Tuesday, September 25, 2007

SHOW ME YOUR COOKBOOK.....

This is my entry for the fun event hosted by Nags of cookingandme


MY FAVORITE COOK BOOK
My love for cook- books is well known in my family, it’s not only love but an obsession with me, for me no visit to a book store is complete till I purchase something related to food. There is so much I would like to write about my love for cookbooks and how I enjoy visiting places only for being able to get a glimpse of some new cook book but, I think I will tell you just this for today…. Along with recipe books, I love to read memoirs with recipes too. but unfortunately there are a very few found in India. I have 3 great books which are such memoirs.

Now to my favorite book it’s called TRADITIONAL TASTE OF GOA by Ms Kumudini Usgaonkar and Ms Shama Sardesai. I will tell you why it’s my favorite, no 1 it’s a goan cook book and I am a goan, secondly the way I managed to get it was according to me an outstanding effort and also that it would be the first book on goan cooking that I would own..
This book is written by an author who resides in Goa; this is an English version of the original book in Konkani, SUWADIK. I happened to come across this book at a relatives house in Mumbai which was gifted to her by a friend in Goa, as soon as I saw this book I knew that I wanted to have it in my collection . I was scheduled to visit goa in a couple of month’s time and so the first priority on my visit would be to buy this book (I forgot to say that this book is not available in Mumbai).
I was to stay in goa only for about 5 days and that gave me very little time to search for the book and not being too familiar with the place especially where I could go for good books I was a bit confused as to where I could find it. Finally I visited about 3 book shops and was dejected that it was not in stock.
Finally my last respite was a dear cousin who is very helpful and I knew would see to it that I got the book before I left for Mumbai, one phone call and she was with me for my great treasure hunt, she made a call to the person known to her, who knew a relative of the author of the book whew!!!! The third person than contacted the author’s office to check if there was a copy left in the office. Now the telephones went back in the same way they were made and that there was a copy which I could get in an hours time, WOW!!! I was so thrilled that I hugged my cousin on the road.
My cousin took me to the place where I was supposed to meet the person who would get the book for me and so finally I got my copy…
Isn’t it an amazing story?? So do you blame me for making this my favorite book?

SOME OF MY OTHER FAVORITES

MEMOIRS WITH RECIPES

Along with recipe books, I love to read memoirs with recipes too. but unfortunately there are a very few found in India. I have 3 great books which are such memoirs.
I love Marathi books and magazines too and collect them with full enthusiasm as would the English ones. I have almost all the famous Marathi cookbooks like RUCHIRA, ANNAPOURNA and the latest PERFECT RECIPES but I must add that these are a very small part of the collection that I have. I haven’t counted my cookbooks or magazines (which I should do one day, before I lose track of how many I own) but I am sure that they will surely exceed the 300 mark.I have never ever followed a recipe as it is from any cookbook I do my own changes before I cook it. I love reading about food more than the recipes as that’s what makes me more knowledgeable about the food culture and food habits of other peopleI have subscribed to a quarterly magazine called UPPERCRUST which is superb and satisfies my thirst for knowing the other food cultures to the utmost.

16 comments:

Sharmi said...

you have a beautiful collection of books. I wish I were in India.

Ashwini said...

Mahekbai that book has been on my wish list for a long long time. You were lucky to get it. Last time I went to Goa I just had 2 days. Between shopping for masalas, kokum and cashews I couldn't find the time to hunt for the book. If you find the book on your next visit pleaaaaaaaase buy a copy for me!!!!

Dee said...

wow thats a cool collection out there!!

Srivalli said...

Very good collection you have there...

Cynthia said...

That is an amazing story and totally justifies why this is your favourite cookbook.

amna said...

the praws looks so yummy! thanks for sending this across :)

Linda said...

Hi Mahek! I see you've been busy again -- I've been away for a little but will come back to read more delicious rice rotis from you, and the cupcakes too! Thanks for sharing your favorite cookbooks :)

Timepass said...

Wow, what a collection of Cookbooks..great..

Finla said...

Yeah curries and Bugles i too have that book.
And that recipe with the shrimps ( i think it is shrimps from the pic) looks delicious, hope you make them once and post it.

Padma said...

Nice collection of cook books, I should get hold of the first one. Thanks for sharing Mahek!

PVP said...

wow...now i hv 2 buy that book whn i am at home in Goa.

Mahek said...

hi
Thanks for your response
sharmi,dee,srivalli,cynthia,nags,
linda ,pvp,timepass,happycook and padma .

Ashwini,
mee tuzyasathe pustak nakee aanin...

Anonymous said...

That is a great collection of books and what an nice story to go with your special book. I like to read the recipes in the books and imagine what they would be like, as well I like to think what changes I could make to it. I also like the recipe books that have a little story with the recipe. Your friend Jean

Veggie said...

I like to read food memoir books too. I loved "Climbing the Mango Trees", she described the food and culture so well and I enjoyed trying some of her family recipes.

I'll have to check out the other two as well.

so what do vegetarians eat anyway?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mahek, I too was searching for the Suvadik book.. Where can i buy it in goa ??

Anonymous said...

Mahek bai, found a link which has the book :)

http://www.otherindiabookstore.com/listBooks.jsp?catID=46