Park Street food festival shifts to Picnic Garden – Times of India

Kolkata: With the week-long Bow Barracks celebrations and most Christmas events being called off, the city’s Anglo-Indians are having a food fest of home-cooked delicacies at Picnic Garden on December 28 instead. Since no food stalls have been allowed in the low-key carnival at Allen Park on Park Street, the Picnic Garden food fest will be an alternative platform. But the fare dished out here will be elaborate. The stalls, set up at 2m gaps, will display a variety of Anglo-Indian cuisine comprising kulkuls, meat croquettes, aloo chops, jalfrezi, yellow rice, pantras, bhuni vindaloo and more.
The food fest at the KMC-owned Kustia Park is being organized by Catholic Association of Bengal (CAB). Faiz Ahmed Khan, coordinator, Ward 66, said, “In the past decade, the Anglo-Indian community, which provides a key menu in Kolkata’s diverse culinary heritage, has migrated to this neighbourhood in south Kolkata. But all major Christmas events are only planned around Park Street and the central part of the city. This year, since most get-togethers have been cancelled, we requested the CAB to do something special in Picnic Garden.”
The food festival will be restrictive — with only 200 people allowed at a time. The stall-owners must sanitize their space, don face-gear and wear gloves. “There are no seating arrangements and only a few chairs will be scattered here and there for the elderly. We will encourage takeaway,” said CAB president Angelina Mantosh Jasnani.
While people delve into the snacks, carol singers Michelle Manuel, Christopher Lobo and Rodney Rodrick will belt out popular numbers. Usha Uthup, who isn’t attending public programmes, will record a song to be played at the festival.
Former Ripon Street resident Margaret Coelho, 75, who lives in Picnic Garden, said, “I think this the first major event for our community in Picnic Garden. We have started informing friends and relatives about it so they can start planning what they want to cook and bring.”
Jasnani said, “We are grateful to Faiz and the local MLA of Picnic Garden, Javed Khan, for helping us organize this event on such short notice. Being a mother of teenagers, I feel for the children who can’t even visit their relatives this Christmas, and for the elderly, who are more lonely than ever in the pandemic. We will also be streaming the festival live for those who can’t attend.”