Introduction

I WAS BORN IN A SMALL TOWN CALLED AMBALA, which is in the state of Haryana, in North India. I spent most of my childhood in Delhi, but my father’s job took him from city to city, so we moved a lot. My mother has family in Meerut, in Uttar Pradesh, and my paternal aunt lives in Kolkata, and I traveled around India visiting them when I was young. Wherever my parents set up house, my mother exchanged food and recipes with neighbors from other states and regions, and those dishes made their way onto our table. Eventually I married Alyona, who is a Kutchi from the western Indian state of Gujarat. Her sister is a chef and her mother is a very inspirational cook. These accomplished women have greatly influenced my own way of cooking.