Rick’s thoughts from India

19.07.2013

We’re now very close to the end of Rick’s Indian adventure so we thought it was time for a little ‘behind the scenes’ info from the man himself.Rick Stein with India book

Here’s a guest blog from Rick:

I was always going to make a film and write a cookery book about India, I started going there in the early 80s and over the years I’ve developed quite an addition to curry. So after the success of another of my favourite parts of the world, South East Asia in Far Eastern Odyssey, the search for the perfect curry was on!

Encouraged, I have to say; by the knowledge that curry is one of the UK’s favourite foods, I thought a cookery book which tried to demystify curry recipes might have a place in a lot of people’s kitchens. With the book topping Amazon’s best seller list and getting a five star rating, I may well have been proved right!

The filming too was a labour of love. David Pritchard, the director, and I tried to present India warts and all. As I’ve said in the book, you can’t walk down a street there without being aware of an assault on the senses; the heat, the dust, the beggars, the slums, the poverty and the sheer pressure of people everywhere – but also the riot of colour, the friendship of everyone, the feeling that wherever you go, despite the appalling problems of this vast country, you never really feel threatened by anyone.

In the end though, there’s a realisation that you can’t really change anything so you might as well celebrate what you find to love, because there is so much to love in India.

My problem now is what to do next, India was rather overwhelming!

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