Family-inspired . . .
I come from a family of cooks and chefs, who believe that good food becomes a foundation for a good family. My grandfather was a chef and restaurateur in the early 1950's and 1960's, in India. He cooked for industrialists, doctors and the likes, and traveled with his skills to UK and Africa before settling back home with a small business: a cookie shop in Thane, India (just outside Bombay), in the late 1970's. Prophetically, it may seem, my grandfather may have known that I would end up in the food business, because, named his little store after me! It still exists under the same name, although under different ownership. My mother went on to successfully manage her own businesses and a B&B.
My culinary apprenticeship began under my mother, in the late 1980's, as her helper as a teen. Under her guidance, I learned that food is a lot more than that. I now appreciate the art of both cooking & consumption; how each plays a role in exemplifying the importance of the next step. Food is not just sustenance or survival. Food makes the body and the soul.
And, then I met my husband, who LOVES to eat, cook and, oh - yes, critique! This partnership over 17 years and counting, has allowed us to continuously engage in culinary adventures, unlike any other. He is my worst critic and strongest supporter.
Over the years, all my family and friends who incidentally love to eat good food, have cumulatively taken on the roles of being my best and sometimes worst, critics. Now, having cooked for myself and them all for well over 25 years, I fully cherish the nuances of their input.
The Cuisine
My family is filled with rich national and international traditions. Our global family includes representatives from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu; and by choice of migration - the appreciation of cuisines from Northern India, Middle East, Israel, Eastern Europe, Eastern Asia and finally, North America!
Curry Cravings™ culinary breadth includes many regions of India and reflects the country's dynamic melange of culture-and-geography. In-house favorites include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations from these regions to include entrees, rice preparations and desserts.
I remain partial to traditional dishes, but am never afraid to kick-it-up a notch by giving it my own twist for ease and flavor, so that I can enjoy my creations faster and easier. After all, that is how great memories begin!