Collaborators

Anushka Qizilbash is a photographer currently living in Lahore, Pakistan. She graduated with a BFA in Photography from Parsons, The New School of Design in 2017. While attending Parsons, she freelanced in her spare time as a food photographer and as a production assistant for different clients in New York City. After graduation, she was hired as a Curator for Shared_Studios, operating a “Portal” at their Times Square activation—this eventually lead to a position with the internal team as Content and Programming Coordinator. Now back in Pakistan, Anushka works as a Creative Content Executive at Ideas Pret. During her free time she freelances as a commercial photographer and models for many Pakistani fashion brands. 

Javeria Saleem is a freelance food photographer and a food stylist. Her enthusiasm for food began early as she spent a lot of time watching TV cooking shows and collecting recipe books as a child. She saw food as the perfect medium through which to express her creativity. Happily, this creativity was always nurtured as she grew up in artistic environment filled with musical instruments, books and, of course, cameras. Thus, the marriage of food and photography was inevitable for Javeria. Today she lives in Calgary, Canada, where she continues to harness that creative fire for images and develop her skills as a baker. 

Talib Qizilbash is a freelance writer and editor who has had his articles published in Canada and abroad. As a staff writer and editor at Newsline in Karachi, Pakistan, he helped the magazine snag multiple national awards, including his own Best Business Investigative Feature prize in 2011. As online editor, he headed the overhaul of the publication’s website. Talib is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and Ryerson University and has worked in the manufacturing, high-tech and financial industries. 

As a collaborator on Dine Like the Sultans, he has worked with Shaha Husain since day one of her book project. He thought he was there to help shape some stories that would introduce recipes and add colour to the cookbook. But on that first day they cooked. Shaha instructed him to take notes, and in return he pestered her with 101 questions about each of her cooking considerations. So while Shaha brings her culinary prowess to the table, Talib brings his curiosity, and, well, his appetite (he has become a competent food tester). Though after he is fed (and not napping), he also formulates and re-tests the recipes of Shaha, as well as edits and manages all the digital aspects of DLTS. 

United by Food created the videos you see on this website. United by Food is not just a food video channel on Facebook and YouTube. UBF is the manifestation of a thought. A thought that can unite the world: food destroys racism. In this day and age, we are so divided by religion, colour, language, nationality and so many other factors, we ignore the power of food to bring us together. UBF aims to leverage that power in their own small way.