Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Vibrant India by Chitra Agrawal



Lifelong vegetarian and chef Chitra Agrawal takes you on an epicurean journey to her mother’s hometown of Bangalore and back to Brooklyn, where she adapts her family’s South Indian recipes for home cooks. This particular style of Indian home cooking, often called the “yoga diet,” is light and fresh, yet satisfying and rich in bold and complex flavors. Grains, legumes, fresh produce, coconut, and yogurt—along with herbs, citrus, chiles, and spices—form the cornerstone of this delectable cuisine, rooted in vegetarian customs and honed over centuries for optimum taste and nutrition.  
 
From the classic savory crepe dosa, filled with lemony turmeric potatoes and cilantro coconut chutney, to new creations like coconut polenta topped with spring vegetables 'upma" and homemade yogurt, the recipes in Vibrant India are simple to prepare and a true celebration of color and flavor on a plate. Chitra weaves together the historical context behind the region’s cuisine and how she brought some of these age-old traditions to life thousands of miles away in Brooklyn during the city’s exciting food renaissance. 

Relying on her experience as a culinary instructor, Chitra introduces the essential Indian cooking techniques, tips, and ingredients you’ll need to prepare a full range of recipes from quick vegetable stir frys (corn, basil, and leeks flavored with butter, cumin, and black pepper), salads (citrus red cabbage and fennel slaw with black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chile), yogurt raitas (shredded beets and coconut in yogurt), and chutneys and pickles (preserved Meyer lemon in chile brine) to hearty stews (aromatic black eyed peas, lentils, and greens), coconut curries (summer squash in an herby coconut yogurt sauce), and fragrant rice dishes (lime dill rice with pistachios). Rounding out the book is an array of addictive snacks (popcorn topped with curry leaf butter), creative desserts (banana, coconut, and cardamom ice cream), and refreshing drinks (chile watermelon juice with mint). Chitra provides numerous substitutions to accommodate produce seasonality, ingredient availability, and personal tastes. The majority of recipes are gluten-free and vegan or can be easily modified to adhere to those dietary restrictions. 

Vibrant India is a fascinating cookbook, filled with gorgeous photos and awesome recipes. My mother has always loved to cook Indian foods, particularly vegetarian Indian dishes, so many of these recipes were not only familiar but also brought back great memories. There were also many intriguing recipes that I had not tried before, and I enjoyed looking through and choosing new recipes to make. The book is separated into sections: Soups, Snacks, Sweets/Drinks, Chutneys, and From Scratch (making different powders as well as Ghee). There are also sample menus and advice on how to plan meals, where to buy ingredients, and sample grocery lists. I found this cookbook to be easy to follow and even fun to read. I enjoyed Chitra's take on different recipes, and I look forward to trying more of them in the future!

I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.  

Monday, March 12, 2018

Keturah by Lisa T Bergren



In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father's estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.
Although it flies against all conventions, they're determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined-and that's just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.
Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.
To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?
Keturah is the first novel in Lisa T. Bergren's new series, the Sugar Baron's Daughters. This series follows the lives of these sisters as they inherit property in the West Indies and move there to take over the management of their inheritance. This first novel is about Keturah Tomlinson, and it is filled with romance, suspense, and intrigue. The plot line is well written and easy to follow, and it pulls the reader in with descriptions of the settings and characters. I found the storyline to be enjoyable and reminded me why I love reading Lisa T. Bergren's historical novels. The characters in this novel were fairly well developed, and I look forward to getting a deeper glimpse into the sisters' personalities as the series continues to unfold. I thought Keturah had a good mix of strengths and weaknesses, and it was interesting to watch her make decisions and to figure out what was best for her life. 
Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to the next addition to the series. I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review. 
About the Author:
Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She's the author of the Christy Award-winning "Waterfall," RITA®-finalist "Firestorm," bestselling "God Gave Us You," and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She's also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.
Find out more about Lisa at http://lisatawnbergren.com.