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12 Comments
Brian
April 23, 2019
I've got several of Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks in my Amazon wish list. They all look amazing, it's hard to know which one to start with. Indian food fascinates's me, can't wait to get started!
Annada R.
April 24, 2019
Hello Brian, thank you for taking the time to post your comment. I would recommend starting with MJ's first book "Invitation to Indian Cooking." She will draw you into the fascinating word of Indian food and cooking by holding your hand and making sure you never fall. Or you can wait for her new book "Madhur Jaffrey's Instantly Indian Cookbook" coming out on May 7th in which you will get guidance from her recipes with the ease of the Instant Pot.
Nicole L.
December 1, 2018
Neither my mother, nor my grandmother liked to cook so they weren’t about to do it with care or pass on any "wisdom". But MJ is correct, you have to see a dish being made. This is where the advent of TV is a godsend.
Starting with Julia Child, going on to Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, I learned to cook. Then get technical with America's Test Kitchen and 77 Milk Street. But watch the soul of food with "Somebody Feed Phil" and Bourdain. I do, however, pass on all those competitive shows. Cooking is about bringing people together, not pitting them against each other.
Starting with Julia Child, going on to Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, I learned to cook. Then get technical with America's Test Kitchen and 77 Milk Street. But watch the soul of food with "Somebody Feed Phil" and Bourdain. I do, however, pass on all those competitive shows. Cooking is about bringing people together, not pitting them against each other.
Ali
November 30, 2018
My favorite piece of Madhur Jaffrey advice is from World Vegetarian, and it’s that refried beans shouldn’t be confined to Mexican meals, they go with everything! It’s so true!
Annada R.
November 30, 2018
Hi Ali, such bits of advice from MJ really make my day! Thank you for your comment!
Panfusine
November 29, 2018
loved your reference to the Marathi quote.. But in reality, How many of us from that generation ever were given the liberty to say I'm going to cook and enjoy doing it as a kid. Given that the 60 - 90's was all about convenience and processed foods, it was more like 'Mom would cook, so that we could focus on academics to pursue a career of 'our choice' (which really meant a 'socially acceptable and appreciated' job track), It's only of late, (with a lot of influences from sites like F52), that we've truly begun to revel in the pleasure of cooking for its own sake, and hopefully passing on that joy to the next generation
Annada R.
November 30, 2018
I agree with you, Panfusine! But I still find MJ's arc phenomenal. She wanted to be an actress but her profession as a cookbook author and teacher found her and made her the star that she is today. So she is clearly an outlier. As far as the rest of us are concerned, yes, we were supposed to follow the socially acceptable track but also somehow know cooking by the time we were ready to manage our own households.
Thomas E.
November 28, 2018
I was in a situation where I moved from an area with so many ethnic restaurants around to an area with none, longing for anything I couldn't get. I stumbled upon Jaffrey's book at the bookstore and she pulled me right in.
I went from not having options to get delicious food to making it myself. Her recipes and writing gives you the details to go from recipes to restaurant quality dishes!
One of the best cooks I've ever known asked me to teach her how to make Indian food like I make. I simply said two words: Madhur Jaffrey
I went from not having options to get delicious food to making it myself. Her recipes and writing gives you the details to go from recipes to restaurant quality dishes!
One of the best cooks I've ever known asked me to teach her how to make Indian food like I make. I simply said two words: Madhur Jaffrey
Opa
November 28, 2018
i learned that i need to call my mom and have her start writing everything down. i missed it with my grandma.
and that i need to buy all of Madhur's books, share them and love my history in a way i don't think I've ever done of before.
and that i need to buy all of Madhur's books, share them and love my history in a way i don't think I've ever done of before.
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