An award-winning author and artist from the Bene Israel Jewish community, David confessed that she had only a passing interest in food. One of her previous works, Book of Rachel, has a protagonist who turns to cooking and each chapter begins with a Jewish recipe. Yet, a cookbook was never on the radar for David. A trip to the town of Alibaug (outside Mumbai, and Bene Israel homeland) to meet with a source changed things. The aromas and taste from dishes made by her source took her back to childhood and unlocked long forgotten memories. Hence the first line of Bene Appetit: "Food is memory".