Anyone who has read a good book knows that the right words can transport you into another world so perfectly that you can see its colours, smell its flowers and almost taste its foods. For sisters chef-mixologist duo Shachi and Kriti Srivastava, the joy is in doing the opposite – creating food and drinks so perfectly rooted in the world of their favourite books that book discussions at their book club-cum-supper club ‘Book-a-Table’ gain a whole new dimension. This weekend, they’re set to do so with Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy. “You experience a book in a particular and intimate manner, and here, you hear many different perspectives. Readers are always empaths, so you go back feeling richer because of the conversation, and your tummy is full too,” says Kriti, who is also a professor.
For this event, based on Seth’s bestselling novel, whose young characters are trying to find their footing in a newly independent India, Shachi, a lawyer by profession, says she is ‘excited to sink my teeth into Indian food history and the part of Indian cuisine that exists because of the British Raj.’ She explains, “The book’s world is between Awadh and Bengal, with Lata’s brother, Arun, and sister-in-law residing in Calcutta. Arun is obsessed with the British to the extent that he looks down upon fellow Indians, despite being one himself. Daak Bangla chicken as a dish came to exist because of British officers posted in remote circuit houses along the railway route, with local chefs preparing this dish for them with Indian flavours. And dimer devil is a fun, Bengali take on the British pub snack, scotch eggs, which I thought would find a place on Arun’s dinner table, if he were ever hosting his British colleagues at home!”
While these examples may be of meat delicacies, Kriti reassures that vegetarians don’t have to fear missing out because if the way they approach curating their menus – for A Suitable Boy, but also the two previous events they’ve hosted focused on Butter by Asako Yuzuki and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series. “Vegetarian menus are made first and the non-vegetarian food comes after because it’s usually the other way around,” she says.
Apart from the food and engaging conversation, the duo also goes all out with their decor. For Butter they transformed the home into a Japanese-style Izakaya (informal gastropub). For Bridgerton, the decor and menu both were a recreation of a classic afternoon tea party. Kriti adds, “We also send our guests home with a small gift so they can continue the experience a little longer – homemade miso butter and honey chill butter for the Butter-themed event and cute mini scones for Bridgerton-theme.”
Since they started these events three months ago, hosting an event each month with a different book and menu at its centre, they’ve slowly but surely grown. “This started because we are both book lovers and foodies who love to host friends and family. When we recently got a place in HSR Layout, we suddenly had the time and place to constantly have people over. Being Bengaluru girls, a lot of our friends have moved away so this has become a way to make like-minded friends too,” says Shachi, adding with a laugh, “At first, we had to bully friends and acquaintances into coming, but now, almost all of our attendees are new faces!”
(The event is priced at ₹2,000 per person. More details, @book_a_table on Instagram)