A child of the 1950s, Prabeen Singh belongs to the earliest generation of newly independent India, led by visionary leaders who dreamt of creating a .utopian state for its citizens. Brought up in a Sikh family intricately connected with the politics of the time, for whom tradition and liberalism existed side by side, she learnt self-reliance early from holidays spent at Master Tara Singh’s home, and civility and elegance from her mother and her aunts. 

This heady account of the trajectory of her growth, records episodes from her life with a tint of wicked humour, interlinked with historic events, where the ups and downs of the Indian state are described from her completely personal encounter with some landmark developments. It is a charming and informative account of a strongly independent person who has lived life at many conflicting levels.

Prabeen Singh, who lives in Delhi, has had a varied career and many incarnations: a vocation in the women’s movement, starting out as an activist in Saheli; as a development consultant, working with international agencies and later in the field of HIV/AIDS in North-East India; as a founder-member of the artisans’ collective Dastkar; and as writer of a newspaper column on etiquette and food. Her current avatar is as a cook, teaching cooking classes in Delhi and conducting demonstrations/lectures for groups visiting India and seeking an insight into Indian food and culture. Well known for her personal style and hospitality, Prabeen Singh has written and lectured on aspects of Indian cuisine and appeared on India’s top lifestyle channel NDTV Food. This is her first book.