Manjula Jain was born in North India into a vegetarian family. Her mother was an excellent cook who paid attention to every detail. One of the most important details for her was cooking with fresh ingredients. As a child and young adult, she helped her mother in the kitchen. Manjula learned to cook with just a few spices and herbs in order not to compromise the taste of the vegetables, grains and lentils. After Manjula Jain got married and moved to the United States from India in the late 1960s, her family remained vegetarian because of their adherence to the Jain religion. One of the main principles of the Jain religion is the belief in non-violence to all living beings and the belief to “live and let live”. Manjula Jain is passionate about this way of life today.Manjula Jain was born in North India into a vegetarian family. Her mother was an excellent cook who paid attention to every detail. One of the most important details for her was cooking with fresh ingredients. As a child and young adult, she helped her mother in the kitchen. Manjula learned to cook with just a few spices and herbs in order not to compromise the taste of the vegetables, grains and lentils. After Manjula Jain got married and moved to the United States from India in the late 1960s, her family remained vegetarian because of their adherence to the Jain religion. One of the main principles of the Jain religion is the belief in non-violence to all living beings and the belief to “live and let live”. Manjula Jain is passionate about this way of life today.