Rinku Bhattacharya combines her two great loves―Indian cooking and sustainable living―to give readers a simple, accessible way to cook seasonally, locally, and flavorfully. Inspired by the bounty of local produce, mostly from her own backyard, Rinku created these recipes for busy, time-strapped home cooks who want to blend Indian flavors into nutritious family meals. Arranged in chapters from appetizers through desserts, Spices & Seasons includes everything from small bites, soups, seafood, meat and poultry, and vegetables, to condiments, breads, and sweets. Included are more than 150 creative recipes with plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options; detailed sections on spices, ingredients, and utensils; and "green tips" for making your kitchen eco-friendly. Sample recipes: Mango and Goat Cheese Mini Crisps - Crisped Okra with Dry Spice Rub - Red Harvest Masala Cornish Hens - Black Bean, Corn and Nectarine Salad - Sweet Potato Soup with Saffron, Sage and Nutmeg - Smoky Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Puree - Tandoori Spice Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mint - Coastal Coconut and Tamarind Fish Curry - Cardamom-Scented Beet Halwa As exotic and enticing as these recipes sound, the ingredients are easily found and the instructions are simple. Rinku encourages readers to explore the bounty of their local farms and markets, and embrace the rich flavors of India to cook food that is nutritious, healthy, seasonal and most importantly, delicious. " . . . beautifully combines the time-tested traditions of the Indian kitchen with a practical, modern approach . . ." --SUVIR SARAN, author of Masala Farm and Indian Home Cooking " Spices & Seasons awakened my sleepy palate the moment I opened it! What gorgeous, beguiling recipes and such wise words about so much, especially about children and vegetables. I am off to my kitchen, book in tow and with great anticipation of many wonderful meals." --DEBORAH MADISON, author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone Rinku stresses local and seasonal... She simplifies an essential spice kit down to just seven ingredients that form the base of many of the recipes in her book: cilantro, coriander, cumin, red cayenne, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.... Throughout the book, her recipes come alive with bright vegetables and intriguing combinations: Creamy Mint Chicken Curry, Shrimp in a Mango Basil Sauce, Super Simple Fish Curry, with but ten minutes of prep time. In all, she offers 150 inspired recipes, each accompanied by superb color photographs and warm paragraph-long introductions. Foreword Reviews Spices and Seasons - simple, sustainable Indian flavours is a beautifully presented volume with a picture accompanying every recipe. Ok, so that's not an essential for a good cookbook but it does give a bit of support to the novice and some inspiration to the confident. But the most important element of the book is that the recipes are uncomplicated and practical. There are lots of classic Indian dishes here but Rinku interprets even these with flair and personal nuance. MostlyAsianFood.Com Rinku takes the intimidation factor out of Indian cooking. Her recipes and techniques are practical and simple . Rinku writes beautifully. You'll read about her grandmother's kitchen, how to create an essential spice kit and getting children to make healthy dining choices among other things. For the most part, the recipes make use of ingredients that are easy to find in U.S. grocery stores . Diabetic Foodie.Com WINNER LIVING NOW 2014 GOLD AWARDS WINNER INDIEFAB BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015 WINNER READERS FAVORITE SILVER AWARD 2015 WINNER USA BOOK AWARDS 2015 Rinku Bhattacharya is a native of Kolkata, India, currently living in a house with a vibrant backyard in Hudson Valley, New York with her husband and two young children. Rinku s practical, sustainable approach to Indian cooking, is showcased on her blog, Cooking in Westchester, and her Journal News column Spices and Seasons. Rinku has been teaching recreational cooking classes for the past nine years and also partners with the local, Down Home Markets to offer seasonal Indian cooking demos. She is author of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles (Hippocrene Books, 2012). Rinku has also written for the Poughkeepsie Journal and several online sites, and appeared on CT Style television a few times.