Deepa Thomas is a graduate of Delhi University with degrees in journalism and political science. She moved to the US and, in 1985, founded Deepa Textiles. After 21 years and 23 design awards, the company has been credited with transforming the $10 billion a year contract furniture industry. Since 2010, Deepa has combined her passion for journalism with her newfound passion for cooking, deconstructing the principles of the most successful diets and healthy living practices in order to reconstruct a simple, slow carb "New Indian" cuisine. Deepa has served as a trustee of Rhode Island School of Design and a Commissioner of the Asian Art Museum. She is currently a trustee of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. She won the James Beard Award in 2018 for her cookbook / memoir, Deepa's Secrets. Deepa Thomas lives with her husband, not far from her two sons, in the Nob Hill section of San Francisco.

Curt Ellis, author of the foreword, is an American filmmaker, social entrepreneur, and advocate for sustainable agriculture. He is the CEO of the nonprofit organization FoodCorps.