The Best of Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi (1991, Paperback)

Yamuna Devi's 1987 classic _Lord Krishna's Cuisine_ remains the definitive Western work on Vedic cooking. Even if you never intend to try any of the recipes--and you will!--Yamuna's personal recollections of Srila Prabhupada and India are endearing enough to simply read it as a book. But it so huge in scope one could easily get lost in it. This slim volume is the near-perfect supplement. Think of it as a "Cliff's Notes" treatment. Many recipes from the original that are perhaps unlikely to be attempted are omitted--this volume concentrates on basic recipes that teach you basic techniques and basic ideas. And it's all delicious. And it seems to me that this version also introduces new material intended to make clearer some of the basic ideas. This is the place to start, and maybe graduate to the older, larger book later, if ever. But in the meantime, there is plenty here to keep you busy for a long time. Yamuna has tailored these recipes with the modern kitchen in mind--the food processor and nonstick pans in particlar are all amply used. Like the original, there is an extensive and detailed glossary of perhaps unfamiliar ingredients.

Now, on the downside. This is a book about basics, so advanced things like dosa (pancakes) and iddli (steamed muffins, sort of) are understandably omitted. But less understandable is the omission of fried flat breads such as chapati, roti, etc. Yamuna tells us all about dals, veggie entrees, sides, soups, sweets, and chutneys, but no mention of bread. I am not sure why.

But I admit, this is a minor complaint. You can learn everything you want to know about chapati on YouTube anyway.

I still give this book an rating of excellent, bread notwithstanding. Being in love with the original, this was like meeting an old friend in a new way. And I only paid a dollar--can't be that!