How we came to be

Flames was birthed from the sheer passion for cooking of our Founder, Ann Minnie Oommen. As a child she admired the ease at which her mother cooked for a family of eight. She did not have the need to cook growing up as they had maids to assist but her love for cooking motivated her to use her vacations to pick up the little tricks of cooking from her mother. As the years went by she got married and moved overseas where she was exposed to people of various cultures. Her cooking styles evolved with the times, adapting to the taste buds of the people she met along the way. Experimentation, patience and persistence - these were the ingredients of her recipe to honing her skills. From South Indian, to Chinese (with an Indian twist of course!) to Continental - she tried her hand at as many cuisines as she could. The testers during these experiments were none other than her husband (initially), and then her children, who were always happy to lay their hands on the variety of dishes being made. The biggest hurdle of this journey was being a vegetarian by choice, from a very young age. How does one cook without even tasting the food? She developed the art of cooking through the sense of smell. Lo and behold, with practice she achieved the perfect blend of spices - flavorful but not overwhelming. Approved by family and friends time and time again, she knew she was doing it right.