In general, if I am picking up a random book to read, I prefer the plot to be fast-paced. I enjoy books with wit, keen human insights, and surprise endings. When I started writing Saturday Morning Omelettes, I made one conscious decision – to portray the story through dialogue rather then too many essay-style descriptions. I am guilty of tending to skip long wordy descriptions when I come across them in most books and wanted to avoid that in my work.

Q: Let me focus my attention on your book – the book broaches on immigrant experiences. Was it difficult for you to assimilate in U.S.? Can you talk a little more about it in terms of issues around food (adjusting to American food), money, socialization, etc?

A: Growing up, when my dad was in the army, he was posted to the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California for two and half years. I was 10 then. So frankly, the process of assimilation when I came after marriage was not too difficult in itself. Here are my “milestone memories” of life in the USA as an adult: My sheer terror of delis. You had to choose the bread, the cheese, the toppings. All of which were ridiculously foreign to me.

Enjoying the freedom of being able to sit on a bench at George Mason University and eating alone. No one ogled, sang Bollywood songs, or heckled me, and the feeling of freedom of being “inconspicuous” was divine!

Experiencing the first snowfall was surreal in its beauty.

Realizing that asking all my classmates what their grades were after a test was considered rude.

Learning not to “nod” by moving my head side-to-side.

The open “public display of affection” blew me away.

Q: Gambling over the past years has become an obsession in U.S. What surprised me was its popularity in the Indian community. Tell us a little more about your experiences and how do you explain its popularity in the 'model community'?

A: I think that’s maybe because cards are not considered a huge taboo in our culture. My parents played rummy (cards) ever since I can remember (and still do) – it’s an integral part of army life. Teen patti during Diwali is such a normal thing to do. Today I consider myself a pretty active parent… but like in my son’s high school these days there is a big brouhaha about a growing trend amongst teens playing poker - and I find myself not nearly as upset as the other parents. I have to force myself to rethink my “it’s just cards” mentality.