Celebrate the spirit of unity from the comfort of one’s home this Ramadan with the tashas café’s Inspired cookbook. Featuring a collection of classic recipes from cuisines around the world, this beautifully illustrated cookbook contains over 80 pieces of original art and stunning photography. The tashas Inspired cookbook will inspire home cooks to recreate the dishes of the French bistro and Spanish tapas bar; the New York deli, Greek taverna, and Middle Eastern souk for beloved family and friends this Ramadan.
Established in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2005 by Natasha Sideris, tashas café expanded to the Galleria Mall in Jumeirah, marking its initial venture beyond South Africa in 2014. With 21 cafes globally, including 6 in the UAE and a café that recently opened in London, tashas remains dedicated to creating environments where food and authentic connections unite.
Crafted with a sharing concept in mind, easy-to-follow instructions, and readily available ingredients, the tashas Inspired cookbook serves as a curated series of Ramadan recipes that are accessible to experienced or amateur cooks. Every chapter has a uniquely curated Spotify playlist to accompany every joyous moment while cooking and dining together. From refreshing drinks to bountiful meals, the tashas Inspired cookbook brings its signature dishes home this Ramadan for food lovers to replicate these meals with ease, be it for Iftar or Suhoor.
Hearty Iftar Meals:
Many fish cake recipes typically require a binding agent such as egg or milk, but the tashas cookbook goes the unconventional way with its Fish Koftas (page 260). For the holy month of Ramadan, the recipe can be executed with mayonnaise, adding a delightful creaminess to the fish koftas. This recipe also offers a sweet twist by incorporating apricots for sweetness and an abundance of green herbs for freshness, and is best served alongside a spoon of laban or mayonnaise.
An additional chef favorite is the Stuffed Piquillo Peppers (page 61), serving a party of four, this brightly coloured and bold flavoured tapa from the Basque Country is easy to prepare and has a huge impact as part of a selection of other tapas. Sweet roasted piquillo peppers are one of Spain’s biggest exports and are available in bottled form from delis and supermarkets. The dish is meant to be eaten hot, straight from the grill, or at room temperature – ideal for sharing at an iftar table.
With Dijon mustard, a few cloves of garlic, and 2 to 3 sprigs of thyme, this whole Sirloin with Horseradish Cream (page 209) feeds a table of four with vegetables soaked in an olive oil-based sauce. The tashas Inspired cookbook combines a creamy horseradish sauce to create a balance with the savoury taste of the sirloin, making it a meal to remember this Ramadan.
Known for its filling nature, Paella (page 87) has remained Spain’s most popular dish since its culmination in the 19th century and has been described as the stuff of legendary meals. Traditionally cooked in a large, shallow metal pan with handles, over an aromatic fire fueled by pine cones and orange branches, this sharing dish ensures a hearty feast this Ramadan for loved ones at the table.
A Ramadan meal is not complete without vegetables stuffed with rice and minced meat. Potatoes also make their way into the Gemista dish (page 181), which are propped under the stuffed vegetables to prevent the parcels from sticking to the pan and absorbing the flavourful cooking juices. The cookbook suggests vegetables of an even or similar size to ensure even cooking for an Iftar gathering.
Delightful Suhoor & Iftar Drinks:
Add a sweet touch to any iftar gathering with the tashas Apple-Pie Milkshake (page 133), served with coconut shavings clung to the glass by a caramel garnish and served with baby toffee apples. Serving up to four people, the apple pie milkshake melds the traditional apple pie with the features of a cool and creamy beverage to delight the little ones this Ramadan.
A refreshing treat to breaking one’s fast before diving into the iftar feast, the Pink Lemonade (page 134) offers a sweet and slightly sour blend meant to be shared in a large jug with friends and family alike around the table.
Delectable Desserts:
With an electric whisk and dollops of whipped cream, the meringue base of the Coffee Pavlova (page 45) is not so easily broken, and will instead create the stiff, glossy peaks one needs for a flawless meringue base. Should the base collapse in the middle, it is easily fixed with an abundance of cleverly arranged fruit, nuts, or berries. This bittersweet dessert is a billowing spectacle, sure to draw gasps of admiration once brought out after iftar, just like the famous Russian ballerina for whom it was named, Anna Pavlova.
Italian for “drowned,” the Affogato (page 47) drenches two scoops of the ice cream of your choosing with freshly brewed espresso poured over it. The contrast of hot, bitter coffee and cold ice cream balances the opposing flavours and makes it the ideal dessert to indulge in after a big iftar meal. The tashas Inspired cookbook also suggests an extra option to crumble Italian amaretti biscuits over the top.
The flaky filo pastry of the tashas Baklava Mille-Feuille (page 271) is folded like a concertina instead of in a pile, served with honey, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pads. To reach that elaborate presentation, pipe the crème pâtissière onto the syrupy baklava and fleck it with an edible gold leaf, and enjoy the homage to Middle Eastern cuisine this Holy Month of Ramadan.
With the 336 pages of the tashas Inspired coffee table cookbook, each section celebrates the beauty of a different culture’s food and art. This second cookbook written by Natasha Siders is a unique collection that can live as easily in one’s living room as it does on the kitchen counter. Brimming with recipes and art evoking the French bistro, the tapas bars of Spain, delis of New York, Greek tavernas, and the English countryside – tashas Inspired will inspire audiences to cook and create magic.
For more information, please visit the nearest tashas location to purchase your copy of the tashas Inspired cookbook or to gift the cook in your life this special season.
