How did this collaboration transpire?
We had a lovely couple dining with us at [the SoHo restaurant] Evelyn's Table, and since it's an open kitchen, we got chatting during the meal. Abhishek Honawar [of Mag Street Kitchen] introduced himself and suggested the dinner in Mumbai. The idea rolled from there. I am honoured to be cooking in India.

In India, people are waking up to the different facets of Italian cuisine, your area of expertise. Interest in Southern Italian food is growing, too.
Italy has been a united country since 1878 and regional recipes are fiercely protected and will continue to be so. It's very hot in the south and the cooking reflects that. Fish is a focus. But, yes, it's nice to see Italian cuisine develop and become more than just a generic idea of the whole country.