Introduction

We were Lucky enough to grow up in a family environment in which good food was important. Our grandmother, who presided over the preparation of family meals in our home, was an awe-inspiring cook. Epitomizing the richly varied Indo-Iraqi tradition of our heritage, everything she cooked seemed of another time, another place. She would often start preparing food days ahead of the meal for which it was intended, working from early in the morning to late in the day, cooking everything with infinite care.