If you ever harbour the dream of winning a Nobel Prize award for your achievements, it would be a good idea to learn how to fix yourself a proper meal first. It is surely something world-class economist and Nobel Prize winner Abhijeet Banerjee would recommend. Abhijeet, 60, who won Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Esther Duflo and Michael Kemer in the year 2019, has donned a new role, that of a cookbook author. In his latest cookbook titled ‘Cooking To Save Your Life’, Banerjee lists some of his favourite recipes that he would cook himself for his family, colleagues and students, and presents it with a side of humour, cutting-edge social commentary and illustrations by French illustrator Cheyenne Olivier.
Published by Juggernaut, Abhijeet’s cookbook is closely associated with his work as an economist. Every chapter starts with an introduction, there are hilarious categories for recipes, such as masala chips flavoured with minced onions and green chillies which for Banerjee is the ideal recipe for guests you have to invite even though you despise them with all your heart. Cooking for yourself is very different from cooking for others, this is when a deeply personal activity becomes a social mission. How you fare, how you want to create an impression, all of these factors are dealt with in a light and fascinating manner by the social scientist.
Abhijeet’s love for cooking isn’t new, he has been cooking since he was a 15 years old boy in Kolkata. In his latest cookbook, he also focuses on giving very detailed and specific instructions, replete with humour, steering clear of generic statements you often find in cookbooks, something that has bothered him since his college days wherein he had to do most of the cooking himself.
Simple Indian food and its magic also find a dedicated spot in the book. The author may have spent a significant part of his life offshores, but that has only made him appreciate the value of Dal, an Indian lentil dish made with a hot tempering of spices, even more. Equally comforting to him are soups, salads and pasta, multiple recipes of which make it to the book, along with recipes of fiery hot foods from the streets. From Ambur Biryani, Andhra Pork Ribs to Charred Avocado and Orange Avocado and Asparagus salad, the recipe book is one versatile package that is now available online and in selected Indian bookstores.