Andaza

Andaza is a beguiling memoir of growing up around food as a Pakistani woman - the struggles, the expectations, the joys, the flavours - and how this time spent learning from the women of Sumayya Usmani's family helped her to break out of a conventional Pakistani life. Thanks to her mother's nurturing through food, and a childhood spent watching her cook in the galley of a merchant ship, Sumayya came to find freedom in the kitchen and flavour in her hands. The evocative chapters include Cooking Mummy's Pullao, Bitter, Dark Lemons, and Cooking for Consolation. Accompanied by over 30 recipes and stunning photography, this is a richly evocative exploration of the impact that food - and its associations - can have on one's confidence, aspirations and character. It's also a reminder that food plays a unique role in bringing not just friends and family together, but different generations and cultures, too.