Hi, my name is Farihah, but you can also call me Shukie. This blog is called Shukieats, not just because it consists of my own recipes but also because Shukie in Bangla means happiness. And food has always been the thing that makes me the happiest!
This blog is the essence of my cooking style: using the most nutrient-dense ingredients (think ancient grains, seasonal produce, and sustainable animal products) prepared using the healthiest methods (fermenting, soaking, sprouting, slow cooking, baking) without compromising taste. After all, taste is the most crucial element of truly nourishing meals. My favorite ways to flavor food are quality salts, various herbs and spices, and unrefined sweeteners.
You'll also find a lot of healthier dessert recipes on this blog. Unrefined sweeteners (such as jaggery and coconut nectar) have more nutrients than plain white sugar. While sugar is sugar, in moderation, I love developing sweet recipes just as much as savory ones, especially for special occasions.
I can't wait for you to try the recipes you find here!
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Love, Shukie
You'll see that many of the recipes have a South Asian influence due to my Bangladeshi heritage. While my mom taught me to cook using our native spices, my grandma sparked my initial interest in nutrition. When I was a little girl, she taught me that nutritious milk should be slightly yellow. I later learned that the yellowish color in grass-fed dairy comes from the beta carotene the grass imparts on the cows' milk. Growing up in NYC in the 90s, the term grass-fed wasn't as popular. When she saw the milk in our fridge was a clean white, she knew something was off since she grew up on a farm. And thus, my curiosity for the most nutrient-dense ingredients began.