Gather & Graze: Globally Inspired Small Bites and Gorgeous Table Scapes for Every Occasion
By Mumtaz Mustafa and Laura Klynstra
Skyhorse Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-5107-7701-9
395pp.

While traveling on motorways or highways lined with green fields, I have often watched cows and buffaloes grazing there idly. The title of this exquisitely done cookbook Gather & Graze brings those scenes to mind. Then feasting the eyes while skimming through its pages, the realisation dawns that it is actually we who are being beckoned to such green fields to gather and graze. Well, not exactly to the fields, but around nicely laid out tables laden with scrumptious food.

The ample photographs of food for every occasion across cultures throughout the book along with the clearly written recipes tantalise the palate and, if followed well, will also satiate the appetite and quench the thirst.

That is exactly what the two authors of the book, Mumtaz Mustafa and Laura Klynstra, set out to do by setting dining tables. Their cross-cultural friendship of 20 years, although it started through their book designing work in the art department at HarperCollins in New York, is actually based on their passion for cooking. They used to exchange stories from each other’s cultures and combine menus to create a culinary experience. They also used to plan parties for friends because it made both of them very happy to see how much the food they had made was liked and enjoyed by all.

The authors combined this joy of food with their design skills in putting together this handsome volume — everything in the hefty book, from the writing to photography and the book design has been done by Mustafa and Klynstra themselves.

A new cookbook is not just a book of recipes, but a beautifully presented dive into a melting pot of different traditions and cultures

With serving food comes hospitality, and who would better know about this than Mustafa, who hails from Pakistan, where it is usually food that brings everyone together. Klynstra, who grew up in a community of Dutch descendants in Michigan, was also familiar with such sentiments as, in her family, whether there was an occasion of sadness or rejoicing, they would be sharing the love in a casserole dish, pie plate or potluck.

Those who pick up this book would also be all set to enter their kitchens after peeking into the authors’ pantries to know and understand the spices and the basic ingredients for every recipe. While Mustafa’s pantry has cooking oils and ghee, with all necessary spices such as chili powder, turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds and the like that may also be used in the preparation of some basic sauces and pastes, Klynstra’s pantry has many kinds of flour, from all-purpose to whole wheat, to almond, chickpea, rice flour etc, for the making of dough and puff pastry.

Gather & Graze brings together people from all backgrounds to the dining table to join in a celebration of food, just like it brought together the two chefs proudly sharing around 175 recipes for creating delightful spreads.

The book includes some 20 sections that have been planned as complete menus. For example, there is the ‘Pan-Asian Table’ section, which includes recipes such as Sesame Shrimp Toast with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, Mini Scallion Pancakes, Asian-style Shrimp Wontons, Korean-Inspired Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps, Sticky Gochujang Shrimp Baos and Sticky Thai Chicken Meatballs with Sesame Chili Dipping Sauce.

Similarly, the ‘Dutch Table’ section has Saucijzenbroodjes, Bitterballen, Aardappelkroketten, Tijgerbol, Dutch Cheeses, Speculaas Spice Mix, Speculaas and Stroopwakels.

Meanwhile, the ‘Pakistani Street Food’ section has the most extensive of the menus. There are Potato and Chicken Cutlets, Spiced Chicken Kebabs, Papri Chaat, Yogurt Raita, Bun Kebab, Pakora Medley, Karachi-Style Chicken Paratha Rolls, Parathas, Mini Garlic Kulchas, Cheddar Cheese Straws, Tamarind and Date Chutney, Garam Masala, Chaat Masala Blend, Toasted Cumin Powder, Hyderabadi Tomato Chutney, Jalebi, Nankhatai, Peanut & Sesame Chikki, Dhaba Chai and Mango Lassi.

Mustafa explains: “If you wish to understand Pakistan — its people, its history and its cultural richness — there is no better place to start than with its street food. More than mere sustenance, it’s a social connector, a shared language that binds the diverse nation together.”

Who wouldn’t know how to brew tea? But the Dhaba Chai recipe helps one to learn how to prepare the tea served at the roadside tea stalls of Pakistan. On the other hand, there is the ‘English High Tea’ section, where you can find recipes for Coronation Chicken Sandwiches, Fish and Chips Bites, British Scones and Spinach Cheddar Mini Quiches etc, but as such no tea to wash down all of these.

The section titled ‘Mexican Table’ actually looks very Pakistani, with many types of tortillas that seem like chapatis, ground beef, salsa, and beans etc. But then it has been explained by Klynstra that “Mexican cuisine is a vibrant fusion of multiple heritages and influences…”

On the surface, this may seem like another cookbook, but it is not just that. Rather, it is a beautifully presented dive into a melting pot of traditions and cultures that have, over the years, brought together generations around the dining table.

The reviewer is a member of staff. X: @HasanShazia

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, October 20th, 2024