We had the good fortune of connecting with Saba Ahmad and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Saba, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’m a teacher by profession and also a food blogger. I’m good at teaching but I also like cooking and hosting. I once heard someone say “do something you are good at” this kind of stayed with me for a while as I was looking for a side hustle. So instead of coming up with something new I decided to polish my skills and share my experience with the audiences as well. Mainly I share south Asian recipes but I love middle eastern, Mexican and Italian cuisine.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I moved to USA, I started working as a science assistant and worked my way up to be a teacher. Food blogging is my recent adventure. I started sharing my recipes in the summer of 2021 on Instagram but I quickly realized I needed a platform of my own which gave birth to my blog Stewwithsaba.com. What sets me apart as a blogger I share tried and tested recipes with actual measurements. If you ask a south Asian mother for a recipe she will tell you measure with your heart. Which is possible but after years of experience. I had so many people told me they like my recipes because now they can recreate the same home cooked meal with my easy to follow recipes. I moved to USA about a decade ago and my biggest challenge was to navigate through this new system. I like the independence I have here as a female but also I didn’t know how the system worked. Shout out to my in laws who helped me learn everything I need to know to be successful in the new system.
Another challenge for me was the language or more precisely American accent which I’m still learning.
I have seen every closing door a redirection and worked harder to achieve where I wanted to be. I don’t think I have achieved my goal yet but I’m certainly closer to it every passing day.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live is Salt Lake City Utah which is the most beautiful place. Even when driving to work or grocery store the scenery on each side of the valley is just amazingly gorgeous. Utah’s has so many hiking trails and camping places to visit. But for a weeklong trip some of my favorite places to take them are the cottonwood canyons, cecret lake, bear lake, hike rocky mount fall. lagoon and can’t miss planetarium.
If you want to go on a stroll and do some shopping then city creek center is the perfect place to visit. Parkway city is another famous place for tourist you absolutely can’t miss especially in winter.
I love to eat and if you are on an adventure with me I can’t let you leave without tasting some of the best authentic Pakistani food in the area such as habibi grill and also kabob stop.
I absolutely love Mexican food and what’s a better place other than cafe rio for delicious rice bowls and salads. Last but not the least for desserts waffle love and crumble cookies are Utah’s favorite spots.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out my mother. Her name is Zohar Bibi and she lives is Pakistan. She is my mentor and teacher in every aspect of life.
Website: https://stewwithsaba.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stewwithsaba?igsh=MW96c3hjMGtiZ3MyOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/u4tYnbi7iv767c6e/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@stewwithsaba?si=5CsxaB3lEBTLan-H
Image Credits
This photo was taken during my appearance at abc4 Utah