Savor
A Chef's Hunger for More
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4.8 • 13 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • A young chef whose dreams were cut short savors every last minute as she explores food and adventure, illness and mortality in Savor, an “inspiring” (The New York Times Book Review) memoir and family story that sweeps from Pakistan to Manhattan and beyond.
“Ali’s strength and passion for food and her culture shines through. . . . This memoir is a tribute to the extraordinary life and impact she made in twenty-nine years.”—Oprah Daily (Best Books of the Year)
Fatima Ali won the hearts of viewers as the Fan Favorite of Bravo’s Top Chef in season fifteen. Twenty-nine years old, she was a dynamic, boundary-breaking chef and a bright new voice for change in the food world. After the taping wrapped and before the show aired, Fati was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Not one to ever slow down or admit defeat, the star chef vowed to spend her final year traveling the world, eating delicious food, and making memories with her loved ones. But when her condition abruptly worsened, her plans were sidelined. She pivoted, determined to make her final days count as she worked to tell the story of a brown girl chef who set out to make a name for herself, her food, and her culture.
Including writing from Fatima during her last months and contributions by her mother, Farezeh, and her collaborator, Tarajia Morrell, Savor is a deftly woven account and an inspiring ode to the food, family, and countries Fatima loved so much. Alternating between past and present, readers are transported back to Pakistan and the childhoods of both Fatima and Farezeh, each deeply affected by cultural barriers that shaped the course of their lives. From the rustic stalls of the outdoor markets of Karachi to the kitchen and dining room of Meadowood, the acclaimed three-star Michelin restaurant where she apprenticed, Fati reflects on her life and her identity as a chef, a daughter, and a queer woman butting up against traditional views.
Savor is a triumphant memoir, at once an exploration of the sense of wonder that made Fatima so special and a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, it is a story about what it means to truly live, a profound and exquisite portrait of savoring every moment.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
James Beard Award–winning chef Ali delivers a powerful ode to family and food in her posthumous memoir. Ali recalls her childhood interest in cooking as she battled cultural traditions: "Instinctually I always knew that I wanted something different from the life waiting for me in Pakistan." In high school, Ali's teachers encouraged her to apply to an Ivy League college, but her mother, Farezeh Durrani, insisted that cooking was her daughter's calling. Their relationship temporarily broke down when Ali came out as queer, but Durrani and Ali's brother supported Ali as she went to culinary school, became the first Pakistani woman to win the cooking competition show Chopped, became a fan favorite on Top Chef, and launched pop-up restaurants in Lahore and New York City. Her plans to open her own restaurant were derailed by a cancer diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma in 2017. After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, Ali went into remission, but in the fall of 2018, her cancer returned. Doctors told 29-year-old Ali she had a year left to live, but she died four months later. Ali writes with an irresistible passion for food, friendship, and community, and contributions by Durrani beautifully complement Ali's account. This portrait of a remarkable talent whose life was cut short is a tough one to forget.
Customer Reviews
A Wonderful Tribute!
Fatima Ali was a Chef, Chopped winner, and a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef all before she diagnosed with terminal cancer. Fatima decided when she was given the diagnosis of 1 year left to live, she wanted to write a book. Her publisher helped her to choose Tarajia Morrell to make this happen. But as plans were being made, Fatima took a turn for the worse and was given 4 months to live, instead of a year. Tarajia flew to LA to be with Fatima to figure out how to write this book.
This book features chapters written by Famtima and her mother, Farezeh. This book highlights Farezeh arraigned marriage, Farezeh’s thoughts on Fatima’s life, Fatima’s childhood where she lived in Pakistan and America, Fatima’s education, and her professional life.
From Fatima’s tumultuous childhood to her love for cooking to attending cooking school to starting her career as a Chef to coming out as a lesbian, to winning Chopped, to becoming a contestant on Top Chef, her goal was to change people’s impression of Pakistani culture and food. Also bring a level of sophistication to Pakistani food.
A wonderful tribute to Fatima, while fulfilling her last wish of a published book! A great book club book as well as a great book for those who love watching cooking shows or consider themselves a foodie!