The ‘Martha Stewart of India’, a writer, a food critic, an anchor, a chef, a businesswoman, a consultant, a ‘food guru’ who has been influencing the way people eat and perceive good food for nearly 25 years, Karen Anand is an institution in herself. She is an inspiration to many in the food and wine business and it was my pleasure to have spent a wonderful afternoon with her at The Taj Bengal recently, courtesy the Pikturenama duo, Anindya and Madhushree. Karen was in the city for the Kolkata edition of her Farmers’ Market and she hosted a Bloggers Table for some of us at The Hub, Taj Bengal. The main topic of conversation? Of course, food! 😀
The Hub at Taj Bengal has been one of my favorite places to dine at for years and the Chef created a special lunch menu only for us. There were three kinds of soups, out of which my favorite was the Forest Mushroom Cappuccino. The salads followed soon after and we were presented with a Pomelo, Beetroot and Goat Curd Salad and an Olive Oil Poached Prawn, Fennel Confit, Rocket and Picked Tomato salad. Needless to say, the one with the juicy prawns got my vote!
When you are presented with the choice to either go for a Marinated Bhekti with Quinoa Pilaf and Minted Squash or an Australian Lamb Rack with Roasted Peruvian Potato and Tamarind Glaze, your first reaction is to ask for both. If my stomach wasn’t already half full, I would have probably done that (yeah, I’m a proud glutton!) but I ultimately settled for the Bhekti, like a true Bong. The fish was fresh, not overcooked and it went really well with the quinoa pilaf. I also had a bite of the lamb rack and I made a mental note to ask for it the next time I’m at The Hub. If you are a carnivore like I am, you should ask for it too!
Dessert was a lovely light Organic Lavender and Honey Crème Brulee. No matter how full the stomach is, there is always room for dessert :D. Karen was a lovely hostess and we spoke about her food journey over the years, she shared interesting anecdotes and travel stories, she signed copies of her books, she took selfies with us and patiently posed for pictures. Thank you Karen for such a wonderful time.
The Kolkata market was held on 4th December and while I could not make it due to some personal commitments, I heard that it was a wonderful fun-filled event. Here are some pictures shared by Pikturenama to give you an idea of what went on at the market. Eagerly looking forward to the 2017 edition.