Two years ago, when 4 was researching his latest book, “Fed, White and Blue,” he found himself in a small Minnesota town for July 4. At the Pequot Lakes’ Stars and Stripes Days, Majumdar, a celebrity chef who appears regularly on the Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” immersed himself in the local Independence Day festivities. He participated in a bed push race; sampled a tater tot hot dish and apple pie; and mingled with the locals. “There was an old gentleman cooking on an Army cot,” said Majumdar, the former Brit who recently became a United States citizen. “He had made a barbecue (cooker) out of his old Army cot, and he was cooking ‘Army ribs.’” Majumdar spent most of 2013 traveling the United States, making stops along the way to get to know the country’s culinary bounty. From eating tater tots in Minnesota and peanuts in Mississippi to fishing for salmon in Alaska and judging a kosher barbecue contest in Kansas City, Majumdar crisscrossed the country in search of the best meals in the land. Majumdar is in the midst of a nationwide promotional tour for “Fed, White and Blue,” his third book that chronicles his 2013 food trek across the nation. 30 DeSoto
“I’ve been able to meet some great chefs in the United States,” he said. “I’ve also been able to develop more skills, and I think my cooking has definitely improved.” Majumdar’s draw to the kitchen started at a young age, and even during his time in book publishing, cooking and food still remained important to him. So much so, he credits food with saving his life. In 2004, he turned 40, and his mother died. He said he had a nervous breakdown of sorts thanks to the pressures of life and the daily grind of work. Then he discovered a notebook with journal entries from his younger days. One scribbled entry read, “Go everywhere, eat everything.” He said he doesn’t remember writing it, but he embraced it regardless. “I quit my job and started traveling,” Majumdar said. “It was my excuse to use food to find people.” Thirty-one countries and thousands of meals later, he wrote “Eat My Globe.” He followed that book with “Eating For Britain,” paying homage to his home country. During his research for “Eat My Globe,” he met his future wife, Sybil, who was on vacation in Brazil. They kept in touch, and after a few years of long-distance courting, they married in 2010, and Majumdar moved to Los Angeles. It was