My Cookbook Shelf

Most of us in Goa start our culinary journey very young, probably leaning over the stove in our home kitchen with our mum sharing prized family ‘recipes’ with us comprising of vague  cues of  ‘a handful of this’ and ‘a pinch of that’.  Today recreating those drool worthy dishes seem like a daunting task, the nostalgic flavors and nuances often still as elusive as ever. So I turned to cookbooks.  These days they seem to be the answer to all of life’s questions, Cook-books have always intrigued and seduced me. Even the dull ones, I can read them from cover to cover, the way you would crime or thriller novels.

Anyway, here is a compilation of books with Goan recipes and food traditions, many of which I have read and used, some of which I haven’t. My favorite has to be Goan Cookbook by Joyce Fernandes, the dog eared pages of my copy a testament to the reading, re-reading and drooling- Love  cooking the recipes, they are both authentic and fairly well written. Deepa Suhas Awchat’s coffee table-esque book titled ‘The Goa Portuguesa Cookbook’ is another favorite with its gorgeous food photography. 

Which books and recipes are your favorites? Do you have a book I don’t know about? Looking forward to your comments, would love to know your thoughts and experiences with these books in our quest to capture the essence of Goan Cuisine. Happy Reading.

100 Easy to make Goan Dishes; by Jennifer Fernandes

A Day In A Goan Kitchen; by Ivo Coutinho 

A Taste Of Class; by Vera D'costa

A Taste Of Goa; by Beryl Vieira Coutinho

Aaswad; by Aruna Thaly

Cozinha de Goa: History and tradition of Goan Food;by Fatima da Silva Gracias

Delights of Goa; by Alda Figueiredo

Goan Cookbook; by Joyce Fernandes

Goan Fenny Cocktails; By Francisco A. Gracias

Goan Mango Dishes; By Nilima M. Kamat

Goan Recipes and More:The Culinary Heritage of Goa;by Odette Mascarenhas

Home Style Cuisine; by Joyce Fernandes

Ishtann: Best of Goan Saraswat Cuisine; by Padma Mahale

Successful Goan Home Wines;by Edwin Saldanha

Tasty Goan Morsels - Goan Food Ingredients & Preparation; by Maria De Lourdes Bravo Da Costa Rodrigues

The Authentic Goa Cookbook; by  Deepa Suhas Awchat

The Best Of Goan Cooking; by Gilda Mendonsa

The Essential Cookery Book Of Goan, Indian Chinese & Continental Recipes;by Berta Pereira,

The Essential Goa Cookbook; by Maria Teresa Menezes

The Goa Portuguesa Cookbook; by Deepa Suhas Awchat

The Goa Travel Adventure Cookbook; by Zubin D'souza

Dear  bookshelf of the wall, which is the best Goan cookbook of them all? (Couldn't resist that one!)