Bhubaneswar: For Ritu Pattanaik, the last decade has been all about dealing with life's curveballs. But what sustained 10 years of trials and tribulations was her steadfast effort to pursue her dreams.

Launched by Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal last month, her first cook book ‘259 Inherited Recipes of Odisha’ not just attempts to reach out to food connoisseurs across the globe but also meticulously curates authentic cuisines from the State with the hope of documenting unique, traditional dishes for posterity.

But it has not been a smooth ride. From brushing away suggestions to author a cook book to eventually coming around after the untimely demise of her husband, Ritu's writing journey kickstarted with a deeper purpose of self-reflection.

It was in 2013 that her late husband Sambit Mohanty, also director of critically-acclaimed 2018 Odia film ‘Hello Arsi’, suggested that she should consider writing a cook book. While she initially shrugged the idea off, Ritu realised later that it could be an opportunity to take Odisha's culinary secrets to her non-Odia circle. She seriously contemplated and got down to business a year later but in 2015, her work was halted after her husband suffered injuries following a mishap during a shooting scene. Mohanty's sudden death two years later was another blow to the film.

"I lost my husband to brain stroke in 2017 when the film was in post-production stage. I took it upon myself to complete his unfinished project and writing took a backseat. At that juncture, my husband's dream was bigger than my aspiration," says Ritu.

The 90-minute film, which starred Prakruti Mishra and Partha Sarathi Ray, went on to win the best Odia film award in the 65th edition of National Film Awards in 2018. Mohanty also won the award for the best dialogue, posthumously.

After the movie's success and still coming to terms with the personal loss, Ritu turned towards the other venture she had left half-way - the cook book - after a hiatus of almost three years.

"My interest in cooking stems from my mother. While neither me nor my sisters were allowed into the kitchen, I enjoyed observing how one could play with different flavours in dishes. As I grew up, so did my passion to understand the nuances of cooking. I even won a 'Chai' competition in school," Ritu reflects, while attributing her success to her late husband and mother.

"The ride has been jolty. This book was my husband's dream. It was also a means of finding a deeper purpose in life. I am glad it saw the light of the day but without him, the success feels incomplete," Ritu says.

The book has recipes typical of Odisha with their distinct regional variations, collected over the years, along with some shared by friends over social media.

"There are so many typical Odia dishes which have been long forgotten. Through this book, I have made a humble attempt to preserve Odisha's culinary heritage for the coming generations. Like they say, food is the best medium to leave an indelible mark on memory," she remarks.