Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food

While many consider cooking to be as much science as art, few would give up a lucrative career in medical genetics to become a full-time food writer. Yet Sharma has done just that, beginning with his San Francisco Chronicle column "A Brown Kitchen" and an accompanying blog, A Brown Table. From Mumbai to San Francisco, with lengthy stopovers in Cincinnati and Washington, DC, Sharma picked up new ideas and techniques along the way, aided and abetted by his husband and mother-in-law with their own traditional Southern recipes. The result is a delicious compilation of dishes, combining Indian and South Asian seasonings, with often traditional American ingredients; for example, chaat masala pork chops and deviled eggs with tahini and za'atar. This cookbook covers all the bases, from appetizers and entrees to desserts and drinks, each highlighted by beautifully illustrated color photos by the author. A detailed glossary of terms and ingredients and a well-organized index round out the volume.