Food Street ke Zaiqay
| Publisher: |
Waleed Publishers |
| Recipes by: |
Shazia Iftikhar |
Table of contents
Preface
Review:
Shazia Iftikhar may have been born in Karachi but she is a 'Lahori' at heart. Her book is a delight for anyone who loves Lahore and the delectable culinary delights that the city has to offer to the glutton as well as the gourmet.
The book covers a fair bit for tourism. Its unusually interesting accounts and recipes would pull anyone to Food Street.
Those familiar with Lahore are aware of how deep-rooted the city's historical and traditional values are. Today it is becoming a fast-paced, modern metropolis with slick stores and impressive malls in sharp contrast to the winding old streets lined with little houses that share connecting walls amid the hustle bustle of the mystical gates.
 In an attempt to endorse her views on Lahore, the author quotes Tahir Lahori, "Lahore's weather being conducive to a healthy, happy lifestyle, no wonder the people of Lahore enjoy good food, are well-dressed and happen to be great singers."
The book features various delights of the Food Street including Afghani tikka, raan roast, fry chaanp, Lebanese tandoori fish, Phajjay ke paye, fried batair, chargha fry masala, kali mirch wali handi, taka tak (kata kat in Karachi); you name it and it's there.
 The book, a treat for food lovers, packages Food Street recipes in a simple format with full-page, coloured, mouth-watering pictures.
The book is inspired by people living abroad, who once visited Food Street and went back to distant lands, battling with continuous experimentation to achieve the magical flavours that they had once tasted. So for all those who long to revisit, Food Street ke Zaiqe will transport you to the heart of Lahore with its quaint balconies, kahwa cups, the atmosphere aromatic with saag being cooked; it is a different world out there. This is your chance to cook up the delights to perfection without having to go through self-employed ways and means to achieve the taste once experienced at Food Street. It gets even better when you can have the real taste at your own table without having ever gone to Food Street. Either way, it is not a bad deal.
| DesiStore # |
PBS00962 |
| ISBN # |
969-9055-00-6 |
| Edition |
First |
| Year |
2006 |
| Pages |
103 |
| Weight (kg) |
0.40 |
| Weight (lbs) |
0.88 |
| Pics (color) |
14 |
| HB/PB |
Paper Back |
|
The author vividly writes the food culture of the city giving the reader maximum vicarious delights and sketching picturesque scenes of a vibrant lifestyle where crowds break into "ballay ballay" to celebrate wedding festivities, triumph over a kite captured in the blue skies, or a victory over a cricket match.
 There is also a historical account of Lahore, the city being the cultural seat with its tree-lined boulevards and beautiful parks. In the morning you may see streams of people running on jogging tracks after which they may opt for a hearty breakfast of lassi, halwa puri, paye, kulchay and more.
The Food Street, which was inaugurated on October 20, 2000, is located in Gowalmandi. The book portrays the evolution of Gowalmandi from an area inhabited by milkmen supplying milk to the British and other foreigners during the British Raj. Eventually the milkmen and their cattle moved out but the settlement retained its original name and food lovers still flocked to Gowalmandi for fried fish and harissa.
Food Street ke Zaiqe celebrates the 200m-long Food Street with nearly 40 shops on each side, out of which about 15 sell other stuff but the rest focus solely on gastronomic fare.
It is frequented by 5,000-6,000 people everyday and no less than 10 to 15 thousand people at the weekends. It is amazing how the busy street during the day is shut for traffic precisely at 7:00pm to transform into a humongous dining room with tables and chairs laid all over.
Cuisine offered here grew from the little places known to a die-hard Lahorite. For instance, ice cream at Beadon Road and Yaseen's halwa puri to fuel the Lahorite passion for a hearty breakfast. The author writes about Gowalmandi's harissa and trips to Dabbi Bazaar for Maula ki mash ki daal, chikar chholey, chargha, batair, succulent barbeque meats and the unforgettable Phajjay ke paye.
The book offers innovative recipes like doodh gosht and various types of stuffed parathas. If you are not content with the kunna gosht and the regular karahi or boneless karahi is not exciting enough, for the more adventurous palate, there is jungli karahi made with a bit of game like batair, venison along with regular chicken and mutton, for the special taste of hunting. There are even recipes for how Russian Salad, coleslaw and burgers taste on Food Street. For the sweet-toothed, there is a variety of recipes on halwas, mithais and firni. All in all, the book offers substantial value in its 130 pages.
Food Street ke Zaiqay
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