Julie and Julia

Author : Julie Powell
Genre : Non Fiction - Memoirs
Picked by : Srimathi

Government drone by day, renegade foodie by night, Julie Powell sets herself a challenge to cook every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" within a year. She then sets up the Julie/Julia Project, one of the earliest food blogs. Julie and Julia is the story of the blog, the challenge that changes Julie's life.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Adele made Martha Stewart's Cornmeal Cookies (but yes, they were in Julie/Julia book).

Aparna made an Apple Tarte Tatin.

Bhagyashri made Gratin Dauphinoise.

Janaki made Brioche.

Jayasri made Reine De Saba cake.

PJ makes the first recipe that Julie tries, the Potato and Leek Soup.

Rachel made Tomato Bruschetta.

Sheba writes a review.

Simran also wrote a review but was too busy to cook from the book this month.

Sweatha makes Baked Cucumbers.

Can You Keep A Secret

Author : Sophie Kinsella
Genre : Fiction - Romance/Humour
Picked by : Bhagyashri

Have you ever had the urge to start blabbering to the person sitting next to you on a plane, knowing you will never meet them again and can say what you want. That's what Emma, heroine of Can You Keep A Secret, did. Only her blabbering came to haunt her the next day when the possessor of all her secrets turned out to be her big-shot boss.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Aparna made a 5 minute chocolate cake.

Aqua made Healthy Muesli Bars.

Bhagyashri made Shortbread Triangles.

Janaki makes Panther Bars.

Jayasri made Mango Smoothie.

Pamela made a No Knead M&M Brioche.

PJ made Suralichi Wadi.

Simran made Pink Pina Colada.

Sweatha made Cheddar Cheese Crisps.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Author : Frances Mayes
Genre : Non Fiction - Travel
Picked by : Sheba

There are tourists and there are wanderers. And then there are people who make another country their own. Like Frances Mayes did when, after years of spending summers in Italy as a tourist, she bought an abandoned villa in Tuscany. Under the Tuscan Sun is her funny account of a tourist who decided to stay and discover the country's little quibbles.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Ann made a pizza with onion confit, grilled sausage and peppers.

Aparna made Schiacciata Con L'Uva, a grape stuffed focaccia.

Aqua made Pears in Red Wine.

Janaki made a Pizza.

Rachel made pappa al pomodoro.

Simran made zucchini caponata.

Srimathi made eggplant rolls.

Sweatha made Basil Mint Sorbet.

Climbing the Mango Trees

Author : Madhur Jaffrey
Genre : Non Fiction - Memoirs
Picked by : Janaki

Madhur Jaffrey's memoirs talk less of her childhood in an affluent joint family, and more of the foods she ate. There's daulat ki chaat and paranthey wali gali. There's kulfi and achaar and chaat from the streets. But all these poigant Delhi memories are also spiked with picnic lunches, and dinners with western influence far ahead of it's times.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Read Ann's very interesting story about the book!

Aqua made Tahiri.

Janaki made Palak Gosht.

Jaya made bazar jaisey aloo.

Sheba made Cauliflower with Cheese.

Simran made Phirni.

Sweatha made Roz Ki Gobhi.

Bread Alone

Author : Judith Ryan Hendricks
Genre : Fiction - Romance
Picked by : Ann

Bread makes you happy. Bread makes you friends. Fresh baked bread, in short, can set most things right. It certainly heals the broken heart of our heroine Wynter. The novel, at first glance, is a typical story of a trophy wife about to be divorced looking for solace in a job that involves baking bread. But there is depth of feeling here. And there is nuance that makes "Bread Alone" a little bit more than yet another romance.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Ann makes Cranberry Walnut Short Scones. Also read her review.

Aqua takes the "halve the yeast" message from the book and makes a white bread.

Bhagyashri makes cherry scones.

Janaki tries "halve the yeast" too for her whole wheat bread.

Sheba bakes Patty's Cake.

Simran bakes a sourdough loaf.

Sweatha makes Swirled Nutella Scones.

The Hindi Bindi Club

Author : Monica Pradhan
Genre : Fiction - Drama
Picked by : Aparna

The book trails the lives of three Indian women who emigrated to the US years ago as either trailing spouses, or in the pursuit of higher education. The book intertwines their lives and their constant sentimental pangs to go "home" with the lives of their adult daughters, who grew up in the USA and face the inevitable culture shock of being Indian, but also of not being Indian, but rather American.

Recipes that the Book Inspired:

Ann makes Uma's Bengali Grilled Salmon. Also check out her review.

Aparna also picked a recipe by Uma and makes chocolate sandesh truffles, complete with a chocolate drizzle.

Aqua made Saroj's Punjabi samosas.

Janaki read the book but didn't get around to cooking from it.

Jaya makes Meenal's kheer.

Simran also gets inspired by Uma and makes chocolate sandesh truffles.