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My dear Mr.
Parigi,
"Hearty Congratulations!" We are delighted and rejoice at the
news that your mother, Mrs. Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi's book
"Cooking at home with Pedatha" has won the award for "Best
Vegetarian Cookbook in the world" at the Gourmand World Cookbook
Awards 2006 held in Beijing, China on April 7, 2007.
The acclaim and recognition she has won, is surely
well-deserved, and we share your pride and joy at this great
distinction. Yes, it is a proud moment for your family and we
are happy for you. We feel certain this cookbook will be a must
for almost every Indian both in India and abroad, as well as
"vegetarians" all over the globe.
..."India" as a nation, must be proud of this unique
accomplishment.
With Best Wishes,
Amitabh Bachchan
India 's Superstar, Mumbai, India – letter dated June 19, 2007
(CLICK TO SEE THE LETTER) |
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I simply loved the way the recipes have been given. The best part is it has even described how the chillies have to be used. The most engrossing recipe book I have ever seen and used.
swaram
Email from swaram83@gmail.com |
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We are from
West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh , India and staying in
Vietnam for last 10 years. I read about this book on web and
ordered through web. My mother is an expert in cooking and my
wife also learned from her most of the things. I feel my mother
and wife are best cooks but after reading and cooking several
items from book, we find the tastes are very enjoyable. The
measurements and method of preparation are given 100% accurate
and very easy to understand.
Only one comment on measurements from my wife - what is the
quantity for 1 Cup? She uses a cup which is 80 ml, and the
tastes are fine. May be the measurement for a cup is given
somewhere in the book and we missed it in reading. Please
confirm.
I am visiting India this month-end and I ordered 4 books today
to my sister's address in Hyderabad, to give a gift to my
sisters and brothers.
My wife and myself have really enjoyed the food and appreciate
the efforts taken for bringing this book. I highly recommend
this book for my friends.
Ch J R K Mallikharjuna Rao
IT Manager, Nghe An Tate & Lyle Sugar Co Ltd., VIETNAM
Email from chjrkmrao@hotmail.com on August 13, 2007 |
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You
have produced a seminal work which will inspire future cooks.
The photographs are most beautiful, and the presentation
likewise. The recipes are, of course, superb and highly
motivational!
We had business guests from England staying here when the book
arrived and as they love vegetarian cooking we made our first
slightly nervous incursions into Pedatha's world. It was of
course, a great success and the 'gospel' will very shortly be
carried to their friends in the UK.
Once more, thank - you, and if you produce at any time another
volume, please let me know!!
Neil Cumming
Former Principal, Hallé Orchestra, Manchester, England for 29
years & Director, Anglo - Sri Lankan engineering co., Kandy,
Srilanka
Email from neilgc@sltnet.lk on April 13, 2007 |
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I am a great
fan of your book 'Cooking at home with Pedatha'. My mother
tongue is Telugu. I am a native of Guntur.
Yesterday I made "Theeyeti Pulusu" from your book. It turned out
very well. Thanks a lot for publishing this kind of book where
people will come to know about the cuisine of South India. In
our family we consider our Ammamma (maternal grand mother) as
the world's best cook. Few sentences in this book are similar to
the sentences that we use in our family - like when we all meet
our major topic is Ammamma's cooking!
Great job and great effort.
Congratulations Jigyasa and Pratibha, for winning the award. You
deserve this.
I Love You and Admire you Pedatha (Subhadra Garu).
Deepthi Konduri
Email from ka.deepthi@gmail.com, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India
on August 1, 2007 |
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Your book is
such a treasure for those novice cooks who wants learn more
about authentic Andhra cuisine. More than me, my husband, who
claims to be an half-andhraite because of his love of Andhra
cuisine, is happy as I am trying recipes from your book, one by
one. It feels like having an experienced elder member of the
family by your side when you are trying out these new recipes.
Suganya
Food Blogger,
http://tastypalettes.blogspot.com
E-mail on June 5, 2007, USA |
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This book is
one of the best I've seen on the subject.
Gita and Badri Ram
Email from vbnram@sify.com, New Delhi, India on June 3, 2007. |
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loved this
book! I am not too familiar with cooking Andhra food, but the
clear instructions, lovely pictures,and nuggets of love and
wisdom scattered throughout has made this book one of my
favorite go-to cookbooks. I took one of the pappu recipes to a
group cooking class in Berkeley, CA and it was a hit!
Smruti Shah
Email from smrutimshah@gmail.com, CA, USA, May 26, 2007. |
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I have heard a lot about this book
in the cooking blogs. I ordered a copy and it dawned onto me
that all this cooking was done by mom, aunts and
grandmother...but somewhere down the lane, the busy schedules of
our lives and getting married into another household changes the
style of cooking and lessens ones enthusiasm to cook your own
way. Whenever I open the book "Cooking at home with Pedatha, it
reminds me of my Ammakkaya who used to give me advice on how to
cook to please my husband. I feel that she is sitting right in
the kitchen and tell me how to go about a recipe. Thank you for
giving us such a wonderful book!
Deepika Saripalli
Email from deepikadvn@yahoo.com, Phoneix, USA on March 27, 2007 |
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Dear Pratibhaji,
Heartiest Congratulations to you on achieving the Gourmand World
Award 2006 for the book called "Cooking At Home with Pedatha".
As a debutant co-author you have made an unparalleled
instance among women fraternity. It was a great pleasure to read
about your tremendous success in the Economic Times dated 21st
December 2006.
I am also truly enthralled to know that you have achieved five
prestigious awards being chosen from among 150 competitors from
India and it is also wonderful to know about you will be
competing among 150 finalists for the best global cookbook. Your
great achievements deserve remarkable appreciation and offer a
great source of inspirations for all Indian women. I also
sincerely appreciate your dynamic concepts of working on new
recipes. And I have the pleasure of knowing your family also.
I would like to make a small request to you. It would be really
useful for vegetarians who go for long foreign travels,
particularly for Jains who do not eat roots, if you can
bring out a book containing practical tips to enable them to
cook something easily in their hotel room & comfortably remain
vegetarians.
I wish you success in all future endeavors. And wishing you all
the best for the forthcoming global competition, which will be
held in Beijing in April 2007.
With regards
P. S. Surana
Surana and Surana International Attorneys, Chennai, India on Feb
23, 2007 |
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I had heard a
lot about this book through one of my favourite food blogs
Mahanandi. Got my copy yesterday and I have already tried 3
recipes today. The beauty of the recipes lies in their
simplicity. Most of the ingredients are easily available in
every Indian kitchen. Photos are beautiful. I congratulate you
for your lovely book. Looking forward to many more books
covering other regions of India in the near future.
Jasmine
Food Blogger,
www.spicetrail.wordpress.com
E-mail on Feb 2, 2007, USA |
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As a cooking
enthusiast on the look out for recipes, I was delighted to
receive this book as a gift when I traveled to India in Nov
2006. While the aesthetics of the book and the presentation were
immensely appealing to me, the simplicity and ease of the
recipes were even more alluring. My first attempt at making "Menthi
Koora" was a huge success and brought back long-lost memories of
flavors from growing up in Andhra. Thank you for compiling these
recipes that constitute comfort food for many of us.
Veena Mahesh
E-mail from veena.mahesh@gmail.com on Jan 9, 2007, USA |
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My
husband was in India for a week and brought back Cooking with Peddatha. What a great job you've done on the book! It's
beautifully designed and the glorious pictures really bring the
cuisine to life. But the most memorable photos are of Pedatha
herself. They capture her persona beautifully. The visual
glossary at the end is a great idea. I congratulate you all on a
wonderful book.
Best,
Suneeta Vaswani
Illustrious author of "Easy Indian Cooking"
Email on Oct 26, 2006, USA |
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SIMPLY FANTASTIC
This book is well organized, concise and not overwhelming
- in the past I have stayed away from preparing many traditional
South Indian dishes because of their complexity, but they
have been organized so well here that I now feel like preparing
them!!!
This book has recipes that should be regarded as FAMILY HEIRLOOMS
and most of these recipes are several centuries old.
Pedatha actually worked 1st hand with people AT LEAST FOUR
GENERATIONS older than the current, using age old methods,
plus she has worked in modern kitchens using new technology
and I think she is truly the missing link
Subhadra Moorthy
Posted on www.amazon.com
on July 19, 2006 |
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SIMPLY
SUPERB
If, like me, you crave the warmth and love that can only come
from "mom's cooking", then try this book. It invites
you to savor the mouth watering flavors of South Indian cooking
- with ease and enjoyment. Brilliantly written and deliciously
photographed, prepare your kitchen for an aromatic journey
back home.
Gautam Vangala
Posted on www.amazon.com
on July 13, 2006 |
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Jigyasa
and Pratibha have accomplished bringing together a history
of memorable, warm, loving and comforting recipes. Each recipe
a jewel beautifully explained and illustrated. The cover,
photos and recipes emotional as they are to me are of 'My
Pedatha', many a meal have I eaten on her lap as a baby and
have been hand fed by her as an adult. I am a product of this
food. Although, Pedatha's secrets are now officially out...brilliance
such as this really should be shared...So, I welcome the world
to try these recipes and ENJOY as much as I have my entire
life.
Sarasvathi Giri
Posted on www.amazon.com
on July 11, 2006 |
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WONDERFUL
ANDHRA DINNER & A GREAT COOK BOOK
Pratibha and Jigyasa did something I had long wanted to do.
Capture Grandma's expertise in a book. Let me explain. Both
my maternal and paternal grandmothers are exceptional cooks
and they can churn out recipes like only they can. And they
have treasure trove of memories. I always wanted to capture
their thoughts but never could.
So, when I heard about these two friends who did just that,
I had all admiration for them. I should thank Prabodh Jain
for introducing me to them. Their book is a compilation of
receipes painstakingly gleaned together from the divine looking
Pedatha (short for Pedha atha meaning Elder aunt). The fact
that she is the daughter of V.V.Giri, ex-president of India,
only adds to the aura.
I was invited to a lovely dinner by them and I must tell you
that it'll be an evening I'll remember for a very long time.
Authentic Andhra food is something I can kill for. Add to
that an interesting conversation of their experiences just
made it even better.
This self-published book is the fruit of two years of labour.
Kiruba Shankar
Posted on
www.kiruba.com on
June 30, 2006, Chennai, India |
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A very well researched and aesthetically presented book.The
recipes are easy and self-explanatory. A must buy for all
food lovers.
Tarla Dalal
India's best loved Cookery Author
Email on June 22, 2006, Mumbai, India |
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“Cooking At Home With Pedatha”...My favorite cookbook by far.
It has all the recipes of south indian food that we eat everyday
- from rasams and sambars, to podis and pachadis, just the
way we cook at home, without overdoing the spices or using
complicated techniques. It's just the book to have no matter
how long you have been cooking. Like me, Pedatha is also not
very fond of sweets, but the book has some good recipes of
payasams that I have both tried and enjoyed.
Prabha Mohan
Posted on
http://prabhamohan.blogspot.com/, USA |
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A FINE MEAL
Cooking is an art... and Pedatha clearly defines this in her
book. Speaking for many of whom who live overseas, and miss
that "home cooked indian meal"... Pedatha's finest
recipes surely will add that special touch to your meal...
either at a party, at home with the family.. or just dining
alone!
Just remember that there is a lot more to vegetarian food
than just salad :) and Pedatha will show you the way to get
creative with your vegetarian cooking.
Harish
Palagummi
Posted on
www.amazon.com on June 13, 2006
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GREAT!
The explanations in this book are wonderful, and the results
are amazing! Very clear, well-defined instructions to get
the best in Indian vegetarian cooking! The book is divided
into sections based on the different types of foods, along
with explanations of the various spices used, and sprinkled
along the way with the tips from Pedatha, the master chef
herself.
Sanjay K. Aiyagari
Posted on www.amazon.com
on June 12, 2006 |
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Jigyasa
and Pratibha darlings,
May 26th, 2006 (Book launch at Delhi) was a memorable day
for me as I have never in my life received such graciousness
and warmth. It was an honour and joy being with you both and
to meet the one and only Pedatha – she is just wonderful!
She gave me a bouquet of flowers!! I was overwhelmed!! I took
a carnation from the bouquet and pressed it…in that wonderful
book of yours.
When are you coming to Delhi – please contact me so that we
can have lunch together at my restaurant Basil & Thyme
where I cook.
Love always
Bhicoo Manekshaw
Cordon Bleu (London) & India’s pioneer cookbook author
Letter written on June 8, 2006 with a note: Forgive the handwriting…but
I will not use a computer. |
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“Cooking at home with Pedatha” takes me back to my childhood.
Once again I relive exciting moments of anticipation of good
tasty home food. The book is well laid out with accurate ease
to follow recipes. The illustrations, the colour scheme and
the art work are indeed commendable. All in all a good representation
of the timeless heritage of India.
Padmini Mani
Managing Trustee,
My
School Satya Surabhi, Kodaikanal
E-mail from mysss@sancharnet.in |
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Dear Jigyasa and Pratibha,
…I hope you are as happy as I am about last Wednesday's meeting
in the Madras Club. It was far beyond my wildest expectations.
Choosing a book for others is such a subjective exercise and
is never easy. I was especially apprehensive about this one.
The book is wonderful and the waiting list in the MC library
is l – o – n – g !!!! In fact, at our next meeting I am going
to suggest we buy another copy. But I was not sure how a "discussion"
would work. How delightfully it turned out......... I have
had many calls from members expressing their appreciation.
Involving the audience was brilliant and the rapport you share
with each other was heart-warming…
…Dare we hope for another book one day? Pratibha, don't you
have "Pedatha" somewhere in your family? You made
my final meeting of the year a memorable one for which I thank
you dearly.
Radha Gopalakrishna
Chairperson, Book Activity, IWA, Chennai.
Letter on May 9, 2006 |
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The food from this book is spicy, tasty and unique. My mother
has been receiving compliments from all of us since she has
been making the "Pedatha" food. I love the Carrot
chutney. My dad loves the raw mango rice.
Kuberr & Uma Chordia
Email from kuberr_143@yahoo.co.in on April 2, 2006, Chennai |
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I
enjoyed making the Broad beans vegetable (peddha chikkudikaya
koora). My family loves the Sweet Rasam (Theeyati rasam).
I Find the dishes easy to make because of clear instructions.
But I must confess that my Sambar Podi did not turn out as
well the first time, because I did not do it as patiently
as required. However, patience pays and my Podis are now a
great success. Thank You Pedatha.
Tara Jain
Email from anugriha@gmail.com on March 13, 2006, Chennai |
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This is not just a mere cook book but an age-old traditional
recipies wrapped up in an exquisite design by Jigyasa and
Pratibha. Sincere appreciation to very dear Pedatha for her
loving and caring guidance in daily cooking to the reader
to enhance the quality of food. I have just presented this
cookbook to a would be Hyderabad bride.
Kamala Wilhelm
Email from kuttywilhelm@hotmail.com on March 3, 2006, Chennai |
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An excellent book with good photography. And mouth watering
food.
Sandhya Jain
Email from utkarsh_jn@yahoo.co.in on Feb 20, 2006, Chennai |
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My wife & I were at The Park, Chennai for the Andhra Festivel.I
bought the book. Last week I tried the following 1.Kondhi
Podi, 2.Vangi Bath, 3.Dadhyodanam, 4.Menthi Koora, 5.Pindimiriyam,
6.Tamata Pappu, 7.Gongoora Pachadi. It took me about 5 hours
of cooking time. The recipes are well described except for
few omissions. I had trouble finding the ingredients for the
Vangi Bath powder. I finally found them in Dhabba Chetty Kadai
in Mylapore. Some steps in the above recipes are a bit vague.The
quantities used like 'handful, Sprig, etc. A better description
or a photo would be useful.The Visual Glossary section should
include all ingredients however trivial they may be. For example,
Mustard seeds , is it Black Mustard or is it 'Rai'. My family
gave me an overall rating of 6 out of 10 for Taste.
I enjoyed making the items and the book was a great help.
T G Rajagopalan
Email from rajagod@vsnl.com on Feb 16, 2006, Chennai |
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Phenomenal Content; Superb presentation; Heartwarming
Vani Vangala
Email from vani.vangala@gmail.com on Feb 6, 2006, Hyderabad |
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Congratulations on a well-produced book! I have just-tried
allam pachadi and it was great!
I could not find pesaratu and the famed andhra avakka etc.
Is there scope for vol II?
B Nagalakshmi
Email from mohana301@rediffmail.com on Feb 6, 2006, Chennai |
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"Cooking at home with Pedatha" is on par with the
cuisine it speaks of. Outstanding Content; excellent presentation
and general Look & Feel. The pachchadis, podis & kooras
are my personal favourites. Hats off to the authors - from
ideation, compilation, to the touching epilogue, this book
is a tribute par excellence.
Brig V.H.M Prasad(retd.)
Email from vangalahmp@satyam.net.in on Feb 4, 2006, Hyderabad |
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Such mouth-watering Pedatha's food brings tears in the eye
whether it is nostalgia or the spice. It is not just a cookery
book, it is a gift for every woman. Congratulations to Jigyasa
and Pratibha for this invaluable book.
Sreelatha Nair
Grace and Glamour, Chennai.
Email from doll_ravi@hotmail.com on Jan 27, 2006, Chennai |
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Good work! great photography...of course very sweet pedatha
Shivani Arora
Email from mailshiv14@gmail.com on Jan 6, 2006, Chennai |
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An invaluable "must-buy" which caters to the experienced
and the beginner; to the gourmet and the novice. It preserves
for posterity the lovable eighty-four year young "Pedatha's"
wisdom, practical guidelines and superb traditional recipes.
Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain have produced an unbeatable
combination of meticulous detail and comprehensiveness, infused
with love and gusto. Every bit of it is tried, tested and
tasted. A "must-enjoy" treat!
Rashmi Uday Singh
Author and acclaimed food critic, Mumbai |
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What a remarkable book of traditional recipes! Simple, practical,
easy to execute, with a variety and range which will make
the purists remember the taste of their grandmother’s food.
The section on chutneys is exceptional, and my favourite,
because it is rare to get such a range of flavours and textures
in such a deceptively simple manner. This book is all about
sharing the common wealth of a clan and creating a very powerful
tribe of believers. A must for all foodies.
Prahlad Kakar
Man of many hats, Mumbai |
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"Cooking at home with Pedatha" is a book that gives
the wonderful whiff of everyday cooking in a traditional Telugu
household. It is indeed a brave effort by Jigyasa Giri and
Pratibha Jain because I know it is not easy to keep things
simple which they have done effortlessly. And it is this very
subtlety that makes the book special. It brilliantly combines
the flavours and textures of local ingredients to stimulate
the senses and satiate the palate.
Sanjeev Kapoor
Chef extraordinaire, Mumbai |
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Rarely has traditional cooking been as demystified and presented
in such a clear-cut and unpretentious manner. Cooking at home
with Pedatha is an intriguing amalgam of commonsense, practicality
and wisdom. It is much more than a book of vegetarian recipes
from a traditional Andhra kitchen. It is also a repository
of one woman's secrets. It is Pedatha's special little touches…the
addition of a dash here or the suggestion of an alternative
there…that lend this book its endearing character. If this
is tradition, then this is tradition with an irresistable
twist.
Associate Editor, The Hindu, Chennai |
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