Monsoon Diary: A Memoir with Recipes

How wonderful it was to read a biography during this unsettling time that didn't have the ...and then something terrible happend that made me the way I am.Shoba Narayan tells her interesitng life story about family and life in India with humor and grace. All those people, all those celebrations, and all that joy!. The cranky American diners certainly gave an interesting, and somewhat embarrassing balance to her experiences. I for one will be watching for further stories and books from this author.

This is a perfect book to relax with on a lazy weekend--preferably if you're in the mood to try a new dish! The recipes, spiked with the vibrant herbs and spices of India, are simply superb. Add to that a wonderful, warm story-telling style, and you have a winner. Buy it--you'll enjoy it.

Shoba Narayan's "Monsoon Diary" is about her memories of growing up in Madras, South India, before immigrating to this country, and, about South Indian food: "A Memoir with Recipes". She delivers on both counts. (You know the author is going to stick to her roots, a true writer from Madras, when she starts by thanking her neighbors: "Prabha-mami, Nagarajan-Mama, Sumathi-ka, Babu-anna, Vijaya-aunty, and Nithya-uncle").As memoir, it is for me, an immigrant from Madras, what "Midnight's Children" is for immigrants from Bombay: stories of growing up there, scenes of life in the city, and intimate portraits of family and friends. She transported me to familiar events and landmarks in Madras: Mardi Gras at IIT, Pondy Bazaar, Alsa Mall, WCC, Music Academy, Grand Sweets, Adyar Woodlands, Ambika Appalam Depot, Hotel Saravana Bhavan and yes, even Naidu Hall ("famous for its bras and "nighties," airy nightgowns made from the softest cotton").Narayan, a recipient of the M.F.K. Fisher award for distinguished writing, writes well about idli-sambar and rasam, but when she writes about the art of eating off a banana leaf at South Indian weddings, and riffs on the real soul of South Indian food (largely still unfamiliar to most foodies), she does for Madras what Calvin Trillin does for New York City -you want to go there right now and eat it all: puli-kaachal, vatral kuzhambu, agathi keerai, murunga kai keerai, sojji-bajji, bonda-burfi, thaiyru saadam, narthangai uruga, upma, venn-pongal, murukkus, and cheedai. But don't be intimidated by this list; according to the author's mother-in-law, only "Three things are dear to a South Indian's heart: Hot Coffee, good yogurt, and pickles."Narayan gives an engaging account of her new life in the USA, which takes her to college at Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts; then Delton, Michigan; Boston; Taos, New Mexico; Memphis, Tennessee; Connecticut; and New York City.Her book includes 21 recipes including some of the items mentioned above. Portions of this book first appeared, in part, as pieces published in "Gourmet," "House Beautiful," "Saveur," "The New York Times," and in "Beliefnet" on the web."Monsoon Diary" will fit in well on my shelf right next to my favorite memoir about Madras and writing: "My Days," by R.K. Narayan (no kin to the author).

A number of years ago, I read a wonderful article in the New York Times by Shoba Narayan about her arranged marriage. She gave remarkable insight into a world I knew little about. I was so pleased to hear about this memoir coming out, I reserved a copy before it was published. Shoba Narayan's memoir is a rich and tasty experience. Possessing a delightful and witty writing style, one truly gets a sense of Narayans free spirited nature struggling with centuries of tradition. It leaves one with a yearning to dine in Shoba's kitchen, listen to her stories and feel apart of her family and culture which she embraces with warmth and humor. Although I have not yet tried to make the recipes it seems almost as satisfying just reading them.

Reading Monsoon Diary is like having its author, Shoba Narayan, show up at your door with an Indian meal. I dare any reader to finish the book without trying at least one recipe. The stories surrounding the recipes are a delight. The writing so clear, so real, an orgy for the senses. And you will want a'maami' of your very own. Memoir writing at its best!