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Wellington, December 11, 2020
Mother and daughter duo Shobha and Keryn Kalyan recently took won two National Book Awards for their beautiful and eye-catching authentic Gujarati cookbook Pass It On.
Please read more about the Book here.
It was Shobha’s dream to write a family Cookbook full of traditional Indian Gujarati recipes that have been not only stood the test of time but also moved between generations.
Her grandparents were one of the first Gujaratis to arrive in New Zealand in the 1920s, and hence it was no surprise that she was surrounded by traditional Gujarati cuisine as she grew up.
‘Sensible Cooking’
Shobha was taught by her mother to cook, although she never followed a set recipe.
She and generations before her learnt to cook using their senses.
“You just ‘knew’ how much of each ingredient to be put or how to follow a certain technique,” she says but it was not until she and Keryn spent two years dedicated to pouring their love into their own Cookbook that all their recipes were written down.
Now their authentic family cuisine is preserved forever.
Awards and Citations
In October 2020, Pass It On won awards through the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ). They won the Best Cover Award. while their Freelance Designer Jessica Read took the Best Emerging Designer Award.
They were the Runner-Up in the Best Cookbook category.
This was the only self-published cookbook in the running, and it is a matter of pride that they won these Awards amongst some of the country’s big publishing names, including Te Papa Press, Massey University Press, and Penguin Random House NZ.
Recipes and Images
Pass It On is full of 103 recipes written by Shobha, each of which is complemented by a full-page image photographed by Keryn.
The Book has been created and designed in a way to allow readers to feel that they are immersed in the Indian Gujarati culture and cuisine. The bright colours, vibrant photography and design, authentic recipes and the gold edging on each page merge to create a wonderful Gujarati experience. The Cookbook cover also strongly communicates their story showing Shobha’s hands passing spices down to Keryn’s hands.
Give it with love
This beautiful cookbook makes the perfect gift and retails for $59.99. Help them carry on the legacy by buying a copy on their website www.passitoncookbook.co.nz. A percentage of every book sold online will be donated to Dementia Wellington, a cause close to their hearts after Shobha’s mother-in-law passed away.
Each book ordered online comes signed with a handwritten note.
Readers can follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram @passitoncookbook.
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