Bombay-native Raghavan Iyer, a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP), and a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, has acquired degrees in Chemistry (Bombay University), Hotel, and Restaurant Management (Michigan State University). He is a cookbook author, culinary educator, and consultant to numerous national and international clients.
He is the author of Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking (Wiley, 2001) and
The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood (St. Martin’s Press, 2002) - which was the 2003 James Beard Awards Finalist: Best International Cookbook.
He is currently at work on a book 700 Indian Curries (working title), with expected publication in 2006 by Workman Publishing, New York.
He received the highly coveted 2004 International Association of Culinary Professional’s Award of Excellence (formerly the Julia Child Awards) for Cooking Teacher of the Year, and was a Finalist for a 2005 James Beard Journalism Award.
His numerous articles have appeared in national food publications including EatingWell, Fine Cooking, Weight Watchers Magazine, Cooking Pleasures, and the internationally renowned literary food magazine Gastronomica.
Iyer is co-founder of the Asian Culinary Arts Institutes, Ltd., an organization dedicated to the preservation, understanding, and enjoyment of the culinary arts of Asia.
An accomplished and prolific culinary instructor at many international, national, and local venues, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Annual Conferences in Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Montreal, with over 21 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Iyer is also fluent in more than six languages. He leads food and cultural tours to India.
He has appeared in numerous radio and television shows across the United States and Canada including The Splendid Table (national public radio show with Lynne Rossetto Kasper), A Chef’s Table with Jim Coleman (WHYY Philadelphia - NPR affiliate), WGN Morning News (WGN Chicago), Good Day Atlanta (WAGA TV - Fox Affiliate), Good Day Tampa (Fox Affiliate Tampa), The Morning Show (KARE 11 - NBC Affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul), and the Vicki Gabereau Show (national Canadian television talk show).