Mount Horeb Mail
July 8, 2004

The Mount Horeb Art Fair will take an international flavor Saturday afternoon, July 17, at 2p.m, when the Prairie Bookshop hosts a talk by Huma Siddiqui on her new book, Jasmine in Her Hair: Culture and Cuisine From Pakistan. Siddiqui said she sees food as central to the culture of any country, not only in how it is cooked but also in how it is eaten. In Pakistan, she said, “Dinner time is usually the time for the families to talk about the day, relax and share thoughts.…. the time to enjoy each other’s company. Hence, it is important “to recognize the distinction between eating mere food and enjoying a satisfying meal.” Food is also at the heart of annual celebrations and life-altering occasions, like weddings. In a very real way, food becomes a part of the memories, she said.

The recipes Siddiqui offers in Jasmine in Her Hair are typical of Pakistani cuisine. For the most part they are simple, making full use of a wide range of herbs and spices. Interspersed with the recipes are stories about life in Pakistan. She fondly recalls street vendors near her childhood home selling a wide variety of foods and other items, from relatively mundane things like eggs and bananas to hot, spicy corn on the cob and glass bangle bracelets. In another story, Siddiqui tells us about “scarf sister.” Close female friends who mark their special bond with a ceremonial exchange of beautiful scarves. Throughout the book are numerous illustrations, mostly of prepared dishes ready to be consumes, but also of places and people, particularly people at various stages in elaborate wedding ceremony.

Huma Siddiqui has lived on four continents. After growing up in Pakistan, she lived for a time in North Africa, then England, and now in the United States. She is a certified public accountant who also teaches Pakistani cooking classes, has a web-based business called White Jasmine selling spices, tea, bangles and other goods, and has a television cooking show, “Curry and Coriander.” She currently makes her home in Mount Horeb.

This event will be free and open to the public. For more information contact the Prairie Bookshop at 608-437-4118.