On a flight back from Bhopal, a friend said that I should put a Google alert on myself. A few weeks ago, I did, and have been getting a whole bunch of stuff about me that I wouldn’t have known or seen.

I am posting these two here because they have a nice blog design and great recipes.

The Hungry Ninja. Hmmm, I feel I should say something instead of baldly (mottayaa) posting the link. Maybe just do an excerpt? Here goes….

“HOW had I been cooking/eating/reading this long and not devoured Monsoon Diary, by Shoba Narayan? It seems unthinkable now that I have read it cover to cover in about a day (the 20 inches of snow outside helped me a little).

Her colorful, scrumptious prose prompted me to venture outside even in these Hoth-like conditions to go to the store and pick up a head of cabbage to make some tasty Bandh Gobhi Achar, or cabbage pickles. Even if the recipe itself isn’t one of the ones Narayan includes in her book, the flavors she mentions over and over: turmeric, coriander, mustard seed, fenugreek, and chiles were enough to make me salivate for some Indian cuisine. Plus, I needed something spicy to kick me out of these winter doldrums.” And then the recipe is posted.

And to the equally imaginative Thirsty Pig. Also an excerpt.
monsoon diary
By Shoba Narayan
A really personal look at growing up in India and what it means to be an outsider living and studying in the United Sates, this book gives its readers a comic but movingly accurate version of things we can all relate to and choices we all have to make. Narayan gives us mouth-watering glimpses of Indian food (and how to make it) as she tells her tale, imprinted so deeply with the spices, smells, textures, and tastes of Indian cooking. With each recipe, Narayan provides a myth that relates to and/or explains the dishes. She also explains how each spice, each topping, each method of cooking has a special use- some of them are to be used when pregnant, some are good for colds, each have their own occasion, and some are even used not only in cooking, but as face cream (and a cure for all ills)- all according to her very ambitious and often overpowering mother. In her memoir, Shoba wishes to study abroad, to the objection of her large family. They make a deal with her that, if she is able to prepare a complete satisfactory Indian meal for the entire family, her wish will be granted. She cooks the meal and off she goes. Within the story she weaves about herself, Narayan contemplates the good and the bad of both the Indian society she has lived in and the American one she moves to. This is a truly entertaining and worthwhile book to read.

No recipe but lots of book suggestions.
Thank you for the plug.

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