While most Indian cookbooks feature the cuisine of Northern India, here is an introduction to the flavourful, and predominantly vegetarian, dishes of Southern India, particularly the Madras region. Over 100 recipes for tempting appetisers, chutneys, rice dishes, vegetables and stews -- flavoured with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and delicate spices in varying combinations -- have been adapted for the western kitchen. Clear instructions along with an introduction to Indian spices ensure that even novice cooks can produce delicious, authentic meals.
Alamelu Vairavan resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A native of South India, Alamelu has developed a deep interest in promoting healthful cooking to the public using spices, legumes and Indian cooking techniques.
Alamelu has co-authored three cook books with her friend Dr. Patricia Marquardt, including Healthy South Indian Cooking-Expanded Edition 2008. She has also published a book: Chettinad Kitchen- Food and Flavours from South India (Westland Publishers,New Delhi, 2011). A fifth book: Healing Spices by Bharat Aggarwal and Debora Yost (Sterling Pub. 2011) features some of Alameu's recipes.
Alamelu spreads her passion for healthful cooking through classes offered in a number of venues including community outreach programs at hospitals, universities and libraries. She also conducts private group cooking classes and corporate team building events for companies including GE Healthcare, Johnson Controls and Manpower International.
Alamelu has also been hosting a cooking TV series titled, " Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu", on Milwaukee Public Television. In this series she demonstrates some of the recipes found in her book: Healthful South Indian Cooking- Expanded Edition. Originally shown in Wisconsinin 2011, the series has been aired in many other parts of the US later. You can watch the videos of some episodes by visiting www.mptv.org. In the summer of 2011, Alamelu has recorded 13 more episodes in the series that are expected to be aired in 2012.
If you think kids have difficulty enjoying vegetables think again! Alamelu offers simple and easy to follow recipes that result in aromatic and flavorful foods. Kids will find the vegetable dishes irresistble. Even vegetable haters will be tranformed to vegetable lovers. In her book, she also presents deliclious non-vegetarian recipes and flavored rice dishes.
Besides her own recent TV series, Alamelu has also been featured on numerous national and regional TV shows, radio programs and print media inclhding PBS, Discovery Channel, CBS, NBC, FOX, The Los Angels Times, USA Today and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. In 2009, she presented a workshop titled, Enticing Indian Flavors, at The James Beard Foundation in New York. She has also been featured as a celebrity chef in national Food and Wine events.
Additional information about Alamelu and her culinary activities can be found at www.curryonwheels.com . She also maintains a blog (spice of life) at a community web site: www.whitefishbaynow.com .
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