What do you think?
Rate this book
A Life of Spice
In "A Life of Spice" celebrated writer Monica Bhide explores her romance with food. As in any romance, there are moments of great heartache and unbelievable happiness; betrayals and breakups; and, of course, intimacy. The essays in this book show how food affects all the areas of our lives: family, friends, love, culture, faith, and more. They capture the delights of cooking as wooing and of food as nurturer, and the sadness of the heartbreak kitchen. This collection of powerful and thought-provoking vignettes makes us examine our relationship with food deeply-and what food really means to us. "A Life of Spice" gives readers a front-row view-and deliciously stolen peeks behind the curtain-into those choice moments that define a lifetime. Celebrating the powerful memories of food that bind us all together, "A Life of Spice" features essays that first appeared on Monica's blog and in national and international publications, as well as new, never-before-read tales of family and food.
180 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
About the author
Monica Saigal Bhide
14 books108 followersMonica Saigal Bhide is an internationally renowned writer known for sharing food, culture, love, and life with a lyrical voice and universal appeal. She has built a diverse and solid audience through the publication of three cookbooks and a collection of short stories, her website, MonicaBhide.com, and articles in top-tier media, including Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Saveur, The Washington Post, Health, the New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, AARP The Magazine, Parents, and many others. Her books have been published by Simon & Schuster and Random House(India). The Chicago Tribune named Bhide one of the seven food writers to watch in 2012. In April 2012, Mashable.com picked her as one of the top ten food writers on Twitter. Her work has garnered numerous accolades and has been included in four Best Food Writing anthologies (2005, 2009, 2010, 2014). Monica released her debut short story collection, The Devil in Us, in October 2014. Monica is a frequent presence on NPR, and serves as a speaker and teacher for organizations such as Georgetown University, the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ), London Food Blogger’s Connect, and the Smithsonian Institution. Her sixth book, A Life of Spice, released on April 27th, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 4, 2020
A Life of Spice is a collection of food-centric essays from an Indian-American writer. Most of these previously appeared in publications like Bon Appetit, Eating Well, etc. The author grew up in Bahrain but now lives in the US and in this collection she shares her lifelong experiences and love for food. She has many associations of food & family, which really stuck a chord with me. Memories of meals with grandparents... longing for family recipes... Bhide made my mouth water with descriptions of traditional Indian dishes from her childhood. We eat a lot of food from the Indian sub-continent in our house since my husband is from Pakistan so I could very much picture the meals she described. I also really enjoyed the essays on specific spices such as cardamom and turmeric, which included suggestions for usage of these spices.
I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads Giveaway. Thank you!
I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads Giveaway. Thank you!
April 27, 2015
I am so happy to be in possession of another book by Monica Bhide as I can never get enough of her writing. Her prose is so accurate that you can smell, even taste the food she describes without it ever passing your lips: a rare talent.
In A Life of Spice, Bhide treats us to a collection of stories and articles about her personal love affair with food and we really feel that we've been let into her secret world as she transmits her memory and insight to us. This is not a recipe book, but at the end of each section Bhide talks about a spice, each one beautifully illustrated by the hugely talented photographer Simi Jois. Here Bhide demystifies them as she goes giving us the courage to open our spice cupboard up and use what is inside to create our own versions of her memories and anecdotes.
It's hard to pick a favorite amongst these stories which are as jewel-like as Jois's photographs. But I must say that 'A Day in Paris' in which Bhide describes her experiences on a cooking course in the French capital speaks to me as an ex-resident of that city and an alumnus of such courses. We get a beautiful illustration of the fun-loving character of the writer that makes us want to meet her.
I rarely give five-star reviews but this book is now the favorite Bhide on my shelf and I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever eaten anything.
(Disclosure: author provided ARC in return for an honest review.)
In A Life of Spice, Bhide treats us to a collection of stories and articles about her personal love affair with food and we really feel that we've been let into her secret world as she transmits her memory and insight to us. This is not a recipe book, but at the end of each section Bhide talks about a spice, each one beautifully illustrated by the hugely talented photographer Simi Jois. Here Bhide demystifies them as she goes giving us the courage to open our spice cupboard up and use what is inside to create our own versions of her memories and anecdotes.
It's hard to pick a favorite amongst these stories which are as jewel-like as Jois's photographs. But I must say that 'A Day in Paris' in which Bhide describes her experiences on a cooking course in the French capital speaks to me as an ex-resident of that city and an alumnus of such courses. We get a beautiful illustration of the fun-loving character of the writer that makes us want to meet her.
I rarely give five-star reviews but this book is now the favorite Bhide on my shelf and I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever eaten anything.
(Disclosure: author provided ARC in return for an honest review.)
January 9, 2016
I love this book. It really opens up my mind about culture and how food shapes it up.
August 11, 2018
A delightful read. And I so resonated with the author’s cooking style - always by aroma, sound, texture, and approximation - but never (hardly ever) by tasting as one cooks, just as I learned from my mom. Then I realized that this is probably for the same passed-down-over-many-generations cultural reason as the author!
And the photographs are lovely!
And the photographs are lovely!
April 27, 2015
With a lot of passion and deep knowledge of culture and food stories, Monica Bhide creates a world where spices are part of life and even life itself. This aromated collection of short storie are partly auto-biographic, partly careful reconstructions of cultural histories, written with the dedication of someone that knows, dreams, and smells her domain. I had the priviledge to read the first draft of her collection of short stories and also her regular foodie blog posts, but at the end of this new book I felt that Monica deeply found her voice with this volume of stories, because every single histories shares with the readers a part of herself and generously telling stories plays such a big part of her process of becoming a writer. This new collection by Monica Bhide is strongly recommended to anyone interested in culture, history, food research but also in good writing and inspiring life stories. Having the priviledge of becoming a copy in advance of the book, at the end of the lecture I had the sad feeling that I want to read more and thus, I cannot wait for a new pleasant writing surprise from this very talented and generous writer.
August 27, 2015
It's not very often that you find a writer whose essays read like best-selling fiction. Whether I was transported to the Alps while reading "A Deep Red" or practically smelling the sizzling spices in "Save Your Recipes Before It's Too Late," I was in another world while reading this book -- a world that was a bit exotic, and yet relevant. I recommend A Life of Spice to readers who enjoy food, stories, lessons, and love. This remarkable book has all that -- and more.
April 30, 2015
Books like these keep the creative culinary alive. Its not a cookbook like the traditional ones. Its full of soul-satisfying food memories, its beautiful to browse with gorgeous and stunning pictures by Simi (I think this is a must when its about food). She is always inspiring and never fails to reinvent the wheel in new and creative ways. Try this one and I am sure you will be hooked.
June 13, 2018
As an expat Indian living in the United States, I read this book during the first couple of years after I moved. I remember crying and feeling deeply touched by the stories in it. Bhide's writing created a cocoon and I think, even my crying was a remembrance. It felt like a precious, familiar feeling.
Like many other expats, food is one of my links back home and I especially love recreating the dishes of my childhood, like the Punjabi kadhi my mother makes, even if it takes a long time. So, food is a very evocative topic for me. In this book, I also loved the way Monica Bhide talked about larger things - such as what is real cooking, how to pass on your love of food to your children and what authenticity means (a topic that comes up for me often - as a non-traditional person living outside my country, for me, authentic cooking is not just about recreating dishes that were part of my childhood but also picking up and incorporating new things and sometimes changing up the old)
This is a lovely book. Food is about memories. If you are not Indian but love to cook, it will give you an insight into the thought process that food-loving North Indians have and how we approach food. If you an expat, you will find a feeling of homecoming in this book.
Like many other expats, food is one of my links back home and I especially love recreating the dishes of my childhood, like the Punjabi kadhi my mother makes, even if it takes a long time. So, food is a very evocative topic for me. In this book, I also loved the way Monica Bhide talked about larger things - such as what is real cooking, how to pass on your love of food to your children and what authenticity means (a topic that comes up for me often - as a non-traditional person living outside my country, for me, authentic cooking is not just about recreating dishes that were part of my childhood but also picking up and incorporating new things and sometimes changing up the old)
This is a lovely book. Food is about memories. If you are not Indian but love to cook, it will give you an insight into the thought process that food-loving North Indians have and how we approach food. If you an expat, you will find a feeling of homecoming in this book.
October 4, 2017
funny when I signed up for this giveaway this free Paperback book the cover and the write-up inspired me to cook an Indian dish. then when I won this gem I was thinking to myself, 'the secret sure does work'!
February 5, 2018
Not really up my alley yet she is an excellent writer and the cultural explorations are interesting.
April 6, 2017
Delightful! Anyone who likes cooking, travel, Indian culture or happy family dynamics will enjoy this series of essays and newspaper columns by a talented writer.
August 26, 2015
A Life of Spice is a collection of food essays that range in tone from highly personal (Bhide's account of her father’s escape from Multan during the Partition of India starts the book off) to light and humourous (“Is the Food Better If the Kitchen is Glamorous?”) and I have to admit that I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put the book down.
The essays exude a personal touch – you get to know Bhide and her family and friends – but food is the bonding ingredient. Some of the essays focus on Bhide's cultural background (Indian) and her adaptation to American foods (these essays are among my favourites in the book), while others talk about her relationship with food writing and cooking.
Interspersed with the essays are snippets about Bhide's favourite spices, including Fennel Seeds and Star Anise. Bhide talks about why she loves the spice and then gives suggestions on different ways to incorporate it into your cooking.
More than just a collection of food essays, A Life of Spice is a look into Bhide's life and how food plays an integral part in it and it’s a wonderful journey.
The essays exude a personal touch – you get to know Bhide and her family and friends – but food is the bonding ingredient. Some of the essays focus on Bhide's cultural background (Indian) and her adaptation to American foods (these essays are among my favourites in the book), while others talk about her relationship with food writing and cooking.
Interspersed with the essays are snippets about Bhide's favourite spices, including Fennel Seeds and Star Anise. Bhide talks about why she loves the spice and then gives suggestions on different ways to incorporate it into your cooking.
More than just a collection of food essays, A Life of Spice is a look into Bhide's life and how food plays an integral part in it and it’s a wonderful journey.
October 7, 2015
Poignant. I had to hold back the tears many times. Monica knows how to grip your heart and make you listen. Every story is a gem with a priceless lesson to learn. Very inspiring. I have read all the stories again and again. My favorite is "Why I Don't Cook for My Parents".
October 22, 2020
I should have read the description of the book more carefully before starting it. I had been expecting something more like a memoir and not a series of previously published articles and blog posts. Because I hadn't been prepared for that, I had been unprepared for some stories to be repeated from one "chapter" to the next. I also wasn't a fan of the pacing/formatting of the book.
I did like her descriptions of the food and of India; I would love to buy a ticket right now and go experience a lot of the culture and food she discusses.
Disclaimer: I received this via a Goodreads Giveaway.
I did like her descriptions of the food and of India; I would love to buy a ticket right now and go experience a lot of the culture and food she discusses.
Disclaimer: I received this via a Goodreads Giveaway.
December 6, 2017
Reminded me of my grandmother's collection of essays written for the local paper and various writing groups. Her food descriptions are lovely, and the book is a sweet little palate cleanser.
May 10, 2015
Bhide manages to find and describe not only the scents and tastes of the food that fills her memories, but the music of it as well. In this incredibly well-crafted collection of essays, Bhide shows us how food is the link that ties all of us together and explores how it enhances and magnifies our emotions and experiences. She discovers the melody that food and spices play and amplifies it so we can see and hear it. Bhide has lived an extraordinary life - from the Middle East to India to the US, which in itself is fascinating. Blend that with her depth of insight about how food is a driving life force in our experiences and you have an outstanding book of essays. I could not put this down. I would finish one essay and think "wow" and have to move on to the next. Her essays show that food is a piece of magic we are lucky to consume every single day.
May 4, 2015
Beautifully crafted book, indepth and warmth oozing narrative topped with mesmerizing pictures that no doubt added life to the spices.
Very impressive, would like to read more books by Monica. I was expecting more pictures to accompany the narrative, to provide visual effect to the narrative. Exceptional stories entwined with indian flavours/memoirs and creative shots of spices, photography by Simi Jois was stunning and left me craving for more.
A must read for foodies who are reading bugs like me. If you are an indian, it will bring back so many memories, if you are a non-indian, it will provide you with taste of indian culture.
Monica and Simi - great team and very beautifully done.
Saba
Very impressive, would like to read more books by Monica. I was expecting more pictures to accompany the narrative, to provide visual effect to the narrative. Exceptional stories entwined with indian flavours/memoirs and creative shots of spices, photography by Simi Jois was stunning and left me craving for more.
A must read for foodies who are reading bugs like me. If you are an indian, it will bring back so many memories, if you are a non-indian, it will provide you with taste of indian culture.
Monica and Simi - great team and very beautifully done.
Saba
May 4, 2015
This is an amazing piece of work that brings beautiful memories of indian delicacies and tingling in taste buds. It truly exhibits the author's love and passion for food and her incredible style of sharing her thoughts with great stories. What attracted me most in this book were the enticing pictures that are so real and add so much meaning and value to the book itself making it a very interesting read. The spices had never been presented so beautifully before with the lively pictures! The creativity and imagination of photographer Simi Jois is incredible. The photography keeps you hooked to the book and make you fall in love one more time with the indian food and culture. I am grateful to Monica Bhinde and Simi Jois for their magnificent work and rekindling the love for indian spices :)
June 21, 2016
A pleasant read that is mostly forgettable. I enjoyed it, though not as much as I enjoyed her fiction.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews