The Chowpatty Cooking Club by Lubaina Bandukwala

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My museum studies have influenced me positively to be a little more curious of the 1940s. What could have been the state of affairs world wide? What did people feel, do, see, or think? On the tours that I guide, I move from one Gallery to the next saying, the 1940s were troublesome years. While the world was dealing with war at the far end of the Universe, Indians were also fighting for freedom.
The CCC talks of close knit families cooking and sharing recipes with each other. What a sweet concept. As a child, I grew up in one such Bangalore neighborhood and this cooking club revived faint memories.
This book was obviously a natural choice. It is epistolary in nature. I like this format of writing. They make for quick chapters and quick enough action. It is a super simple book and the inspiration behind it, noteworthy. If a new reader needed a suggestion, this would be a good choice - it's short, sweet and entertaining enough.
Saying that, I took so many days to finish it. Travel and life happened and reading was pushed down the priority list. I also felt that the story dragged a bit much. I would have liked a little more action, a little more adult involvement of what really was happening. I do understand that this is quite a children's book, but I would have liked the Cooking Club to remain the hero of the story rather than shifting the importance to another character.
Overall, it's a nice one time read and can actually be finished in a single sitting with 100% concentration and a cuppa.

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