Written by café owner and cookery teacher Farhana Sahibzada, this mouth-watering new book demystifies the process of cooking authentic, restaurant-quality Indian and Pakistani food at home. Exchanging complicated ingredient lists and laborious techniques with simple methods that anyone will enjoy, the book is poised to make kitchens of homes around the world richer in color and flavor and smell delectable for days.

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWire) -- 08/28/2013 --For the past century, millions around the world have developed an addictive and passionate love for Indian and Pakistani food. However, due to the perceived obstacles of cooking such cuisine at home, most rely on expensive restaurant visits to get the fix they crave.

In an effort to change perceptions and allow anyone to stir up authentic Indian and Pakistani cuisine in their own kitchens, culinary expert Farhana Sahibzada is announcing the launch of her new do-it-yourself cookery book. ‘Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian/Pakistani Cooking’ is a true definitive work, covering everything from tandoori appetisers and dozens of entrées to the specialty deserts that top off that perfect Indian meal.

“When I opened my first café in the early 1990s, I planned to incorporate Indian cookery classes into the operation. My approach right from the start was to teach simple shortcuts to the cuisine – something that was in demand after many of my students arrived flustered with complicated recipes that required an overwhelming list of hard-to-find ingredients,” says Sahibzada, who has spent over twenty-five years teaching Indian food cooking in schools, gourmet food markets and numerous professional culinary institutions.

Continuing, “From that point forward, my aim was to simplify this very foreign cuisine for people interested in cooking Indian; not to mention even for myself! My goal was to remove the intimidation and encourage people to cook Indian at home for themselves, their friends and family. And most of all offer directions and techniques to ensure even the very novice cooks, success at the first attempt!”

While the book is all-encompassing and written for home cooks at all levels, Sahibzada admits that diligent research was required to unravel hundreds of years of tradition.

“The socio-economic system in India and Pakistan allows most affluent to middle class homes the practice of employing a cook for their daily meal prep. A custom extending over generations which kept these recipes and skills in the hands of these workers from one generation to the next via word of mouth and rarely got formally compiled. I’ve transposed everything into a format and process that anyone can use.

This involved some major ground work of making many culinary journeys back to my land of origin, in-depth research and working along with these skilled professionals then fine tuning and testing these treasured recipes for an ease of use, It wasn’t easy – but it sure is tasty!” she adds.

While it shares a myriad of recipes including Biryanni, Chicken Qorma and Shammi Kabobs, the book ensures all readers have a solid grounding in the principles and practices of traditional Indian/Pakistani cooking. For example, the correct use of spices and techniques for highlighting single flavors are fully explained so that home cooks can master concepts that have driven South Asian culture for thousands of years.

To date, the book has attracted a consistent string of rave reviews:

‘This book is filled with food that is exciting, fresh and do-able. And with Farhana’s tips and tricks and easy to follow techniques, it’s easy enough for even a novice.’

Notes Ms. Joanne Weir, the award winning cookbook author, Television Personality and cooking teacher –who also offered to write the ‘foreword’ of this book.

"Ami, I cooked Aloo Palak from your book today, your easy directions made the cooking a breeze and it came out so good, yum, yum, yum....!" says Mehnaz.

Naureen & Angel were equally as impressed, adding, “Guess what? We cooked Chicken Karai, Aloo Gajjar and rice last night. It came out delicious and the recipes were so easy to follow."

Initial limited ‘test marketing’ has strongly demonstrated that the book is growing in demand and popularity. A must have for Indian food enthusiasts and interested readers at large for their kitchen library collection.

‘Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian/Pakistani Cooking’, published by Trafford publishing, is available now. For more information and sample recipes, visit: http://www.flavorfulshortcuts.com

About the Author: Farhana Sahibzada
Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Farhana is the noted chef and owner of cinnamon STIX, a café and catering business she established and operated in Woodland Hills, California. Farhana has been teaching Indian/Pakistani (food) cooking classes for over 25 years both privately and for many well-known cooking schools, high-end retail establishments and gourmet food markets including: Whole foods Markets, Gelson’s, Williams-Sonoma, Los Angeles Pierce College, The Art’s Institute, Southern California Culinary Institute in South Pasadena (At present: Le Cordon Bleu) and Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village, California to name a few. Farhana’s classes focus on simplifying the art of Indian Cooking

Contact : Farhana is available for interviews and appearances.

For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book-signings contact:
farhana22430@hotmail.com

To request a review copy contact Farhana at:
818-312-2369

farhana22430@hotmail.com