A Golden Jubilee Offering
S. Anukriti
SECRETS FROM THE KITCHEN: FIFTY YEARS OF CULINARY EXPERIENCE AT THE INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE by Bhicoo Manekshaw Hachette , Niyogi Books, New Delhi, India, 2014, 264 pp., 995
May 2014, volume 38, No 5

If I lived in India, Delhi would be my city of choice. During frequent bouts of daydreaming, I often fantasize about how I would spend my days there. Of course, as required of any half-decent fantasy, I ignore the heat and the dust, and instead focus on the bright side. I picture myself picnicking—on balmy winter afternoons—in Lodhi Gardens, shopping in Dilli Haat, and eating in Gali Paranthe Wali. I imagine visits to theaters, galleries, libraries, museums, and coffeehouses. These days I also pretend to be a lifetime member of the India International Center (IIC). Not an easy feat, in case you were wondering. The inspiration behind this addition to my fictional life’s résumé is no doubt Secrets from the Kitchen—the Golden Jubilee cookbook that brings out fifty years of recipes and stories from one of Delhi’s favourite institutions.

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