Raji Cuisine : Indian Flavors, French Passion

"While mastering the art of French cooking," Raji Jallepalli writes in the introduction to her cookbook, Raji Cuisine: Indian Flavors, French Passion, "one learns to embrace the finesse, formality, control, and order of the classic restaurant cuisine that has evolved primarily through the hands of male chefs. In Indian cooking, you will find simple and quite ancient kitchen traditions laced with spontaneity, intense bouquets, and a very basic approach to preparing inviting meals that has evolved through the hands of women in the home kitchen." The food served at Restaurant Raji in Memphis, Tennessee, is a combination of the two methods. "In my kitchen," Jallepalli explains, "I retain the basic principles and balance of French cuisine while introducing the profound bouquets of Indian cooking."

Jallepalli divides her book into chapters that include hors d'oeuvres and appetizers, soups, salads and side dishes, meat, poultry, game, fish, vegetables, and desserts. She begins with Sevruga Caviar and Dal Blinis and ends with Chilled Mango-Saffron Soup. In between you'll find such dishes as Coconut Milk Soup with Lobster and Toasted Poppy Seeds, Veal Medallions Wrapped in Lotus Leaf, Tea-Smoked Quail with Hyderbad Biryani, and Lemongrass Sorbet with Sweet Spice Madeleines.

From the natural elegance of the recipes that Raji Jallepalli presents in Raji Cuisine (many of which are illustrated with beautiful color photographs) it would seem that these two threads of culinary tradition have been waiting to merge ever since the Age of Discovery first presented the possibility. Nothing seems forced or contrived. The masculine tradition of the French kitchen has gone home splashed with sandalwood and patchouli, forever changed. These are not every day recipes, but to plan a special dinner party around Raji Cuisine would truly spring a joyful surprise on the unsuspecting. --Schuyler Ingle