Rachel Gurjar's 'East to East' Cookbook Bridges Mumbai and New York Flavors
Chef Rachel Gurjar, who grew up in India and now resides in Brooklyn, has published 'East to East: Recipes and Stories from Mumbai to New York' with Chronicle Books. This cookbook offers 101 recipes that fuse culinary traditions, featuring dishes like spicy butter masala pasta and dirty chai espresso martinis. Gurjar, previously an associate food editor at Bon Appetit, initiated the project in 2019 but halted it due to the pandemic. She finalized the sale in January 2024 and resumed work after an eight-month hiatus. In a Vogue interview, she shared insights about Mumbai's culinary landscape and South Asian cuisine in Jackson Heights, Queens. The book also includes a recipe for whole rava fried fish, influenced by her father's surmai fry and Thai pla tod samun prai.
Key facts
- Rachel Gurjar's 'East to East: Recipes and Stories from Mumbai to New York' is published by Chronicle Books
- The cookbook features 101 recipes blending Indian and New York cuisines
- Gurjar began the book proposal in 2019 and sold it in January 2024
- She previously worked as an associate food editor at Bon Appetit
- Gurjar is based in Brooklyn and was raised in India
- She cited Andy Baraghani's 'The Cook You Want to Be' and Zaynab Issa's 'Third Culture' as inspirations
- The book includes a whole rava fried fish recipe with tamarind and garlic-ginger sauces
- Gurjar discussed Mumbai's food scene and Jackson Heights, Queens, in a Vogue interview
Entities
Artists
- Rachel Gurjar
- Andy Baraghani
- Zaynab Issa
- Alison Roman
Institutions
- Bon Appetit
- Vogue
- Chronicle Books
Locations
- India
- Brooklyn
- New York
- Mumbai
- Jackson Heights
- Queens
- Kolkata
- New Delhi
- Thailand