Of rhymes and recipes: The Poetic Chef by Ruvina Singh is an illustrated cookbook of easy gourmet dishes!

A book is an exemplary case of epiphany. In hundreds of page flips, it can sketch a narrative or even nostalgia, which at first is personal to the author but goes on to become so for the reader as well. A similar sentiment follows me for a lingering few hours after I have leafed through chef-author Ruvina Singh’s The Poetic Chef — essentially a cookbook of food and cocktail recipes, each spelled with a quirky twist. In rhyming poetry. 

The epiphany in Ruvina’s case is her fervent passion for food. Recipes with an ambrosial history. But made with effortless variations. “I bring to you recipes tested and tried. If cooking’s your forte or just have to provide. A meal on the table for guests 4 or 5. These are recipes to rustle up on the fly,” divulges Ruvina in her book, lyrically so.

Dotted with vivid watercolour illustrations from the cover to the inside pages, bright colours and pictorial revelry come alive in The Poetic Chef, pieced together by The Wander Ink. The sheer beauty of the cookbook is portrayed in its assemblage of recipes that address every culinary expectation on the table. Think soups, salads, mains, some sides, desserts and luscious cocktails! A former teacher, coach, consultant with a degree in Clinical Psychology, Ruvina’s recipe book is a world beyond the realities of chaos. It is savoury, sweet and intimate, all at the same time.

A few personal favourite illustrations indicate the goodness of Shepherd’s Pie (in the mains section) and the prawn Cocktail (in salads and starters section). While the fruity yet heady Pina Colada recipe pulls for attention, the graphic portrayal of New York Sour, that may as well be the indulgent potion for you in the New Year is convincing — some whiskey bourbon or rye, lemon juice, maple syrup, a dash of orange bitters, egg white and red wine. And you’re all set to sip and savour!

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