In fact, scour a typical Maharashtrian home and chances are, you'll stumble upon a dog-eared copy of the cookery tome. ``I don't think any bridal trousseau is complete even today without the inclusion of this incredible two-volume book, which has very easy-to-follow recipes for all traditional Maharashtrian preparations,'' said veteran actress Seema Deo,

self-admittedly a passionate cook. Deo picked up her copy of Ruchira the year it got published, and she recalls an encounter her husband, actor Ramesh Deo, had with Kamalabai. ``When my husband learnt that she was the author of Ruchira, he promptly told her what a great fan of hers I was. And when Ramesh asked her whether she made traditional karanji, she send them over the next day for him.''

It was this ability of Kamalabai to give that cookeryexpert Tarla Dalal had occasion to sample. ``She had no hang-ups and was a lovely person to be with,'' recalls Dalal. ``She was never secretive about any cooking tip or new recipe she had heard of and shared it with everybody around,'' she added terming her a `pioneer in her field and a one-of-her-kind-person.''

The author who made cooking an easy affair for several Maharashtrian women was married off young and initially knew little about cooking. ``Even if the spectrum of cooking was the traditional Brahminical fare, the joint Ogale family enjoyed good food,'' said Usha Jategaonkar, who translated Ruchira into English. ``So it was natural for Kamalabai to be influenced by her environment.''

Writes Kamalabai in her foreword, her cooking skills were courtesy her mother-in-law Anandibai. Kamalabai later participated and won several cooking contests held by Vanita Samaj at Shivaji Park. The germ of the book was planted there.

``Kamalabai's practical training reflects in her book, as all the measuresare given in wati (bowls) and spoon and not the more complicated weights as is in vogue today,'' pointed out Deo. A feature that has endeared the book to playwright and columnist Shanta Gokhale as well. `This was the first close look the world had at Maharashtrian cooking,'' commented Gokhale. ``Since it is simple, it is a boon for beginners and since it incorporates traditional recipes, some of which have all but disappeared, it also happens to be handy reference for experienced cooks.'' Gokhale also praised Kamalabai's insistence on not just cooking, but also decorating and presenting food.

Femina magazine ex-editor Vimal Patil, who owns a restaurant at Worli, termed Ruchira a `gold-mine of information'. She credited her with the foresight to realise that cookery wouldn't remain a housewife's prerogative but would become big business. Her book represented one of the first efforts at documenting the self-taught art of cooking, said Patil, adding that the book would hold its own despite newer arrivals onthe block.

In her foreword, Kamalabai attributes her success to ``the encouragement of my in-laws, three children and her husband. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this book. He (my husband) would practically write down the recipes as I narrated them to him and egged me on when I felt like giving up in between.'' She also lauded Kirloskar Publishers ``for agreeing to publish my work when cookbooks weren't exactly heard of''.

Deo still gifts many a bride this book as a wedding gift. Clearly, the memory of Kamalabai, who died of old age at Pune, still lives in the aroma of Maharashtrian cuisine.