Candles lit up the grand Glenburn Penthouse drawing room and a soft melody travelled through the chatter of the guests. The monsoon evening of September 7 brought together the who’s who of Kolkata for an intimate book launch of Masala Memsahib authored by food and travel writer Karen Anand.
The culinary memoir, published by Pan Macmillan and launched in November 2022, comprises stories and recipes from five states of India, that Karen collected and collated during her travels. To offer a glimpse into the memoir, the self-professed ‘Masala Memsahib’ hosted an event with cocktails, and food inspired by recipes from the book.
Good friends Harsh and Madhu Neotia launched Karen’s book amidst much applause. “I have a long association with Harsh and Madhu. We have been very close friends for years. That’s why I wanted them to launch the book today for one last time in Kolkata,” said Karen, who was in town last for the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. She urged Harsh, who likes to read autobiographies and memoirs, to catch up on the 20 pages of her life in the book: “Something to read, even if you don’t cook!”
‘Karen really is in a sense ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, a word that is topical at the moment thanks to G20, and she encapsulates that in the culinary world,’ said Harsh
Harsh Neotia, chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group, congratulated Karen, referring to her as a “great friend and conversationalist”. “Karen has been a friend for the past 15 years. She helped us set up Afraa in Kolkata. When I first met her, she entered my office like a tornado and since then her energy has been the same!” he smiled. “She really is, in a sense, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a word that is topical at the moment thanks to G20, and she encapsulates that in the culinary world,” he added.
The guests gathered at The Glenburn Penthouse were treated to handpicked recipes of starters from the book. The non-vegetarian starters included Lucknowi Kainchi Kebab with Tikka Mayo, Prawn Balchao and Kerala Coconut Beef. The vegetarian starters were Sweet Potato Smashes with Bombay Chutney Dip, Chifu 65 with Cashew Mayo and Rissois.
The book features stories and recipes from five states of India that Karen collected and collated during her travels
The Prawn Balchao is Karen’s grandmother Angelica D’Lima’s recipe while the Kerala Coconut Beef is a recipe from chef Gejo Joseph at the Fort Kochi boutique hotel. The Lucknowi Kainchi Kebab is another unique recipe by Imtiaz Qureshi, whose forefathers cooked for the Nawabs of Awadh (Lucknow). The interesting invention of this recipe is given in the book. The vegetarian starters were tweaked by the author of the book. She made her own additions to the recipes where Chicken 65 was made into a vegetarian version using chickpea tofu. The Rissois, originally a Portuguese-style recipe made with prawns according to the book, was replaced with corn.
The guests of the evening included people from all walks of life — industrialists, businessmen, food vloggers, celebrity chefs, expats and others.
Snapshots from the book-to-table experience
Eager to try the recipes from the book, Madhu Neotia shared, “We have known Karen for so many years and it was a pleasure to launch her book today. I am excited to take the book home and read, and maybe try a few recipes!”
“Karen has been a very good friend for many years. She is a great conversationalist and you can talk to her for hours. It has been a great evening today at the book launch,” said Raj Mahtani, couture jeweller.
Besides enjoying each other’s company over good food and Dewar cocktails, the guests did not miss a chance to get their hands on the book and get it signed by the Masala Memsahib! Here’s Rowan Ainsworth, Australian consul general in Kolkata, getting her copy signed.
K Mohanchandran, senior VP, operations, IHCL, and wife Seema dropped in to congratulate Karen.
(L-R) Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, chief innovation officer and executive director, Techno India Group, Anshuman Prakash of Glenburn Tea Estate, and angler Chandan Gupta catch up. Meghdut had a fun anecdote to share about Karen Anand. “I think when you enter a room and meet someone like Karen it blows your mind because she is such a flurry of energy! I hope that when I am her age, I’ll possess that kind of energy!” said the man who’s turning heads with Make Calcutta Relevant Again
The food connoisseurs of Kolkata were present to join the success of the book and experience a teaser of the book-to-table experience. Food writers and content creators like Rukshana A. Kapadia, Suneha Saha, Ritika Jaiswal (@kolkatafoodie), Madhushree Basu and Anindya Basu (@pikturenama) were also present. We also spotted Shuli Ghosh, founder & creative director of Sienna Store, and Auroni Mookerjee, executive chef of Sienna Cafe and My Kolkata columnist.
Oft travel companions Malika Dudeja Varma and Karen pose for the ‘My Kolkata’ camera.
Chef Shaun Kenworthy, Husna-Tara Prakash, owner of Glenburn Penthouse, and angler Chandan Gupta click a selfie. “It was an amazing evening with so many people turning up for Karen. We are glad that the event was successful,” signed off Husna-Tara, as the endless chatter of the enthusiastic guests faded into the night.