Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna’s limited edition “Utsav- A Culinary Epic” was auctioned for INR 30 lakhs and the proceeds from this sale will feed 2,00,000 underprivileged children through an NGO that is close to his heart.
This exhaustive1,200 page book, which took him almost 12 years to compile will be a bible for all those who wish to try their hand in the kitchen. The auction of the 12th copy was conducted on the birthday of his late father and was sold to realtor Rasesh Kanakia. The bidding started at INR Rs 8,00,000 and excitedly went upto Rs 30 lakhs.
The book is a beautiful compilation of festivals, rituals, traditional dishes that would give the reader an insight into India’s rich culture and heritage. You will get transported amongst the colours and images in the book taking you through life in India. Khanna has travelled through the length and breadth of the country visiting each place, attending the festivals and getting hold of the traditional recipes from their source.
Just twelve handcrafted and gold gilded hand painted copies of the ‘Utsav’ have been created and presented to important personalities like Narendra Modi, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Dalai Lama, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Lata Mangeshkar and a few privileged others. The 11th copy is reserved for Queen Elizabeth II and the 12th was supposed to have been presented to Steve Jobs, but unfortunately he passed away before this could happen.
Some of the covers have been made out of 24 karat gold and used vegetables and natural colours to paint the covers. Each cover is different and there is gold work on the box that holds the book as well.
Vikas Khanna dons many hats and successfully juggles being a restaurateur, cookbook writer, filmmaker, humanitarian and a Master Chef judge.
[Via:Intoday]
