In his cookbook called Mantra, which was released last month, Graffiti chef-owner Jehangir Mehta includes a recipe for a cocktail he calls “Barley Legal,” a cheeky mix of ultra-healthy barley water and Johnny Walker. "This drink is dedicated to all the young celebrities out there," the chef writes, introducing the recipe. And it’s probably a sincere note of acknowledgment, coming at the tail end of book filled with new and understated ideas about food. The recipes depict Mehta sneaking sweet Kahlúa into bitter chicory soufflé, loading Financiers with fenugreek, and reimagining Yorkshire pudding laced with duck fat and turmeric. In line with Mehta’s resume, most of the botanical-crazy recipes in Mantra are pastry chef centric, and many are vegetarian. The book carries a blurb from Mehmet Oz. more ›

Like a Jedi knight with an offset spatula, pastry chef Jehangir Mehta switched over to the savory side last September when he opened his first restaurant Graffiti in the East Village. Armed with a few induction burners and assorted kitchen gadgets, Graffiti’s 4-person staff prepares and serves Mehta’s eclectic food out of a pint-sized kitchen. Before Graffiti, Mehta worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten, Rocco DiSpirito, and lots of other chefs. He was most recently pastry chef at Aix. more ›