A celebration of food memories. A deeply personal journey. An attempt to preserve long-lost recipes. Books steeped in nostalgia that both educate and entertain.
Over the years, the cookbook has evolved into a food memoir. Going beyond the instructions to the history and origin of the food and cuisine. Not just limited to family recipes. Connecting with the reader on a personal level. Be it growing up in the lanes of the walled city of Delhi or the memories of the tiffin packed lovingly.
Are cookbooks dying? Absolutely not. Cookbooks have their own audience and some prefer a to-the-point approach to cooking. If you are looking for recipes along with a slice of history and a peek into the author’s connection with food, then food memoirs are for you.
Last month, as the first in the On the Spice Trail series, I shared a list of books that will change your perceptions of Indian food. Today I share some food memoirs by culinary writers, connoisseurs, and authors. Books that go beyond ingredients and techniques to the history of their beloved food.
Masala Memsahib: Recipes and Stories from My Culinary Adventures in India
by Karen Anand
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Celebrated food writer and author Karen Anand needs to introduction.
A guide through the flavors of India, Masala Memsahib can be considered a compilation of the gourmand’s experiences of almost three decades. The author takes us on a culinary journey across five Indian states – Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Exploring mouth-watering local cuisines, diverse eating practices, and fabulous culinary histories.
Peppered with photographs of kitchens and streets from her travels, the book includes 100+ home-style recipes. No butter chicken or black dal here.
Parsi Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family
by Anahita Dhondy
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Forbes Asia’s ’30 under 30′ and former chef-partner at SodaBottleOpenerWala, Anahita Dhondy has spent the last decade taking her culinary heritage to ambitious new heights.
The Parsi Kitchen is a peek into the everyday life in a Parsi household. A whimsical memoir that is as much about the author’s journey to embracing Parsi cuisine. From her grandmother’s Ravo to her own take on the Bombay duck inspired by Gujarati flavors, it is a delightful ode to food, flavors, and family.
Peppered with anecdotes and classic recipes handed down through the generations, the book is a must-read. Highly recommended!
Degh to Dastarkhwan: Qissas and Recipes from Rampur Cuisine
by Tarana Husain Khan
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What constitutes and distinguishes Rampur cuisine?
Tarana Husain Khan came across a treasure trove of cookbook manuscripts dating back to the 19th century at the Raza Library in Rampur. Some recipes were all but lost. Thus began a journey of culinary consciousness fuelled by the desire to Rampur back on the culinary map of India.
From the grand to the humble. From the qorma at weddings to the pulao at mournings. Part food memoir, part culinary history, Degh to Dastarkhwan celebrates the Rampuri food legacy with anecdotes and recipes. Be it the recollections of a princess to the spiritual ambiance of a Sufi shrine to stories of khansamas.
This book is a must-read.
TIFFIN
by Rukmini Srinivas
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An informal snack. A light meal. TIFFIN is TV chef and author Rukmini Srinivas’s effort to keep the homemade tiffin tradition alive.
A delightful memoir and cookbook, she shares her emotional and deeply personal bond with food. From Chitappa’s masala vadai and Appa’s vegetable cutlet to bondas on Marina Beach, Narayana’s bajji and Amma’s Mysore pak.
An interesting amalgamation of old-school cooking techniques with innovative twists, it is an ode to food, family, and friendship.
Jasmine and Jinns: Memories and Recipes of My Delhi
by Sadia Dehlvi
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An effort to preserve my “Dehli” that is fading away – Sadia Dehlvi
The author shares stories of her growing up in the city and her food memories. More than just a food memoir, Jasmine and Jinns is the socio-cultural history of the melting pot that is Delhi and its impact on food. The Mughal influence on the Kayastha cuisine to the Saudagaran community. From inside kitchens to the bustling bazaars of the walled city.
Don’t judge the book by its cover. It is a treasure trove of origin stories and recipes of classic dishes such as biryani, qorma, kofte, kebabs, and kheer. A beautiful tribute to Delhi food.
CRUMBS!
by Saee Koranne-Khandekar
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“From sheermal to ciabatta, bhakri to baguette – welcome to the magical world of bread-making!”
Can you imagine Indian food without its bread? Chappati, pav, paratha, akki roti, bhakri, porotta, sheermal, puri, thalipeeth, the list is endless.
Crumbs! demystifies the art of making bread. Be it the soft sandwich loaf or homemade Indian bread. It is as much the author’s own journey of baking, her visits to the Irani bakery Yazdani, a crash course in making Goa’s local Poee, and exploring the kitchens of the best paratha-makers.
If you enjoy bread, don’t miss this informative yet entertaining read.
Mrs LC’s Table: Stories about Kayasth Food and Culture
by Anoothi Vishal
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The Kayasth cuisine has been all about adaptability and inventiveness. From Mughal to colonial influence, it can be considered India’s first ‘fusion’ cuisine. A true blue example of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.
Named after her grandmother, Mrs LC, Anoothi Vishal takes us on a journey of Kayasth culture and food, sharing her grandmother’s recipes. Yakhni pulao to kofte and kebabs for the men. Faux meat for the women who were devoutly vegetarian – jackfruit biryani to yam cutlets that look like fish to aate ka keema.
Although limited to just 20 recipes, the author’s effort to revive the cuisine is an engaging read.
Hope you enjoyed a journey into the world of food and lost recipes by food connoisseurs and writers. I will be sharing more food memoir recommendations soon. As always, I would love to check out your recommendations too. Do share in the comments below.
Incredible Indian Food Memoirs – Memories, Traditions, and Some Lost Recipes #FoodWriting #BookishLeague Share on X
This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
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October 2, 2023 @ 12:21 pm
Wow! I don’t really enjoy reading nonfiction and never read any such book (that’s entirely based on food). Except for a Kavita Devgan’s book on health and nutrition. But I like it when there’s a nice food description. Degh to Dastarkhwan: Qissas and Recipes from Rampur Cuisine by Tarana Husain Khan sounds good to me.
October 2, 2023 @ 1:32 pm
What a well-curated list. Thanks for sharing this, Ritu
October 4, 2023 @ 8:09 pm
Ritu, this is such a wonderfully curated listicle of books that talk about the delicious world of food and lost recipes by food connoisseurs and writers. I have myself been a fan of Sadia Dehlvi’s writings and the other authors are no less celebrated in the realm of food, making a note of all these books.
October 23, 2023 @ 10:57 am
Anything related to food I love reading.. call me a foodie or as I say, I live to eat and not eat to live. I do like to explore different traditional recipes and love it when someone comes up with an age old recipes that were in brink of extinction.
October 5, 2023 @ 8:45 pm
Ritu, you know how fond I am of memoirs and biographies. Food memoirs hold a special place in my heart because I feel amazed at the storytelling abilities of the authors seeing how they weave stories out of foods and recipes. Also, sometimes we get to know about some lost recipes that should be preserved to pass on the heritage and legacy. Thanks for writing your feedback about these great food memoirs, I am bookmarking some of them to add to my TBR list right away. Thank you for brainstorming, organizing, and hosting this wonderful Bookish League blog hop and giving us a chance to engage with bookish content from fellow bloggers.
October 7, 2023 @ 8:01 am
O My God what an amazing compilation! I didn’t even know Rampur cuisine was a thing. The only way I would read a food book is like this – where recipes are interspersed with memories.
October 7, 2023 @ 10:08 am
Most of the Delhi-based chefs I have met such as Anahita and Anoothi and Osama, whose mother wrote about Rampur cuisine. But I haven’t read the books, so The Parsi Kitchen and Tiffin sound something different. These two I would like to read for sure.
October 7, 2023 @ 12:02 pm
Ritu, your bookish listicles always leave me in awe. This is such a fantastic list, and there are so many I would love to read.
October 7, 2023 @ 5:14 pm
Wow that’s a lot of books on food. I know I won’t read any of the books listed above but would gladly gift one to someone who would prepare those dishes for me. My favourite being CRUMBS!
October 7, 2023 @ 6:17 pm
Oh gosh. I’ve curated lists perhaps maybe twice as part of a bookish tag and it involved so much hard work that I seriously have so much respect for anyone that can curate lists and yours is so extensive and inclusive! Almost all the covers have such delicious food pictures on them! Thank you for the links and including the blurbs for each Ritu!
October 8, 2023 @ 7:38 am
I’m just reminded about how much more there is to know and learn every day! I guess the only books on food( not really, though) I’ve read are the ones written by dieticians. I’ve read Pooja Makhija’s book, and several books by Rujuta Diwekar, Kavita Devgn, etc, I also own a copy of Radha Thomas’s ‘The Cauliflower Diet’. My mother has a good collection of recipe books, such as those by Mallika Badrinath, Tarla Dalal, Time-Life books, Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipes, some food recipe cards, etc. I don’t cook much, but I sure do enjoy eating 🙂
October 8, 2023 @ 9:46 am
I always say that we can find many stories in kitchens. Food is more than just food, it is culture, anecdotes, politics and more. But having said that I am yet to read a food memoir. Thanks for sharing this list, Ritu.
October 8, 2023 @ 7:59 pm
Food and recipes holds a special place in my heart and that is not unknown to you. But here I will say that with time my interest towards cooking and exploring the history of different recipes increased. More kick to know about Indian food history I got after watching the Bengali movie Rasogolla based on the real-life story of the inventor of Bengal’s own ‘Rosogolla’. The story is based on the life and work of Nobin Chandra Das and his struggle behind discovering this sweet which is now world famous. When it comes to reading food memoir of Indian chefs about Indian food I read not a single and I regret it now. Honestly I was not aware of these books you mentioned. My heartfelt thanks for recommending these books and very soon you will find at least a few you mentioned in my book shelf.
October 9, 2023 @ 2:27 pm
It’s quite ironic that I missed this particular post in the series, especially considering the fact that I was coming here every day of the week.
Candidly, I never consult cook books, never did even when I was cooking my own food as a bachelor for ten years. I wasn’t much of a cook in the first place. Then I never liked to enter the kitchen, but circumstances forced me to. Just followed the routine day after day and ate from outside when i was bored of my own recipes.
Now I’m delighted to see these books if only because they remind me of the variety of foods I enjoyed while I was in Delhi.
October 10, 2023 @ 10:47 am
I’ve actually not gone through any cookbooks of late but this seems to be an excellent list!
October 10, 2023 @ 4:48 pm
Wow Ritu!I’ve never read a book on food. No particular reason, though. But I think I’m going to pick up one from your list and savor the taste. Thank you for this!!
October 12, 2023 @ 5:54 pm
Honestly, I would never pick a food memoir even though I am a big foodie! Perhaps that needs to change now. Anahita went to school with me, so I think I should start there. Great recommendations as always!
October 12, 2023 @ 6:17 pm
I am salivating already! Pretty sure I am going to buy most of these (if not all) and do experiments in the kitchen (and hopefully the dishes turn out as well as they would if your or my mother cooked them :P)
October 12, 2023 @ 10:37 pm
Wow! This is a beautiful compilation of cookbooks. There was a time when I used to hoard them like crazy but yes, I do not have any from this list. Bookmarking them all. 🙂
Also, Mrs LC’s Table is named after your grandmother? Wow! That is just incredible. Your mom has some crazy recipes in her possession too. Tell me you’ve got the same gene! 🙂
October 13, 2023 @ 3:28 am
I would definitely check out Tarana Hussain Khan ‘s book because it reminds me of the delicious recipes. This is a very tempting and making me go hungry post.
October 13, 2023 @ 4:18 am
Since I have started blogging a bit on food and its connection to our dinner-time conversations. Being in a family of foodies, book readers, and storytellers it totally makes sense to pick up books on food memoirs. Seeing how you are obsessed with books, I will start with your recommendations. Many Thanks!!
October 14, 2023 @ 5:33 pm
Oh these are such helpful book suggestions. Especially the Parsi diet. I have never tried a Parsi cuisine yet. Will check out this book. I trust your book recommendations and hence putting all the cook books to my TBR
October 18, 2023 @ 12:44 am
Wow, this sounds like a fascinating read! Honestly, I was not aware of these books you mentioned, but your description truly piqued my interest. The idea of connecting with readers on a personal level and delving into the history and nostalgia behind the recipes is really appealing.
It’s great to know that cookbooks are still alive and well, and food memoirs seem like a fantastic way to explore not only the flavors but also the stories behind Indian cuisine. I’m especially intrigued by “Masala Memsahib” and its culinary journey across different Indian states. The inclusion of home-style recipes is a bonus, and I can’t wait to gift one or two of these books to my sister as she loves to cook. Thanks for the recommendation!
October 19, 2023 @ 2:04 pm
What a fantastic compilation of books that delve into the rich tapestry of food and its forgotten recipes. I’m making a list to explore these culinary gems!
October 20, 2023 @ 8:42 am
I still love cookbooks. I have not many but yes, love to collect and learn to prepare. Your list is impressive. I didn’t know they are lots of books related to food with story. I would like to check Crumbs by Saee for the list of breads , Indian breads. Thank you Ritu.
October 20, 2023 @ 3:25 pm
A beautiful list of cook books. Such cook books truly keep our Indian tastes back from the olden days still alive.
October 20, 2023 @ 6:26 pm
Amazing read! These recipe books are one of a kind and must have been a “must have” on every kitchen in India. These kind of recipes are those that are passed on to generation after generation.
October 21, 2023 @ 4:06 pm
And you’ve read all these books too Ritu?😲
Damn, I dont even know these chefs/authors except for a couple and Anahita as she had made an appearance in the last season of Master chef India. Btw, i watch the show religiously 😛.
I guess I m more of the food eating than reading types but the books do look interesting. It wouod actually be wonderful to take a peek into the lives n kitchens of such a diverse group of people… cuz that’s where most stories cook along with the food.
October 21, 2023 @ 7:06 pm
All the books sound interesting. I am going to obviously going to start with the Rampur one. The breads one is interesting also but I have proxy read it thanks to you.
October 21, 2023 @ 10:24 pm
This is a great collection of books on food memories. I wish I participated in the bookish league bloghop.
October 22, 2023 @ 5:28 pm
What an interesting list, Ritu. My food memories got ignited. I have so many of my mom’s. These books are priceless.
October 25, 2023 @ 2:11 am
I like the list and now I have the urge to get them because these books on food look good.
October 27, 2023 @ 6:58 am
Today you have touched a genre which I absolutely adore but don’t have any collection of! I have always been a big fan of food based books ..be it cookbooks or food memoir. I am still waiting for the day when any chef/cookbook author will gift me one.