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Viji,

Hi. I am compelled to immediately reply.

Amazing stories you have told!!! It is so impressive you can meet these interesting people who are so curious and enthusiastic and come to meet you in person and learn from you! What an experience that must have been for you!! How did you feel or think when they first contacted you? How did you think and feel when they were there with you learning and also doing the preparations so nicely?? :) If it were me, i would feel to be in a dream world.

Yes, writing the historical accounts is much needed for all cultures. especially as you said they are dying out in modern times. An anthropolgist did a study on dying languages and found out the most languages were dying out in America! It is among the Native Americans. I had posted a video of a Native American dance on my youtube page and the responses I get are amazing. Some people say the dance doesn't belong to that tribe and others go far as saying the language they use to sing in during the dance is also from yet another tribe. These things we don't even learn in school here. We are the white man, maybe that is why. The culture had been stripped of these people without their desire. In some ways this happens even in India, etc. Though people get so caught up in the modern life- the only people that are stripping it is the people themselves. It is indeed sad. We all do this to ourselves in some form living a modern life. To truly live modern and keep traditions is challenging. That is why I admire what you have done. Also in locating so many people to help pass this on in their country, or like the girl in Calif. to share her life with you to describe the culture. It is much needed. We all are put on the earth for a purpose. I am happy I have met one outstanding person who is living true to yours. When did you come to know this was your passion and mission? Did you fight it or go with the flow? This is some of the struggles I am facing as I am going on my path....This is actually another learning I get from you besides the cookbooks :)

The nice thing in India is there are no rules for teaching cooking classes in your home. I wanted to do that last year. I even had a few ladies wanting to come and do it. But the problem was that to do formal classes you have to have a state operated facility even in your home wheter you give classes or make food and sell it. You have to have certain equipment, have it inspected then on a regular basis have it inspected and certified. All this is thousands of dollars.

Maybe there is another angle I can do it. I need to be creative and think outside the kitchen :)

Many Indian ladies in this country sell food stuffs in Indian stores made in their homes or serve homemade meals to others in the community. Of course this is to Indian community I imagine it would rarely extend outside that circle. But even if in that circle something happened and someone got greedy and wants to get someone in trouble...it's a difficult situation to be in. I had an American friend who gives North Indian cooking classes. She had a nice slant to her class. Since Americans like to drink, she told the girls they can bring wine if they wanted their own and also the nicer part was she would make and give them masala packets for whatever dish she made, like dhal or rajma etc.

You know my thought that when a cuisine opens its doors in a new place, sometimes it's hard to keep it 100% authentic. We of course have a number of North Indian hotels here...one only is ok.. very good sometimes. Since I have learned to make some of those dishes we have rarely gone for a few years. Then there is one South Indian that opened here. We have gone for dinners and lunches - for lunches they have buffet. Right now it is quite authentic in taste and unfortunately service too. The service and ambiance is not very appealing, even for Indians. I wrote a review on the hotel on my blog here. Some commenters who have not put their names are my Indian friends here...so that tells me alot. Now they also are demanding better service and ambiance. Price is ok and even variety of dishes are nice. But the other issue is because the menu items are all in Tamil or Malayalam (few dishes) without good descriptions of what these things are if Americans are brave enough to enter they have no idea what they are getting into unless they have a tutor with them!! That is very sad. Just because the food is quite new to the area it should not be so exotic that the masses can't get to understand it. And Americans being the masses that is the customer base. The times we have gone it is sparsely attended. The service was quite nice. Twice I was able to order stuff not on the menu like curd rice and bisebilibath. How to make this stuff (food) as common as Chinese or even North Indian...and keep the authentic touch is the key points!! Unfortunately for Americans I think watching others eat with hand may be a turn off. Maybe not for meals, but buffet because people don't wash in between and then they go and handle serving spoons with dirty fingers. That can be quite gross..... You know one of the things some Americans (even Indians who grew up in different cultures in India) don't understand is why women eat last. It's not always because women can't get good or fresh food. But the practical part.. when all eat with hand and serving food and eating is done with only right hands then it's hygenic for one person or a group of people to serve while others eat. Often women serve food because women are caretakers...That is the practical side that many fail to see...What do you think?

I think I am talking a lot :) Anyhow I am off for the day to college. Enjoy and more soon in next.

I love the way you do some profound thinking.

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Hi Viji,

I am flattered by your having stopped by my somewhat rudimentary and unkempt blog :). Congratulations on the award. I hear Paris is very beautiful (Bon Voyage).

About me, I am a working mother and I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I love cooking find that fresh home cooked food dramatically improves the quality of family life. Came across your Samayal book a few days after my wedding and have been using it ever since. I have made almost all the recipes from the book. The aracha sambhar, vadai, mor kootus and pineapple rasam and many others (too many to list :))are greatly enjoyed in my household.
There were a couple of recipes that did not work out well (idlis and kozhikattais) but the success rate is very high.

I also more recently purchased your book 'Festival Samayal' on my last India trip, the kozhikattais turned out perfectly with the recipe.
I have also read your recipes in Vegetarian Times and was very thrilled to see our cuisine showcased in the magazine. Please keep in touch.

Best regards,
Preeti

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Hi Viji Aunty,

My last name will be very familiar to you, but you know you me better by my first name, from many years ago in Chennai, Roshini!

I am Ramdas & Rita’s daughter! The “Ramdas” Raj Uncle calls and refers to as GRD!

I just finished going through your website and I am so proud of you and all that you have achieved. This must be the biggest reward you could get for all those years of hard work, toiling in a hot kitchen and that too in Chennai!Memories of many dinners and all those delicious dishes that you used to prepare with so much love come rushing back as I browse your website!

Thank god for the recipes that you posted online! At least I got to whet my appetite with a few dishes that I prepared! I was drooling just going through the index pages of the books posted online on amazon.com

Since Rohan is coming here next month on a short holiday, I have asked Dad to get me all the five books. I hope he is successful as I have seen that websites show books as “out of stock”. So I have made a list of all the bookstores that stock your books to give to Dad. This will be his assignment for the coming days!

My personal thanks for taking the effort to put down all the recipes in print, and that too in such an easy to follow format. My cooking has improved and all those little tips made a BIG difference! And the variety of recipes! My god! God bless you for having so much knowledge and also the time and patience to put it all together!

What would we have done without five different cookbooks! The cuisine world is a different place today thanks to one very dedicated and meticulous person, YOU! You have set the bar very high!

Those accolades are well deserved, and I am sure they will keep flowing your way! What delights me the most is that you have won on an international stage! Bravo!

My best wishes to you, for all your future publications!

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Hello Ms. Varadarajan,

I am a vegetarian living in the U.S., and I'm a big fan of your wonderful South Indian cooking books.

I would like to try to make your recipe for pitlai podi, but I cannot find asafoetida in block form here. Can I use an equivalent amount of the commercial, bottled asafoetida powder instead? I don't know how the two products compare or if they are of different strengths. If I can substitute, what would be the equivalent measure for your "5 marble-sized pieces" of block asafoetida?

Thanks very much for your advice. I look forward to trying this podi--I'm sure it will be delicious!

Best Regards,
-Jim Kopanko

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Dear Ms. Varadarajan,

Yes, I did get your last e-mail with the menus. I'm going to try some of these out this weekend, although I have made the vellai chutney before - to great reviews! Thank you so much for putting these menus together for me. Many times you see a lot of recipes that sound terrific, but you're not sure what really matches together, especially for an "occasion"! Anyway, I like to try new things out first, before I make them for other people -- just so I know what to expect, you know?
And, no, I'm sorry to say that neither of us has ever been to India, although it is on our list of places to go when the right opportunity comes along!
Thank you again for going to the trouble of putting these menus together for me. I'll definitely let you know how it goes and if I have any questions or problems.
Regards
http://flamingomusings.blogspot.com
Renee J. (RJ Flamingo) - Florida USA - 10th September 2008

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Hi, Viji

I am flattered that you found my review of your book, Vegetarian Samayal. I also own Festival Samayal, and find them both to be very enjoyable cookbooks to use. I think the Yogurt book will most likely be next!
As I said in my blog post, your cookbooks make certain assumptions about your readers' backgrounds and familiarity with things such as ingredients and processes. But since my husband and I own over 60 Indian cuisine cookbooks and have been cooking (and eating!) Indian food for years, this hasn't been too much of a problem for us. It's also been the tastiest way to increase our vegetarian repertoire! And I admit to a growing preference for south India cuisine.
While I have your attention, I would appreciate your advice, if it's not too much trouble. Would you have any recommendation for a menu for a small wedding anniversary dinner party? Just a few people, very casual.
Thank you for contacting me and linking to my blog.
Regards
http://flamingomusings.blogspot.com
Renee Joslyn (RJ Flamingo) - Florida USA - 6th September 2008

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Hi Viji Aunty..

Now I only realize how to address you after seeing your site.
I enjoy your site. There is a lot of information. It’s amazing that only by the things you learn in everyday life you can create so many awesome books! I see the word “Tambaram” in the site. Are you in Tambaram? Maybe you saw in my site I lived in Tambaram for 2 years as I studied at MCC. I enjoyed my time there and in fact my local guardians are Tamil Brahmins so I had a lot of experience eating and loving this cuisine. As I read the various contents for the books My mouth was watering. In fact few of my favorite items I saw..keerai mulagootal and vatthal kozhumbu (which you can compare my recipe here http://shakahaari.blogspot.com/2008/01/vatthal-kozhumbu.html ) Maybe I have not seen all the info yet, but do you have material on the varieties of dosa/rice podis? I want to learn these and I am not finding good recipes with good instructions… I take it your sons/daughters are living in US…so you get to travel here to meet them and their children. Nice.
Also, when you saw my site not sure if you saw the Navarathri posts and golu photos. I have kept some traditions with me I learned in Chennai..One being golu.. This year’s was very beautiful.
Ok thank you.
Regards
Jennifer - from the US 12th October 2008

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Hi Viji,

I had spelt samayal wrong and hence couldn’t log in. however I later corrected myself and could visit the site. Now I should congratulate myself for having met an illustrious person @ BTH. You are truly awesome.
How did you develop such a rare interest and talking to you on the subject could be so interesting. You are the winner of international award too!! Congratulations on your achievement. I feel so enthralled to have befriended you.
You have created such a wonderful identity for yourself and you have a great family to support you in this venture.
Hope to see you some time in future.
Regards
Rani Ramesh - from Trivandrum Oct 23rd 2008