New Book by Amita
Celebrating America, One Meal at a Time
A heartfelt collection of recipes that honor America’s favorite food days — Super Bowl, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving — woven together with the story of an immigrant finding home and belonging through food.
Available soon in hardcover, ebook, and select bookstores.
About the Book
“Celebrating America, One Meal at a Time” is more than a cookbook — it’s a love letter to Amita’s adopted home. Arriving in the United States from Bengal, India, Amita first met “American food” at parties, game nights, and holiday tables that felt both exciting and unfamiliar.
In these pages, she revisits the Super Bowl spreads, 4th of July cookouts, and Thanksgiving feasts that once felt foreign, and shows how cooking them helped her feel at home in a new country.
Each chapter pairs iconic American food days with warm, personal essays about culture, identity, and the quiet, everyday ways we become part of a place — one meal at a time.
Inside the Book
Explore recipes and stories organized around the food days that define the American table:
Super Bowl Sunday
Game-day classics — from wings smoked in mesquite spices to comforting dips and sliders that bring together friends, neighbors, and fans (even if you’re still learning the rules of the game).
4th of July
Burgers, grills, and picnic tables under summer skies. Amita blends American barbecue favorites with flavors from back home, discovering how fireworks, flags, and food can all become part of a new identity.
Thanksgiving
The ultimate American food holiday, seen through immigrant eyes. From turkey and stuffing to mash and pies, these recipes and reflections explore gratitude, nostalgia, and what it means to build your own traditions.
An Immigrant’s Journey Through Food
When Amita first arrived from India, the flavors of home were her anchor — mustard oil, fish curries, fragrant rice, and slow-simmered dals. American gatherings looked different: nachos instead of nimki, turkey instead of fish, pies instead of sandesh.
At first, adopting American food felt like leaving something precious behind. But slowly, she began to blend the two worlds — adding spices from Kolkata to classic American dishes, bringing Bengali sides to potlucks, and hosting her own mixed-menu celebrations.
This book captures that journey: the awkward firsts, the funny misunderstandings, the comfort of familiar aromas in a new kitchen, and the quiet, profound realization that belonging can be cooked, shared, and savored.
About Publisher: Smriti Publishing House
Smriti Publishing House is dedicated to bringing forward powerful new voices — especially first‑time female authors with stories that might otherwise go untold. Amita’s book fits naturally into their vision: a deeply personal exploration of identity, migration, and belonging, told through the shared language of food. By backing projects like Celebrating America, One Meal at a Time, Smriti Publishing creates space for women to write their way into the cultural conversation. You can learn more about their work, their authors, and upcoming titles on Smriti Publishing House Website.
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