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Feast: With a Taste of Amir Khusro
‘Stories and food remain the same, only faces change, and those too only vaguely. The same faces keep coming back every few generations to eat the same food and live out the same stories.’
Ayesha realizes that her relationship with food has made her obese and this realization takes her on a journey of self-discovery where she learns to fall in love with food not through gluttony, but by understanding its sensuous journey and evolution. In her life, feast runs parallel to the tales of people, and sometimes becomes the cerebral voice relating its journey over time and regions, telling stories of the people to whom it provides nourishment and nurturing.
Travelling in time, Ayesha and Feast present scenarios of hospitality, generosity and warmth of the people of the subcontinent; through seasons, traditions and celebrations. Soon Ayesha comes to appreciate how food brings with it interesting stories, tying various emotions together—celebratory, jubilant, sorrowful and the ordinary. The history of regional cuisine, the multitude of tastes and flavours, and the passions they evoke, have a deep impact on Ayesha. She eventually comes to understand that her primary relationship is with food, and until that is not healthy, nothing else will be.
Away from Ayesha’s voice, Tirmizi’s account is often omniscient, telling tales of a different time, stepping into another past, and then jumping to the present, voicing the evolution of food and its impact on Ayesha, and the relationships she has with others.
Additionally, mouth-watering recipes of traditional dishes from the subcontinent make for a delightful read. In Tirmizi’s deft hands, Feast is as a feast should be: endearing and unputdownable.
Ayesha realizes that her relationship with food has made her obese and this realization takes her on a journey of self-discovery where she learns to fall in love with food not through gluttony, but by understanding its sensuous journey and evolution. In her life, feast runs parallel to the tales of people, and sometimes becomes the cerebral voice relating its journey over time and regions, telling stories of the people to whom it provides nourishment and nurturing.
Travelling in time, Ayesha and Feast present scenarios of hospitality, generosity and warmth of the people of the subcontinent; through seasons, traditions and celebrations. Soon Ayesha comes to appreciate how food brings with it interesting stories, tying various emotions together—celebratory, jubilant, sorrowful and the ordinary. The history of regional cuisine, the multitude of tastes and flavours, and the passions they evoke, have a deep impact on Ayesha. She eventually comes to understand that her primary relationship is with food, and until that is not healthy, nothing else will be.
Away from Ayesha’s voice, Tirmizi’s account is often omniscient, telling tales of a different time, stepping into another past, and then jumping to the present, voicing the evolution of food and its impact on Ayesha, and the relationships she has with others.
Additionally, mouth-watering recipes of traditional dishes from the subcontinent make for a delightful read. In Tirmizi’s deft hands, Feast is as a feast should be: endearing and unputdownable.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2017
5 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Bisma Tirmizi
1 book6 followersMy name is Bisma Tirmizi and my debut novel, Feast With A Taste of Amir Khusro, was published by Rupa Publications, India, and was recently launched at LLF (Lahore Literary Festival) 2018.
It is a culture centric book, woven in traditions, relationships, history and all that is wonderful about the sub/continent. I wanted to create a bridge between the past and present, Pakistan and India, traditions and relationships, fiction and fact, and Feast has allowed me to do just that.
Now a little about me. I'm a Pakistani American author/journalist and have been living in the US for over 20 years.
I worked for DAWN (newspaper based out of Pakistan), for over six years, and have been writing for over thirty. I've written over five hundred articles and have been published in Dawn, dawn.com, The News, The Express Tribune and Buzzfeed, and am currently a columnist for Dawn and dawn.com and am working on my second book.
Feast, centers around the rich fabric that knits, holds, binds our people together. It's our love story with food.
You can order a copy of FEAST WITH A TASTE OF AMIR KHUSRO through my US distributor (for US, CANADA, EUROPE, FAR EAST, MIDDLE EAST delivery)
THROUGH the address provided below
Book Bank Distributors
Email: snowleopard2211@gmail.com
OR send a private message to Bisma Tirmizi/ Food Stories/ Author/ Writer/ Journalist to place an order.
OR through any fine retailer online, or in store, and online, in the sub-continent.
It is a culture centric book, woven in traditions, relationships, history and all that is wonderful about the sub/continent. I wanted to create a bridge between the past and present, Pakistan and India, traditions and relationships, fiction and fact, and Feast has allowed me to do just that.
Now a little about me. I'm a Pakistani American author/journalist and have been living in the US for over 20 years.
I worked for DAWN (newspaper based out of Pakistan), for over six years, and have been writing for over thirty. I've written over five hundred articles and have been published in Dawn, dawn.com, The News, The Express Tribune and Buzzfeed, and am currently a columnist for Dawn and dawn.com and am working on my second book.
Feast, centers around the rich fabric that knits, holds, binds our people together. It's our love story with food.
You can order a copy of FEAST WITH A TASTE OF AMIR KHUSRO through my US distributor (for US, CANADA, EUROPE, FAR EAST, MIDDLE EAST delivery)
THROUGH the address provided below
Book Bank Distributors
Email: snowleopard2211@gmail.com
OR send a private message to Bisma Tirmizi/ Food Stories/ Author/ Writer/ Journalist to place an order.
OR through any fine retailer online, or in store, and online, in the sub-continent.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 4, 2018
Amir Khusro was one of the most influential poets of his time. Poignant and mellifluous, his poetry always left an imprint on the soul. A conflux of his soulful writing and piquant recipes, ‘Feast’ is not only racy but also savoury. It is not a story; it is not poetry either. In fact, it seems like a cookbook by passion and a memoir by choice. Backed up by with impressive narrative and offering a potluck of emotions, stories and characters, Feast is literally a repast for ravenous minds!
Read the full review here: http://aliveshadow.com/category-bookr...
Read the full review here: http://aliveshadow.com/category-bookr...
January 24, 2019
For someone who is a bhookhar (having an undying love for food), this book is a treat. I have been drooling over the book while reading it. The Pakistani/desi cuisine is described so delectably, making one crave it so bad.
The book is about Subcontinents' food ancestry weaved with music, traditions, relationships and love stories.
The book revolves around Ayesha- a girl who eats her issues away. I could relate with Ayesha, when she talked about how a reminder of her insecurities made her indulge in gluttonious deliciousness.
It's such a beautiful feeling to read books by fellow Pakistanis.
The book is about Subcontinents' food ancestry weaved with music, traditions, relationships and love stories.
The book revolves around Ayesha- a girl who eats her issues away. I could relate with Ayesha, when she talked about how a reminder of her insecurities made her indulge in gluttonious deliciousness.
It's such a beautiful feeling to read books by fellow Pakistanis.
April 3, 2019
Book Review:
"Feast" by Bisma Tirmizi is not only about food as the name may suggest but it is a complete package of familial bondage, history of subcontinent, celebration & significance of food, traditions, personal development, love, relationships, and life itself. It is about a girl named Ayesha, who is a hard-core foodie, which is causing obesity and how she turns her life around with sheer will & dedication. However, her love for food remains constant & is strengthened over years.
Details about traditional dishes are exceptionally penned & leads to a consistent craving to eat them. The way she connects those dishes with their history is astonishing.
"The British came to erase subcontinental glory from history, unaware that eras can never be erased, only forgotten until a new generation takes birth & searches for the glory of the past..."
All the famous dishes from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan & N.W.F.P and how they came to the subcontinent, their connections with the royalty, & the recipes which traveled from one generation to other, makes it an incredible debut novel. The novel connects the lives of Ayesha & her grandmother Sharmeen who lived 50 years apart and I absolutely loved how it is done.
"Stories and food remain the same, only faces change, & those too only vaguely. The same faces keep coming back every few generations to eat the same food & live out the same stories."
I cherished the subtle romance, beautiful conversations & the heart to heart connection between Faiz & Ayesha, it is so amazingly written that you can almost feel it and leaves you yearning for more. The relationship between Ayesha & her Dadi makes you crave to have such friendly, experienced, & lively elder in your life. The friendship she had with Sofia, Yahya, her brothers & parents is beautifully explained. They truly celebrated food, family, history & life. The inclusion of poetry by the legendary Amir Khusro was undeniably perfect.
"Feast" by Bisma Tirmizi is not only about food as the name may suggest but it is a complete package of familial bondage, history of subcontinent, celebration & significance of food, traditions, personal development, love, relationships, and life itself. It is about a girl named Ayesha, who is a hard-core foodie, which is causing obesity and how she turns her life around with sheer will & dedication. However, her love for food remains constant & is strengthened over years.
Details about traditional dishes are exceptionally penned & leads to a consistent craving to eat them. The way she connects those dishes with their history is astonishing.
"The British came to erase subcontinental glory from history, unaware that eras can never be erased, only forgotten until a new generation takes birth & searches for the glory of the past..."
All the famous dishes from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan & N.W.F.P and how they came to the subcontinent, their connections with the royalty, & the recipes which traveled from one generation to other, makes it an incredible debut novel. The novel connects the lives of Ayesha & her grandmother Sharmeen who lived 50 years apart and I absolutely loved how it is done.
"Stories and food remain the same, only faces change, & those too only vaguely. The same faces keep coming back every few generations to eat the same food & live out the same stories."
I cherished the subtle romance, beautiful conversations & the heart to heart connection between Faiz & Ayesha, it is so amazingly written that you can almost feel it and leaves you yearning for more. The relationship between Ayesha & her Dadi makes you crave to have such friendly, experienced, & lively elder in your life. The friendship she had with Sofia, Yahya, her brothers & parents is beautifully explained. They truly celebrated food, family, history & life. The inclusion of poetry by the legendary Amir Khusro was undeniably perfect.
January 24, 2019
A book that made me drool as I read through it. Studded with recipes and delicious descriptions of food, the story was such a delight! Saving it to try some recipes from it.
May 9, 2020
this book was just okay, it was short so i read it quickly.
the start talks about the mughal kings for instance babar.
it is about a 13 year old girl called ayesha who lives in karachi and the year is 1984.
she sings like abida parveen and has two brothers.
she loves to eat food and is obese and needs to loose some weight.
she has a relationship with food.
her life revolves around food specially food of south asia.
it is about the girl's love for food.
there are different recipes given through out the book about how to make various foods like baryani and other foods.
infact the whole book is filled with details of how to make different foods and they look tempting.
there are several chapters one about lahore and about eid .
there is talk about the old city of lahore and about all that happens on eid after the holy month of ramzan.
the name of amir khusro is mentioned in the other part of the book
this novel is all about food and about how to make food and about the life of the little girl called ayesha growing up in karachi.
the novel actually is all about ayesha and her life and her love for food!.
the start talks about the mughal kings for instance babar.
it is about a 13 year old girl called ayesha who lives in karachi and the year is 1984.
she sings like abida parveen and has two brothers.
she loves to eat food and is obese and needs to loose some weight.
she has a relationship with food.
her life revolves around food specially food of south asia.
it is about the girl's love for food.
there are different recipes given through out the book about how to make various foods like baryani and other foods.
infact the whole book is filled with details of how to make different foods and they look tempting.
there are several chapters one about lahore and about eid .
there is talk about the old city of lahore and about all that happens on eid after the holy month of ramzan.
the name of amir khusro is mentioned in the other part of the book
this novel is all about food and about how to make food and about the life of the little girl called ayesha growing up in karachi.
the novel actually is all about ayesha and her life and her love for food!.
April 15, 2021
An eclectic and deeply felt account by someone who obviously has a multifarious and subtle appreciation of cuisine, traditions, culture and history - a unique appreciation of all of this and more in a narrative that flows and captivates. This is a really pleasurable book and specially for those who have experienced our culture or are interested in knowing about it
March 5, 2018
Well written and amazing recipes added. A good book for good food lovers.
April 18, 2021
An average read
The featured recipes could have used a tad more nuance and detail. And it's easy to lose track of the narrative.
The featured recipes could have used a tad more nuance and detail. And it's easy to lose track of the narrative.
July 25, 2021
𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩; 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙢𝙞𝙧 𝙆𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙧𝙤 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙨𝙢𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞
_____
People of the subcontinent love two things dearly; food, and shadi. They will struggle to structure such life where they’d afford to eat lavish food, and to showcase a grandeur wedding ceremony. We live for this. Seriously! 🌚
____
This book is for all the food lovers out there. It is the love story of a girl with the food, and the history related to it, and their lineage from where the recipe came from, and how. The story is a full package of mouth watering dishes, family drama, and travel for the love of food. ♥️ I loved the detailing; the analogy to describe the lavishness of the food. 🤩
Plus point it’s a cheesy love story. 🙈
____
𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.
-𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩; 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙢𝙞𝙧 𝙆𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙧𝙤 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙨𝙢𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞
_____
𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. ♥️😌
#reviewmania#2021reads#readingafterawhile#blogging#bookstagramming#bookstoread#bismatirmizi#feast#food#pakistan#subcontinent#loveforfood
_____
People of the subcontinent love two things dearly; food, and shadi. They will struggle to structure such life where they’d afford to eat lavish food, and to showcase a grandeur wedding ceremony. We live for this. Seriously! 🌚
____
This book is for all the food lovers out there. It is the love story of a girl with the food, and the history related to it, and their lineage from where the recipe came from, and how. The story is a full package of mouth watering dishes, family drama, and travel for the love of food. ♥️ I loved the detailing; the analogy to describe the lavishness of the food. 🤩
Plus point it’s a cheesy love story. 🙈
____
𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.
-𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩; 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙢𝙞𝙧 𝙆𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙧𝙤 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙨𝙢𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞
_____
𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. ♥️😌
#reviewmania#2021reads#readingafterawhile#blogging#bookstagramming#bookstoread#bismatirmizi#feast#food#pakistan#subcontinent#loveforfood
May 10, 2024
No matter from which region one hails from, savoury and scrumptious food has the power to soar one into the nirvana.
The sensuousness of the ingredients of a multitude of dishes and how it hits our taste buds while bringing a torrent of euphoric nostalgia with it.
Bisma Tirmizi has done a marvellous job by coalescing food, history, and intricate patterns of cultural mosaic, and how it concatenates us with each other across and over the borders of subcontinent
This novel relates a story of Ayesha, who tribulates from obesity in her early decades of life and how eventually she gets a grip of it while unraveling the philosophy of food as being one's proverbial lover that is— if one can't keep equanimity between food and her, it has a tendency to wreak a havoc on one like any nightmarish relationship has.
This novel also bestows us with a score of delectable recipes that merely thinking of them, one wants to rush to the kitchen and be a chef of ones own life.
Moreover, the theme of family bondage over feasts and the traditions of conferring of family recepies upon generations to generations make one yearn to dig out its roots and beseech his ancestors about the nectareous delights that he or she is going to inherit.
Lastly, this book is not a novel but a sumptuous repast in itself. After consuming this succulent book, one feels like he has lived through centuries while feasting on the foods of his ancestors as it travels from continent to continent.
The sensuousness of the ingredients of a multitude of dishes and how it hits our taste buds while bringing a torrent of euphoric nostalgia with it.
Bisma Tirmizi has done a marvellous job by coalescing food, history, and intricate patterns of cultural mosaic, and how it concatenates us with each other across and over the borders of subcontinent
This novel relates a story of Ayesha, who tribulates from obesity in her early decades of life and how eventually she gets a grip of it while unraveling the philosophy of food as being one's proverbial lover that is— if one can't keep equanimity between food and her, it has a tendency to wreak a havoc on one like any nightmarish relationship has.
This novel also bestows us with a score of delectable recipes that merely thinking of them, one wants to rush to the kitchen and be a chef of ones own life.
Moreover, the theme of family bondage over feasts and the traditions of conferring of family recepies upon generations to generations make one yearn to dig out its roots and beseech his ancestors about the nectareous delights that he or she is going to inherit.
Lastly, this book is not a novel but a sumptuous repast in itself. After consuming this succulent book, one feels like he has lived through centuries while feasting on the foods of his ancestors as it travels from continent to continent.
October 17, 2021
A nice book, but much repetition. However displayed a very open & outgoing family structure with respect to time, that’s very disappointing, since Pakistani culture or I should say the respectable ones still don’t allow this kinds of mix ups, late nights dinners & every Tom dick & Harry coming to homes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews