NEWS FROM WORLD: Great Price for $17.53

From Mom With Love . . .: A Complete Guide to Indian Cooking and Entertaining Review

I am one of those procrastinators who keep putting things off. Writing this review was one of them. Thanks to a couple of amusing reviews in the last few weeks and some a few months ago, I have gotten over my procrastination and here is mine.

First, my credentials:

I own both editions of Mrs. Bhargava's books. I have been interested in Indian food for a long time but have been occasionally turned off by the inconsistency and sometimes overly rich and spicy Indian food available in restaurants. I have cooked almost every recipe from Mrs. Bhargava's book (some of them many times) and am now confident enough to serve the dishes at some of my most important gatherings.

A lot of wonderful things have already been written by many people about the book. I agree with them and will not repeat them.

Here is why the book appeals to me:

- The warmth with which it is written really comes through
- The methods are simple and following them accurately will almost always lead to very tasty, wholesome and good looking dishes
- I can eat the food every day and feel good about it

Now my other purpose for writing the review:

One or two reviewers write that that the food is "too watery", some of the dishes are "dull" or the yogurt did not turn out as they had expected. One person has complained about the Hindi glossary in the front.

All I can suggest to these people is to follow the instructions to the tee - and based on my extensive personal experience, they will never have to worry about how the dishes turn out.

To the person who complained that the recipes are dull - well may be she/he should keep on going to the Indian restaurants.

And as for the Hindi glossary, honestly, I find it to be a big help when I am "showing off" my newly acquired expertise on Indian food to my friends.

There was one constructive suggestion - listing the ingredients in the order of use. Although, it has not been an issue for me since I measure and arrange the ingredients before I start cooking, I can see that a casual cook may find it slightly inconvenient. I hope Mrs. Bhargava will make this improvement in the next edition.

In the mean time, thanks, "Mom," for this wonderful book. Your "love" certainly comes through!

From Mom With Love . . .: A Complete Guide to Indian Cooking and Entertaining Overview

From Mom with Love . . . is perhaps the only cookbook that contains:

Recipes for everyday cooking such as dal, roti and chawal, in addition to fancy food such as Goan Shrimp Curry and Rajasthani Chicken

A complete list of spices, legumes, beans, and pots and pans you need to start cooking

A pantry list for beginners and another one for more committed and experienced cooks in a format that you can take right to the store with you

Ideas about foods you can cook and freeze ahead of time for when you need to produce a meal in a hurry or are too tired to cook

A complete list of menu combinations for different occasions, both special and everyday

Suggestions on how to deal with cooking crises such as a sauce that has become too watery

Tips for storing and preparing precooked masalas and efficient ways to freeze chutneys

Details on the pots and pans you need and serving suggestions including what the recipe goes best with

Safety tips such as how to quickly put out a minor fire on your stove

Guidelines for cleaning and odor removal

Home remedies for minor ailments such as cough and colds, upset stomachs

The most special and unique feature of this book is the TLC tips. These are little shortcuts and little secrets that will make your cooking easier, yet delicious. It is an invaluable gift to give to anyone who loves to cook or would like to try. Find more information at momsindiancooking.com. Containing 134 recipes, From Mom with Love . . . is designed with full-color mouthwatering pictures on almost every page. Ergonomically designed to open flat when lying on counter.

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Customer Reviews

just ok - Karim Biri - usa
I was very much looking forward to this book, but in the end I wasn`t impress the recipe are not really inspiring maybe even dull

Disappointing - Mel W - New York, NY
I bought this cookbook after seeing all the rave reviews here. I wanted another Indian cookbook to complement the one I have owned and loved for years (Curried Favors: Family Recipes from South India, by Maya Kaimal Macmillan). I have to say, I have been disappointed by every recipe I have made in this book so far. The recipes are far more complicated than the ones in Curried Favors and require hard-to-find ingredients; the instructions are vague; and the finished products are not nearly as delicious.

Here's an example: last night I made the Chicken Biryani, and two of the listed ingredients (red chili powder and salt) are never mentioned in the recipe itself, so you have no idea when to add them in. In addition, there is a step in which you are told to sauté the chicken "until it is soft" before baking it for 30 minutes. What does that even mean? Chicken becomes less soft as you cook it, not more so. I took a wild guess and sautéed it for 10 minutes, which clearly wasn't what I was supposed to do, because I had to bake it for a full hour before it was cooked through. And then it was just OK; my husband and I found it a little bland. The other recipes I have made have also been a disappointment. The chicken curry, for one, is incredibly watery -- the sauce was the consistency of chicken broth. Yuck.

I'm going to stick with Curried Favors, and recommend that others do the same. It's an amazing book.

Lovely - mona - usa
This book is full of homestyle recipes with relatively simple (for Indian cuisine) techniques and ingredient lists, which makes it a great resource for those who cook at least 2-3 dishes per day. It is also well adapted to the American kitchen and the ingredients available to American cooks.

According to my husband (who is Indian- I am American), the dishes are exactly like what his mother would serve. My in-laws were also very impressed with many of them; my FIL made sure my MIL had picked up his favorites before they went back to India.

I appreciate some of the small tips Ms. Barghava has provided, like the ones about deep-frying, and her suggestions about what to serve with what are also nice. The pictures of the food are very realistic, which is refreshing.

On the minus side, the out-of-order ingredient lists can be annoying, ESPECIALLY for beginners to Indian cooking, and especially when the ingredient list starts getting longer (like with matar keema). Also, the lack of an index is annoying, and is fact that the recipes in the TOC are not listed in English.

Full disclosure: I have not made the pre-made masala because I have my own recipes for the things she makes with it.

This is my go-to book for everyday simple yet tasty-tasty recipes. Love it!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 27, 2010 08:00:26

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