Awe-samosas! by Marzieh Abbas and Bhagya Madanasinghe
Hello, Marzieh Abbas! Thank you for stopping by celebrate AWE-SAMOSAS!
Marzieh Abbas: Hello, Mr. Schu! Thank you so much for hosting the cover reveal of AWE-SAMOSAS! It’s such an honor to be here, talking about a book which has a lot of me in it—my love for my rather quirky Dadi, my paternal grandma, my love for experimental cooking, and of course, my love for samosas! Which by the way are awesome ☺ as are Bhagya’s gorgeous, warm illustrations.
Marzieh Abbas: Hello, Mr. Schu! Thank you so much for hosting the cover reveal of AWE-SAMOSAS! It’s such an honor to be here, talking about a book which has a lot of me in it—my love for my rather quirky Dadi, my paternal grandma, my love for experimental cooking, and of course, my love for samosas! Which by the way are awesome ☺ as are Bhagya’s gorgeous, warm illustrations.
Marzieh wrote the words in black, and I wrote the words in purple. Thank you, Marzieh!
Awe-samosas!’s cover reveals just enough about the book to intrigue you (hint: looks at all those sweet and savory ingredients—not your regular samosas in-the-making!) And hasn’t Bhagya beautifully captured the joy of cooking and samosas in Noor, the main character’s, expressions?
Awe-samosas!’s cover reveals just enough about the book to intrigue you (hint: looks at all those sweet and savory ingredients—not your regular samosas in-the-making!) And hasn’t Bhagya beautifully captured the joy of cooking and samosas in Noor, the main character’s, expressions?
Awe-samosas!’s endpapers were an art-note in my initial manuscript. They’re doodles from Noor, the main character’s, journal. They show her love for her grandma, Pakistan (her parent’s homeland), her pet parrot, Mithoo, and her love for cooking.
Awe-samosas! is dedicated to my kids who are always in the kitchen while I cook, helping me put a twist on traditional recipes. It is also dedicated to my samosa-loving Abu, my dad. In the book, Noor usually cooks with her Dadi, her grandma, but since Dadi is away visiting Pakistan, Noor’s Abu helps her put together her AWE-SAMOSAS!
John Schu, you should have asked me about the backstory for AWE-SAMOSAS! Here it is: When I had initially gotten married, my mother-in-law taught me lots of her secret recipes. I loved to cook and getting introduced to so many new recipes, while learning of new customs, was great. One of those recipes was a samosa stuffed with coconut shavings, sugar, cardamom, and lots of crushed nuts. It soon became a Ramadan-favorite. Here’s a picture of the stuffing and my perfectly-wrapped, equilateral samosas:

I had only ever eaten savory samosas. I recreated the sweet samosas many times. Many years down the line it was the story spark for AWE-SAMOSAS!
John Schu, you should have asked me about the backstory for AWE-SAMOSAS! Here it is: When I had initially gotten married, my mother-in-law taught me lots of her secret recipes. I loved to cook and getting introduced to so many new recipes, while learning of new customs, was great. One of those recipes was a samosa stuffed with coconut shavings, sugar, cardamom, and lots of crushed nuts. It soon became a Ramadan-favorite. Here’s a picture of the stuffing and my perfectly-wrapped, equilateral samosas:
I had only ever eaten savory samosas. I recreated the sweet samosas many times. Many years down the line it was the story spark for AWE-SAMOSAS!
Bhagya Madanasinghe is an illustrator and architect from Sri Lanka, a colorful little country in South Asia. She was drawn to various illustrative styles that guided her to the beautiful world of children's books. She enjoys making characters with strong emotions and actions to express the mood of her illustrations. She loves exploring new places to inspire her work. Her favorite thing to cook is pol sambol. Currently, she lives in Canada with her husband and lovely daughter, where she continues to excel in her artistic endeavors.
Awe-samosas! releases on March 26, 2024. Pre-order a copy today.
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