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British queen honours Jaffrey
Britain's Queen has awarded Jaffrey an honourary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth has awarded Madhur Jaffrey, an award-winning actress and a leading authority on Indian cooking, an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
The award is in recognition of her services to drama and promotion of appreciation for Indian food and culture. The award ceremony was held in the British embassy premises in Washington on Friday where Jaffrey was present to receive the CBE award.
She lives in Greenwich Village in New York with her three daughters and her American husband.
Conferring the honour, British Ambassador Sir David Manning described Jaffrey as "a celebrated international figure whose influence has spread across the globe". She is both a remarkable actress and a cookery writer who has changed the way many in Britain, and more widely, think about cuisine.
"Her combination of warmth, imagination and talent are very rare, and have earned her enormous admiration and popularity."
Jaffrey is a food consultant at the city's Dawat restaurant and has written extensively on food for publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Saveur and Gourmet.
In a stage and screen career spanning four decades, she has drawn rave reviews across a broad spectrum of dramatic roles.
Her writing on Indian cooking over the past three decades first changed the culinary landscape in Britain, but her books have also become best sellers in the US where she has been honoured for introducing the delights of Indian food to the American palate.
Her newest book, "From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes From the Indian Spice Trail", was launched in the US in November. Other books include the best-selling "Madhur Jaffrey's World of the Far East Vegetarian Cooking", and "Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking and Far Eastern Cookery".
The honour CBE was founded in 1917 by King George V to recognise service by civilians in World War I. It now honours civilians and military personnel for public service or other outstanding contributions to society.
