patisserie at Le Cordon Blue Paris ❤️ This was my last weeks of Basic Patisserie and 1/3 of patisserie is over!

In the frame:
💙Mocha Cake- Genoise sponge with coffee butter cream and caramelized almonds
💙Chocolate Charlotte- Lady finger biscuit with orange Bavarian cream, chocolate mousse and chocolate shavings

🌈Little story Time
The last few weeks of Basic Patisserie were a little difficult for me personally. It was my birthday week, first birthday in paris and away from family! My mental health was degrading, and mostly in a way i felt I was losing my confidence with pastry. Every time I used to present my product to the chef even if I got good comments I was never satisfied. In a way i always used to forget that i am still a student, it's just been 3 months to the course , why are you putting so much pressure on yourself. I cleared my Basic Patisserie exam very nicely. Yet a part of me was not happy. During the Christmas time of 2022 I also feel sick and I only blame myself for that.
I feel sometimes in this fast paced world we just completely forget that we are in motion, we are still learning. We forget where we are at the present moment and we judge ourselves either from the past version of ourselves or the future. Why can't we just live in the present and accept the way we are and be proud of how far we have come!
Sure, there is always always a chance for improvement but that doesn't mean we don't celebrate how far we have come ❤️✨

Week 12 at My Pastry School in Paris 🌸
Another Classic French Dessert - Macarons ❤️
This week we learn different kinds of meringues and their uses and with that we made our very first MACARON 🔥 From Italian, french to Swiss. The difference is more because of the technique rather than the ingredients. Very minor but very crucial.

Here are some of the tips to make your macaron shell better:
🌈 Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
🌈Dry out the shell before baking or it will result in sticking the shell on the baking sheet or baking paper.
🌈Avoid adding sugar from the start of the whisking. Once the egg white is a bit frothy , then you start adding the sugar.
🌈Avoid over beating the egg whites , it will result in cracking of the shell.

Feel free to comment if you have any more questions.