Talent for baking for others leads Barrington High alum to 'The Great American Baking Show'
I am so excited to tell you all about Nirali Chauhan, a talented, kind and brilliant young woman I have known since she was in elementary school and who you can get to know by watching this season's "The Great American Baking Show."
Nirali is a 2012 graduate of Barrington High School. Some know her for speaking at graduation and serving as Student Council Representative to the school board. Still, I got to know Nirali in elementary school as my daughter's classmate and friend. As a young child, Nirali organized bowling playdates for groups of friends and, according to my daughter, was one of the nicest girls in class.
Since then, Nirali has attended Johns Hopkins and Dartmouth Universities, earning a Master's in Public Health. She currently attends medical school at the University of Illinois Chicago, pursuing another degree in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Something else important to know about Nirali is that she suffered a traumatic brain injury while in college. She was walking when she was hit by an SUV. She spent a portion of her rehabilitation practicing skills like baking in order to regain balance and her fine motor skills. She talked about this process with the Daily Herald earlier this month.
While serving as a resident fellow at Dartmouth, Nirali spent time in the King Arthur Baking Company's kitchen shaping and baking rolls to be donated to charity, sparking her passion to "bake for good."
Much of Nirali's inspiration comes from travel, experiences with her family and fond memories of their "Chai time." She credits her mom as the best cook she knows and remembers her trying new things like milling quinoa, something no one else was doing years ago.
In an interesting twist, her mom's healthy lifestyle helped nurture her love of sweets, saying, "When I got my hands on something funky colored and sweet, I was happy."
While living through the pandemic and after George Floyd's death, Nirali asked herself, "What should we do?" She felt the only thing she could do was bake; as always, she baked for good.
Nirali started a bake sale unlike any other I have ever seen. She donated all the ingredients and time, secured a corporate match for all proceeds, and then started baking. There were no tables covered in plastic-wrapped aluminum containers, but boxes and boxes of cookies, often with a few surprise treats thrown in, sold to people who placed orders, with all proceeds going to the Chicago Community Bond Fund.
At the suggestion of a former BHS classmate, she applied for "The Great American Baking Show." The rest is history.
Nirali traveled to Great Britain alone, but stayed in constant contace with her mom during the filming of the entire season.
I couldn't resist asking her what it was like to be a contestant, and here is how she responded: Each episode is filmed over a two-day period, and all contestants stayed for the duration of filming.
She stayed in a studio apartment with a small kitchen to experiment with ingredients producers warned her are different in the U.K. For example, butter contains more fat, flour has different hydration, and even cream cheese is different. These differences triggered Nirali to use her scientific mind to think about the science of baking, focusing on components like acid and ph.
The pressure of being on a television show might prove stressful for most of us, so when standing at her baking station in the tent, Nirali tried hard to practice grounding by being present with steady breathing, feeling her feet on the floor, and hands on the bench to soak it all in. She also noted working on the show's tight timeline liberated her from her perfectionism and permitted her to make baked goods that were excellent but not perfect.
Under the watchful eyes of judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, the competition includes each contestant completing a signature bake, technical (which is always a surprise) and a show stopper within each themed episode. Nirali confirmed the show is unscripted, noting, "What you see is what really happens."
As an avid fan of all varieties of the "Great Baking Show," I had to ask about Paul Hollywood's legendary blue eyes. Nirali confirmed they are "Bluer than you can imagine, and he does watch you in a very kind way," noting "both he and Prue really want you to succeed."
When asked her favorite part of being on the show, Nirali quickly responded, "Meeting the other bakers." Nirali said, "There is no other place all these people would come together" and that the group keeps in touch, encouraging each other from afar. Lucky for her, fellow contestants Sarah Chang and Martin Sorge are also from Chicago.
As a child, Nirali remembers she and her brother burning the roof of their mouths on one of their favorite treats, a piping hot pop-tart, an experience that served her well during the competition, but I won't spoil it for you by revealing why.
This month's recipe is one shared by Nirali for Key Lime Ginger Bars with an optional sprinkle of sumac. You will love this recipe if you like Key lime pie or lemon bars.
Sumac is a popular Middle East spice often used in the spice blend known as za'atar and is related to the poisonous shrub by the same name, but the culinary variety is safe to use. Sumac berries are ground into a coarse powder and add a sprinkle of red color and a lemon-like tartness to a dish.
When reflecting on her time on the show and the impact of baking on her life, Nirali shared she will never forget the time she spent with her mom in the U.K. and how baking has been a great way of honoring her dad, who passed away 10 years ago.
In true Nirali fashion, she humbly added, "Even though it is all done and there has been time to process, I still can't believe it happened."
"The Great American Baking Show" can be streamed for free via Roku.
• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.
Nirali Chauhan's Key Lime Ginger Bars
For the crust
1 stick/8 tablespoons butter, melted
½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 packages/17.6 oz Biscoff Cookies
Filling
28 ounces sweetened condensed milk (2 cans)
6 large egg yolks
1 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime)
5 teaspoons Key lime zest (or regular lime)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Whipped Cream
1 cup cold whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
Lime wedges (optional, to garnish)
Lime zest (optional, to garnish)
Dried sumac (optional, to garnish)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, grated ginger, cinnamon and fine sea salt.
Blitz the Biscoff cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. Remove and combine into the bowl with the butter mixture.
Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan and bake for 13-15 minutes until light golden brown.
In a separate large bowl, beat egg yolks and zest until thick, about 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in sweetened condensed milk, and while continuing to whisk, slowly stream in the Key lime juice.
Pour mixture onto the crust (it's OK if it's still hot) and return to the oven for about 13-15 minutes, being careful not to allow the surface to color.
Let the bars cool on the counter for 1 hour and then overnight in the fridge with cling wrap directly on the surface of the bars.
Cut the bars 8 across and 4 down (to get 32 total).
In a cold bowl with a cold whisk or beaters, whip the whipping cream, powdered sugar and fine sea salt until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip.
Pipe or spoon the cream onto each bar and top with cut, patted-down lime wedges or zest, if desired. Sprinkle lightly with dried sumac if desired.
Makes 32 bars.
Nirali Chauhan