DALLAS, April 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the release of her first cookbook "Shahla's Kitchen, Cooking with Fire and Ice: Recipes for Balanced Energy and Healthy Living" (Brown Books Publishing Group), rising star Shahla Niazi introduces readers to the revolutionary concept of preparing healthy recipes that are practical, contemporary and delicious. Offering up an alternative approach to the way we think about food today, Niazi incorporates the notion of cooking with hot and cold food energies to keep us vital and active.
Inspired by her Iranian grandmother who taught her about the healing properties of certain foods, spices and mixtures of ingredients, Niazi brings to the forefront what families and cultures before us have always known: the distinctive impact that herbs, roots, fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables have on our bodies; and how their properties bring harmony and balance to the body, mind and soul.
Culinary journalist, Dotty Griffith says, "Shahla Niazi's bold style reflects her fascinating personal history and a dedication to traditional principles of nutrition and balance learned from her grandmother steeped in the old ways."
Throughout "Shahla's Kitchen" beautifully photographed images accompany each recipe. Niazi offers up dishes in every meal category that use traditional foods found in most local food markets, while explaining the characteristics of hot and cold foods––or rather how hot and cold food energies have nothing to do with temperature but with their makeup. Recognizing the role of energy in our diet is essential.
Niazi explains in detail the powerful tool of understanding the properties in the ingredients between "fire and ice" or "hot and cold" foods that provide healing harmony to the body. For example, ginger is considered a great hot-energy source, which is good for an upset stomach. When, as a young girl, Shahla developed a stomach ache from eating too many strawberries, her grandmother sliced up some ginger and mixed it with honey in hot water to balance out the cold energy of the strawberries to settle her stomach.
Dr. Sarah Samaan, MD, FACC, cardiologist and physician partner at Baylor Heart Hospital says, "Shahla's Kitchen' is a stunning collection of recipes to nourish the body and spirit that opens the window into heart-smart cuisine. I love the emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and healthy oils throughout the book, including decadently delicious desserts."
Niazi provides readers with valuable information about the geography of food energy, the basics of hot- and cold-energy foods and an energy food list that is broken down into easy-to-understand categories.
"Knowing which way to tip the scale—toward hot or cold—is the key to good health and longevity," Niazi explains. "In today's world, many of us are tired and searching for more energy. If you learn the practice of balancing the types of energy, the 'fire and ice,' in the foods you consume, you will find that you have more energy, better health and a feeling of contentment."
Copies of "Shahla's Kitchen" are available online and in bookstores.
To learn more, please visit: www.ShahlasKitchen.com
About the Author
As a young child, Shahla knew the people of her small town believed in her grandmother Malec's healing skills and her uncanny knowledge of herbs and foods. Today Shahla continues the work her grandmother began with sacred recipes, gently handed down in memory and practice. She has documented and prepared hundreds of wonderful meals, each lovingly created with a purpose in mind: balancing the hot and cold properties of specific foods to provide the utmost in nutrition.
Shahla attended college in Australia, graduating with honors in photography and graphic design. She continues her research in the Dallas metropolitan area where she lives with her family.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=24799
