Cooking with Rinku

Signing up for a class with me, means a few things,

• you get to hang out with me for at least 1.5 -2 hours.
• You have to get your hands dirty, sorry folks, I expect you to really cook in my classes.
• you run the occupactional hazzard of bumping into my family (I said the classes are home-style)

Now that we have the ground rules, let me tell you about myself. My name is Rinku Bhattacharya.I have an unhealthy obsession with food. I originate from Kolkata, India, and a city where people are obsessed with food and literature.

I had been teaching classes sporadically, in various places - Whole Foods, Westchester Community College, and White Plains High School to name a few venues and then about five years ago, I decided to re-work my second level in our house to create a teaching kitchen and the home of Cooking with Rinku.

This is where I now teach my classes - Indian and Thai Cooking Classes.

By way of a short background, I learnt cooking by shadowing my beloved grandmother (Dida) around the kitchen as she worked and shared with me. I inhaled as she roasted, observed as she ground and relished as she served.So, I try to re-create that experience with you with some automation but mostly love and inspiration.

I love all things natural and along with my family, try to observe an earth-friendly lifestyle. In summer, we grown almost all our vegetables and summer of our food. You shall see some of this reflected in my cooking, since I try to use local produce whenever possible.

I have master's degrees in finance and management, I am currently working on my first cookbook - The Contemporary Indian Table.

I have two lovely children Deepta and Aadi and live with the kids, my husband and cat.