If she had her way, Deepa Awchat would write on all her experiences of savouring different regions of India — "Not just food, but culture and heritage too," she smiles. For the slim-figured restaurateur has "loads of documentation" collected over her 20-year-old tryst with different cuisines, that goes much beyond her first book that she's just written. A gazetted post with the Customs department, which she gave up along the way for her first love, cooking, holding no regrets for her.

"The pleasure," she smiles, seated at the terrace of her home at Matunga, "Is to present food the way I see it; each dish must have definite ingredients."

That thought comes from her own traipses across India and Deepa can easily tell you about a Moplah (Calicut) biryani and each spice that goes into different fish preparations of Kerala, or even a Kolhapuri rassa.

"Being married to a foodie (referring to husband Suhas) helps," she laughs. "I remember we often used to get into our open jeep and drive to far off dhabas. One must travel and try new things; that is the only way to be able to cook well. In fact, I think I could never be an armchair chef," she smiles.

But her experiences apart, the proverbial cradle of thought, Deepa admits, goes back to a childhood in Mapusa, Goa. "You know good food is a way of life there. And there was such a palette of colour —you had red vindaloo, green cafreal, yellow fish gravies, white gizzardo (stew) and brown xacuti," she recalls.

Today at home parties, it is Deepa's mother's Alsandyache Tondak (beans masala), Tisriyo Sukke (clams) and her tender coconut dish, that are a staple.

Sundays are family meals, a time when sons Sudeep (22) and Acash (15) ask for mussels, oysters and crabs. "It's a pleasure to cook and hear my kids say 'mom, the food is rocking'." Deepa's own staple hasn't changed over the years. "I'm a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, I must have my fish curry and rice," she admits.