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by Saira Hamilton (Author)
Winner of the Best Asian Cookbook at the Gourmand International Cookbook Awards 2020
The food of Bangladesh is explored in this evocative new cookbook. Saira presents 100 traditional family dishes full of intriguing spice and flavour, all gorgeously photographed by Ian Garlick. Bangladesh is a land of contrasts, from busy cities to the lush and fertile countryside, with fish ponds, lakes and rivers at every turn. The cuisine reflects the abundance of vegetables and fish, and has a distinctive taste defined in particular by the ubiquitous mustard oil, and the five- spice blend called panch poran. In this book Saira has brought together her much-loved recipes, with everyday classics, regional specialities, street snacks, and impressive celebration food too. It is packed with background detail and anecdote, vibrant photographs of every dish, and an informative introduction describing the ingredients and cooking techniques of Bangladesh.Author Biography
Saira Hamilton is a private chef and cookery teacher, who runs regular pop-ups and supper clubs featuring her Bengali-inspired food. She is a food writer and columnist, with video recipes featured on YouTube and on the digital channel Simply Good Food TV, and is a regular face on the food festival circuit, appearing live on stage with her easy-to-follow recipes and infectious enthusiasm for getting big flavours into your home cooking. Saira reached the finals of MasterChef 2013, and during the competition won high praise for her delicious dishes and deft spicing. Saira's parents settled in the UK but always maintained a close relationship with the country of their birth, and the family spent many holidays in Bangladesh, both in the bustling old town of Dhaka and lots of very happy times in their father Habib's village home of Dampara, in the north of the country. Saira's love of cooking was inspired by her mother Nadira, and the passion she kindled in her for the food and culture of their motherland. You can follow Saira on Twitter and Instagram @SairaHamilton and on Facebook at SairaHamiltonChef.
