Hi, I’m Zainab!
I’m a writer, editor and recipe developer.
I am also writing a novel. It’s an intergenerational story of migration, and how we inherit the blueprints of our survival from our maternal ancestors. I am a regular contributor at NYT Food (print & digital) & NYT Cooking. I’ve also written for Bon Appétit, Saveur Magazine (print & digital), and BuzzFeed. My piece about my mother's nihari was anthologized in Best Food Writing 2015.
I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about food—the how, when, what of it—and the words and images we use to tell our stories. I like solving problems, making things work better, and helping people.
I’m also the VP of Audience Strategy at the American Journalism Project where I help launch and grow local nonprofit newsrooms.
I was born in Seoul, lived in Nairobi, Hong Kong, London, Lahore, Toronto, and am now in Brooklyn.
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@theshahreport