The week that was: Celebrating mothers, cookbooks, films and biryani

Earlier this month when I was writing my editor's letter, in the very next tab I was writing my first cover story for India Food Network. But it's out now and if I may say so myself, it makes me smile with joy. For Nira Kehar is a girl who deserves all the appreciation and then some more. Copenhagen-based Kehar is the first woman chef from India to have been invited to cook at the James Beard Foundation. Her cookbook Ojas is a stunning book that is waiting to be discovered and deserves a spot on any food lover's bookshelf.

Last week, we also put a spotlight on prominent chefs from the industry and the influence their mothers have had on their cooking styles and techniques. In this touching piece, digital writer Tarini Sood chatted with chefs Amninder Sandhu, Sandeep Sreedharan, Radhika Khandelwal and Nambie Jessica Marak to explore how they got it from their mammas. On the social media front however, we took a little bit of a reverse turn with a series of tongue-in-cheek videos, where we got children of mommy food influencers, chefs and bloggers to tell us what their children *don't* like about their cooking. And while most mothers enjoy the unequalled praise of their kids for the food they put on the table, Amrita Raichand, Vanika Choudhary, Aditi Dugar, Gauri Devidayal and Swayampura Mishra's kiddos have more to say. Besides, who doesn't like watching a cute baby video on a Friday afternoon?

For the rest of your weekend, there's writer Manal Doshi's list of five short films, where food plays a central theme. From popcorn kernels narrating the tale of a young couple to a pressure cooker being used as a tool to tell the story of a home-maker, all these shorts have lip-smacking stories.

But if you're more of a reader, then check out our writer Poorvi Swami's list of five baking cookbooks authored by some of the finest pastry chefs out there. We promise that it will inspire you to be a part of the cinnamon-scented parade of bakes online. And if you need more of a push, then team it with this video that shows you an easy and vintage way to decorate your cake, for which we roped in celebrity baker Juhi Pahwa of the Mumbai-based Better Binge.

And while I must admit that Eid is long gone, I have to take this opportunity to urge you to bookmark our elaborate Eid recipe videos that are great ideas for this weekend. If like me, you enjoy long cooking projects, then you will find this biryani recipe to be a sure shot hit. To make it vegetarian, I'll be swapping the meat with deep-fried raw jackfruit, just as chef Sadaf Husain recommends. Complete your spread with this salad for a healthy add on, because our sources tell us that it's how Alia Bhatt likes to eat her beets. Oh, the lengths we will go to, to justify eating biryani on any given day!