Biryani masala note: I use about half of one box of Shan biryani seasoning mix for this recipe (available in Indian stores or online). My favorite is the Shan Sindhi biryani mix, but the Bombay biryani or the regular biryani mixes are great, too. If you can’t get the Shan mix, there are other brands and even homemade biryani masala recipes online. Note that the Shan mixes contain salt, so there is no need to add salt to the chicken. If you are using a mix without salt, you will have to add salt to taste when you add the biryani masala.

Starry Fuzzy Fizz

This nonalcoholic cocktail is heavily scented with star anise and is amazing chilled. Perfect for brunch or late-night movie parties with friends.

Ingredients

Star anise simple syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 12 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 long length of orange peel (orange part only—not the white pith)

Drink:

• 3 ounces peach nectar
• Soda water or prosecco
• Lemon wedge
• Mint leaves

Directions

To make the syrup:

1. Boil one cup of water with the sugar, spices, and orange peel for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Remove the cinnamon sticks and orange peel.
3. Cool the syrup (with the star anise still in it) in the fridge until chilled.

To make the drink:

1. Mix one ounce of syrup, 3 ounces of peach nectar, and the juice of one lemon wedge (about a teaspoon of lemon juice) in a wineglass.
2. Top with soda water (or prosecco) and ice cubes.
3. Garnish with a star anise from the syrup and fresh mint. Enjoy!

Acknowledgments

I have many people to thank for helping me with Kamila Knows Best: My agent, Rachel Brooks, who is the best partner in this business that I could ask for. My editor at Forever, Leah Hultenschmidt, whose editorial insight strengthened this book immensely. The rest of the team at Forever, including copy editor Kristin Nappier, editorial assistant Sabrina Flemming, production editor Luria Rittenberg, art director Daniela Medina, publicist Estelle Hallick, and everyone else who had a hand in bringing Kamila Knows Best to readers. I am always grateful to have such an amazing publishing team behind me. And my beta readers for this book, Lily Chu and Laura Heffernan, who helped me polish my messy early draft into something that better resembled the story I wanted to tell.

I drafted most of this book in the first months of the global pandemic. Like so many people around the world, I was struggling. I would go back and forth between extreme anxiety and sadness about the unknown future, and it was hard to immerse myself in Kamila’s world of biryani parties, rambunctious puppies, and extravagant dresses. For the first time, I had to write with my entire family here in my small house, while my husband transitioned to working from home, and my kids learned to navigate online school.