" A VEGETARIAN IN PARIS" - A BOOK REVIEW

1      A VEGETARIAN IN PARIS: RASHMI UDAY SINGH: TIMES GROUP BOOKS : PAGES 280: PRICE: RS 315/- 

      

      The author is a famous food critic and a connoisseur of good food and a vegetarian. The book is unique in the sense that the author goes literally on a hunt to find restaurants in Paris that serve the best vegetarian food and chronicle them. One would have thought that this city of Parisians who love their non-vegetarian fare would have no room for vegetarian-food loving folks. Surprisingly, the author while doing this major project ate at nearly 1000 restaurants serving vegetarian food. For the sake of brevity, she shortlists them to about 300. The coup de grace is her ability to rope in famous chefs like Guy Savvoy, Alain Ducase and Allain Prassaard to dish out their favourite vegetarian recipes. An excellent book for the vegetarian tourist, Rashmi Uday Singh rates these restaurants on a sliding scale considering the quality and taste of the food, ambience and service. She has selected a range of restaurants from the cheap, affordable and pricey to cater to a whole cross-section of customers. The book traces the historical origins of some of the eateries and the rich and famous who dined in these restaurants. A useful guide for vegetarians.

" OF BIRDS AND BIRDSONG" - A BOOK REVIEW

        OF BIRDS AND BIRDSONG : M KRISHNAN : ALEPH : PAGES 382 : PRICE: RS 595/- : 

      Whether you have bird knowledge or whether you are bird ignorant like many, this is a book that you should not miss. The book is actually a compilation of late Krishnan’s fortnightly column in "The Statesman" for 46 uninterrupted years done painstakingly by Shanti and Ashish Chandola. Many of us who enjoy watching birds, their movements and hear their beautiful “calls” will find the book a goldmine of information on these wonderful creatures. We have about 1200 bird varieties in different environments and we also look forward every year to our guest birds during season with bated breath. They arrive in hordes with stunning precision. Krishnan, whose deep knowledge of birds is awesome, gives the readers details of their plumage, beaks, legs, wings and other features of birds besides their social behavior, food, breeding and rearing habits. Unfortunately, due to our unceasing concretization of cities, many birds have become rare. Sparrows and vultures have almost disappeared from the city scene. There are birds that sing. Like shama, drongos, bush-chats etc. One can go ecstatic listening to them. Krishnan, the ornithologist, is best when he describes the aesthetic qualities of birds. Written with knowledge and passion over a long period of four decades, the contributions are a virtual delight to read. Let us all buy a copy of the book, read it slowly and absorb the stunning birds in our minds alongwith the aroma over a cup of fine tea and savour the world of birds with Krishnan.

" THE BEAUTY DIET" - A BOOK REVIEW

1     THE BEAUTY DIET: EAT YOUR WAY TO A FAB NEW YOU: SHONALI SABHERWAL : RANDOM HOUSE INDIA: PAGES 318: RS 350/- : 

      

      If you are looking for eating healthy and energetic food, you may be reading the right book. Celebrity dietician Shonali Sabherwal who has a long client list of Bollywood superstars offers an easy to follow guide to the old and young alike. It is a how- to-do list to look younger and fabulous. Starting from a detox diet to cleansing the stomach, the author gives many suggestions on how to make your skin glow, hair shiny and teeth healthy including how to cut the fat around your waist and look younger and happier with the right food. The book has diet charts, recipes and real life stories which inspire and motivate you to take a new look. Through this book, Shonali Sabherwal teaches you how to understand food and its energies. She believes that beauty lies in nature. An exponent of Macrobiotics, she tells you how foods influence your feelings and what to put on your plate to flip your mood. Macrobiotic food is just not fruits and nuts. It includes whole grains and veggies too. Shonali Sabherwal introduces you to a lifestyle that is likely to leave you with greater energy without missing out the taste. She examines how human life can be prolonged and perfected by the healing power of right foods and right cooking styles.

"7 SECRETS OF VISHNU" - A BOOK REVIEW

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      7 SECRETS OF VISHNU : DEVDUTT PATTANAIK: WESTLAND LIMITED: PAGES 219 : RS 250/- 

      One amongst the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, Vishnu’s role is that of preserving the universe created by Brahma. Mythology writer Pattanayak is an expert in navigating through the complex web of Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu religion and presenting a deeply soul-satisfying picture to the common man of their respective roles. During the Vedic period, ritualism and philosophy represented by the Vedas and Upanishads remained exclusive to the Brahmins while the common man had no moors to hold on. Buddhism entered at this stage and overtook Hinduism with its simplicity sans rituals and addressed the common man’s problems in an appealing manner. However, it tended towards monasticism which resulted in a gradual loss of interest in this religion among the common folks. Back came Hinduism with its rationalization of the roles of Grihastha and Sanyasa- householder and ascetic through Puranas (stories) which became very popular with the masses. Wisdom belonging to a select few spread rapidly through story-telling of the Puranas, firing the imagination of the people. Anointed with rituals and symbols, these stories of Vishnu and Siva touched a chord in the common man. The book has seven chapters, each devoted to one of Vishnu’s incarnation. Starting from Mohini, the author moves on through each chapter to Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Trivikrama (dwarf), Rama, Krishna and yet to appear Kalki. The war between Devas and Asuras, the symbolism around Sarawati and Lakshmi and stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata have been narrated very well and they are interspersed with pictures of murals, sculptures and paintings, beautiful handicraft and poster-art images from different parts of India. Pattanayak’s brilliant story-telling makes the Puranas easier to understand to the modern generation.

BOOK REVIEW OF "TEMPLE FOOD OF INDIA"

1)      BHOG : TEMPLE FOOD OF INDIA : ARUN AND GEETA BUDDHIRAJA : KRISHNAPREMA CHARITABLE TRUST: PAGES : 205 : PRICE RS 3900/- 

      Both the authors are avowed Krishnabhaktas and have visited many Krishna temples as part of their pilgrimages. From Vaishnodevi to Guruvayur and from Somnath to Puri Jagannath temple, the couple has travelled and painstakingly and meticulously picked up the recipes of the food that has initially been offered to the Gods. These offerings are called Bhog Prasad. Temples offered to the Gods food prepared from seasonal ingredients grown in Temple land and cooked with minimum spices. There are exceptions though. For example, in Imphal’s Govind Devji’s temple, Lord Krishna has his food sprinkled liberally with chillies. And the rice dish has a sweet and sour taste about it. The book explores the connection between food and culture and brings to the benefit of the reader India’s heritage temple cuisine. Different foods have to be absorbed by the Gods at different times. Based on the year’s six seasons and the eight units of kala which the temples generally follow for the offerings to the Gods, the recipes are a wondrous delight and a treasure trove for the reader. Be it Mirchi ka saag, Tenti ka aachaar, Radha ashtami arbi (Radha had a weakness for arbi) and kadhi, they are all mouth-watering stuff blessed by the Gods and a divine delight for the devotees to savour them. More than a recipe book, the book is about Indian culture. The icing on the cake is that the offerings are made out of Bhaav and not necessarily great culinary expertise. The authors praise the temple cooks for their devotion and for being custodians of a living culture. Arun and Geeta Buddhiraja have done an excellent job of bringing the ‘kitchen religion’ back to our dining tables. I found ‘kamrak ka bilsaru’ particularly fascinating. It is known as a star fruit and it has a tarty flavor. It has a high content of Vitamin C. Channa Poda, Pokaro and Phoolon ki thandai were some other dishes/drinks that aroused my interest.