“Ali’s strength and passion for food and her culture shines through. . . . This memoir is a tribute to the extraordinary life and impact she made in twenty-nine years.”—Oprah Daily (Best Books of the Year)
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, Savor is a deftly woven account and 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.
Savor is a triumphant memoir, 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.
Author
Fatima Ali
Born in Pakistan, Fatima Ali was an award-winning chef in New York City. Her ambition, conviction, and drive led Fatima to break many conventional boundaries during a time when a career in the kitchen wasn’t seen as an option for a young woman like her. After graduating as class valedictorian from the Culinary Institute of America, Fatima worked her way through multiple restaurants, ultimately becoming the youngest executive sous chef at Stella 34 and La Fonda del Sol. When Fatima was just twenty-three, she competed in and won an episode of Chopped on the Food Network—the first Pakistani and the youngest contestant to do so at the time. Later she starred in a Munchiesepisode for VICE and began to gather a significant following from around the world through her sporadic appearances on TV. Another competition success with Chef’s Roll sent her to Napa Valley to work at the three-Michelin-star The Restaurant at Meadowood. Fatima went on to win the world’s hearts as a contestant on the fifteenth season of Bravo’s Top Chef—again, she was the first Pakistani woman on the show and went on to be voted “Fan Favorite.” Unfortunately, shortly before the show aired, Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, interrupting her journey and derailing her trajectory just as her star was rising. After a sixteen-month-long battle, Fatima took her leave on January 25, 2019. She wrote several essays for Bon Appétit, one of which was posthumously awarded a James Beard Award. Before she said goodbye, Fatima made plans. Plans to spark curiosity about Pakistani food and help people value and see themselves in her culture and country. Plans to hold the doors open for other brown women to chase their dreams and believe in themselves the way she did. Plans to make everyone understand the importance of leading with love, to live without fear, to have a vision and bet on yourself to get there. Gone far too soon, and missed dearly by her loved ones and fans throughout the world, she shares with us her story and how it came to be.
Learn More about Fatima AliAuthor
Tarajia Morrell
Tarajia Morrell is a native New Yorker who grew up at the table. In 2011, Morrell created the food and travel blog The Lovage. Her reporting and essays have since appeared in WSJ. magazine, T Magazine, Food & Wine, Departures, and Cherry Bombe, among others. Morrell is also the author of Soul of New York: A Guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences. She lives in Manhattan with her daughter.
Learn More about Tarajia Morrell