‘Baked Dish’ – This very term reminds us of continental cuisine. There is no denying that it is a very “Western” concept, but it has started making headway into Indian homes and that too at breakneck speed. The reason for the growing popularity of baked dishes could be attributed among other things to the excitement-seeking palates of today’s youngsters, or to their desire to cook exotic dishes quickly and easily!

I am sure you would have encountered the common baked dishes such as Vegetable Au Gratin and Baked Macaroni sometime in your life. Exciting though they are, the repertoire of baked dishes is in no way limited to these. Different cuisines have their own versions of bakes dishes. For example, the Mexicans have enchiladas, Italians have lasagne, and the French have the famous au gratin!

Here, I have recorded a lot of traditional all-time favourite recipes from various cultures, including Mexican, Italian and French, as well as innovated and presented various new recipes.

I know that the word ‘bake’ would immediately have conjured up the image of aromatic cakes, cookies, breads and pies, which delight the sweet tooth, but in this book I have broken away from the stereotype and focused on savoury meal-time baked dishes, which involve everyday bakes, quick bakes, party fare, and quiches and pies.