Hungry Table

Food and memory are inextricably linked; flavours and dishes evoke emotion, rooted in nostalgia or specific experiences. The Hungry Table embodies this idea. For Fatima Saib, food exists as a backdrop to her childhood memories, intertwined with her precious relationship with her late father. Rooted in this culinary inspiration, the book expertly weaves story and memory through a journey of over 90 contemporary recipes, most with a nod to the author’s South African-Indian heritage.With this in mind, the book is divided into five chapters, each one tapping into a feeling. The Basics offers an array of chutneys, sauces, pickles and flavour-enhancers to round off any dish. Togetherness is an ode to food that is best shared among friends and family, like hot honey fried chicken and fragrantly layered biryanis. Comfort covers those recipes that warm the body and soul from the inside out, like dhal and rasmalai. From Fast, expect deliciously quick-and-easy dishes like chilli crunch toasted cheese or yoghurt and cardamom potato curry. And for those slower days, when time is best used to explore and enjoy, look to Relaxed, for dishes like parathas, sticky BBQ lamb ribs or creamy cabbage and corn bake.The Hungry Table ignites the senses, telling a story of time and place, reminding readers to slow down and enjoy food and the way it makes us feel. It is an invitation into the kitchen, to enjoy the catharsis of cooking and the dishes that result, and, perhaps most importantly, to be nourished by the memories created in the process.

Fatima Saib is a creative producer, editor, recipe developer and podcaster with an immense passion for food. She believes that food and the memories related to it have the ability to create incredible connections across the world. She obtained her Honours degree in English Literature in 2018 from the University of the Western Cape. It was during her studies that she started her home-based baking business, Saib’s Kitchen, which garnered the attention of many local food authorities, like the late Sonia Cabano. Since then, food writing began to take a more pivotal role in her life and she was head-hunted to develop and contribute recipes to some of the biggest brands in South Africa. Fatima’s food and lifestyle blog, fatimasaib.co.za, has been running for over 11 years. She is the former editor-in-chief of Food & Home and MyKitchen magazines, and is currently the Commercial Editor for Woolworths’ TASTE. The Hungry Table is her first book.