From Government Cheese to Garam Masala

When I was five, my mom rushed me out the door in a red puffy jacket to wait in a church food line.

We didn’t have much, just love, hope, and a cardboard box filled with government cheese.

At the time, I didn’t know that moment would shape everything:

My hunger.

My ambition.

My grief.

And eventually, my healing.

After she passed, I lost my connection to food. I lost my fire.

Cooking no longer felt sacred.

It just… hurt.

And then, something changed.

Indian food found me.

Or maybe I found myself in it.

What began as a quiet curiosity turned into a years-long journey:

Across kitchens, across India, through mentorship, history, and moments that felt like grace.

Somewhere in that process, I started writing.

And I kept writing.

This week, I announced the book.

The Soul of Spice.

It’s not just about recipes.

It’s about grief, flavor, memory, healing, and the soul of a cuisine that helped me come back to myself.

It’s already hit #1 on Amazon for Indian cookbooks.

That blows my mind.

If you’ve been here since the early days, thank you.

If you’re new, I’m glad you found your way here.

I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes stories, recipes, and what this process has really been like.

In the meantime, if you want to preorder the book, you can do that here:

👉 www.keithsarasin.com

With love and deep gratitude,

Keith