FT : How were you inspired by your parents and the Bangladeshi culture ? What were some of your favorite foods as a child ? Have those foods influenced your cooking style and cuisine preferences ?
AK : Food was literally hardwired into my DNA . My parents emigrated from then East Bengal ( now Bangladesh ) and eating was the cornerstone of social get-togethers . Food is literally the vice of my people . My dad loved going out to eat , especially at those oh so fancy and expensive restaurants . I certainly followed suit . Out of the gate I was an adventurous eater . When I was 6 I demanded to order off an adult menu . At one of our favorite white tablecloth Italian restaurants in the suburbs of St . Louis , the line cooks knew when I walked in the door to prep a filet mignon , medium rare . A foodie rite of passage occurred when I was 8 years old . I remember practically getting into trouble for ordering a 5 course meal at a French restaurant . I was only in 3rd grade , and it was a school night !! I had kept my family at the table a solid 40 minutes after they were done eating , because I ordered a chocolate soufflé as my final course .
Like a lot of first generation Americans from non-Western European countries , I would say my palate was exposed early to a broad range of flavors . For kids like us , “ exotic ” was our home cooking . That being said , and I ’ m not sure if it was a generational thing , but when I was a kid , I preferred “ American ” food over Bengali cooking . When I got to college I found myself craving a curry here and there and started to test the waters of regional Indian fare . As controversial as this might sound , I actually prefer the biriyanis of Hyderabad and the haleems of Pakistan to the funky freshwater fish curries of Bengal . But I do do do love my dal , and the yellow split pea version of my mother ’ s is the recipe I strive to recreate .
I learned to cook mostly in my late college / post college years , recreating the dishes I experienced in restaurants , often the high end ones my parents would take me to .
Though I was reared with that meat and potatoes Midwest sensibility , Los Angeles was instrumental in making me the food dude that I am . Being a 1 st generation American allowed to stroll into the likes of Koreatown at all hours of the night , braving the most fermented cabbage and dried fish dishes , all in the name of the grand eating experience . Picky eaters kill my soul . I live to have new eating experiences . Lately I have become more aware of my meat centric nature - again I believe a byproduct of my Bengali and Midwestern roots , and am looking to find new favorites to challenge that habit .
FT : How did the concept of Cheap Eats come about ?
AK : I have been writing about cheap eats in various forms for years . I served as Senior Editor for BlackBook Magazine ’ s Dining and Nightlife guide to Los Angeles with a focus on foods in South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley - two areas where cheap eats thrive . I also worked in food television , where I was tasked to find cheap eats all over the country . My blog , Bang for Your Burger Buck , started shortly after because I loved the idea of focusing on finding buzz worthy meals that didn ’ t break the bank . Similar blogs followed later such as Sandwich Spotting , and LA TACO . So the Cooking Channel series Cheap Eats has literally been seeded into my resume , it ’ s a major theme in my work . It ’ s always been my motto that great food comes at multiple price points . The actual show came about when I approached the production company with the idea of doing a food show and we worked with the execs at Cooking Channel help focus our idea into Cheap Eats .
FT : What is a day in the life of filming an episode of Cheap Eats like ?
AK : I usually arrive at the first restaurant of the day around 7am . The crew has been working for an hour already , setting up and prepping . I ’ ll check in with the director , then after my second coffee I ’ ll check in with the chef of the location we are featuring . I love to establish the energy - I am a high energy guy and I want to spread the love around . Sometimes the experience can be overwhelming and I want to make folks feel comfortable . They are the reason why we are here and they have been anticipating this day for weeks , so I want it to be as amazing for them as it is for me . Then we shoot . The first restaurant is usually wrapped by midday to early afternoon . We break for lunch - I know it sounds crazy , pausing to eat after shooting a food show , but everyone else is watching me eat so it ’ s only fair that the crew joins in the fun . I usually encourage the crew to try what I am having and if you ’ ve watched Cheap Eats , you know that is not a tough sell . Then we do it all over again at a second location . We usually end up finishing by early eve and then do it all over again the next day . The days are long and folks work super
FoodTraveler l Winter 2016
99
FT: How were you inspired
by your parents and the
Bangladeshi culture? What
were some of your favorite
foods as a child? Have those
foods influenced your cooking
style and cuisine preferences?
AK: Food was literally hardwired into my
DNA. My parents emigrated from then East
Bengal (now Bangladesh) and eating was the
cornerstone of social get-togethers. Food
is literally the vice of my people. My dad
loved going out to eat, especially at those
oh so fancy and expensive restaurants. I
certainly followed suit. Out of the gate I
was an adventurous eater. When I was 6
I demanded to order off an adult menu. At
one of our favorite white tablecloth Italian
restaurants in the suburbs of St. Louis,
the line cooks knew when I walked in the
door to prep a filet mignon, medium rare. A
foodie rite of passage occurred when I was
8 years old. I remember practically getting
into trouble for ordering a 5 course meal at
a French restaurant. I was only in 3rd grade,
and it was a school night!! I had kept my
family at the table a solid 40 minutes after
they were done eating, because I ordered a
chocolate soufflé as my final course.
Like a lot of first generation Americans from
non-Western European countries, I would
say my palate was exposed early to a broad
range of flavors. For kids like us, “exotic” was
our home cooking. That being said, and I’m
not sure if it was a generational thing, but
when I was a kid, I preferred “American”
food over Bengali cooking. When I got to
college I found myself craving a curry here
and there and started to test the waters of
regional Indian fare. As controversial as this
might sound, I actually prefer the biriyanis
of Hyderabad and the haleems of Pakistan to
the funky freshwater fish curries of Bengal.
But I do do do love my dal, and the yellow
split pea version of my mother’s is the recipe
I strive to recreate.
I learned to cook mostly in my late college/
post college years, recreating the dishes I
experienced in restaurants, often the high
end ones my parents would take me to.
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