Sanjeev Kapoor is using his celebrity-chef status to empower women and take Indian cuisine international, he tells Louise Birchall at the launch of his first UAE restaurant
There was a sense of irony when Caterer Middle East arrived at the launch of ‘Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor’ in Dubai to find the man himself – pen in hand – autographing a pile of cookbooks to give away.
Yes, celebrity-chef status brings various duties – restaurant launches, book signings and media interviews to name a few. There are also benefits, of which “bigger houses and better cars” are by far the best, according to Haryana-born Kapoor.
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He’s joking, of course. Despite being “the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today, chef extraordinaire, TV-show host, author of best-selling cookbooks, restaurant consultant, co-owner of a TV channel and winner of several culinary awards” – as described on his own website sanjeevkapoor.com – Kapoor, likes to keep it real.
For him, smiles for the camera and autographs are a means to an end – not one of fame and fortune – of helping to make Indian food the “number one cuisine in the world” and empowering Indian women through cooking.
Five Fast Facts:
1. First chef in the world to start his own 24x7 television channel FoodFood
2. Kapoor’s TV cookery show ‘Khana Khazana’ has run for nearly two decades
3. Author of more than 150 best-selling cookery books
4. Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana brand of Indian Blended Spices, Ready-to-Cook Mixes, Pickles and Gourmet Chutneys is creating waves in India, US, Europe and the Middle East
5. He is on the board of the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel
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