I’m a British-Bengali freelance food writer and food maker. I cook everyday and I love it. I started this blog back in 2009 and have a cookbook published by Kyle Books with the same name out now. The Metro said “multifarious influences give (my) dishes a freshness others lack” and the Mail Online voted it their food book of the week. I also featured in the Sainsbury’s “food goes further campaign” earlier this year – you can check out the videos here – http://inspiration.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/?s=rejina+food
I’ve written for various publications including The Guardian, Le Cool Magazine, Fork Magazine, BBC Good Food, Eat Me Magazine, Channel 4 Food and Fire and Knives Food Quarterly. I’ve also been featured in Red Magazine, the Evening Standard, The Independent, Olive Magazine, Amelia’s Magazine and Waitrose Kitchen Magazine. I’ve been interviewed live by Tom Parker Bowles for his LBC radio show and Robert Elms for his BBC London show. I’ve dined on bull’s pizzle pie on Jimmy and Jamie’s food fight and judged dishes for “The Perfect” on the Good Food Channel.
Under my belt I’ve got a food and drink journalism qualification and a Broadcast Journalism postgraduate diploma; along with a few other handy badges. I’ve worked as a researcher on a popular cookery programme and also spent a couple of years teaching English in (and eating my way around) Japan.
I decided to start this blog to stop boring my friends and family about breakfast, lunch and dinner and to bore you instead.
My name is Rejina and I am a food geek.
if you’d like to get in touch, please drop me an email at gastrogeekrejatgmail.com or via my agent Rosemary Scoular at United Agents – arice@unitedagents.co.uk (+44 (0) 20 3214 0894)
Yours is a wonderful blog.
I just happened to notice it on the list of the fastest growing WordPress blogs – gastrogeek piqued my curiosity and I’m glad I stopped by. Having spent a few years of my childhood in Calcutta / Kolkata, I’m quite familiar with and fond of bengali food. Having travelled to Japan quite often, I’m quite familiar and fond of those flavors as well.
I look forward to reading about what you come up with next. A cookbook’s in the works, I take it?
Wow! Thank you so much for your lovely comments, you sound like a like-minded soul – It’s always great to meet people who understand both Bengali and Japanese cuisine.
Is my humble blog really amongst the fastest growing?!
My father was from Calcutta and my mother is from Kishorganj so I suppose I’ve had the best of both culinary worlds. I do really miss Japan and being surrounded by Japanese people, now there’s a nation that knows how to cook.
So, do you have a blog? I would love to read it if so.
I love your blog well done !
Thank you so much! (Yours is also amazing)
I love the Indian sub continent -japanese mix .
Recently worked as a consultant for a Glasgow based tech company where founders were of Pakistani/Punjabi origin and their major investors and biggest market were Japanese , Japan respetively.
It was 15 months of new gastro delights I will never forget🙂
That truly does sound like my idea of heaven!! Punjabi/Pakistani food is so gorgeous – did you get to try any bhatura? Those golden puffy, deep fried breads are too addictive…
Yes indeed great for the wasteline🙂
Every Friday the founders organised food for the entire company over 280 people at the time – the guy who cooked normally did only weddings food was superb and as you can imagine absenteeism on Fridays was normally 0.
The food I had in Kobe , Osaka and Tokyo was also mind blowing I felt I was in a sequel to Tampopo just wish I could spend a couple of years there like you did ! My trips were unfortuanteley short but sweet.
Aaah, hang on a sec, did we meet last night at Casa Brindisa, just before I left? I was really, really, really tired so probably garbled any conversation we did have, if you’re the lady I’m thinking of! Sorry!
I think I might have spoken to you, was pretty tired too so forgive me, am sure I was equally garbled!
Hi,
I just found your site. Beautiful. I shall be back!!
Hello,
found your blog address from a newspaper article on a recent trip to London, good thing I wrote it down. Your writing is truly enjoyable, especially enjoyed the recent post about feral trade. Thanks!
in response to your lovely comment on my post- yours is a big fave of mine, too- just added yours to my blogroll. best wishes, shayma
Just stumbled on to this wonderful blog…it BEAUTIFUL!!!! I just Love the way u write..
http://forkbootsandapalette.wordpress.com
Thanks so much for dropping by, yours is aces too.
Nice detail. I really like your blog. I just started a blog about Japanese yakitori and other skewered foods. Food really is great, isn’t it?
Hi Skewer it, I do miss yakitori and indeed all things skewered….had some truly abysmal tacoyaki the other day, it made me pine for the real thing!
Harro! Just clicked through from Twitter, lovely blog – I like your uncluttered look and writing, consider me subscribed! I’m afraid all I know about cooking from the subcontinent is what I learned from my friend Meena’s mum in one wonderful night but I’m half Japanese so while I’m no expert, I can make a mean gyoza ^_^
Harro! Thanks Sasa, I love your blog too, it’s proper subarashii, like.
Hi Rejina ! Your blog is really fun and I have enjoyed reading and learning from your experiences! Keep it up and best wishes…. Zia
Thanks Zia, am so glad you like it! Much appreciated🙂
Love your blog! Loads of interesting foodie stuff. Lovely to meet you at our supperclub last weekend. See you again soon. Will be following your write ups from now on! See you on twitter…
Saira xx
please came for visit fiore d’olivo sardinia restaurant .the taste of sardinia grazie
Hi Rejna,
Just to let you know, I’ve nominated/awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award as one of my top 10 blogs here: http://freshlyseasoned.wordpress.com It’s a bit of a tag-team award, so if you want to play, read the post to see what to do next.
Merry Christmas!
Wow! found your blog by accident and now wish I had seen it earlier!!Its great layout, great design and mouth watering food!!!
Will I be back???…
I dont even need to answer that:)
Hi Ingrid, thanks so much for dropping by, you’ve made my day!! Am super chuffed you like it🙂
Very great blog. We really love your recipes, photos…
Hello, just found your blog from the Foodies 100 list and I love it! I’m so interested in food cultures (I know a little about Indian and Bengali but nada about Japanese) so it’s great to see such a mix here, it’s inspired me to say the least! Cheers.
hi- ooh i had no idea i was on a list, how exciting. Thanks for the lovely comments, you sound like a like-minded soul! nice one x
Thanks for visiting my blog. Your recipes sound amazing – I can’t wait to try them!
Wow, a lot of Bangladeshi-Japanese talk seems to be unravelling here! I’ve only peeked through a few of your posts but enjoying your writing style already😀
P.S. This is kind of random but my dad’s Bangladeshi and mum’s Japanese😛
Thanks Asuma and that’s so cool about your parents. My cousin in Yokohama has the exact same mix🙂
Hello! Funny that I also started my blog because I needed a space where I wouldn’t bore my family and friends with my geekiness either,.. it seems that didn’t work out 100% because my parents, boyfriend and some of my friends in other countries read mine faithfully, lol. (my brother never looks at it, so mission accomplished there). I love how you’ve designed your blog and it seems like so much fun🙂 Have a great day
hello! Your brother is definitely losing out. Thanks for your lovely comments🙂
Hello! I’m new to the blogging community, having just started up a blog from the point of view of someone with severe food allergies, and I’ve just come across your blog. I’m so glad that I did! Lots of fantastic recipes that I can’t wait to try like the lamb dhansak and keema lamb!
Hi Rejina! You have a fantastic blog! I too am a Bengali, and obsessive about Japanese food, although I don’t cook it (I basically spend all my money in Delhi’s few Japanese restaurants). I love the food you cook, you manage to put your own twist in most. It is incredible! I look forward to your posts!
Hello Shatarupa – I must check out your blog! You’re so lucky living in Delhi, you must eat fantastically. Thanks so much for your kind words🙂
they have……………any cooking job for owmen at Bangladeshi
we r pleased to your idea.miss u.
I chanced upon reading your blogs. Just simply delicious, I must say! love em…..
I am always on the look out for blogs that talk about food cultures such as Indian, Bengali or Japanese, like yours, and I’m so glad I’ve found it all here now! Will be looking forward your posts! Have a great day! Greetings from Italy!