"Bong Mom's Cookbook" by Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta, presently settled with her family in New Jersey,USA . First of all I want to share my feeling about this book...Its really made me proud after reading this book . So I am very grateful to indiblogger to give me certain opportunity to have this book . Seems its a long time whether I am sharing some features about a successful Bengali cook plus editor of a cooking blog with the name of www.bongcookbook.com.
Being a reader after go through all over the book ,here is a magic will take place for everyone. The magic is that readers can relate their childhood memories too, specially the Bengalis.
After entertaining for 6 yrs successful blogging over Bengali cuisines this is the perfect time to do for them who are not able to read her e-recipes at all.Hats of to you. You cannot feel boar when you are reading this book as they are very well organised in traditional Bengali cuisines with the back to back story of the particular recipe from her kitchen which are very common in any Bengali house- since we learn cooking basically from our dearest mother , grandmother(mother's mother) , grandma(father's mother) or close relatives Being a Bengali here author of this book is not an exception too. She described all the sweet and moral valued memories related to particular recipe,which are assets and immortal for her life. Nobody can ignore it.
Contents of the book is just an art i can say. From the content itself you will get an overall idea about Bengali culture about foods.Look at the contents summary :
Being a reader after go through all over the book ,here is a magic will take place for everyone. The magic is that readers can relate their childhood memories too, specially the Bengalis.
Contents of the book is just an art i can say. From the content itself you will get an overall idea about Bengali culture about foods.Look at the contents summary :
- Introduction : Here you will get some knowledge about what is bong? and What do bongs eat? These are exclusive i can say.
- The Great Bong Breakfast : Yes ultimately Bengali does not have breakfast. They eat a complete meal. (but to all Bengalis- Plz have breakfast dearies . Its healthy ).
- The Long Lost Lunch : It consists the information about A to Z preparation of Bengali meal which basically starts with something bitter and ends with sweet.(are you astonished? reason behind of this bitter enhances the taste).
- Not a Dull Day : Here dull represents the word "lentils". Bengalis cannot think a day without any Dal at all. I think Bengalis are such kind of people who are consuming most of the lentils categories .It might be in simple way,still.
- By God !Bongs Also Eat Vggies ! : Yes its very true that Bong eat vegetables too. And it is interesting to hear that they eat all kind of vegetables in different different ways. Sometimes they like to eat peels of the specific vegetables(like Pointed Gourd peels,Bottle gourd peels,Plantain peels, trust they are very tasty and healthy too).
- Fishy Fishy Bong Bong : Oh dear its not rhyme. Its a signature about Bengalis. They love to eat Fishes.Their favorite fishes are Rohu,Katla,Hilsha,Pabda,Shrimp,Tangra and many more if I tell about all of them,then I have to write one glossary about Bengalis fish collections.
....
It has many more to share about the contents.
But now She deserves a Big Thanks for the selection of recipes. Here She shared almost Popular and Traditional Bengali recipes from ancient Bengal kitchens. Great Job!
Some Traditional Collections from her Book :
- Shukto : A bitter vegetable medley.
- Bengali Musuir Dal : The red masoor dal.
- Aloor Dum : Baby potatoes in spicy gravy.
- Dhokar Dalna : Spiced lentils cakes in gravy.
- Shorshe Ilish Bhape : Hisha steamed in mustard sauce
- Macher Kalia : Fish Kaalia
- Narkel Nadu : A Bengal delicacy coconut laddoos.
- and many more...
In this book She tried to give some tricks for all lovely cooks who wants to learn Bengali cuisines, like : Luchi making guide ,Garam Masala tale,Mustard tale, Chutney tale, Cumin-Coriander tales etc.
At the end of the book a "Spiced Translation" Guide will help you to become more perfect for choosing the right ingredients for right recipe.
Through a heart core Acknowledgements she finalize her book. For this I appreciate from my side.
Over all its a nice and elaborate cookbook I had ever seen. But two things which I missed in this book i.e.
- Lack of images with the related recipes,as we believe image of foods make hungry everybody. and
- When describing about someone in colloquial language,it is little fussy to understand for Non-Bengalis, like in Bengali "Kakima" means Aunty but other than Bengali who knows that one?
Now have a look over some measurements of this book -
Title Of the Book : Bong Mom's Cookbook.
Author Of the Book : Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta.
Publishers of the Book : Harper Collins Publishers.
No. of Pages : 278.
Price of the Book : Rs.350/-
My Rating : 7/10
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