Masala Farm by Suvir Saran — think Dévi in Manhattan — is one of the best cookbook reads we have had this year. And we really mean READ. Full of wonderful, seasonally and locally inspired recipes, Masala Farm is also a chronicle of Saran’s life on the upstate New York organic and sustainable farm he shares with his partner Charlie Burd — American Masala Farm. Rightly presented within the context of the four seasons, it is peppered with stories about the farm and its inhabitants (both two and four-legged), Saran and Burd’s upstate community rich in fellow farmers and makers of some of the best food in the state if not the United States, and the joys of country life for these long-time city dwellers. Ben Fink’s photographs are gorgeous, Saran’s words are captivating and personal and remind us that food is about so much more than just sustenance. Masala Farm is a feast for the eyes, the stomach and the soul — its such a pleasure to have this peek into their world.
Masala Farm (Chronicle Books, 2011) www.masalafarm.com