Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I am Indian and a chef with Indian heritage.
I love animals, but I don't think I can have pets.
Beer is such an integral part of the Indian culture.
Nashville is coming up to be an amazing foodie city.
Do something you love and people will love you for it.
There are no failures in life: only learning opportunities.
The cow is sacred, and as a result, most Indians do not eat beef.
I usually always cook all the chutneys that I serve in the winter.
At the end of the day, walk away feeling proud of what you have achieved.
A very important part of life is growth - I need to learn things every day.
Pizza is a great segue into unfamiliar flavors - plus, you can pile on the veggies.
When I went to Nashville, everyone was so nice. Even the TSA agents are nice there.
My husband and I grew up in India, so saag and tikka sauces are very nostalgic for us.
Summer chutneys, to me, are those that are light and usually involve almost no cooking.
My mantra in life is 'nothing ventured, nothing gained,' and I very strongly stick by it.
In India, the perception of a woman in a restaurant kitchen was that she wouldn't make it.
Everybody tries so hard to pair wines with Indian food, and it has never been a natural marriage.
I was really impressed with the dining scenes and how amazing the culinary scene is in Nashville.
You are in school, and you hear about 'Iron Chef' and think, 'One day, I have to be on 'Iron Chef.'
If I have the perfect meal and I'm with the person I love most - what more can you want out of life?
Restaurants are a much easier way to introduce Americans to a culture than getting them into museums.
There is no substitute for hard work, and the most important thing is the belief that you can succeed.
I love working in the kitchen, but when that's the only thing you're doing, you have a very myopic view.
A lot of people have this misconception that Indian food means heavy curries and complicated procedures.
It is a lot easier to stay focused and keep your head above water when you are pursuing your ultimate dreams!
Indian spices can find a place in any cuisine. It's just a matter of opening your mind and palate to new flavors.
For my first restaurant, I wanted to do something very special and close to my heart. Nashville felt like the place.
A perfect chutney needs patience. If you are cooking it, cook it on a low flame; the flavors come out the best that way.
My husband, Vivek Deora - he is very meticulous about cooking, and slowly and lovingly makes his family recipes, handed down generations.
I make a Bloody Mary at home with a dash of fish sauce, a little bit of coconut, and some lime juice. It gives the cocktail some South Asian flair.
Every time I come to India - where I have grown up - if I spent 20 years in this country, I will never be able to uncover all of the hidden jewels.
This may sound corny, but I really admire my husband, Vivek Deora, as a businessman because I am amazed by how he conducts business internationally.
The crown of lamb has always been a quintessential Christmas dish, and growing up in India, we would read about lamb when learning about the holiday.
I find inspiration in each and every person that I cross paths with. Every human being I interact with offers me a significant insight on some aspect of life.
If there is a situation, I try to take a step back, cool down, and solve the problem. Flipping out, freaking out, and being very rude about it is not going to help.
I could easily pen an entire novel on why I love this city, and believe me, I am a lifelong advocate of the Big Apple, yet somehow Nashville weaved its magic around me.
The rich diversity of the cuisine in Nashville is something that I'm incredibly proud of, and I think Tansuo will find a worthy place in Music City's culinary landscape.
Becoming the first Indian woman to compete on Food Network's 'Iron Chef' and 'Next Iron Chef' was really a great accomplishment and led to my spot as a judge on 'Chopped.'
There is absolutely no path you can choose in life that will not include challenges or blocks. These are important because they are what make you appreciate your successes.
Southern India has an abundance of coconut, so the coconut chutney hails from there. Eastern India Bengal produces mustard oil, which is used in its traditional tomato chutney.
The youthful vibe Nashville exudes is intoxicating and contagious, especially amongst the culinary scene, which lures so many great young chefs to places like City House and Rolf and Daughters.
My decision to open my first restaurant in Nashville was born from my heart. From the moment I stepped foot in Music City, I have had a love affair with the people and burgeoning culinary scene.
While I appreciate what goes into making high-end Indian dishes, street food has a special place in my heart. Being raised in India, street food played an integral part in my life while growing up.
A lot of people are still very afraid of spice. A lot of them don't know how to use the full potential of spice. I hope to make them more comfortable using spice and able to add it to their cooking.
There is so much more than ingredients that go into home cooking. A home-cooked meal includes so much love and recipes that have been passed down through generations, and that is what I truly appreciate.
As soon as you enter Rajasthan, you are hit with colors. It's such a sensory experience. You see women in bright pink and yellow saris, camels pulling carts, historic forts - history on each and every corner.
I love Pushkar because of the Pushkar Fair, which happens every fall - it's this camel festival, with ornately-dressed camels, camel races. But the reason I truly love this city is the Hindu mythology behind it.
When I was in India, I felt like being a full-time chef was a very unique career path. It was quite the contrast from the traditional fields like engineering and medicine and not necessarily considered a full time profession.
My husband and I went to Venice, Italy, for our first-year anniversary and spent a day on the Island of Burano. There, we had lunch at the famed Trattoria al Gatto Nero da Ruggero - one of the most incredible meals of our lives.
Only one thing is certain: every time I return to New York from Nashville, I walk down the streets with a silly grin, just smiling at everyone I see and, more often than not, receiving a suspicious glance in return... but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way, y'all!