The Honey Thief – Book Review

The Honey Thief is a lyrical, magical fable set over the last 200 years in Afghanistan, featuring ordinary people facing up to astonishing extremes. Told by native Afghani Najaf Mazari (who fled Afghanistan in 2001 for Australia, where he now lives with his wife and daughter) to writer Robert Hillman, it is a snap shot of the Hazara people - a minority group that still lives in a rocky hills between Kabul and Kandhar. This amazing book , present a enchanting portrait of people who rejoice with intelligence and humor over the oppression of political dictators and an unforgiving landscape.

A narrative of interlinked stories rooted in fact and laced with magical realism, The Honey Thief centers on an engaging cast of characters. There’s the grief –stricken boy who finds his way back to happiness by apprenticing himself to a master beekeeper  a musician capable of conjuring stones to rise in to air with the beauty of his playing teaches his art to a mute child; and a young man who wins the heart of a scornful beauty by reading to her from the The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. There’s Abdul Kaliq, the teenager who killed a king; the Englishman named Dobara, who comes to Hazafajat to take photograph of snow leopard; Konrad ( half German, half Hazara) who sings “Billie Jean” while blazing through war zones on his motorcycle. Being a food blogger and passionate foodie I love the lighthearted funny final part most “The Cookbook of the Master Poisoner Ghorooh – e –astab of Mashad” , where we are introduced with his recipe for poisoned stew Khoresht Aaloo which is followed by several less lethal Hazara dishes. I like most Boulanne which are delicious Afghan pasties and Chelo Nakhod which need above all a chicken but a fat and happy one to make a real delicious dish. I love to share a wisdom from The Honey Thief with my foodie friend that if you want to enjoy the dishes then enjoy the preparation too. When you eat them you can feel proud that these are from my own hand. “ If we are to enjoy food, let it be an enjoyment we earn.”

In a passionate poetic wit and profound simplicity The Honey Thief reveals an unseen Afghanistan to rest of the world, that which is rich,vibrant and full of life. Afghanistan is not of failure and despair, but of resilience and fulfillment. I think The Honey Thief is a charming book and must read for everyone to know the triumph of human spirit over death and destruction.

THE HONEY THIEF ( Viking ; on sale 4/18/13; $ 26.95) I am thankful to Viking for sending me a review copy of The Honey Thief.
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Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes - Book Review

I always have love for words, any and every good book and mag catch my attention and I get tempted. Food mags and cook book are no exception though lot are there online but I like to keep them as collectibles……sound crazy….can’t help life without a good dash of colorful deliciousness life seems to be so bland ….I get depressed in no time. So when I get the  book Save By Cake from international best selling author Marian Keyes, her chatty, witty style of writing with chock full of great baking advice, delicious recipes and drool worthy pictures (by Alistair Richardson), catch my attention.The book itself is a joy to behold. In Saved by Cake, Keyes provides and extremely candid account of her recent battle  with depression, and her discovery that learning to bake was exactly what she needed to get through each day. Marian find that baking helps to pass the time. In Marian words “ To be perfectly blunt about it, my choice sometimes is: I can kill myself or I can make a dozen of cup cakes.” With chapters on cupcakes, cheesecakes, meringues and macaroons, chocolate cakes and other classics, her recipes are aimed firmly at the beginners or like me who lack confidence when it comes to baking and create some kitchen disaster, but she in a refreshingly honest and wickedly funny style offer hints, tips  and suggestions that even a  first timer can’t resist to try a hand  on this beautiful easy recipes.



Each and every recipe from this book is a keeper  but  as you all know we all have our personal choices and when it comes to the nutrient rich red balls … I mean beetroot…..who can stop me…..so beet cake come as  first in my top fav list following cranberry macarons….but cranberry sauce is not always handy in my place so  I will  go with mango which I think will be great  in coming summer months  and then comes the No- bake ginger and Lime cheese cake...mouthwatering combo of spicy heat of the ginger snaps with a sharp tang of lime....simply irresistible. Marian is truly blessed by the food fairy to bring such awesome baking delight in this wonderful book.

Baking books comes out every now and then. Yet Marian Save by Cake stand out for it’s 
extremity. Cake or die.Hat’s off to  her clarity and courage. In a humorous style she share such amazing recipes which can lift the spirit and satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

This book  can be a perfect gift  for the beginners and even the expert baker, it can be a keeper  for someone who don’t love baking but ardent fan of Marian, or for someone who need a cuddle in a book.

A very entertaining and inspiring book. ( Officially on sale March 26, 2013. ) 
 
Thanks to Penguin for my review copy of Saved by Cake.

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Smorgie.com - Make and Share lists of Yummy

I came across an extraordinarily wonderful site that all food lovers will love to try - Smorgie.com. I must say thanks to Foodie Blogroll for giving me the wonderful opportunity to test and review this site. The best thing about this site is, it helps to keep track of the restaurant one have eaten or like to try. The database is huge, you only name the restaurant and the nearby location and it will show all the possible names found and from that you can easily choose the one you are looking for.  It will give the type of cuisine that is served , their address, phone number and the best is, there is an automatic map that's generated of all the restaurant locations on the list. You can make a list of your favorite restaurant and also share it with your friends.


Friends of mine who live in USA send me the names of all the delicious restaurant which prepares awesome Indian meals with the name of all the special menus prepared there, I am telling you it’s very hard sometime to remember them in time of need. So I create a list of the Indian restaurant. I create  this list so that next time when I will visit USA for vacation or any other reason I will not miss my home food. The fun part is I can share this list with my Facebook friends, twitter followers, pinterest and send email to a friend or relatives who are looking for Indian food in USA.

Smorgie is on iPhone too so there is no way you can miss track on the list of your favorite restaurant.One more feature of this site is, you can add friends from Smorgie.com and search their list and add restaurants from their list.This way you can come across many new food spot that are worth remembering and keeping track on.

For me Smorgie com is not only a user friendly site but also very helpful for all foodies who love to eat out. I am fan of  Smorgie.com.

It is a brand new site and I hope it will add many new and interesting features that will make this site more fun filled and exciting in coming days. I want in near future, Smorgie add restaurant from all over the world so that traveler or tourists can easily get the name of restaurant and foods they are looking for. I am looking forward to see more of my foodie friends on Smorgie .com.

I am recommending all my blog readers and friends to try this new website it is absolutely free and easy sign up. I want to see a large Smorgie community where we food lovers can explore new food destination and keep track on our favorites.


Smorgie.com - Make and Share lists of Yummy

Disclaimer: This sponsorship is brought to you by Smorgie.com who I have partnered with for this promotion.

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The Kitchen Counter Cooking School Book Review And A Giveaway

From my late teens I am reading cookbooks because I love reading cookbooks. I have special passion for them. So when I got the copy The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Finn who is also my Face book friend I take no time to finish it. After reading I found what Erica Bauermeister, author of The School for Essential Ingredients and Joy for Beginners said -“A life-changing book—entertaining, inspiring, and deeply educational” is absolutely right.  A finished copy of the book is ready for you . You can win this fabulous book!


The book was inspired when Kathleen encountered a woman at the supermarket, loading up on processed foods. Taking a leap of faith, Kathleen persuaded the woman to abandon her overpriced convenience food for fresher alternatives and gave her a few simple recipes for easy meals. She realized what the woman lacked was simply the basic knowledge and confidence to be a home cook; she had found a new calling. Le Cordon Blue graduate Kathleen decided to use her recent culinary training to help a group of nine culinary novitiates find their inner cook. Kathleen in this book The Kitchen Counter Cooking School like a true friend show the reader to create simple recipes, make healthy choices, build culinary confidence and make most of their grocery shopping.

Kathleen feels there’s a disconnect in this country when it comes to food and cooking. On one hand, there’s a culture of hero worship around celebrity chefs that fuels cooking-as-a-spectator-sport on television. At the same time, marketers worked for decades to convince people that cooking themselves isn’t worth their time, and that even simple dishes fall outside their grasp. All this explains why one woman in the book told Kathleen, “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve eaten Tuna Helper while watching Gordon Ramsey.” It’s a funny line about a serious problem. The rise of convenience food and decline of home cooking are inextricably correlated to the surge of obesity and diabetes. If people think they can’t cook, they put themselves at the mercy of companies whose interests are primarily financial to feed them instead. Kathleen believes in the power of home cooking and it’s her mission to help people find their way off the couch and into the kitchen.

Some of simple delicious and awesome recipes from The Kitchen Counter Cooking School.

I enjoyed the journey of Kathleen where her simple approach and elegant delectable yet easy recipes turned those nine culinary novice into fearless home cooks. A very entertaining and inspiring book. (Not officially on sale until October 3, 2011.)

So get ready to be inspired-A finished copy of the book and a special THE KITCHEN COUNTER COOKING SCHOOL magnet for giveaway.

Enter now for your chance to win!

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Terms And Condition
Giveaway ends October 10, 2011. Open to US addresses. No PO Boxes. Winners will be declared on  October 11,2011.

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