Meet Tanvi Aditya Thompson | Pastry Chef, Butter and Saffron

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanvi Aditya Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanvi, what are you inspired by?
One of my earliest memories about growing up in India was watching Ma (my grandmother), in the kitchen making nimki (fried savory crackers) and khajoor (fried cookies), eagerly waiting for my share. I loved spending the hot summer days enjoying a kulfi (Indian style ice cream) underneath our mango trees, or sneaking into the kitchen to steal a taste of Mom’s gajar ka halwa (carrot dessert). Holidays were something even more special: celebrating Eid with our next door neighbors, Rani Aunty and Ibrahim Uncle over various seviyan (vermicelli dessert), and Diwali with my family over rasmalai. It was these early memories of family and friends together over food that instilled my passion for food within me. I have always loved how food has a way of bringing people together, we may not speak the same language, come from different backgrounds, but can sit down together and enjoy a good meal.

With Butter & Saffron, I wanted to share some of my favorite food memories and tell my story with my recipes to others. Nostalgia plays a big part in almost all of the desserts I have on our menu, every dessert has a story or a fond memory behind it, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to share that with others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets our desserts apart from others is the level of attention to flavors and creativity that I have put in each and every one of my desserts. I have gone through countless weeks of research and recipe testing before I am satisfied with a dessert. I am always sure to use high quality ingredients, try to shop small and locally as often as possible, even if it means paying a bit more. I will work and rework on recipes till I am satisfied, not till they are good enough.

One of my proudest moments is winning the title of Grand Champion at the Sherman Celtic Festival in 2018. I decided to enter on a whim, the winning recipe took me a few weeks to perfect but I wanted to be sure I was putting the very best out there. Hearing the judges call my name, an Indian girl competing with a mostly Celtic/Scottish presenting competitors, made me realize that I think I made it.

Getting where I am today wasn’t an easy journey but I am grateful for all the stables and life lessons that have brought me here today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite spots in the city are:

Dallas Farmer’s Market- must visit stalls are Chai Wali (we use her chai for our chai tiramisu!), T Rex Pickles, Brother’s Produce

Kirin Court- great dim sum

Indian food spots- Malgudi Gardens, Mehfil

Restaurant Beatrice- great cocktails and I still dream about their cajun risotto

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t the support from my amazing parents! Most Indian children are expected to go into medicine, engineering, IT etc but I knew early on I wasn’t going to be one of them, Even when well meaning friends and family members told my parents not to let me go to Florida to attend culinary school, they supported my choices and my dreams. After graduating from culinary school, I started taking cake and dessert orders from home, my parents were my toughest critics yet my biggest supporters. My dad often joked that I was turning his house into cake baba’s (patron saint of cake) cake factory, and my mom would often stay up late nights with me helping me clean up and do dishes.

When I first started, I was very hesitant if I would be successful or not, but some of my favorite Aunties, especially my Puja Aunty has been in my corner since day one. From ordering from me to recommending me to others, some of my biggest supporters have been my aunties and I owe a big thank you to them for me being where I am today.

Website: https://www.butterandsaffron.com

Instagram: @butter_and_saffron

Image Credits
Mary Huong Photography