FFFB: Kathy of The Colors of Indian Cooking

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

It’s time to start sharing my favorite female food bloggers! I know I said that it would be a 2012 edition but I had to get started just a few days early because I was so excited. (Hey, I never was good with the whole patience thing). So today I would like to introduce you to Kathy of The Colors of Indian Cooking. I found Kathy’s blog through Twitter (really did you think it would have been somewhere else?) We’ve shared conversations and I’ve drooled over more of her recipes than I can count. In the last two years I turned my husband into a lover of Indian food – thanks in part to Kathy’s fantastic recipes.

So without further adieu – Meet Kathy!

mango+bite FFFB: Kathy of The Colors of Indian Cooking

Tell us a little bit about your blog and what you write about

My blog is called The Colors Of Indian Cooking. I write about my 21 year experience of cooking healthy Indian food. Most of my recipes are low fat and feature seasonal foods. In the last several years I’ve been concentrating on the food of South India with a focus on vegetarian /vegan cooking and now more gluten free options because several friends of mine have been diagnosed with celiac disease.

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging about 2 and 1/2 years ago while I was doing a podcast for A Million Cooks. The podcasts were too short to feature an entire recipe with all the directions etc, so I decided to add a blog. 2 and 1/2 years later I’m no longer doing the podcasts but the blog is going strong.

What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?

My earliest memory of the kitchen was being carried into the kitchen of a relative’s Italian restaurant. I must have been about 4 and was mightily impressed with all the food smells and delicious bites the kitchen staff gave me to eat.

Who or what influences you in the kitchen today?

I’ve been very influenced by chef and cookbook author Paula Wolfert. We became good friends when we moved to Sonoma 6 years ago. She’s been a real mentor to me. She was the one who got me started slow cooking my Indian food in clay. In fact she gave me my very first clay pot. She’s been very supportive of what I’m doing with the blog. She even put one of my recipes into her cookbook last year. One of the reasons I admire her is for her ability to take a food culture that she was not born into (Moroccan food) and embrace it and share her love of it with others. As a non-Indian learning about and cooking Indian food, she’s been a great example for me.

What is your favorite ingredient?

I could not cook with out my cilantro!

Everyone has a favorite recipe that we just can’t re-create the same way as our mom, grandma etc. Which recipe is this for you?

I’m Italian, and both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks. There’s one thing that I’ve so far been unable to re-create and that is my mother’s mothers meringue cookies. They totally intimidate me. Someday I’ll master them.

Who is your favorite “famous/celebrity” chef and why?

I admire Rick Bayless for his ability to embrace a food and culture that is not natively his own.

Which of your recipes is your favorite?

That is like asking a mom which of her children she loves best. I could never choose, as I’m always exploring.

What was your least successful recipe attempt?

Never mention cream puffs in my kitchen.

Which kitchen tool couldn’t you live without?

My Santoku knife, when one cooks with as many vegetables as I do it’s a must!

Last meal. What would yours be?

Something not yet grown on this planet

What other inspiration would you like to share?

I’d love to see more non-Indians experiment with Indian dishes and learning about the wonderful food culture of this great country. Indian food is very easy to make in the American kitchen. Nearly all the spices are available at most supermarkets, or Asian or Hispanic groceries. If I could say anything it would be, give it a try, you’ll have fun.