Here's my dilemma: Love to eat healthy homemade organic [0] meals. Hate to cook. In my daydreams, I have a private chef. In reality, that's me in the kitchen figuring out what it means to "blanch" green beans as I poke around the oven frustrated that my pineapple macadamia nut muffins aren't baking (oh, wait — it helps to turn the oven on). As my husband says, I do cook, but not without great protestation. It helps if I'm excited about what I'm making, which is why I was thrilled to find Monica Bhide [1]'s book Modern Spice [2].

The reason I was so pumped about Modern Spice [3], an Indian cookbook, is because I recently spent a month in India. I've always loved the taste of Indian food, but would typically eat it at a restaurant where I'd order my standard fav, chicken tikka masala. Lately, I've begun concocting Indian meals in my own kitchen, like a vegetarian [3] version of mulligatawny soup. After visiting the country, my menu options greatly expanded. I'm no longer intimidated by words like "paneer" or "dahl" or "ghee" (or, for that matter, iddiyappam, dosa, or sambar). And I officially know how to open and eat a pomegranate (my prior exposure to the fruit was sipping a flavored martini).

But I think what I loved most about the trip (as far as food goes) was learning about the different healing properties of spices. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, black mustard seed fends off colds, and cumin aids digestion. Since returning to the States, I've been trying to incorporate a variety of spices into my meals. Monica's book [4] has 125 recipes, using everything from fennel and coriander to saffron and mango powder.

Throughout the pages, Monica also includes touching personal essays. An editor recently told me, "Food stories aren't just about food; at heart, they're about people." So true. In Modern Spice [5], Monica nails that concept. My favorite essay [6] of hers was a story she wrote about shelling peas with her son, Jai.

Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen [7], by Monica Bhide (Simon & Schuster, $25)