Of the scores of personal cookery books collected over the years, the Pondicherry kitchen will occupy Special Place: for being authentic, precise, informative and with a stamp of class and authority about it. I salute the lady who wrote this book originally for her own family and friends. Those from the universal family looking for an authentic and reliable work will find just the never fail friend in this book. My own culinary journey of discovering Pondicherry cooking has just begun, and it has been fun, the reading and visualising, the work itself, the mmmm aromas that emanate during the process, leading to delectable outcomes. Nandri Lourdes Amma. Merci beaucoup!