Hi, my name is Shayma, also known as Spice Spoon.

Welcome to my tiny space on Substack. I’m a food writer, recipe developer, and stylist—a Torontonian with Pakistani-Afghan roots and Persian lineage (I know, it’s a lot!). My heritage shapes the stories I share and the recipes I create. This is a space for anyone who believes food is more than just a meal. It’s about the customs and traditions woven into each dish, and the stories that help us understand people and places that might otherwise be misunderstood.

I strongly believe that food brings people together; it allows us to share who we are, where we come from, and the joys that shape our lives.

What you’ll find here:

• Essays on food and memory, exploring home, belonging, and the small moments that shape us.

• Recipes that are approachable, beautiful, and meant to be cooked with heart (and often with intuition, rather than strict rules).

• Andaza reflections on cooking by feel and memory: a way of moving through the kitchen guided by trust + instinct.

• 4 Tiny Ideas + Rituals, small, practical ideas to bring ease and intention into your week.

• Sukoon notes on gentle living, beauty, and slowing down, as a reminder to create moments of comfort in daily life.

• Visual storytelling, including food styling and photography that celebrates everyday beauty.

Where you may have seen me:

I have been a food writer for almost two decades now. You may have seen my work in BBC, Bon Appétit, CBC, Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Simply Recipes, and Toronto Star, among others. You can also find me cooking on CTV’s Your Morning, or hosting culinary and food styling workshops and talks for clients across Toronto, including LCBO, Chatelaine Magazine, George Brown College, Loblaws, University of Toronto, and Evergreen Brick Works.