Free Table of Contents: From Breakfast With Anita Diamant to Dessert With James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights From Today's Bestselling Authors by Judy Gelman, Vicki Levy Krupp

are like my children, each a labor of love in a different way. With each one I set myself a different kind of challenge. But perhaps because of that reason, I'm always a little fonder of the latest because it contains the most difficult challenge I could think of. For instance, in One Amazing Thing , I set myself the challenge of having the characters trapped in an office lobby with nowhere to go. I therefore had to work very hard to not let the setting get monotonous. I did this by describing in detail the many worlds of the stories being told.
    Books That Have Influenced My Writing A book that greatly influenced me when I began writing was Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior. Maxine also writes about the challenges of being an immigrant in America. Her book resonated with me and inspired me to try and tell the stories of my own people, immigrants 61 from India and their children growing up in America. Following are three recipes, each taken from a dish mentioned in one of my books, and modified to fit my lifestyle, one which requires balancing many roles. The first is an appetizer, the second a main dish, and the third a dessert. Together they constitute a well-rounded Indian vegetarian dinner.
A MAZINGLY E ASY P OTATO P ARATHAS ( A FAMILY RECIPE )
    Makes 4–6 servings
    Parathas appear in One Amazing Thing in the story of Jiang, a Chinese woman living in the city of Kolkata, who falls in love with an Indian man. He takes her to eat the foods he loves in clandestine cafés where they can meet without the knowledge of their families. The dough for traditional parathas has to be kneaded and rolled out, but I've substituted tortillas, which taste just as good. Sorry, Mom!
    Note: You can prepare the raita while the potatoes are boiling. If you don't want to make the raita, these parathas taste pretty good with salsa or ketchup. That's how my children like them.
    Make sure to use the red chili powder found at an Indian grocer, as it has a different flavor from typical commercial chili powders.
    4 medium russet potatoes
    Salt to taste
    ½ teaspoon ground red chili powder (less if you prefer milder spice) (see note)
    ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves (if you like the taste)
    8 large flour or whole wheat tortillas
    Canola oil for frying (approximately 2 teaspoons)
    Raita (see recipe)
    1 Quarter potatoes and boil until soft. Peel and mash. Add salt to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cilantro (if desired) and stir to combine.
    2 Spread ¼ of the potato mixture on a tortilla. Cover with another tortilla and press down carefully so the mix spreads to the edge of the tortillas. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
    3 Warm a large skillet over low heat. Add a small amount of canola oil. Place paratha in pan, drizzle top with ¼ teaspoon oil, and fry until golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. Flip and fry other side until golden brown. Cut each paratha into four pieces with a pizza cutter and serve with raita.
R AITA (Y OGURT S AUCE )
    Makes 2–2½ cups
    1 medium cucumber
    2–2½ cups plain yogurt
    Salt to taste
    Ground black pepper or red chili powder to taste
    Peel and chop cucumber. In a medium bowl, lightly beat yogurt with salt to taste, and pepper or chili powder to taste. Fold in the cucumber. Serve on the side with the parathas.
P ANCHAALI'S E GGPLANT B HARTA
    Makes 4 servings
    Panchaali, the main character in my novel The Palace of Illusions , is given a test by her mother-in-law soon after her marriage. She is asked to cook an eggplant ( brinjal ) without any oil or spices. Panchaali, who has been trained by a sorceress, is able to conjure up the necessary ingredients, but I've included a list of spices for those of us who might lack such special skills.
    Note: Garam masala is a ground mix of spices such as cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove and can be purchased at an Indian grocery.
    Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling