1) Anu, why did you decide to write Around the World with Vegetarian Sandwiches and Wraps?

I’ve always been fascinated by different types of breads and sandwiches available in regional markets and delis, but unfortunately, most choices were nonvegetarian. The vegetarian choices were often limited to lettuce, tomato and cucumber. I looked for cookbooks that would offer easy-to-make vegetarian sandwiches, but I couldn’t find any. As I traveled to different countries around the world, I was introduced to their local foods. I wanted to create a unique cookbook that would offer easy-to-make sandwiches with these taste-tempting flavors. I started to experiment with a wide variety of fillings in different breads and the resulting recipe collection became this book.

2) I understand you have a background in nutrition. Could you tell me more about your educational background and how it influences your food preparation for your own family?

I completed my B.S. (nutrition), and post graduate diploma in dietetics and public health nutrition from the University of Delhi (India). Then I finished my M.S. (nutrition) from San Jose State University, CA. Knowledge of nutrition does help in my day-to-day food preparation. I try to include foods from all food groups with a special emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, I choose baking over frying since it cuts down on the number of fat grams consumed daily.

3) How is your book different from other recipe collections on this subject?

The book is unique in many respects.

• The sandwich recipes are easy to make and 75% of the recipes take less than 15 minutes.

• The book is organized in logical sections addressing different consumer ages and preferences: cold sandwiches (20 recipes), hot sandwiches (22), tea sandwiches (2), kids sandwiches (7), & wraps and filled sandwiches (23).

• The book contains culturally diverse ethnic recipes from 8 different cuisines: Italian, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Greek, Indian, Mexican, Japanese and American.

• The book has 74 recipes. You can prepare sandwiches from this book for an entire month and a half without repeating a recipe!

• The book has a section devoted to kids’ sandwiches. This section caters to the fussy tastes of small children and provides simple spill-proof recipes.

• No sandwich recipe has more than 10 ingredients. The simplicity of the recipes is a key feature of the book. All ingredients are commonly available in grocery stores.