Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More
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- Create Date：2022-10-23 06:53:45
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Fatima Ali
- ISBN：0593355199
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Summary
A young chef whose dreams were cut short savors every last minute as she explores food and adventure， illness and mortality in this stunning， lyrical memoir and family story that sweeps from Pakistan to New York City and beyond。
"Savor is moving， heartbreaking， and defiantly hopeful。"--Mohsin Hamid， New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Man and Exit West
Fatima Ali won the hearts of viewers as the Fan Favorite of Bravo's Top Chef in season fifteen。 Twenty-nine years old， she was a dynamic， boundary-breaking chef and a bright new voice for change in the food world。 After the taping wrapped and before the show aired， Fati was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer。 Not one to ever slow down or admit defeat， the star chef vowed to spend her final year traveling the world， eating delicious food， and making memories with her loved ones。 But when her condition abruptly worsened， her plans were sidelined。 She pivoted， determined to make her final days count as she worked to tell the story of a brown girl chef who set out to make a name for herself， her food， and her culture。
Including writing from Fatima during her last months and contributions by her mother， Farezeh， and her collaborator， Tarajia Morrell， this deftly woven account is an inspiring ode to the food， family， and countries Fatima loved so much。 Alternating between past and present， readers are transported back to Pakistan and the childhoods of both Fatima and Farezeh， each deeply affected by cultural barriers that shaped the course of their lives。 From the rustic stalls of the outdoor markets of Karachi to the kitchen and dining room of Meadowood， the acclaimed three-star Michelin restaurant where she apprenticed， Fati reflects on her life and her identity as a chef， a daughter， and a queer woman butting up against traditional views。
This triumphant memoir is at once an exploration of the sense of wonder that made Fatima so special， and a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit。 At its core， it is a story about what it means to truly live， a profound and exquisite portrait of savoring every moment。
"Savor is moving， heartbreaking， and defiantly hopeful。"--Mohsin Hamid， New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Man and Exit West
Fatima Ali won the hearts of viewers as the Fan Favorite of Bravo's Top Chef in season fifteen。 Twenty-nine years old， she was a dynamic， boundary-breaking chef and a bright new voice for change in the food world。 After the taping wrapped and before the show aired， Fati was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer。 Not one to ever slow down or admit defeat， the star chef vowed to spend her final year traveling the world， eating delicious food， and making memories with her loved ones。 But when her condition abruptly worsened， her plans were sidelined。 She pivoted， determined to make her final days count as she worked to tell the story of a brown girl chef who set out to make a name for herself， her food， and her culture。
Including writing from Fatima during her last months and contributions by her mother， Farezeh， and her collaborator， Tarajia Morrell， this deftly woven account is an inspiring ode to the food， family， and countries Fatima loved so much。 Alternating between past and present， readers are transported back to Pakistan and the childhoods of both Fatima and Farezeh， each deeply affected by cultural barriers that shaped the course of their lives。 From the rustic stalls of the outdoor markets of Karachi to the kitchen and dining room of Meadowood， the acclaimed three-star Michelin restaurant where she apprenticed， Fati reflects on her life and her identity as a chef， a daughter， and a queer woman butting up against traditional views。
This triumphant memoir is at once an exploration of the sense of wonder that made Fatima so special， and a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit。 At its core， it is a story about what it means to truly live， a profound and exquisite portrait of savoring every moment。
Reviews
Colleen
，
I’m in awe of this woman。 Fatima Ali accomplished so much in such in such a short period of time， I’m not even sure where to begin。 Her resume is vast: child of divorce （from a culture that makes that all the more difficult）， child immigrant， sexual abuse survivor， bullied by her step sisters - all of this occurring before she turned 18。 Then to chose a career path that most women have to fight that much harder for， as they have traditionally not been welcome。 Moving across the world， alone， cha I’m in awe of this woman。 Fatima Ali accomplished so much in such in such a short period of time， I’m not even sure where to begin。 Her resume is vast: child of divorce （from a culture that makes that all the more difficult）， child immigrant， sexual abuse survivor， bullied by her step sisters - all of this occurring before she turned 18。 Then to chose a career path that most women have to fight that much harder for， as they have traditionally not been welcome。 Moving across the world， alone， chasing her dreams， this woman exemplifies what it means to be fighter。 And then her life gets very complicated。 Fatima Ali doesn’t live to see 30， but her life was full。 This memoir shares her incredible journey with us from Pakistan to the United States。 We watch as she attends culinary school， her first jobs in some of the best restaurants in New York City， her quest to forge her own cultural culinary path， her stops along the way at Chopped and Top Chef， her future dreams， her cancer diagnosis and her eventual passing。 Her strength and insecurities are laid out for us; she holds very little back。 I haven’t been so emotionally invested in a book in such a long time， I forgot what it’s like to cry uncontrollably just from reading a book。 She allows us to share in her joy and pain， and with that， I think we all realize how much we all have to share with others， whatever the cost。 I strongly recommend this book， but be sure to have your Kleenex close。 。。。more
Taylor
，
From the beginning of this memoir you know where the story ends， the author， Fatima Ali has passed away， but where she takes you in the in-between is on a brave journey from her childhood， through her hard earned career as a celebrated chef， leading to her time on Top Chef， and finally to her last days as she battled cancer。It seems that fom the beginning Fatima was a powerhouse。 Once she found a path， she not only took it with gusto， but she conquered it。 In her final months， as cancer was taki From the beginning of this memoir you know where the story ends， the author， Fatima Ali has passed away， but where she takes you in the in-between is on a brave journey from her childhood， through her hard earned career as a celebrated chef， leading to her time on Top Chef， and finally to her last days as she battled cancer。It seems that fom the beginning Fatima was a powerhouse。 Once she found a path， she not only took it with gusto， but she conquered it。 In her final months， as cancer was taking over every aspect of her life， she never stopped forging ahead and decided she wanted to write a book。。。 which is what we are seeing on shelves today。 Savor is a beautiful testament to a life lived with purpose and full of heart that was cut far too short。 Written by Fatima with Tarajia Morrell along with multiple chapters throughout written by her mother， Farezeh， this book is beautifully done， but will hit you hard in the gut with its honesty and with the reality of just how cruel cancer is （we already know it's terrible， but just wow， f*ck cancer）。 I highly recommend this book， just have tissues ready！Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC。 These thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Debra
，
Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More is at times hopeful， uplifting， heartbreaking， sad and moving。 Fatima Ali was a Pakistani Chef and a fan favorite on "Top Chef" in season fifteen。 The world was her oyster。 She hoped to change the way people looked at food and culture。 She had dreams and was inspiring。 She died too young。Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma， a rare form of bone cancer。 She was given a terminal diagnosis and she vowed to make her final year count。 She chose to travel and try a Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More is at times hopeful， uplifting， heartbreaking， sad and moving。 Fatima Ali was a Pakistani Chef and a fan favorite on "Top Chef" in season fifteen。 The world was her oyster。 She hoped to change the way people looked at food and culture。 She had dreams and was inspiring。 She died too young。Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma， a rare form of bone cancer。 She was given a terminal diagnosis and she vowed to make her final year count。 She chose to travel and try amazing food。 When her illness got in the way， she came home， and began writing this book。 It is heartfelt， heartbreaking and moving。 Her mother， Farezeh， also wrote chapters and they had Tarajia Morrell to help with this memoir。 The book chronicles Fatima's life in Pakistan and in the United States。 It shows her love of cooking， her country， and her life。 I admire both Fatima and her mother's honesty and courage in sharing with the world their struggles， their triumphs， their love， and their pain。 This was a beautifully written memoir that moved me but also had me wanting to find the episodes of the cooking shows she competed in。 To watch her doing what she loved and was passionate about。 Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Ballantine Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Got Twins-Need Coffee
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Fatima was one of my favorite chefs to watch on Top Chef and so I couldn’t wait to read this。 Her story was both beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time。
Katie Vogel
，
I first saw Fatima on Top Chef Season 15， and I adored her。 She was upbeat and fun， had an interesting food perspective， and she made a comment about seeing the Taylor Swift 1989 Tour at a football stadium。 I was so sad to learn of her passing so soon after her season of Top Chef aired。 I thought this book might focus mostly on her career and her cancer， but instead， the book spans her entire life， with chapters written from her mother's perspective woven throughout。 It was beautiful and heartbr I first saw Fatima on Top Chef Season 15， and I adored her。 She was upbeat and fun， had an interesting food perspective， and she made a comment about seeing the Taylor Swift 1989 Tour at a football stadium。 I was so sad to learn of her passing so soon after her season of Top Chef aired。 I thought this book might focus mostly on her career and her cancer， but instead， the book spans her entire life， with chapters written from her mother's perspective woven throughout。 It was beautiful and heartbreaking。 I felt connected with the 29 year old Fatima writing the book， as a 28 year old woman， but also felt connected with her mother， as a mother myself。 I enjoyed the varied perspectives， though it did confuse the timeline a bit when the chapters weren't perfectly lined up。 It wasn't difficult to understand， though。 This is a book I will come back to again， much like I re-watch the seasons of Top Chef。 It is hard to read about Fatima getting sick and sicker and finally letting go， but her book is such a beautiful testament to the full life she lived in the short time she had。 I absolutely recommend this book to anyone， but especially food lovers。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Drea
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Stunning memoir about Top Chef chef and fan-favorite， Fatima Ali。 This is a book about so much as it was written during Fatima’s illness and then after her death。 It’s gorgeous and yet difficult to read as the hardships faced in her life and within her family’s life were beyond challenging。 It’s a book about strength and love and commitment。 A must read。 Heartfelt thanks to Ballantine - what a gift this arc is。
Janilyn Kocher
，
Fatima had many obstacles when a child and she persevered。 Her dream was to become a chef， and despite ridicule and disdain from many， she accomplished that。 What she didn’t figure on was being diagnosed with a ferocious cancer that would take her life。Fatima combined her story with her mother’s to give readers a more dimensional view Of Pakistani culture， mother-daughter dynamics， and family relations。It’s a heartbreaking book， but it’s a lesson for all of use to love each day because one never Fatima had many obstacles when a child and she persevered。 Her dream was to become a chef， and despite ridicule and disdain from many， she accomplished that。 What she didn’t figure on was being diagnosed with a ferocious cancer that would take her life。Fatima combined her story with her mother’s to give readers a more dimensional view Of Pakistani culture， mother-daughter dynamics， and family relations。It’s a heartbreaking book， but it’s a lesson for all of use to love each day because one never knows when the days run out。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early read。 。。。more
Lolly K Dandeneau
，
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮。 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚， 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜。 Fatima Ali， a New York chef born in Pakistan， is known for competing in and winning an episode of Chopped on Food Network。 A fan favorite， she also appeared on Bravo's Top Chef but within this memoir we are on an intimate journey from her childhood， where she shares what gave birth to her love of food and cooking， to her battle via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮。 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚， 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜。 Fatima Ali， a New York chef born in Pakistan， is known for competing in and winning an episode of Chopped on Food Network。 A fan favorite， she also appeared on Bravo's Top Chef but within this memoir we are on an intimate journey from her childhood， where she shares what gave birth to her love of food and cooking， to her battle with cancer and her farewell to family， friends and fans。 Tarajia Morrell was asked by Fatima to collaborate on a bucket list book based on her dream travel and meals， but life had other plans， her book became something else entirely。 Cancer invaded her body， yet another obstacle in her life， one that she fought to the very end。 Farezeh Durrani （a contributor）， Fatima's mother， gave her daughter permission to write this book， despite knowing that she would， as Fatima said， bear the brunt of her child's searing revelations， shames and regrets。 For how can Fatima give an honest rendering of her days without writing about her mother， stripping them both bare in the process？ Fearless， that was always what her beloved child was， tirelessly forging a culinary career， living life on her terms， and trying to be a good example for young Pakistani girls。 Some gifts are painful， and that's what this love letter to food and life is。It is beside her maternal grandmother， Nano， whose masterful bargaining at the markets in Pakistan and delicious kitchen secrets that Fatima first apprenticed。 Her father， too， loved to watch cooking shows and indulge in exotic ingredients he bought on his travels through different parts of the world。 Despite being a lawyer， it was his love of food that he shared with Fatima and her brother Mohammad， encouraging them to try them all。 Not even moving to the other side of the world nor the breakdown of her family could change how she felt about cooking， a lifelong passion。 While this is a beautiful trip through flavors， textures and smells that inspired Fatima's future career， it is also a harrowing tale of trauma and illness。 Family secrets altered her young life， and no matter how hard her mother tried to shelter her child from ugliness， to raise her to be a proper， respectful Pakistani girl， it is her own fears that cost her daughter the most。 The reflections are not about punishment， it is a cleansing through confronting uncomfortable truths， as if to purge it from her soul。 With Ewing’s Sarcoma （a rare bone cancer， tumor） making a return after she fights it off， robbing her of her future dreams， there isn't any time left to live in the dark。 Never does the reader doubt the bond Fatima and Farezeh shared， nor does any account of the ways she failed her daughter detract from the love between them， love that not even death can erase。 I believe if she could have traded places with Fatima， she would have done it without hesitation。 Farezeh's chapters made me feel compassion for both of them， but nothing stunned me more than the courage that burned within Fatima。 Even at her sickest， in most painful moments， she wanted to live a meaningful life， to inspire others and go forward being true to her heart's desires， shame be damned。 Her strength isn't without fear， of her illness， of slowly seeing her days disappear when all she wanted was to 'cast the cancer out through sheer will'。 How can it be that for all the odds she beat， the demons that didn't destroy her when she was an innocent child， that now this evil disease won't retreat？ Despite her own suffering， she still cared about the children on her floor and the unjust facts of the disease that would take their lives too。 I think about Farezeh often， despite feeling deeply touched we can put the book down and move on with our lives， while ultimately it is an ever-present void for her， the place her Fatima once occupied。 There is courage in her heart too， in sharing such a private relationship with the world， Fatima confessed that her mother deserves credit for the force of her will in fighting to stay alive。 As a mother， I couldn't help but cry， particularly for the helplessness we feel when our children's lives are on the line。 As a patient who has dealt with illnesses， I know all to well the cage of disease。 The anger that boils when our body can refuse our needs， demands- so much crueler for the young。 It is inspiring， beautiful and devastating。 Not just a book for chefs， food lovers， or those battling cancer， it is a memoir that will move any reader。 Fatima's road to a culinary career， her culture， travels， family and love make such a bittersweet memorial。 Yes， read it。Published October 11， 2022Random House Ballantine 。。。more
Suzy
，
This is a beautiful memoir。 We get to hear Fatima's stories but we also have help from the publisher who helped tell these stories。 I really liked this book。 I loved Fatima on Top Chef and I liked reading these stories。 It's so devastating how her life was cut short。 Great food memoir。 Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！ This is a beautiful memoir。 We get to hear Fatima's stories but we also have help from the publisher who helped tell these stories。 I really liked this book。 I loved Fatima on Top Chef and I liked reading these stories。 It's so devastating how her life was cut short。 Great food memoir。 Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
A gorgeous book about two strong women- Fatima and her mother Farezeh- but it's heartbreaking as well。 Nothing was easy for either mother or daughter， not in Pakistan or， at first， I'm the US。 This is Fatima's book but it could not have happened without the input from her mother and from her collaborator Tarajia Morrell。 It's not just about the food， it's about knowing and being true to yourself。 They've managed to keep this honest but not maudlin。 I was not aware of Ali before her untimely deat A gorgeous book about two strong women- Fatima and her mother Farezeh- but it's heartbreaking as well。 Nothing was easy for either mother or daughter， not in Pakistan or， at first， I'm the US。 This is Fatima's book but it could not have happened without the input from her mother and from her collaborator Tarajia Morrell。 It's not just about the food， it's about knowing and being true to yourself。 They've managed to keep this honest but not maudlin。 I was not aware of Ali before her untimely death and this made me wish I'd watched her。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 An excellent read。 。。。more
Homerun2
，
As expected in the memoir of a young life cut short， this is a searing story， of a young Pakistani woman passionate about food and her life。Fatima Ali gained fame competing in Chopped and Top Chef on TV。 I was not familiar with her but this tale is compelling。 Ali was diagnosed with a rare and deadly cancer in 2018 and died before she could take a year long trip to complete her bucket list。This is her memoir from childhood in Pakistan on。 She was always interested in food and flavor。 There are a As expected in the memoir of a young life cut short， this is a searing story， of a young Pakistani woman passionate about food and her life。Fatima Ali gained fame competing in Chopped and Top Chef on TV。 I was not familiar with her but this tale is compelling。 Ali was diagnosed with a rare and deadly cancer in 2018 and died before she could take a year long trip to complete her bucket list。This is her memoir from childhood in Pakistan on。 She was always interested in food and flavor。 There are a few chapters written by her mother， but most Ali wrote with the help of a gifted co-author who spent only a limited amount of time with her before she died。Ali triumphed as a Muslim， bisexual， woman of color in the male dominated world of professional cooking。 Her story is brutally honest and the closing chapters have a strength and grace to them。 All in all， quite a remarkable book。 Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Lee Husemann
，
Beautifully written memoir about Fatima Ali， born in Pakistan， who knew from an early age that she loved to cook。 Fatima excelled in school and in athletics but had to work hard to convince her mother and father to let her go to New York to the Culinary Institute of America （CIA） to study to be a chef。 This story is told from the points of view of Fatima and her mother， Farezeh， and explains all about the Pakistani culture， foods， expectations of women's roles， etc。 Fatima graduated top of her c Beautifully written memoir about Fatima Ali， born in Pakistan， who knew from an early age that she loved to cook。 Fatima excelled in school and in athletics but had to work hard to convince her mother and father to let her go to New York to the Culinary Institute of America （CIA） to study to be a chef。 This story is told from the points of view of Fatima and her mother， Farezeh， and explains all about the Pakistani culture， foods， expectations of women's roles， etc。 Fatima graduated top of her class from CIA and had several jobs in New York restaurants。 She also was a contestant on several cooking shows including Top Chef。 She moved to California and her dream was to open her own restaurant when that dream was cut short by a diagnosis of cancer。Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this fantastic memoir that I thoroughly enjoyed。 。。。more
Anne
，
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， I was provided an ARC of Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More by Fatima Ali with Tarajia Morrell via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 *****Publishing October 11， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fatima Ali was a Chef， Chopped winner， and a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef all before she diagnosed with terminal cancer。 Fatima decided when she was given the diagnosis of 1 year left to live， she wanted to write a book。 Her publisher helped her to choose Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， I was provided an ARC of Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More by Fatima Ali with Tarajia Morrell via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 *****Publishing October 11， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fatima Ali was a Chef， Chopped winner， and a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef all before she diagnosed with terminal cancer。 Fatima decided when she was given the diagnosis of 1 year left to live， she wanted to write a book。 Her publisher helped her to choose Tarajia Morrell to make this happen。 But as plans were being made， Fatima took a turn for the worse and was given 4 months to live， instead of a year。 Tarajia flew to LA to be with Fatima to figure out how to write this book。 This book features chapters written by Famtima and her mother， Farezeh。 This book highlights Farezeh arraigned marriage， Farezeh’s thoughts on Fatima’s life， Fatima’s childhood where she lived in Pakistan and America， Fatima’s education， and her professional life。 From Fatima’s tumultuous childhood to her love for cooking to attending cooking school to starting her career as a Chef to coming out as a lesbian， to winning Chopped， to becoming a contestant on Top Chef， her goal was to change people’s impression of Pakistani culture and food。 Also bring a level of sophistication to Pakistani food。 A wonderful tribute to Fatima， while fulfilling her last wish of a published book！ A great book club book as well as a great book for those who love watching cooking shows or consider themselves a foodie！ 。。。more
Marian
，
As a Top Chef fan， Fatima Ali was one of my favorite "cheftestants，" not only for her culinary expertise but also for her fun and engaging personality。 Savor is her story as well as her mother's， Farezeh。 With the collaboration of Tarajia Morrell， readers hear Fatima's story from childhood until her death。 Morrell gives us an in-depth look into the drive and compassion that propelled Fatima into the culinary world and how she wanted to marry her love of cooking with her desire to help young Paki As a Top Chef fan， Fatima Ali was one of my favorite "cheftestants，" not only for her culinary expertise but also for her fun and engaging personality。 Savor is her story as well as her mother's， Farezeh。 With the collaboration of Tarajia Morrell， readers hear Fatima's story from childhood until her death。 Morrell gives us an in-depth look into the drive and compassion that propelled Fatima into the culinary world and how she wanted to marry her love of cooking with her desire to help young Pakistani girls gain a stronger foothold in society。Alternating chapters by Fatima's mother， Farezeh， provide readers with even more insight into Fatima's early years and the struggle that Farezeh had as a young， divorced woman in a country where divorce was frowned on。 Despite the sadness of this book， I would classify it as an uplifting and engaging read of a strong and determined young woman whose life was cut far too short。Thank you to #NetGalley and #Random House Publishing Group -- Ballantine Books for providing this ARC of #Savor。 。。。more
Gregandemy
，
First， thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digit ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 I very much enjoyed this interesting， touching， honest， heart breaking memoir。 So sad to lose someone so young in the prime of their life， but I admire her approach to death。 What a wonderful legacy that she spent her last days compiling her story to share with all of us。 It must have been hard for Fatima and her family to lay everything out in the open， an First， thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digit ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 I very much enjoyed this interesting， touching， honest， heart breaking memoir。 So sad to lose someone so young in the prime of their life， but I admire her approach to death。 What a wonderful legacy that she spent her last days compiling her story to share with all of us。 It must have been hard for Fatima and her family to lay everything out in the open， and hopefully it will be a guide to those in similar situations overcoming prejudices， abuse， cultural expectations to rise above and be the best version of yourself as you seek your dreams and ambitions。 I wanted to be along on a tasting journey with her as she followed her culinary dreams and her bucket list menus。 I enjoyed her openness， her vulnerability， her sense of humor， and the spirituality she embraced as her death grew closer。 。。。more
Emi Yoshida
，
Pakistani chef Fatima Ali gained fame on American reality TV， competing on Chopped and Top Chef。 Before dying of cancer in 2019 at the age of 29， she set out to publicize her country's cuisine， to establish her own restaurant empire， to ease child poverty in the streets of Karachi， and to write a book about realizing her bucket list。 Sadly， she didn't have enough time to accomplish all her goals， and thus the subtitle。 She lived a fascinating life and shared all details freely， honoring her fami Pakistani chef Fatima Ali gained fame on American reality TV， competing on Chopped and Top Chef。 Before dying of cancer in 2019 at the age of 29， she set out to publicize her country's cuisine， to establish her own restaurant empire， to ease child poverty in the streets of Karachi， and to write a book about realizing her bucket list。 Sadly， she didn't have enough time to accomplish all her goals， and thus the subtitle。 She lived a fascinating life and shared all details freely， honoring her family members and friends while also calling out those who'd harmed her。 I would love to know what happened to those individuals。 I also would have loved if there had been photos of the author included， but there are many lovely ones available at her website: www。cheffatimafoundation。org Some of the book's chapters are narrated by Fatima herself， and others by her mother; I'm not sure if this was the very best option， but understand that might be the only way to finish a book when the author dies。 Fatima and her mother are both such strong-willed and empowered women， I loved reading their voices， and how they conducted themselves regardless of whatever strict social norms stood in traditionally patriarchal， conservative Pakistan。 Granted， it is very sad that Fatima succumbed to "the ghoul" but I hope this book brings attention to Ewing sarcoma， a little-known pediatric cancer and also to the "level of incompetence" that can be associated with the healthcare management in this country。 。。。more
Kasa Cotugno
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We have loved Top Chef from day one。 Therefore， when offered it， I chose to read this book to get lowdown on what it was like for a contestant。 I didn't know that I would be getting so much more。 Fatima Ali was a memorable force during her time on that show， selected by viewers as Fan Favorite， and her passion for her native Pakistani cuisine was paramount。 She saw this appearance as a stepping stone toward her ultimate goal， that of opening her own restaurant and introducing those distinct flav We have loved Top Chef from day one。 Therefore， when offered it， I chose to read this book to get lowdown on what it was like for a contestant。 I didn't know that I would be getting so much more。 Fatima Ali was a memorable force during her time on that show， selected by viewers as Fan Favorite， and her passion for her native Pakistani cuisine was paramount。 She saw this appearance as a stepping stone toward her ultimate goal， that of opening her own restaurant and introducing those distinct flavors to American palates。 Tragically， her wish list evolved into a bucket list of restaurants worldwide in order to taste specialties of renown chefs， of which she wanted to become a member。 Her dreams cut short by a virulent， cruel cancer， taking her life before the age of 30。 This memoir is a marvel。 Despite the tragedies， it is never maudlin or self pitying， and the fact that Fatima's words were processed and presented by Tarajia Morrell， who only had a week to work with her， remarkable。 Interspersed are chapters by Fati's mother， Farezeh， heartfelt and wrenching。 The world has lost the chance to celebrate Fati's talent and appreciate her food， but Farezeh lost a piece of her heart yet bravely contributed to this beautiful book。 I was reminded of When Breath Becomes Air， by Dr。 Paul Kalinithi， written during his final months and finished by his wife， Lucy。 Both books will occupy the same chamber of my heart。 。。。more
Stacie
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Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More by Fatima Ali with Tarajia Morrell This book was hard to read but excellent。 I love a good food memoir so I jumped when @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse offered me this ARC。 I’m so grateful to have been able to read this。 Not only is this a food memoir but there is also a medical component。 Fatima was a chef from Pakistan with fantastic goals and dreams。 She was the Fan Favorite on Top Chef season fifteen。 Then she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma。 I am horrifie Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More by Fatima Ali with Tarajia Morrell This book was hard to read but excellent。 I love a good food memoir so I jumped when @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse offered me this ARC。 I’m so grateful to have been able to read this。 Not only is this a food memoir but there is also a medical component。 Fatima was a chef from Pakistan with fantastic goals and dreams。 She was the Fan Favorite on Top Chef season fifteen。 Then she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma。 I am horrified by their experiences with American health care。 Fatima and her mother alternate chapters。 They are unflinchingly honest about so many hard things。 There voices beautifully complement each other。 Fatima was so driven。 She wanted to feed children who needed it and to help the world fall in love with Pakistani food。 “If this ordinary Pakistani girl could pursue the thing she loved most—cooking—and could make it to the tippy-top and do what she loved on TV， then what was to stop all of us little brown girls from carving out new paths， from calling attention to the hungry children， the silenced dreamers， the oddballs and rebels who longed to go against the grain？”I loved this book and would love to talk about it with other readers。 If you enjoyed the novel Before We Visit the Goddess， this would be a great book flight to read with it。 #savor #netgalley 。。。more
Melissa Ayers
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Fatima was a brilliant chef to watch on Top Chef and so I couldn’t wait to read this。 I really appreciate all the effort that made this wonderful and heart wrenching story possible。 Fatima and her mother didn’t hold back in writing and sharing。 As a Top Chef fan I loved hearing about Fatima’s time on the show and her friendships with Carrie， Joe Flamm， & Joe Sasto。 Really well done and bring the tissues。 Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy。
Pat Pullum
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Fatima has always wanted to be a chef and own her own restaurant。 She was from Pakistan and through her Nona she learned how to make many dishes using local produce and everything that local farmers and markets had to offer。 She later went to New York and worked in restaurant kitchens to expand her cuisine knowledge。 She appeared on Chopped and Top Chef cooking shows on TV。 She also stayed in California and enjoyed the different favors there。 Unfortunately， she never managed to achieve her dream Fatima has always wanted to be a chef and own her own restaurant。 She was from Pakistan and through her Nona she learned how to make many dishes using local produce and everything that local farmers and markets had to offer。 She later went to New York and worked in restaurant kitchens to expand her cuisine knowledge。 She appeared on Chopped and Top Chef cooking shows on TV。 She also stayed in California and enjoyed the different favors there。 Unfortunately， she never managed to achieve her dream as she developed cancer。 Her family was always with her and made sure she received the best care。 As I also studied cooking， I enjoyed the recipes she explained and could associate with the areas of India she described as I had also been there。Heartfelt， inspiring story。 I thank the author， publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Cozy Reviews
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Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinions are my own。 This is a moving memoir about a remarkable young woman Fatima 。 This is told by different people， one who worked with her for only a week。 She had a gift as a chef she shared with the world on Top Chef。 As her career of her dreams came true she was diagnosed with stage four cancer。 This is her story of resislance to cancer， her ability to see the positive in every day and live her dreams。 You will be mo Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinions are my own。 This is a moving memoir about a remarkable young woman Fatima 。 This is told by different people， one who worked with her for only a week。 She had a gift as a chef she shared with the world on Top Chef。 As her career of her dreams came true she was diagnosed with stage four cancer。 This is her story of resislance to cancer， her ability to see the positive in every day and live her dreams。 You will be moved to tears throughout this book and her lessons on life will stay with you forever。 Her life lessons here are of placing value in the ordinary days and never giving up on your dreams no matter what obstacles you face。 A wonderful read。 Very touching and heartfelt 。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Patty Ramirez
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The tears started rolling down my face on page 1。 I requested this book not knowing who Fatima Ali was （I stopped watching Top Chef after season 13）， but just by the description I knew it was a book I needed read。I am trying to organize all the things I want to say about this book and the words fail me。 If you are reading this review trying to decide if this is a book for you: IT IS。 Fatima’s life needs to be shared with the world， I’m so sad that I never got to taste her food， but her passion f The tears started rolling down my face on page 1。 I requested this book not knowing who Fatima Ali was （I stopped watching Top Chef after season 13）， but just by the description I knew it was a book I needed read。I am trying to organize all the things I want to say about this book and the words fail me。 If you are reading this review trying to decide if this is a book for you: IT IS。 Fatima’s life needs to be shared with the world， I’m so sad that I never got to taste her food， but her passion for Pakistani food was infectious and now I cannot wait to try it。 Reading about her struggles with the US healthcare system to get the answers and the care that she needed was very infuriating and triggering for me， as my siblings and I had a similar experience when our Mom was dealing with cancer。A wonderful read， it definitely changed my life。Thank you to NetGalley， authors and publisher for providing a free copy of this book。 。。。more
Alison
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This was a really interesting memoir， of a young girls desire to be a chef。 Born in Pakistan Fatima Ali， grew up around the wonderful food her Grandmother and mother cooked。 After her parents divorced， she and her brother would visit their father and something they had in common， was watching food shows on Television， and this was another reinforcement to what she wanted to do。Having been a very good student all of her life， Fatima was able to go to New York and study at the Culinary Institute o This was a really interesting memoir， of a young girls desire to be a chef。 Born in Pakistan Fatima Ali， grew up around the wonderful food her Grandmother and mother cooked。 After her parents divorced， she and her brother would visit their father and something they had in common， was watching food shows on Television， and this was another reinforcement to what she wanted to do。Having been a very good student all of her life， Fatima was able to go to New York and study at the Culinary Institute of America， and from there she was able to jump start her career， by working at many different restaurants， excelling at all she did。 She was invited to be on the shows， Chopped and Top Chef， and her dreams became more and more。 She and her brother had hopes of opening their own restaurant one day。Soon after she became ill with and incurable cancer。 When they told her she only had a year to live， she knew she had to put in motion a book of her life， which she had already started， to help other young women。 She herself had overcome so much to get to where she was by just being a woman and from a different country。She wanted it to be a story not only about her days in the kitchen， but a story of her life from childhood and she needed to get her mother to be very honest about things that went on。Fatima found a woman， Tarajia Morrell， who's credentials she liked， to help with what she and her mother had written and what they also retold to her。 She did a great job at bringing this memoir to fruition。It was so interesting to see the behind scenes of restaurant work， the stresses， comradeship， prejudices etc。There is so much to learn from this book and many interesting stories lived。 A great read。I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House publishing Group-Ballantine for a copy of this book。 。。。more
Theresa Alan
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I’d never watched Top Chef before， but I must have caught the episode of Ellen that Fatima Ali was on because I vaguely knew her story before reading this memoir。 I have a lot of admiration for chefs， and I was a fan of the show Chopped， which Fatima won when she was super young—I think she was just out of the Culinary Institute of America and 22 years old。 Fatima earned a degree of fame from being on Top Chef， but before she could move forward with her plans to bring Pakistani street- and upsc I’d never watched Top Chef before， but I must have caught the episode of Ellen that Fatima Ali was on because I vaguely knew her story before reading this memoir。 I have a lot of admiration for chefs， and I was a fan of the show Chopped， which Fatima won when she was super young—I think she was just out of the Culinary Institute of America and 22 years old。 Fatima earned a degree of fame from being on Top Chef， but before she could move forward with her plans to bring Pakistani street- and upscale-fare to America， she was given a terminal diagnosis of cancer。 She decided she wanted to spend the last year of her life traveling and tasting all the greatest restaurants in the world。 When her illness hobbled her much more quickly than she thought it would， she decided instead that she would spend her final days writing a book。 She writes some of the chapters and her mother writes others and a professional writer helped out in between。 Much of this is about Fatima’s childhood in Pakistan。 She has a great love for her country and cuisine， but it’s even more sexist than America （somehow being a chef is a testosterone-laden profession that discriminates against women even though traditionally women are the main cooks and bakers at home）。 Her mother got a divorce， which was a huge scandal for their socioeconomic group in Pakistan。 This memoir is a fast， compelling read about the challenges both Fatima and her mother faced in Pakistan and here in the States。 It’s really a tragic story of someone with so much promise having her life cut short way too young。After I read this， I streamed Top Chef Season 15， which is set in Colorado。 It was fun for me to see Denver-area restauranteurs judging these chefs。 I kept thinking， oh！ I love that restaurant！ Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book， which RELEASES OCTOBER 11， 2022。 。。。more
Jackie
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This book was both beautiful and devastating。 I've become deeply consumed with the world of food lately and I am saddened to not have known of Fatima Ali while she was cooking in a city so near and dear to my heart。 Her story is both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking。 A woman who has been through so much and continued to endure and never lose sight of her goals。 This book has me both wanting to call and tell my friends how much I love them and sign up for culinary school。 To say yes to every momen This book was both beautiful and devastating。 I've become deeply consumed with the world of food lately and I am saddened to not have known of Fatima Ali while she was cooking in a city so near and dear to my heart。 Her story is both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking。 A woman who has been through so much and continued to endure and never lose sight of her goals。 This book has me both wanting to call and tell my friends how much I love them and sign up for culinary school。 To say yes to every moment， to take full advantage of life because you never know how much left you have to live。 I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it and learn a bit about Chef Fati's life and love of food and bringing people together。 Her name will definitely live on through this book。*This book was received as an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley。 。。。more
Deborah Stevens
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I came to this title with a bit of caution because of the memoir written with assistance fact of it， but ended up appreciating it very much。 It is written in alternating voices， Fatima's and her mother's， and Tarajia Morrell stays very much in the background。 It's amazing that she only had one week with Fatima- she must have used that week very well as there is so much of Fatima in this book。This title combines several things I love in a book: a cross cultural theme， a foodie focus， and a medica I came to this title with a bit of caution because of the memoir written with assistance fact of it， but ended up appreciating it very much。 It is written in alternating voices， Fatima's and her mother's， and Tarajia Morrell stays very much in the background。 It's amazing that she only had one week with Fatima- she must have used that week very well as there is so much of Fatima in this book。This title combines several things I love in a book: a cross cultural theme， a foodie focus， and a medical aspect。 Unfortunately Fatima was terminally ill and her life very short， but she was a force of nature and successful in her brief life。 She fought hard to resist the limitations imposed on upper class young women in Pakistan， the suffering she experienced in childhood， and the sometimes misogynistic culinary world。 All of this makes for a fascinating reading experience。 How wonderful of her family to support her in spending her final days working to get her memoir out into the world。 I hope they are managing to thrive despite their loss。 。。。more
Susie Dumond
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Pakistani chef （and Top Chef fan favorite） Fatima Ali's star was only beginning to rise when she was given a terminal cancer diagnosis。 She was determined to complete her bucket list in her last year， traveling the world and eating all the delicious food she'd always dreamed of trying。 In this memoir co-written by Ali， her mother， and writer Tarajia Morrell， we hear her life story， her passion for food， and her tragic end at the age of 29。 Sure， I would expect a book about someone who died of ca Pakistani chef （and Top Chef fan favorite） Fatima Ali's star was only beginning to rise when she was given a terminal cancer diagnosis。 She was determined to complete her bucket list in her last year， traveling the world and eating all the delicious food she'd always dreamed of trying。 In this memoir co-written by Ali， her mother， and writer Tarajia Morrell， we hear her life story， her passion for food， and her tragic end at the age of 29。 Sure， I would expect a book about someone who died of cancer at a young age to make me cry。 But reader， this book made me SOB。 It DESTROYED me。 I went through a whole box of tissues。 I literally had to take a shower to wash off all the tears and snot after I finished it。 Would I recommend it？ A hundred times over。 It's beautiful and full of so much passion and excellent food writing。 Grab those tissues and buckle up。 Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Kirsten Grier
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**I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**I requested this book based solely on the cover and the fact that it was a chef's memoir。 I had no idea it was written by Fatima Ali， one of the fan favorites from one of my favorite shows Top Chef。 Once I realized that was the memoir I was about to read I knew I was in for a tear-jerker。 Fatima Ali was a fan favorite on Top Chef and became the youngest winner as well as the first Pakistani woman **I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**I requested this book based solely on the cover and the fact that it was a chef's memoir。 I had no idea it was written by Fatima Ali， one of the fan favorites from one of my favorite shows Top Chef。 Once I realized that was the memoir I was about to read I knew I was in for a tear-jerker。 Fatima Ali was a fan favorite on Top Chef and became the youngest winner as well as the first Pakistani woman to ever win Chopped。 She was finally getting recognized for her talents when she was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma。 She was given a year to live。Fatima， along with her mother， reflect on her upbringing and how she clawed her way to the top to become a well respected chef in the industry she so badly wanted to change。I loved this book and reading from Fatima's perspective gave a new meaning to the word heartbreaking。 The relationship she had with her family （especially her brother and mother） brought me to tears。 If you love cooking and/or memoirs this one is definitely for you！！ 。。。more
Brennan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I devoured this book， the way Fatima Ali devoured life。 A sumptuously written memoir told chronologically – from her childhood in Pakistan （and Austin， TX） to the final days of her life in California， surrounded by the community she spent her far-too-short life building and cultivating – 'Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More' is one of the best， most powerful and emotional books I have read in years。 Fatima's voice was singular， strong， and ripped from the world; 'Savor' lets fans （like me） and newco I devoured this book， the way Fatima Ali devoured life。 A sumptuously written memoir told chronologically – from her childhood in Pakistan （and Austin， TX） to the final days of her life in California， surrounded by the community she spent her far-too-short life building and cultivating – 'Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More' is one of the best， most powerful and emotional books I have read in years。 Fatima's voice was singular， strong， and ripped from the world; 'Savor' lets fans （like me） and newcomers alike get to bathe in her light。 A must， must， must read。 。。。more
Wanda Argersinger
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