TALK DESCRIPTION

At seventeen, when I was living in a semi-cloistered convent in south India, I got my first taste of Christmas. A Hindu by birth, I had spent my whole life until then in the Muslim Middle East and had yet to experience a true Christmas. As a boarder at the convent, I observed that year-round the nuns did not think twice about the food, perhaps looking to it just for essential nutrition. But the first Christmas I was there, I noticed them fussing and fawning over sweet coconut and savory rice, trying to feed us the perfect meal.

This experience has stayed with me so I created a presentation that journeys through spiritual India via its foods. It is about food cultures that religions create. Simmered lentils, unleavened breads and ghee-laden whole wheat halwa feed hundreds each day at the Sikh’s Golden Temple while the malida, beaten rice with coconut and fruits, is a tradition practiced by the tiny Jewish Indian community of India. The beautiful ceremony of preparing malido (a dish with cashews and wheat) is hidden in the depths of Parsee temples while the celebrations of kebabs for Eid line the streets of Mumbai.

Come join me as I lead you through the religions of India by way of India’s sacred foods.

Monica Bhide bio
Equal parts storyteller and globe-trotter, Monica Saigal Bhide, an award-winning author, accomplished literary coach, and educator with over 15 years of experience, transcends countless borders—chronological, geographical, religious, and economical—to inspire her readers. Born in New Delhi, raised in the Middle East, and now residing outside Washington, D.C., she currently serves as a corporate storyteller for one of the world’s leading professional services companies. Her prolific portfolio, enriched by the many places she calls home, channels a distinctly cosmopolitan worldview.

Monica’s words, which have appeared on renowned platforms including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Town & Country, among others, are a collection of culture-driven articles that approach the world food first. Her books, all infused with a signature lyricism, consist of acclaimed cooking compendiums, like 2009’s Modern Spice, brimming with contemporary versions of traditional Indian recipes. Her debut short story collection, The Devil in Us, a clutch of spellbinding tales centered on fate and fortune, earned a spot on Amazon’s bestseller list in 2015, while her more recent novel, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken, which explores the healing power of food, led NPR’s café in Washington, D.C., to serve up creations inspired by her protagonist chef.