“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future”.

Steve Jobs – Inventor, co-founder and CEO of Apple

It’s been one year since I launched my cookbook and four seasons have passed. My book launch was an amazing experience for me and also from what I hear from people who attended the launch, it was an amazing experience for them too.

When I look back on my journey of writing my cookbook, what I started of with was only my gut instinct and a strong sense of belief in myself that I would complete this 90+ recipes cookbook. There were many times I felt so unsure whether I would be able to complete the job I had started. Many questions were surfacing in my mind everyday for example, my hectic work schedule, my family, my social life, my pets, my hobbies, it was all a daunting and shaky beginning. Further, I had never written a cookbook before and therefore I had a particular stake in making it the kind of cookbook that my readers would recommend to their friends. Fortunately, I rose to the occasion and as weeks progressed I began to feel comfortable with how the book was progressing. I am eternally grateful to my team of critiques who critiqued my recipes and the finished dishes for the duration of my writing, which took almost 5 years from the conception of the idea to the final editing and printing stages. As an author and recipe developer, I heard a myriad of comments from “gosh… we are eating the same thing for the past four weeks”! to “this recipe should not go into the book”! to “this dish tastes great and why is this dish not going into the book”! Anyway, as the years rolled by, my desire to complete my book was ever growing. It felt a deep sense of relief when the book was finished, and to publish it was a total bonus as this book was meant to be a collection of regularly cooked recipes for my son and his family. Now when I see a cross section of people from around the globe cooking many of my recipes and sending me those beautiful photos of finished dishes, and so much positive feedback, I am beginning to think that the dots are somehow connecting.

As I flick through the months that have passed, in the first month after I published my book, I received terrific feedback from people who purchased copies of my book. Much of the feedback related to how much they liked the book because the recipes looked familiar and easy to understand. They further thought that some of the recipes reminded them of their mum’s cooking and they could not wait to cook from my book. Here’s what they had to say:

“The pictures of the delicious dishes in your book are superb. I would like to order a copy of your cookbook and would like it autographed”. – Vernon Da Fonseca

“And thank you for the very handsome book. A book to savour in its own right – let alone the recipes inside”. – Prof. Anne Benjamin (ACU)

Eleni M
“I would like to Congratulate Catherine Lavina on the lovely book she has created with beautiful recipes of traditional Indian cuisine. The book is full of lovely easy to read and understand recipes with steps and methods of cooking. It is filled with amazing photos and the layout is perfect. A very colourful and well-presented book that will inspire many of you to keep reading and cooking lovely recipes for your friends and family. Well done Catherine and good luck”.

Adam M
“I was kindly loaned your cookbook “Deliciously Indian” which I thoroughly enjoy. Congratulations on producing such a masterpiece. My main Indian cookbook I use is Charmaine Solomon’s “the complete Asian cookbook”, and same as my Dad which he has been using for decades. Your recipes are delicious and also very different to the style I am used to cooking. Well done on such a wonderful cookbook. Only the Charmaine Solomon cookbook have I had such a positive desire to cook all of the recipes inside; and now also yours”.

Pam F
“Congratulations on the successful launch of your “Deliciously Indian” Cookbook. I’m certain that many many people will want to keep this book not only as a reference but also to put to good use and prepare many sumptuous meals for their loved ones. The amount of hard work you have put in not only preparing the recipes and also showcasing it in the photographs is amply demonstrated. I look forward to presenting your books to my large family and you can know that we will enjoy working on these recipes”.

What’s happening in the next 12 months?

Here at Deliciously Indian I have very been busy developing many recipes. This time the recipes have been themed at Mumbai pub style dishes. In the coming months I will be releasing some of my favourite Mumbai pub style dishes and each of these recipes you will be able to recreate at home. Some of the dishes have already been published in the last two months. Check out my Recipes tab for details of these recipes.

I joined the Hungry Mangy Group in July 2020, a passionate foodie group which has in excess of 16,000 members. This is a group of people from Mangalorean/Indian background who are food, drinks, history, travel and garden enthusiasts. This site is a recipe vault and has a huge collection of recipes for food and drinks that are contributed from Mangalorean home chefs around the world on a minute by minute basis. Joahannes and Cindianne Rodrigues are the founders of this group which was established in 2019. I publish some of my recipes on the Hungry Mangy site and those recipes are also linked to my website www.deliciouslyindian.net and instagram page.

I am also hoping to live stream some of my recipes in the New Year. Fingers crossed!!

Looking forward to another great year of challenges and so saying I would like to wind up my first anniversary post with another of my favourite quotes from Steve Jobs

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”