Times of India (June 1, 2012)
The Bong Mom
By Scott Haas
Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta is cooking up a storm. From her kitchen in New
Jersey, Sandeepa has conjured up Bengali dishes, written about the
culture of her origin, and attracted so huge a following from her blog
that Harper and Row, a top US publisher, contacted her to write a book.
Weaving together anecdotes, recipes, and stories, "The Bong Mom," is
drawing attention to a region and cuisine of India that are not well
known. Arriving in the United States about a decade ago, she has
acquired recognition quickly due to the quality and focus of her work.
In this interview, she talks about her recipes and other things.
Q: Tell me about the book.
A: Bong Mom's Cookbook. For one thing, it's not only recipes. Recipes
are a minor part. It's more of a food narrative about Bengali cuisine
stemming from what I write about in my blog. I'm a decent cook, not a
great cook, and there are many people like me who cook every day. It's
that food reminds me of certain experiences in my life. The food helps
tell the story.
Q: But not a memoir.
A: No, not at all! I don't have enough experience yet! I'm only thirty.
Q: Did you know, starting out, that in American English the word "bong"
refers to a pipe used to smoke marijuana?
A: No, not at all! But I realized after six months from the hits I was
getting that there were links to that topic! I asked myself: What is
this?
Q: Your background isn't in cooking.
A: Electrical engineering. My husband is actually a better cook than
me--very fastidious about it. He comes from a big family, watches the
Food Channel and The Food Network. Me? Cooking wasn't a priority. I was
dedicated instead to graduate school.
Q: So what changed for you?
A: After my first daughter was born, I gave up my job at AT&T. I wasn't
working, I started cooking. I didn't know about blogs. After my
daughter turned two, I returned to work part-time at Siemens, but still
had time to be at home. I found Indian food blogs. They were really
amazing!
Q: Why?
A: I didn't think that home-cooked food was worthwhile until then - the
recipes, the food, all very nicely done. It was a real inspiration.
Q: To bring attention to the cuisine of your home.
A: Right. There are not any good Bengali cookbooks in English, so I
also knew that what I was doing might be useful to Bengalis, like my
daughter, growing up in this country. There is a lot of fusion. I've
nothing against that, but you should at least know where things come
from.
Q: And you?
A: I was born a Brahmin, but we always ate meat. In Bengal, Brahmins,
unlike the rest of India, have that option. I married a non-Brahmin. My
husband's family, like many Bengalis, moved from Bangladesh to India.
Q: And your audience?
A: Most of the people who write to me are Indians, but recently a
certain number of North American people, many married to Bengalis, have
been writing in.
Q: In a few words, tell me about the food of Bengal.
A: Bengali food wasn't very popular outside the region until five or
six years ago. Now it's getting very popular. A major component is
fish. The pungent taste of mustard--lots of mustard oil and paste. A
sharpness. A slight undertone of sweetness. A certain idea: Neem
leaves, starting with something bitter. Little, tiny portions to
cleanse palates.
Q: And when you're not cooking at home? What's your opinion of Indian
restaurants in New Jersey and New York City, which is so close to you?
A: I'm not very happy about places I've been. My daughters love naans
and kebabs. I do not like the gravy dishes though I had a good curry
fish recently--maybe south Indian. I'm still in search of a good
restaurant.
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