Hospitality is a hallmark of South Asia that I have enthusiastically embraced wherever life has taken me. The world of diplomacy revolves around forging connections, and I encouraged my husband to invite people home. Sometimes the dinner table was a more relaxed place to resolve issues that were challenging to navigate in the hallowed halls of the United Nations.

Home entertaining is not for everyone. People with fully staffed establishments have conniptions over an extra couple joining them for a meal. Others I know will gladly host ten in a studio apartment and be having fun the whole time. I was always so engrossed in hosting that I never really stopped to think what I was doing until Covid-19 suddenly disrupted life, as we knew it. Discovering the trail of that experience compelled me to honor, through food and remembrances, the people who have come through my life. In this work, experiences, dishes, and people mingle in an assemblage that I hope captures the fusion of our life.

Most of the recipes here are staples that saw me through the busiest times, made in bulk for a formal gathering, and then stored, ready to be defrosted for undergrads arriving off the Chinatown bus. South Asian cuisine caters to households bursting at the seams. But beyond the recipes, I also hope to impart an outlook on connections and entertaining at home.