Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country [Hardcover]

Having cooked extensively from Suvir Saran's two previous books, American Masala and Indian Home Cooking, I was anxious to get my hands on Masala Farm. While I think finding only one great recipe in a cookbook makes the purchase worthwhile, Suvir's cookbooks have become my most used books with dozens of go-to recipes. Suvir's palate is unique in that what pleases him seems to please most people. I'm a caterer and have added many of his dishes to my catering menu and they've been received with rave reviews. He has a unique way of adding Indian flavor to classic American dishes (don't miss the meatloaf in American Masala!)and he will definitely teach you a new way to think about spices and building flavor in dishes. I am especially enjoying the many photographs in Masala Farm and love the natural way the food is portrayed. You can tell by reading this book that the recipes are what Charlie and Suvir actually eat at the farm and serve to their guests. The Farm Tales at the beginning of each chapter are delightful to read and offer charming insight into small town farm living. Love the resources at the end of the book, too. I've made the fruit cobbler which is fantastic and so easy to make. Also loved the veal chops, omg. The recipe directions are concise while giving you enough information to get the promised results. Whether you just read cookbooks or actually use them, Masala Farm is one you must have!

Honestly, I rarely buy cookbooks, and even more rarely cook from them. This should tell you how much faith I have in these recipes and in the authors.When I first received the book, I merely looked through it, thinking about what to make first. I saw many things that piqued my interest, but did not get to really read through the book. Then, I took the book on the bus with me. Now imagine me, sitting ...on the #12 bus traveling through Westside Chicago. I am guessing most of the other riders weren't reading cookbooks on their way to their destination. This is what struck me. I was captivated by not just the recipes, or the pictures (all of which are fabulous). But no, it was more about the text, the subtle pictures, the tapestry-like pages that separated the seasons in the book. All of it was perfectly arranged, not by appetizer, entrée and dessert, but by seasons and information about local produce, along with true, honest pictures that did not look airbrushed or perfected to the last pixel. I read the text and I felt like I was there. Very few cookbooks can transform a bus ride in this way. So buy it for the stories, the prose, the warmth, and then, for the recipes.

I've been cooking from Suvir Saran's first two cookbooks, Indian Home Cooking and American Masala, for some time now, and when I found out that he was releasing another one, I waited anxiously, hoping it would have the same wonderfully user-friendly recipes that the first two did. I wasn't disappointed! Masala Farm carries on the traditions that make cooking from Suvir's books so delightful.

The recipes are a-MA-zing! Crispy-creamy potatoes (made with the lyrical sage, rosemary, and thyme!) that crunch and then are pillowy soft on the inside, roast chicken that is incredibly easy yet packed with moisture and masala flavor, a delicious crock-pot apple-cider recipe that will warm you through and through this winter, and biscuits that are melt-in-your-mouth crispy and so light, they'll change the way you think about biscuits. There's also a Banana-Caramel Pudding recipe that I'm dying to try!

The great thing about all of Suvir's recipes is that they are so do-able. I'm a normal person, with a normal kitchen. I don't have fancy equipment; I don't have access to exotic ingredients. And yet, with a couple of very affordable trips to the store, I stocked my spice rack and pantry with what I need to make most of the recipes in the book. All that's left is just an occasional trip to pick up a cut of meat or fish.

I don't have a culinary degree. I don't have "knife skills." I got a C in Home Ec 40 years ago. I didn't have a grandmother who taught me her secret way of making anything. But Suvir's directions don't assume that I do--he explains the "why" of what I'm doing, without condescension, without making me feel stupid. He comes alongside me to explain, instead of from above me, assuming I should know what I don't. He bridged the gap that existed between me and the food that I thought I could never have--that I thought was too difficult or too expensive to make.

But Masala Farm is more than a cookbook--it's also an honest and often humorous look at the transition from Manhattan to North Country. In "Goose Number 1,263," Suvir is transparent and brave enough to let us witness his change of heart from city-romance to country-reality in matters of life and death. And I laughed out loud at the "loss" of nine hundred dollars worth of birds in "Ebay for Eggs."

There are also inspiring accounts of a community that works together to educate, equip, and train their young people and entrepreneurs; of small businesses that make commitments to quality and the future; of programs that use resources in mindful and responsible ways.

Masala Farm is a captivating and enchanting book, chock-full of mouth-watering recipes, heart-warming stories, and eye-catching pictures. I'm delighted with it!

Ellen