"After graduating from the CIA, the chef started to develop a new Indian food brand created specifically for the American market. There are many signature dishes from the chef including his own brand of chutneys and spice rubs in this cookbook. Most of the recipes in the book use simple Indian cooking methods and ingredients. It has a detailed explanation of Indian cooking techniques, basic tips and a list of various spices which are predominantly used in Indian cooking." —Lite Bites blog
"Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and veteran cook at Swedish and French Manhattan restaurants, Nayak yearns to make Indian cuisine a more everyday option for American home cooks. […] He recommends equipment to optimize kitchen efficiency, and he offers more readily available substitutions wherever practical, carefully avoiding superfluous detail that might unnecessarily inhibit beginners. Recipes similarly shun complication. In so immense and diverse a land as India, regional variations occur, and Nayak includes some lesser-known traditions such as the cooking of Goa, where colonial heritage welcomes foods that are taboo in other parts of the nation." — Booklist
"Illustrated with mouth-watering full-color photography throughout, The Cafe Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals is a cookbook of East Indian cuisine inspired by author Hari Nayak's popular line of 'grab 'n go' Indian meals. A repository of Indian dishes that kitchen cooks of all skill and experience levels can make at home, using ingredients available at any supermarket or health food store, The Cafe Spice Cookbook also features a sizeable quantity of vegetarian and gluten-free recipes. Highly Recommended!" — Midwest Book Review
"Chef Hari Nayak reveals the ease and simplicity of preparing some of the most colorful, seemingly complex, delicious Indian Cuisine at home. Mystery solved!" — Derek Sarno; Global Chef, R&D, Product Development Whole Foods Market
"Hari Nayak is the bridge between the modern cuisine of India and today's conscious cook who love to prepare easy, quick, flavorful Indian dishes at home. His recipes are simple, delicious and beautiful." — Vikas Khanna; Michelin Starred Indian Chef, Host of Master Chef India, Restaurateur, Cookbook Writer and Filmmaker
"Indian food only looks difficult, but with this cookbook handy and Chef Hari's easy to follow recipes, one can prepare exotic and bistro kind of meal that is light and healthy, just at home. […] If you are looking for an Indian cookbook, where you want to recreate some simple homestyle and restaurant style food in less than an hour , then this is the One ! Friends and family are sure to rave about these dishes and extend a second helping with the recipes from the book." —Sandhya's Kitchen blog
"Hari Nayak's passion and pride in Indian food is evident in everything he does. His books sing a melodious song of harmony and skill which makes a sometimes daunting "Indian cuisine" seem effortless. His knowledge and techniques used are described perfectly with an ease focused understanding approach." — Maneet Chauhan, TV Personality and author of Flavors of My World
"Armed with his short introduction to a few simple traditional Indian cooking techniques, ingredients, and preparation of basic spice blends, it is easy to replicate these tasty Indian dishes in short order. Ready, set, naan." — Foreword Magazine
