Local resident Chandrika David’s new book is the result of years of creating meals for friends and family gathered around the table to share in delectable foods and warm conversation. The recipes have been handed down and refined over generations and are steeped in rich family history.
As a professional chef and cooking instructor, David has spent years perfecting the recipes she learned as a child. She is finally able to share them in this book. Beyond the meals, “from Chandrika’s Kitchen” represents a love note from Chandrika to all her friends and family, wherever they may be.
“There’s nothing quite like the feeling of ‘Oh, no! I didn’t know I was supposed to do that step first.’ It is why in the first chapter of this book I have included descriptions of the various ingredients used in my recipes. My heart’s desire is to make preparing Indian food at home more accessible through clarity, ease, and simplicity,” David said.
David is no stranger to the culinary arts. Initially focused on creating scrumptious meals for family and friends, she began holding private cooking classes in her home in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1995. By 2000, she was teaching classes regularly in Southern California at Santa Clarita Community Center, Sur La Table, Whole Foods Market, Gelson’s Market and Glendale Community College.
She is a graduate of Madras University in India, and she and her husband live in Santa Clarita.