Sita's Kitchen / Author: Raghav Khanna / Publisher: Rupa / Total Pages: 212
Category: Non-Fiction
Read Time: 24 hours
Rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
'The food...it was good, ' he said. 'But not something one expects in the middle of the road in Himachal,' he added as am afterthought.
'So, if you ate this food in Chandigarh or Delhi, you would not be surprised?'
'No, it is not that.'
'Then what is it?'
'Perhaps it is that. It's unusual, unusually exquisite to be in the middle of a highway littered with traditional dhabas to find a place where the decor, the menu and the food bring flavours from thousands of miles away,' he added.
Arun Mehra - owner of Bellissimo - an elite restaurant in London and Sita Pandit - owner of a small time tea stall in Himachal are the protagonists. The story begins with a casual business visit to Himachal by Arun and his friend - Ben. The cooking and its subtle ingredients take these two visitors by surprise when they learn that the chef is a small time village girl - Sita. Sita's cooking skills are put to test every time Arun comes to her small dhaba. And as destiny might have it, she is being invited to the world on the other side - London by the Master Chef owner himself. The constant nagging by Arun and Ben and the reluctant Sita who has a secret desire to be amongst the one who get a chance to make their dream come true is what sets the tone of this book.
After much "No Means No" dialogues, Sita finally lands in the glamour world of London and finds herself in the Bellissimo restaurant. She learns the nitty-gritties of the kitchen from Anwar Chacha. She whole heartedly admires the Chief Chef (and her rival) of this restaurant and learns that life is not easy after all. You need to master the tricks of the game if you are playing it!
All throughout the book, we come across a food platter with names such as Bircher Muesli, Fruit and Granola Parfait with yoghurt, Haak Ravioli, Rigatoni alla Carbonara, Nihari Ossobuco etc.
The casual descriptions of these various dishes sketch a picture for themselves (for those like me who have not tasted any of these) and make us feel a part of the kitchen. The journey is so refreshing and enchanting for kitchen enthusiasts.
'The food is global, so too can be the chef,' is the line that might summarize this sumptuous book😊
Get your copy here - https://www.amazon.in/SITAS-KITCHEN-Raghav-Khanna/dp/9355201893
