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) and 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 a finalist for the 2003 James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook. His latest book is 660 Curries: The Gateway to Indian Cooking (Workman Publishing, 2008). 

Iyer received the highly coveted 2004 International Association of Culinary Professional’s Award of Excellence (formerly the Julia Child Award) for Cooking Teacher of the Year, and was a finalist for a 2005 James Beard Journalism Award.

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, A Chef’s Table and the WGN Morning News. His numerous articles have appeared in national food publications including Cooking Light, EatingWell, Fine Cooking, Weight Watchers Magazine, Cooking Pleasures and the internationally renowned literary food magazine Gastronomica.

Iyer lives in Minneapolis with his family.

Visit www.raghavaniyer.com for more info.