TimesTalks with Questlove

Knights of the Raj NYC is an immersive peek into the history of NYC curry cuisine. To understand why this is a fascinating visit to Brooklyn’s MOFAD that will feed your mind as well as your stomach, we need to back up to the origins of the Knights of the Raj and the curry uprise in Britain. The “Knights” started as an homage to those who are responsible for bringing curry to Britain in the first place, the Bangledeshis. aka, the East Pakistanis or British Indian Muslims, depending on what year you are focused on when discussing the topic. A short history of India seems necessary. The British Raj, as Britain was known, occupied India between 1858 and 1947 until “partition” emancipated India and Pakistan from British rule. The handy work of Brit Cyril Radcliffe drew new borders with the goal of dividing Pakistan and India so that the Muslim and Hindu populations were not disturbed. FAIL on Cyril’s part. Known as the Radcliffe line, this ridiculous re-bordering made a split country of Pakistan creating two wings, east and west, with India in the middle. This also caused 14 million Muslims and Hindus to flee across new borders when they discovered they were in the wrong country. This duo of Pakistans only lasted until 1971 when a revolution in East Pakistan due to civil disobedience led to the war of independence resulting in the new state of Bangladesh. Whew, ok…That brings us back to Banglideshis migrating from their newly formed country that was experiencing famine, poverty and military coups to Britain. Along with this they obviously brought their food and curry started to make its way into the British culture as an exotic dish. Fast forward to modern day and Britains national dish declared curry and rice, you can image the impact the Knights of the Raj have had in a short 50 years. With 30,000 Indian restaurants in the UK, The Knights stories start with the first Bangladeshis settling in Birmingham and spreading across Britain. Curated by artist Mohammad Ali The Knights of the Raj NYC is a continuation of the British story and Bangladeshis landing in New York. Included in the visit are Immersive Arts Experiences, Walk-In Diorama, Live Performances, and a Three-Course Sampler Menu of Bangladeshi Street Foods and British-Style Curries. July 20th – August 5th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in Brooklyn, NY

We had a few days in Berlin. I hit a few of my old 2006 haunts but also discovered a new and vibrant food scene. Yes in the restaurants but more so in the community. Case in point is Sarah Go’s Feast Meetups. She aims to bring together “foodpreneurs”. She welcomes food designers, trend researchers, editors and gastronomy makers to connect and collaborate on all aspects of the culinary industry booming across the globe. Berlin’s no stranger to creativity, innovation and change. With those two backgrounds, I’m sure her next meetup and Feast’s mission will foster this culinary community well.  We, unfortunately, didn’t get to hook up with Sarah while in town but if you live in Berlin or are planning a visit, check out the calendar and pop into an event. The last one was a viewing on ‘The Chef’s Mind’ with snacks. No “brainer” right?

Where would we food lovers be today if we didn’t have a little something to sustain us between feedings? What would happen to us without that extra boost from a new recipe to keep us going when we run out of good snacks? Without that chef interview to calm us when we can’t get a coveted rez? Without that mouthwatering photo spread to get us over the mid-week, nothing-in-the-fridge hump? One thing’s for sure: it wouldn’t be pretty. This, my friends, is why we at FTHQ are committed to bringing you the latest of the latest in gastro-centric buzz. And why we’ve got nothin’ but love for our print-happy peers, the NYC-born-and-bred foodie mags that have been making waves in the industry: Cherry Bombe, Gather Journal, and Lucky Peach. This week, join ‘em at Food Magazines of New York, a night of discussion and drinks with the movers and shakers of these print powerhouses. Added bonus? Admission scores you some free mags, so make room on that bookshelf for some pages delicious enough to eat. October 20 in Brooklyn.

These days events are, well, not really events at all. With social distancing still the norm the shoehorning of events into virtual versions is the best we can do. Add food to that challenge and you really need to innovate to make it awesome. The crew at The Infatuation gets our applause for their All-You-Can EEEEEATScon success. We’re only one week in but the Bagel + Lox debate was fierce, informative and most importantly  a lot of (virtual) fun. Let’s break it down. First off, the name. All-You-Can in front of their live event name makes it inclusive and makes us think of the buffet at the Bellagio. Both great. Second, instead of two days of concentrated food debouchery they set up a 4-week schedule with a major moment each week. We already mentioned the schmear schmearing. Coming weeks tease a BBQ, pizza and dessert debate. All prefaced with the adjective GREAT. Alluding back to the fun you’ll have but also winking an eye at the definitive nature of the outcome being referenced for years to come. Third, and maybe our favorite, they nailed it on the how to make virtual feel physical by partnering with Goldbelly. For those living inside your pantry, Goldbelly is the food delivery company that brings you iconic food from the best of the best right to your door. For the Bagel + Lox debate a Russ & Daughters spread was the recommended food companion for debate noshing. Assorted bagels, Nova lox, cream cheese, coffee and even a chocolate babka comes with a branded tote and mug from the old school, mainstay, New York bagel shop. In addition to all of that you get to see a lot of food fans all in one place. For now this is how it has to be. Sure we’d rather be in person but I’m looking forward to the next three weeks of great food debates and food deliveries. Register for free and get ready for BBQ next. July 22-Aug 12 at 7pm in Zoomland