Karen Anand tells us how she found her recipe for success and happiness
Karen Anand tells us how she found her recipe for success and happiness
A woman of many talents, Karen Anand is food consultant,u00a0 writer and entrepreneur. She tells MiD DAY about her obsession with pots and pans and what goes into them.
Tell us a little about your growing up years. Mistress of spices: Karen Anand
I was born in Bombay but grew up in London. I returned to India in 1984 and majored in French, Russian and Hindi. I wrote food columns for many foreign and Indian magazines, and then my TV show Cook na Kaho happened, which was an instant success.
From running your own restaurant to being a food consultant, you've done it all...
Well, I have been there done that. I ran my catering company for almost 10 years. Weu00a0 served international cuisine. In 2003, I started my own Gourmet Academy. I got into selling a whole range of preserves, marmalades, salad dressings and sauces under the brand name Karen Anand. I wrapped it up as it was too much hard work. I had opened a restaurant called Merlot, which ran for about 10 months. It was just too hectic. I had completely burnt out. I am more at peace being a food consultant.
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Do you rustle up a meal every day?
Now we are just the two of us my husband Yadu and me in our house in Pune. I used to cook earlier when I had my two sons Param and Sasha living with us. I used to entertain a lot. I had a good friend who was a great hostess. She used to say, "A good hostess is someone who manages to get a good deli!" You don't really have to slave over the potatoes and the pans for your party to be a success. Putting the whole act together is an art. The days of struggling over labour-intensive dinners are over. These days people believe in quick cooking.
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What is the secret of great tasting food?
It all starts with the right ingredients. You have to know where to shop and what exactly your food should look like and then everything will fall in place.
What constitutes a memorable meal?
If everything is cut and chopped well, you will feel like cooking. Half the job is done if you have someone who can chop stuff for you and get you the right ingredients. I source lamb and beef from The Only Place in Bangalore. I get cheese from dairy farms in Pune, organic lettuce is delivered right at my doorstep and the salmon I use comes from Norway. Just a little bit of organisation is what is required to put together a great meal.
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