Outtakes from a cookbook

In my mid-20s I was involved in the production of several cookbooks behind the scenes. That helped start a love for food. I helped to write and photograph a cookbook for an international hotel chain's Dubai restaurants, which had all types of cuisines (their Thai chef also taught me how to cook the Thai food I now love cooking). Later, I helped a Thai-Punjabi restauranteur publish a cookbook for their restaurant in Pattaya.

These were the outtakes from some of these projects.

The essential ingredient in many cuisines, garlic.

The best part about any cookbook project: going to the market.

To make good chai, start with good milk.

I love those steel cups.

Spices are the variety of life.