Peek into bookshelves of chefs
The East Indian Cookery Book, an anthology of recipes from one of the city’s most prominent communities, the East Indians. The rare, out-of-print book is special to Gresham Fernandes, chef partner at Bandra Born, who belongs to this community, because it holds recipes for fugyas, a wedding pickle made with toddy vinegar and vindaloo, which have influenced his repertoire. Fernandes is an avid reader with an impressive collection of 800 books, ranging from food writing to culinary culture.
Like him, chef Niyati Rao of the restaurant Ekaa and the newly opened bar Bombay Daak is a bookworm with over 550 books. She geeks out on books about ingredients. Gayatri Desai of Pune’s Ground Up restaurant is curious about the sources of different cuisines.
Her collection spans China, Japan and Mexico. Every bookshelf reflects a chef’s identity, their diverse interests, from wines to manga, and their ever evolving tastes. The books are reference material as well as for reading pleasure.
Rao is loyal to Christine Ingram’s Cooking Ingredients, an illustrated book on ingredients from all corners of the world with details of provenance and instructions for use. Rao’s new bar Bombay Daak champions regional chakna (bar snacks) and drinks. As part of her research, she read The Indian Spirit: The Untold Story of Drinking in India by Magandeep Singh, which dives into the history of alcohol in India complete with tasting notes of local brews.
Auroni Mookerjee, culinary director at Delhi’s Bright Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, often flips through books by old-school cookbook authors Mary Berry and Julia Child. With recipes for pies and puddings, the food is all about comfort.
Read more on livemint.com
