Alpana Habib aptly calls herself a 'home cook' who endeavors to make home cooks out of everyone, and her YouTube recipes have garnered a loyal fan following. Today is the celebrity cook's 50th birthday, and her youthful energy is infectious as she speaks of her passionate love for cooking.

Alpana Habib has been cooking from an early age, replicating recipes from cookbooks. “I never imagined I'd have my own cooking show,” said Alpana. “I used to entertain guests at my home, and they would ask me to teach them how to cook. That is how my cooking classes were formed. My sister approached Sara Zaker and told her of my storytelling habits while instructing students. After one show, Sara Zaker signed me up for more. That is how my journey began.” 

Alpana's reputation has transcended the country's borders, too. Last year, she was invited as a culinary judge by “Hangla Hesel”, a Kolkata-based food magazine to a festival arranged in various parts of the region for Durga Pooja festivals. “This was not a cooking competition,” Alpana explained, “it is all fun and games and the food is cooked by the locals for the festival. Marks are allocated depending on the taste, presentation, as well as the traditional value of the dishes served. There were many Bangladeshis living in Kolkata, and they were very happy to see a representative from our country.” Alpana Habib was also invited to Delhi as a cooking instructor at “Food for Thought”, a food festival organised by SAARC, where she met cooks from SAARC countries. “It was an invigorating experience, as renowned chefs were there, giving live demonstrations. I demonstrated my ilish pulao, shahi tukda, as well as a decorative starter item which they loved.”

Alpana Habib will be involved with West Bengal's most popular cooking show aired by Zee Bangla, “Rannaghor”, and is also currently working on a cookbook that will be published in both English and Bangla.