Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Longtime East Village resident Anika Chowdhury is bringing a taste of her neighborhood — and her heritage — to national television this summer.
Starting on Friday, she is serving as a contestant on the fourth season of the PBS series "The Great American Recipe," a cooking competition that celebrates home cooks from across the country.
Born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Chowdhury grew up in a home where food was an expression of love, care and celebration. Her parents often hosted dinners built around fresh, seasonal dishes, sparking her passion for cooking and her belief that food can bring people together.
Now in the East Village, she balances her career as a director of project management with an active life exploring global cuisines, hosting and sharing recipes on her blog, Kitchen Gatherings.
She has lived in the East Village for 17 years (and first called it home nearly three decades ago), where she has grown Bangladeshi vegetables in her local community garden and often cooks for her siblings and friends.
"I'll be representing both my heritage — Bangladesh — and my home, New York," she told me.
When we recently caught up with her, she was gathering herbs in the 6 & B Garden — a turtle in tow — before heading to Duals on First Avenue for ingredients (the turtle still in tow).
On "The Great American Recipe," Chowdhury proudly represents both her Bengali roots and her NYC home, talking about the East Village and its community gardens on the show.
Season four of "The Great American Recipe" premieres on Friday, July 11, and runs through Aug. 15, 9-10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.
