Primarily a mixing of different food cultures and cuisines together, fusion cooking can be referred to as a form of cooking which combines contrasting culinary traditions and techniques into a single dish. ‘A Taste of Pakistan in Fusion’, written by Shaziah Zuberi, is the new addition to cookbook collections in the most innovative genre of fusion cooking. Shaziah Zuberi, who is an avid food blogger and a regular contributor to different publications, is a Pakistani expatriate currently living in the United States.
A beautifully illustrated and lavishly photographed cookbook, ‘A Taste of Pakistan in Fusion’ by Shaziah Zuberi carries unique original fusion recipes with a Pakistani theme. More than a recipe collection, the book is altogether a commendable effort as it resorts to making the most of the art of fusion food, which this time is aimed at building bridges, creating linkages and deepening relationships between Pakistan and the outside world. It melds the author’s authentic Pakistani heritage with a celebration of global diversity. The cookbook and its recipes are a unique expression of cultural and culinary blending. The author Shaziah Zuberi has painstakingly experimented with a variety of ingredients to make customised recipes.
With each recipe accompanied by valuable tips from the author, as well as a note explaining how that particular recipe tend to be quite different from its traditional counterparts, the hardbound book has a plethora of luscious, mouth-watering recipes. These include starters, appetizers, soups and salads, and seafood, meat, chicken and vegetarian dishes, desserts and lots more– all with Shaziah’s signature twist. Edited by Azmat Zuberi with layout and design by Tuba Arshad, the photography of the recipes is by Ayishah Taliaferro, Shehla Iftikhar and Shaziah Zuberi.
A multi-talented woman, Shaziah Zuberi is an MBA in Finance by her educational qualifications and academic interest, but her restless creative impulse and latent predisposition to get off the beaten track soon led her to join the field of advertising, particularly in the realms of media planning and consumer research. Pursuing a wide array of pent-up passions and adrenaline-driven interests at the same time, Shaziah took no time to switch to the world of fashion designing and ran a boutique for women’s apparel as a maverick fashion designer who loves to create things out of nothing.
Other than being a food writer, Shaziah writes on a range of contemporary subjects and has been regularly contributing to such leading publications as Dawn, The Express Tribune, The Friday Times and many others. She has also contributed to a book on Pakistani cuisine titled ‘Food Prints.” Since moving to the US, Shaziah is hell bent on promoting innovative Pakistani-themed fusion cooking, practising her culinary skills by creating new recipes, dishes and delicacies and plating them in a fascinating and eye-catching fashion that no one can afford to look the other way. To spread the joy of her inspirational recipes and innovative cooking, she keeps sharing her food recipes and cooking experiments on her personal website and also posts them on her social media handles.
In Pakistan, the book is currently available at leading bookstores and is also available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. Representing Pakistan on the global front as well as promoting the message of cultural harmony and assimilation through food, the book ‘A Taste of Pakistan in Fusion’ by Shaziah Zuberi is bound to become an essential addition to cookbook shelves.
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