Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Earlier this month, Washington, DC, finished election week with an unusual foreign ceremony: the ambassador from the United Kingdom, His Excellency Sir David Manning, presented an honorary CBE (Commander of the British Empire) to Delhi-born film star and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, for services to drama and culture -- and cuisine. Madhur is a rare one, indeed. Her acting ranges from the sublime (Shakespeare Wallah, 1965) to the ridiculous (EastEnders, 1985-present). She is classically trained in drama by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), whose patron is none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To get by as an actress, Madhur began cooking and writing recipes. When Shakespeare Wallah proved a hit, she became known as the acress who cooks, launching both careers simultaneously. She is perhaps best known for her Ultimate Curry Bible (London: Ebury Press, 2003) AKA From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail (New York: Clarkson Potter, 2003): read it and weep -- with thanks, as you taste the fruits of her finely tested recipes.