Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2020

NOVEMBER 2020 29

THE INTERVIEW

JT: Has your definition
of success changed over
time?
NS: It definitely evolves
because I’m evolving as
a person. The greatest
joy for me is being able
to have the privilege to
write and photograph a
cookbook. That people
will actually buy the book
and cook a recipe from it
blows my mind.

JT: I know that feeling!
Can we talk about the
role that emotion plays?
NS: It’s part of how we
experience flavor. Some-
times it’s conscious, and
often it’s subconscious.
If you have a good experi-
ence with something,
immediately you’re
drawn to that particular
flavor, taste, or food.

JT: And what about not-
so-positive memories?
NS: Even the nega-
tive experiences are
interesting. When I was
researching the book, I
was fascinated to learn
that with a negative expe-
rience, food can taste
much more sour.

JT: Did anything else
inspire you to think about
the relationship between
food and emotion?
NS: I once worked as
a food photographer
for a start-up company

where data scientists

were mining customer

behavioral responses to

the dishes that they were

buying on the app. For

example, if there was an

exciting thing happen-

ing, like a celebration,

everybody went toward

something sweeter.

JT: The science of food

so often gets pigeon-

holed as this completely

impersonal thing. And

because you used emo-

tion, you made science

feel personal and holistic.

NS: I thought it would

be a disservice for me

to write a cookbook just

talking about science and

not emotion because it

is a measurable concept.

Emotion and memory

are interconnected, and

they’re part of the way I

cook; I cook because I’m

emotionally excited.

JT: Can you tell me about

the two men you dedi-

cated the book to?

NS: Floyd Cardoz [who

died from COVID-19

in March 2020] was a

very influential chef and

cookbook author to me

because he was the first

person I saw represent-

ing Goan cuisine in

American culture.

JT: Did you ever get to

spend time together?

NS: We did, and it turns

out that we’re from the

same neighborhood. It

was really cool to have

this bond with someone

from the place I grew up

but in a different country.

His passing shook me

because this was the

only other person that

I knew who was writ-

ing about Goan food. I

thought it was important

to acknowledge his con-

tributions, not only to

American cooking but

also my career.

JT: And the other

dedication?

NS: My husband has

been there supporting

me, giving critical feed-

back on every recipe,

even if I don’t want it.

This conversation has

been edited and con-

densed for clarity.

NIK SHARMA IS A BOMBAY-BORN, Los Angeles–
based food writer, photographer, cookbook

author, and recipe developer. Sharma first came
to America to study molecular genetics before
starting his food and photography blog, A Brown

Table; his second cookbook, The Flavor Equa-
tion: The Science of Great Cooking Explained, was

released earlier this fall. He and I have spent years
comparing notes on everything from working on
our books to caring for our pets. What follows is

exactly what it sounds like when two cookbook
authors talk about pretty much everything except
food. —JULIA TURSHEN, FOUNDER OF EQUITY AT THE

TABLE (EATT) AND AUTHOR OF NOW & AGAIN

Winning Formulas

Cookbook author Nik

Sharma concocts deeply

memorable recipes.

NIK SHARMA’S KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

LOGAN’S GARDENS (SANTA MONICA

FARMERS MARKET)

They carry a variety of edible plants from

a l l ove r.

BROOKLYN DELHI’S CONDIMENTS

Made by my dear friend Chitra Agrawal,

these remind me of home.

JUST DATE SYRUP

A wonderful sweetener made from

California Medjool dates

DIASPORA CO.

This is one of the brightest and most

potent brands of turmeric available.

RED BAY COFFEE

Not only are their roasts a joy to start the

day with, but the store and the owner,

Keba Konte, employ people who’ve been

marginalized by society.

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