Suvir

Books that will bring you into the kitchen & get you inspired...

As I ponder what to give people for gifts, since gifts have become such a large part of this season of cheer, I wonder if there is any gift that I can give, that can keep giving forever. I realize that a cookbook has such power. And perhaps can give in ways the giver may never grasp at that time. And the giftee will use long after being gifted it. And so, I share here, some of my favorites, that I hope can inspire you to cook, share and live in a way you may have never thought of.

Mums? These? Yes! And some other flowers too....

Visiting Delhi, and more particularly my ancestral home, Charlie finds a new love for the Chrysanthemum flowers he finds in my mothers garden, and also around some other homes, and gardens we visit or drive or walk by. This saddens him, for he is one who is not moved by mums back home in the US, and her, he can now like me wax poetic about their beauty.

My night in New Haven...... and I felt at home

Kimberley Taherian, a website designer, also has a life outside of the net. She is wife to an Iranian man, with a personality larger than life. Why do I say this? Since I am  the exactly similar Indian man with the larger than life personality, and have Charlie, who like Kimberley, has to endure such energy. Here, Kimberley is setting the table as Rafi Taherian cooks for us in their Guilford home, a suburb of New Haven.

Inside & Outside a Meeting of the Orient and the Occident

Few people enjoy summers in Manhattan as those that are die-hard New Yorkers, that know where to be and how to enjoy the quieter days of the year in our lovely city. Luckily for those few that decide they will endure the heat of the summer in Manhattan itself, the city and its populace, afford them a kind of solitude that is not found in the cooler times of the year.

Summers in New York City are a a wonderful way to appreciate New York with a little less traffic on the streets, and a respite from some of the usual drama of the city.

For some, it is also a time to enjoy their yards, balconies, terraces and outdoor spaces wherever they might be. I remember, that not too long ago, I too had a balcony/terrace, full of plants and even a Tandoor and grill, and tropical and temperate plants, shrubs and succulents and yet, the greed to garden was so great for both my ex and I, that we also did gorilla gardening on the roof, and often got caught. These summer months are quite spectacular and colorful, even in this Gotham city of much concrete with high density of population. There is magic to be found in many unexpected corners, and if you walk the streets with your eyes open, with your sense of smell alert and ready to discover, you will never be robbed of discoveries that shall delight and enthrall.

State Of The Kitchen...