Review by Booklist Review
Chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Khan (Asma's Indian Kitchen, 2018) takes readers on a walk down memory lane as she presents her family life, the foods her mother made for her, and the food she enjoys cooking as a mother herself. (Fans may recognize the author from her episode of the documentary series Chef's Table.) Complete with family snapshots, this nostalgic celebration of Khan's upbringing is also a display of India during the 1970s and '80s and all the cultural influences reflected in Khan's recipes. The recipes--which are easy to follow and mostly accompanied by tempting photography--include mouthwatering dishes such as aloo bonde (potato balls), kaddu nariyal shorba (pumpkin-coconut soup), dosti roti (thin flatbread), and mini lamb koftas with mint-yogurt dip. Showing readers the connection between food and love, this book is highly recommended for families that cook together and beginner chefs seeking to recreate their own joys of enjoying food with family.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chef and restaurateur Khan (Asma's Indian Kitchen), owner of London's Darjeeling Express, gives a sumptuous salute to her Indian heritage with recipes and stories "that made and root me to home." In a chapter on her childhood in Kolkata, gingery murgh seekh chicken prompts memories of the kababs Khan's family cooked ("sparks flying out as the ghee dripped down into the charcoal") in the driveway of their home. Recounting her move to the U.K. for college--where she learned to cook "the way you remember the lyrics of a song"--Khan shares nostalgic family favorites her mother taught her, like a spicy masala fish fry, and monsoon season "rainy-day dishes" including eggplant fritters and a no-fail hara korma (lamb shanks in yogurt and gravy). For crowd-pleasing celebrations, complexly layered and unhurried biryani--her mother's signature dish--became Khan's standby. Now a busy mother herself, Khan shares the quick go-to recipes--often "a fusion of western ingredients and Indian spices"--she makes for her boys in London, like keema puffs full of savory meat or veggies, and buttermilk chicken pakoras ("a halfway house between a chicken nugget and a spicy pakora"). Khan's menus, technical guidance, and soulful stories make this outing a pleasure every step of the way. The result is a delectable homage to a rich culture and its food. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Paying homage to Khan's Calcutta childhood, this cookbook takes readers on the personal food journey of the chef and restaurateur known for her London restaurant Darjeeling Express and her profile on the documentary series Chef's Table. The muted design and photography will make readers feel as if they are paging through a scrapbook of recipes and reminiscences, as Khan reflects on food and family. The cookbook includes a diverse collection of vegetarian, meat, and seafood recipes that include a variety of preparations, from curries to grills. Sprinkled among the broader Indian recipes are Bengali specialties, often with twists (like Khan's coconut ladoo). The book's unique organization, based on life events, adds charm, but readers will need to use the index to find specific recipes. Khan's enchanting memories and stories make her tasty recipes come to life. VERDICT Fans of Khan will enjoy this glimpse at her culinary inspiration and will feel the loving embrace that food symbolized during her childhood. The cookbook also serves as a great introduction to Indian cuisine and to Khan, as to cook from this book is to know her.--Sarah Tansley
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