Jacqui holding a cup of her Cocoa Cardamom Drink

Hi all. This is Jacqui — a lovely young woman I became acquainted with at The Herb Shoppe in Brooklyn — holding a mug of her delicious cocoa chai. I have the story and the recipe, but first, let’s sip something delicious and back track a bit:

Cocoa Cardamom Cinnamon Ginger Yummy Chai

Brooklyn is huge but it was just a small town when founded by Dutch settlers who dubbed their new home “Breuckelen” in a nostalgic nod to a town in the Netherlands. No offense to the Dutch, but “Brooklyn” has a nicer ring to it than Breuckelen. (Not to mention, it is infinitely easier to spell.)

I love living in Breuckelen. I mean Brooklyn! We have everything from Victorian townhouses so grand they make you gawk with admiration to industrial landscapes so picturesque they leave you speechless; we have wealth and squalor and everything in between; we have hipsters and a great many diverse ethnic enclaves.

Atlantic Avenue, a major street that begins at the Brooklyn waterfront and stretches a great length East is a good example of this diversity. On the waterfront end there is a mosque and a bunch of middle eastern shops and let’s not forget good ol’ Trader Joe’s, and then, there is a stretch lined with a cluster of hip, trendy stores and restaurants. Yet a further stretch will take you where there is nothing but you and the road and a somewhat desolate urban industrical landscape. I have not stretched any further than that! But venture further and you will hit Queens. So I’m told. 

Welcome! Have some hot Cocoa!

One of my favorite haunts on Atlantic Avenue – ensconced in that cluster of pretty stores I told you about –  is a charming and delightful establishment called The Herb Shoppe. They offer an amazing array of all manners of familiar and exotic herbs and spices and botanicals and loose teas, all invitingly and temptingly displayed in rows of glass jars and bottles. It is one of my happy places! What I like about the store is that you are helped but you are not hovered over. The vibe is friendly, not fake and fawning, and if you ask a question, you’ll get an informed and enthused answer. I also like that you can purchase in bulk or in as small a quantity as you wish, so that you can experiment with herbs and spices without having to spend a fortune. 

I first wandered into The Herb Shoppe over a year ago while on a wild-goose-quest for edible dried rose petals. Which: they carried! Jacqui, the lovely young woman profiled here, was behind the counter. We struck up a conversation during which I may have brought up Fig & Quince (ahem) and the whole bit about Persian food blogging. Since then, I have gone in now and again looking for everything from sage to turmeric to what not. At some point Jacqui mentioned some of her recipes and they all sounded enchanting! I begged her to share one. And she indulged me and did! 

Sipping A brooklyn made cocoa drink out of a Persian cup

And this, my friends, is how Jacqui and I ended up meeting on a freezing cold January day in Brooklyn to bring to you a yummy & delicious- smelling raw cocoa concoction. In an attempt to Persianize the whole affair, Jacqui is enjoying the cacao drink while sipping it from an old-fashioned-style Persian tea cup!

Now just check out the ingredients:  cacao, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove, honey, vanilla, and milk.  Talk about an ingredient list that sings!

Cocoa Cinnamon Ginger Cardamom Clove Vanilla

Tthank you Jacqui for sharing your lovely recipe! It was fun! And you guys: the recipe is below. Click!

• 1-2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• A pinch (about 1/4 tsp )
  • cardamom powder
  • cinnamon powder
  • ginger powder
  • clove powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Honey to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 cups almond milk (can substitute soy milk or regular milk)

Add milk in a small saucepan and heat on low or med until hot. Add all ingredients and mix well. Remove from heat and enjoy!
This recipe is really based on taste and what you like. Adjust quantities to your preference.

Serve hot, hot, hot! Enjoy!

Bersabé Kindergarten, First Iranian Kindergarten in Tehran, Persia, March 1939 | SOURCE

Continuing with the Friday theme of Iranian centric photo posts, let’s look at some B&W photographs.

This first one is of the students and teachers of the Bersabé Kindergarten ( کودکستان برسابه، اولین کودکستان ایرانی), the first modern kindergarten in Tehran, Iran. Taken on Sunday, March 19, 1939. (Great background info re the provenance of this kindergarden at the source.)

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Jahan Pahlavan Takhti Olympic Gold Winner (1956), World Wrestling Champion (1959 and 1961), and winner of Pahlavani Armlet in 1957, 1958 and 1959 | SOURCE

The traditional Persian martial arts (pahlavani) is a combination of weight-lifting, weight-maneouvering, weight-juggling and wrestling. The location (the gym, so to speak) where men went to practice the art and sport of phalvani were/are called “zoorkhaneh” which literally means “power houses” or “houses of power.” Traditionally, the Persian martial arts practices are accompanied with a live, very rhythmic music played on Persian drums called donbak (also called tombak, donbak, dombak, or zarb — a goblet drum hailing from ancient Iran.)

The happy athlete in the photograph is a champion pahlavan posing with a pair of light-weight meels (traditional tools used in pahlavani) resting on his shoulder. He has the title of “jahan pahlavan” which literally means “Pahlavan of the World.”  (In Iran, if someone acted more aggressively than his circumstances might dictate, one would say: Who does he think he is? A pahlavan?)

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Charge D’affair of Persia avec German spouse in Washington D.C. circa 1910 (Qajar era)

This is a photo of one Mirza Ali Gholi Khan (Qajar Persian embassador to the U.S.) and his American hailing from the Boston high society wife, Florence Breed, in Washington D.C.  From the looks of the photo, this is Edith Wharton era. The age of innocence! Mirza Ali Gholikhan was among the very first Iranian ambassadors to the United States – circa 1910 – and his official title was Charge d’affair of Persia.  Here’s another photo of the Mirza Gholikhan and his spouse. Speaking of the Iranian Embassy in Washington D.C., it has been shuttered since April 7,1980 when the relationship between Iran and the U.S. was severed due to the Hostage crisis of 1979. (Here is a good blog post with lots of pictures of the former Embassy of Iran in Washington D.C.)

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Elizabeth Taylor in Iran – Circa the 1960′s?

There are a number of fun photos of Elizabeth Taylor’s trip to Iran — circa sometime in the 60s — floating around the Internet. This one shows her in what I’m judging to be a tourist type of “Persian” coffee house.  My main thought bubble is: Posture Liz! Posture!

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Female Persian Musicians with Eunuch – Qajar Era

Here’s a priceless shot of a group of Qajar era (remember the Qajar dyansty and quince kookoo?) female musicians. I detect two donbaks, one santoor, and what seems to be a mini organ. Kindly, do check out the brows and unibrows action. (The gentleman is a eunuch – I’m afraid and sadly suspect.)

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My mom and her best friends – Iranian schoolgirls – circa 1959

Let’s end with a shot of  lovely fresh-faced Iranian schoolgirls circa 1959. And not just any random group of girls. This is a snapshot of my mom and her best friends – circa 1959 – in 10th grade, Iran. Of the 6 friends: all got college degrees. 4 became medical doctors. 5 became mothers. 4 still live in Iran. 2 I called aunts. All 6 still remain good friends. My mom is the one second from the left. She and the one friend all the way to the right and the other friend all the way to the left were BFFs and known as the 3 musketeers. This is one of my favorite pix of all time.

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Wait! What’s the sound?  Oh, it looks like the school bell is ringing! Perfect for tanbal students like me to take off for recess.

So until  next time: Happy Weekend!

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Heartfelt Tableau of Typical Persian Spices & Ingredients

Love is universal. Saints or sinners, we all love. One way or another. Love really is the answer. As Hafiz (Persian poet and mystic) said: “Go through this world giving love. Giving love.” And as The Beatles (Manchester poets and psychedilic mystics) said: Love, Love Me Do!

In honor of Saint Valentine’s Day, here is a roundup of three romantic Persian sweets that would be a treat to make and enjoy on the day much chocolate and flowers are sold and many people on earth celebrate love and romance.

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Sohan assal | Persian honey almond candy brittle

First up, is sohan ‘e assal. A toothsome (as in, you’d definitely need some teeth to enjoy it) Persian brittle candy made with sugar, honey, slivered almonds, pistachios and saffron. Could there be a more romantic ingredient listing?  Je crois que non! Recipe’s here. Just add a pinch of boldness and you have a treat to nibble on and feed your object of ardent attention without worrying about napkins or pesky utensils.

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Persianized Banana Choc Chip Muffin with crushed rose petals, rosewater and cardamom

Giving sohan ‘e assal a run for romantic ingredients, this delicious banana chocolate chip muffin is Persianized using cardamom, rosewater and edible crushed rose petals.

Sigh. That IS romantic!

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And finally, tut, a Persian mulberry-shaped marzipan concoction made with sugar, rosewater, ground almonds, and cardamom – with slivers of pistachio for stems. A dainty and pretty pop of sweetness for you and your valentine to nibble on as you whisper sweet nothings to each other and gaze at your smart phones.

I submitted this recipe to Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things Valentine’s Day Roundup – a post that I’ve spent a good amount of time gawking and drooling over. As Orgasmic Chef (blushing while typing – and why yes, I AM a prude) pointed out on Twitter, that post is liable to get someone pregnant this Valentine’s Day. It’s true! I can see that. So do check it out but do exercise caution.

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Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!

May you be struck by Cupid’s arrow if you’re not already.

Heart Heart Heart Love Love Love

noosh ‘eh jaan!

Noosheh jaan (sometimes spelled nusheh jaan) literally means: “may it be sweet for your soul”,”may it be a pleasure to your being”. That sounds quite florid, but in common parlance, the utterance simply signifies: bon appetit, good appetite! It is what we say to everyone at the table before we commence to stuff our faces with delicious, delicious, ridiculously delicious Persian food.

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Vintage car in the NGO Headquarters Compound | Kabul, Afghanistan

Nearly 3 years ago I accepted a major on-site graphic design assignment for an NGO in … wait for it … Kabul, Afghanistan! My friend worked at that NGO -  that’s how it came about. I embraced this astonishing turn of events impulsively and excitedly. In a matter of weeks, I got my visa, got my shots, flew into Dubai, and took a small plane (filled mostly with some of the biggest hugest Incredible Hulk types of men I’ve ever seen) to Kabul, where all told, I stayed for 5 weeks.

It was an adventure and an interesting experience. It was definitely sobering to see the reality of a place and people I’d only glimpsed through the TV news and media, and I met many great people — local Afghans of various walks in life, and also an eclectic group of expats hailing from all over the globe. But, it was also scary as hell and the LONGEST 30 some odd days of my life. I’m not exaggerating. I actually cried, nearly every night, and I counted days, literally, till it would be time for me to get on a plane back to New York. The harsh reality of being there was … harsh! I’d taken my friend’s word that everything was “totally fine and safe” and as it turned out, our definitions of “fine and safe” were … drastically different!

The surreal reality was that I found myself in a place where being killed by a bomb or getting hit by a missile or being abducted and held for ransom were not idle threats, the stuff of fiction, or a blip on the evening news. They were things that legitimately and plausibly could happen! It was surreal as in so real! Uber real. In retrospect: DUH! I should’ve known all these before heading over there.

Sunflower & buttercups next to ruins | Kabul, Afghanistan

I didn’t fully document the trip, alas. I did hint about the impending trip here, and I alluded to my relief at leaving Kabul here, but this is the only somewhat detailed blog post about my trip to Afghanistan. Here are some excerpts from it:

June 11, 2011 | A is for Afghanistan

It’s watermelon season here. The streets are sprinkled with vendors pushing carts topped with pyramids of watermelons. The fruits are smaller here. A plum is smaller than a ping pong ball and a lime is absurdly small – almost cocquestishly delicate in size – a slice of it perhaps larger in diameter than a quarter sized coin! It makes me smile. The watermelon is BIG as it is elsewhere.

 Wherever you are, you see the mountains. The city is surrounded by “koh.” It reminds me of the snowy peaks of Damavand and I wax nostalgic at the sight.

We go everywhere with a driver and there are lots of places we are simply not allowed to go to, because: those are the rules. But I WANT to go out and walk in the streets and talk to people and peek inside the stores.

There are guns. Lots of guns. As prevalent as the dust that is everywhere and seeps into the clothes. The city has no pretense of normalcy and yet: life is normal. People shop. Get married. Go out. Work. Live. Get their hair done. Watch TV. Children play in the streets.

Kabul is a city where flowers grow in the shadow of ruins.

There are shacks and hovels and then there are gigantic super ornate mansions that would put any McMansion to shame. My friend calls them “Narcitecture!”  Architecture made possible via proceeds of trafficking in narcotics! Shahpour Khan, one of the drivers, said: “Sometimes people get to live their dreams. These houses are like dreams.”

I wish I’d posted more often! Anyhow, sticking to what seems to have become the de-facto theme of Friday blog posts I present you with a pictorial tour of my brief and unforgettable time in the sadly ravaged by wars and power struggles city of Kabul, Afghanistan.  Less words, more pix! Berim, berim!

“Frappuccino” phonetically written in Arabic lettering | Dubai International Airport

McDonalds Sign in Arabic | Dubai International Airport

I whiled away the 7 hour layover in Dubai by gawking at everything at the airport.

Coffee Refreshments Served at Safi Airline on Flight from Dubai to Kabul

I don’t recall much about the flight to Kabul. Just that I was tired. Nervous. Hungry.

Kabul International Airport Signage | Arrival to Afghanistan

This was the very first photo I took when in Kabul. It was just as we’d lined up inching our way towards the arrival department of the airport.

I loved seeing the mountains. It reminded me of Tehran and the Alborz mountains. Originally, I had hoped to go visit Iran while I was on this assignment in Afghanistan, but my paperwork was not completed in time and I couldn’t go. Maybe it was the mountains, maybe it was listening to Googoosh on my iPod while I worked, maybe it was because I had gotten my hopes high that I was going to finally return yet it didn’t happen, or maybe it was because geographically I was so close to Iran, closest that I’d been in years, but was yet so far away. Whatever it was, I was nostalgic for Iran with a palpable, tangible heartsickness throughout my stay in Kabul.

Meanwhile, my friend, despite my refutations, repeatedly insisted to me that “you must feel so much at home in kabul” and that “this must remind you of Tehran or Iran.” In fact, nothing about the city of Kabul, save for the familiar sight of the fortress companionship of the mountains, reminded me of Tehran. Kabul is, sadly, a city ravaged by war and it is … in a really bad shape. Tehran was and by all accounts remains a beautiful, modern and very sophisticated metropolis. There is: very little comparison. As they say in Persian:

میان ماه من تا ماه‌گردون تفاوت از زمین تا آسمان است

The main building in the housing compound where I stayed | Kabul, Afghanistan

The main building in the housing compound I stayed. I did not live in this section.

Where I lived | Kabul Afghanistan |

This was my humble abode while in Kabul. Adjacent to the main building. It was awful.

For the record: I’m not a princess. While admittedly I love shiny and pretty things and definitely have a preference for luxury given the choice, I’ve roughed it plenty. Plenty! I like hiking and camping; I solo drove cross country in America twice, making an unofficial tour of the least desirable motels on each trip; and I did my fair share of Eurailpassing through Europe on a $20 a day budget and all that that entails. But this … this accommodation was on an entirely different level. And lest you think I’m biyatching about the decor or such, let’s just mention two things: a nest of scorpions was discovered under my bed and had to be exterminated. Scorpions! And oh yeah, the other thing, the bathroom situation … which was … how do I say this delicately? Actually, there is no way I could describe it accurately and be delicate so let’s just say that it was … horrifyingly deplorable. I got used to it. I had to. So I made do. But it didn’t make it any less horrifying. Thankfully, elsewhere during my stay in Kabul (at the office, hotels, restaurants, other people’s homes) the facilities were decidedly non-horrifying.

New York Magazine & Lonely Planet Guide to Afghanistan | Kabul Bedtime Reading

Like a fool, I hadn’t even leafed through a guidebook prior to embarking on this trip. But on my second night there, I innocently read the Lonely Planet Guide to Afghanistan that my friend thoughtfully lent me and read the “Dangers While There” section. Big mistake! I was jolted into the reality of the potential consequences of my adventure and I was basically scared to death for the remainder of my stay. It did not help at all that at the orientation I was given the next day, I was extensively and flourishingly warned of the myriad dangers facing us at every corner and turn. It turns out that just a few days prior to my arrival a supermarket used mostly by expats and trendy Afghans had been bombed. My friend said: I didn’t want to tell you before and scare you. Uh … too late!  And halfway through my stay, a major hotel was bombed – leaving many casualties. It certainly did not boost my morals either when everyday at work we got a parade of horrifying emails from the NGO’s security Operating Room.

Emails with subjects like:

UPDATE 4: THREAT WARNING – ANSO CENTRAL – SAF ON-GOING (KABUL)

the contents of which contained info like this:

As per the information currently available, a group of at least 6 well-armed attackers equipped with at least 3 BBIED-vests assaulted the hotel from the Gardane Bala park, which stretches on the Karte Parwan side of the hotel compound.

I basically shook in my boots the whole time i was there. And prayed to make it out intact. And pledged that if so, to be forever grateful that I live not under the daily stress of threats to limb, liberty, and life. And I marveled at the constitution of the NGO staff and the people of Afghanistan who managed to endure the situation and this life style with far more grace and courage than I was capable.

E.T. Call Home! | Skyping via iPhone in Kabul

My sanity was maintained entirely thanks to Skype! My nightly calls to family kept me going. Before this trip, I’d totally mocked and judged the Survivor TV show contestants who would get all mopey and turn on the waterworks during the family visit segment some 20 days into their reality show island stint. Thinking: PAHLEASE! It’s been 3 weeks! How could you possibly have had time to miss anyone or get so pitifully weepy? And then, I experienced it myself. When placed in a situation that is for whatever reason starkly challenging in comparison to the normalcy of our day to day life, your mind declutters and your priorities become crystal clear and those priorities are the people you love. They become all that matter and you see very clearly how they are the only things that matter. And so you miss them. With an unbelievable intensity. I’ve never more longed to hear the voices of people I love than then – and their voices were the life vests that kept my spirit afloat.

Nargess Khanoom chopping fresh herbs to prepare something delicious

At the NGO office where I worked, everyday we broke for lunch on the premise. In the house and on the house! A most wonderful perk. A lunch cooked fresh and from scratch earlier that day by this lovely lady – let’s call her Nargess Khanoom. This was before my food blogging days and I sigh each time I recall what a golden opportunity I had to record and photograph all the simple yet wonderful and seasonal lunch spreads Nargess Khanoom made every weekday. All that awesome and authentic Afghan recipes I could have collected. Sigh!

Some people in Afghanistan speak a dialect of Persian that I could half understand but Nargess Khanoom conversed in a different one which I could hardly understand. Even so, I learned a few things about her. She said she had lost her husband and son in one war, and then a few other sons since to other wars. It was hard to comprehend that she lived a life where she’d had to endure such things. Even so, she always wore a smile. Always. And she was the kindest woman. And her food was delicious. Knowing her and tasting her lovely homemade meals were the privilege and highlights of the entire trip.

While working on this post I was happily surprised to find this photo in my archives. It is a snapshot of my desk at work – which brings back such vivid memories. I love it. In retrospect, wish had more photos like this one too as keepsake. I sat at this desk, toiling, while having Googoosh songs on repeat in my ears.

While in Kabul, a friend overseas tasked me with the fun assignment of finding fashion designers in Kabul. Reason was that my friend was about to start a fashion commerce where she hoped designers in parts of the globe not accessible to the world at large could offer to sell their clothing. The beauty of accepting this task was that its fulfillment took me to Zardozi – a little but very pretty shopping compound where there were little boutiques selling handmade clothing and other artisanal artifacts. I saw this gorgeous dress there. (I’ve posted a Vine-type video of it fluttering on YouTube if you want to go and have a look-see.)

By the way, I’m happy to report that my friend since went on and started her fashion website which pretty much rocks! It is called Rtister and you should go and check out the cool & gorgeous stuff they carry!

Zarif Design Atelier Showroom | Kabul, Afghanistan

I emailed the fashion designer of that beautiful calligraphy dress so that I could discuss putting her in touch with my friend. It turned out the designer was in New York while I was in Kabul but she emailed me back with an invitation to get a guided tour of her atelier in Kabul where most of the fabric and all the clothing were made.

And that’s how I ended up meeting this dignified and nice woman, the manager of Zarif Design’s atelier, who kindly gave me a tour of the atelier and facilities. Again, I can kick myself that I has this experience prior to becoming a blogger. I saw such pretty and interesting things and can only sigh over the lost opportunity to record it for posterity.

I’m including this photo, because basically this was how I mostly saw Kabul. While being driven from one place to another. For safety purposes, were warned not to mingle. So I pretty much experienced the city by looking out the window while inside a car.

This is one such of those back and forth car ride videos. You can clearly see all the watermelons and fruit carts.

One of my last days in Kabul, however, I requested and got the green-light to visit the bird market at Kabul. Accompanied by a chaperone, I actually got to walk outside and talk to people. I bought “shalvar jaffi” for my father and brother and I actually conversed with some people. It was a sight to see those birds. I love birds but I don’t like to see them caged. This is one of the many videos I took that day.  I hope to post a bunch more later when I get a chance.

And finally the day I’d been counting minutes towards arrived. I was going to fly home to New York! I was giddy happy! There was a glitch and I almost didn’t get to leave but God was rahim and I did get on that plane. I’ve never been more grateful nor more relieved than when that plane lifted off the ground – leaving Afghanistan. I sighed a sigh of sweet relief.  And I thanked God. I really was most grateful.

USA Today & Kabul Disco, a graphic novel by Nicolas Wild

I took this photo the day I returned to the U.S. The book, Kabul Disco by Nicolas Wild, is a wonderful graphic novel I bought at Zardozi – that arts & crafts compound mentioned above. I found it to be a wonderful, funny and very accurate depiction of a foreigner’s life in Kabul. I loved it and if you can find a copy, I totally recommend it.

The USA Today’s headline attests that the Anthony Weiner thing was still all the rage in the news. That and a murder trial. All the talk shows and all the papers and what everyone were talking about were the court case and Anthony Weiner’s … errr.

Welcome Home! Ha ha.

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You may be thinking to yourself, interesting to share this with us Azita but a) way too long and b) what a weird choice of topic for a post on February 14th, the day of love. Huh? As for a) I have no defense re b) this post is related to love. You will see!

Happy Valentine’s Day & Happy Weekend!

Abgoosht |A Classic Winter time iranian Food – Served with fresh herbs, pickles & bread

Last year winter was a weakling. This year, winter is a brutish pahlavan! When it is bitter cold out there, nothing beats coming home to the aroma and flavor of a bowl of hot and delicious abgoosht (also spelled abgusht.) Literal translation of abgoosht is “meat broth” which sounds decidedly … not that appetizing. Proving that a rose by any other name would not smell as sweet. Sorry Shakespear! Less literally, abgoosht may be translated as a hearty lamb soup with marrow, chickpeas and white beans —  a wintertime staple across every corner of Iran.

My beloved Kermanshahi paternal grandmother, Shah Bibi (khoda biyamorz, RIP) made my favorite kind, where the color of the broth was almost red. Shah Bibi used a good bit of ghoreh (sour grapes) – my father reminds me – and she topped it with a generous heap of freshly sauteed dried mint so that the whole house turned mouth-wateringly fragrant – I vividly recall myself. One of the best smells you can possibly imagine!

Abgoosht is an informal dish with a customized ritual of eating. One custom is to take a piece of bread, tear it into many small pieces, and drop it in the broth. This is called “noon terid kardan.” My mom cleverly points out this is somewhat reminiscent of using crackers or croutons with soup. So yes – think of it as insta-cracker-croutons — just ancient Persian style!

The other custom is to make goosht ‘eh kubideh (which literally means “mashed meat”) by removing (using a slotted spoon) all the solid bits (the beans, potatoes and meat) of the broth, mashing it all up to a mashed-potato type consistency, seasoning it with salt and pepper to taste, serving it seapartely alongside with the broth, and gobbling it up with bread and torshi (Persian pickles.) Noosheh jan! In my humble opinion, perhaps the best part of eating abgoosht is the goosht kubideh. I could rant and rave, but until you try and taste it for yourself, you’ll have no earthly idea of just how good it is. So. Good. However, a cook must decide which part of abghoost she wants to shine more brightly. If favoring the broth, the cooking time should be longer to release the flavors of the ingredients, which in turn means the goosht kubideh part won’t be as rich and tasty. If opting for the tastiest possible goosht kubideh, however, the cooking time should be shorter so that the meat, chickpeas and beans retain their flavor.

It is not Sophie’s Choice – but it is a choice that a cook must consider when making abgoosht.

Abgoosh with plate of fresh herbs (sabzi khordan) bread and torshi (Persian pickles)

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing via email Ostad Najaf Daryabandari, the researcher and author of an invaluable 2 volume encyclopedic Persian cookbook. Among other things, I posed the following questions to Mr. Daryabanari: 1) What would you consider the masterpiece of Iranian food? 2) What is your favorite Iranian food? 3) If it were possible to only share one Iranian dish with the rest of the world, which would you pick? And to each question, Mr. Daryanbandari’s answer was … wait for it … abgoosht!

Which initially, I confess, perplexed me. After all, we have such show-stopping stunners as jeweled rice, or fesenjoon (pomegranate & walnut Persian stew) in our cuisine. Surely more deserving of the spotlight and admiration. But admittedly, while not at all glamorous, abgoosht has a plain yet profound goodness about it. It is a dish that delivers — solidly, pleasingly, without airs, yet with abundant flavors, sweet fragrance, texture and it is filling and nutritious.

My mom points out to me that when meat is cooked with its bones and donbeh (fat) such as it is traditionally meant to be when preparing an authentic Iranian abghoosht, it releases all its nutrients and good fat. “Good calories!” My mom notes. She further points out that abghoost is a bidardesar recipe (hassle free, easy peazy, made in a dizi) that could be made in one pot, simmering slowly, so that even in the busiest of households, they could start one, leave it on the stove, and get on with other things. An economical way as well for even the poorest of households to make sure that each family member got the nutrients and flavor of even a small piece of meat. No less important historical a figure than Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna) observed that abgoosht is a balanced and important type of Iranian food that could even be eaten daily. So in sum: a convenient food, full of nutrients, economical, and one specifically singled out as special by at least two important figures in the culture of Iran. You couldn’t ask for better P.R.!

The recipe I’m sharing is of a basic abgoosht my mother makes. Picking up after my lovely paternal grandmother, Shah Bibi (khoda biyamorz, RIP) my mom also uses lemon juice (or abeh ghoreh if she can find it) for the broth; and plenty of sauted dried mint as a garnish. The room fills with a heavenly scent, stomachs grumble with happy anticipation, and one, if one is mindful that is, says shokreh khoda (“thank you God”) with each lovely bountiful spoonful.

yummy yummy & nutritious abgoosht | Classic Iranian food

• 1 lb lamb shoulder with bones
• 3/4 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 cup white beans (we used fagioli Cannellini)
• 2 medium-sized potatoes (peeled, then halved or quartered)
• 2 black limes – aka black limes or as limoo amani (or substitute the juice of 1-2 lemons instead)
• a few cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion (peeled and quartered)
• 1 tablespoon white rice (just a little – to add some starch to the broth)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste – dissolved in a bit of hot water
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (or a bit more, to taste)
• dried mint for final garnish 1 tablespoon
• 2-3 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Soak lamb in cold water and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for 15 minutes. (Helps remove that particular lamb odor.) Drain. Pat dry. Trim the meat but do not rid it of its layers of fat (donbeh) – which are quite desirable to use in abgoosht, adding depth of flavor. Chop meat into a few pieces.
2. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the beans and chickpeas, add hot water to cover. Soak for 10-15 minutes. Drain.
3. In a big pot, bring meat, garlic cloves and 6 cups of cold water to a rapid boil. Boil for a few minutes – skimming foam in the process. Add rice, onion, turmeric, bay leaves, chickpeas, and beans (basically everything except for the potatoes and tomato paste and lemon juice), and bring to a gentle boil again. Lower heat, cover lid, and cook slowly until cooked. (Usually around 1 1/2 – 2  hours.)
4. Half an hour prior to the meet being fully cooked, add the potatoes.
5. 15 minutes before it being done, add the tomato paste and lemon juice (if you were not using the dried limes, OR, in addition to the dried limes.)
6. Once done, check seasoning and adjust to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if desired.
7. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet till sizzling. Crumble dried mint between palms and sautee in oil for just one minute, stirring it frequently. (No longer than a minute because it can easily burn.)
8. Serve!

Notes:

• Abghoosht in its authentic traditional way was cooked in something called dizi sofali (clay pots which enhanced the flavor) or in cooper pots.  In modern times, we will have to make do with what is at hand.  If you’re lucky enough to have dizi pots, place a diffuser on the oven to use.
• As mentioned in the body of the post, a cook must decide whether to favor the broth or the mashed-up meat+potato+chickpeas+beans gusht koobideh mashed-up paste. If the broth, cook it very slowly on a low heat and for long enough till the ingredients have fully released all their flavors. If favoring the gusht kubideh, cook it just long enough till the ingredients are fully cooked yet still retain their flavor.

Serves 4-6

Serve hot. Transfer broth to a big bowl and top with dried mint garnish.

Generally, and as is customary with most Persian food, abghoost is offered alongside with yogurt, soft flat bread, sabzi khordan (plate of mixed fresh herbs) and torshi (Persian pickles.)  It is customary to break the bread into several pieces and drop it into the broth.

If you’d like to make and serve the gusht koobideh (not made or pictured in this recipe post but described in detail in the body of the post) use a slotted spoon to remove most of not all of the beans, chickpeas, meat and potatoes; mash it up; season with salt and pepper and serve separately. YUM!

Yummy Yummy Abgoosht

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Norooz – The Persian New Year | Collage

The Iranian New Year is called Norooz. It is pronounced as if you’re going to say “no rues” and literally means: “New Day.” Norooz starts at the precise moment when winter ends and spring begins and it is officially celebrated for two whole weeks. It’s a month away but it’ll be here before you know it. (This year: Thursday March 20th.)

Norooz is an ancient fête going back 3000 years to the beginnings of the Persian Empire, and although it has deep Zoroastrian roots, it is a secular national holiday festival that brings together Iranians of all ethnicity and religious affiliations. This unifying aspect of celebrating Norooz is chief among its myriad attractive virtues.

Here’s a pictorial introduction to the preparation and festivities involved with the arrival and greeting of Norooz. Nothing too at depth. Just the basics. Norooz 101!

Khoneh Takooni | Literally: “Shaking the House” — Spring Cleaning

Shaking the house (khoneh takooni) | Illustration

Khoneh Takooni is spring cleaning on stereoids. One boldly must go where one has lazily avoided going for a year. This means washing windows, rugs, curtains, airing out the house, and scrubbing clean every conceivable item, surface, nook and cranny. It also entails making an inventory of household goods: organizing anything that needs organizing; fixing anything that needs repair; tossing out everything that is worn-out, damaged beyond use, or is simply clutter. Socks with holes? Begone. Anything messy? Organize! Necklace with a broken clasp? Fix or toss. Clutter? Donate to charity.

The idea is to greet spring and a brand new year in a state of mindful organization and purity. Combining feng shui with a purifying ritual of spring cleaning.

Solh va Safa | Literally: “Peace & Serenity” — Mending Relationships

Ashti konim baradar! | solh va saffa illustration

One of the most important parts of preparing to greet the new year is to attempt to mend any strained or troubled relationships. It is customary for family, friends and even business associates to reach out to each other around Norooz and attempt to address, remedy, and heal any tension, hurt or bad feelings. This is a time when it’s possible to persuade to reconcile those who are estranged or chagrined with each other. A happy ending is not guaranteed, but the point is to make a good faith attempt to leave all negativity behind and to start the new year with solh va safa (peace and serenity) and on as positive a note as possible.  (Correct me if I’m wrong, but this aspect of Norooz sounds similar in intent to the tradition of forgiveness of Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days of judaism.)

I think of it as spring cleaning the heart.

No’navari Kardan | Literally: “making things new”

Pretty things. Sweet things. For Norooz! | Illustration

In a very similar spirit to cleaning and organizing the house – in tune with the spring and renewal theme of the fete – the idea of no ‘navari is to start filling the house with pretty new things and delightful aromas. In the weeks leading up to norooz it is customary to fill the house with sweet-smelling and cheerful flowers such as hyacinth and daffodiles, and to start making or purchasing batches of Persian sweets for Norooz.

It is also a time one may indulge in making pleasant and necessary purchases for the household. Such as refurbishing curtains or buying new pots and pants. Things like that. Which I guess may also signify abundance and positive thinking and high hopes for the year ahead.

 Lebass ‘eh Eid | New Head-to-toe Outfit for the Persian New Year

Lebasseh No! New outfit for Norooz | collage illustration

The house, household and personal relationships are not the only things getting spick and span; a pat on the back; and a new glossy lease on life.

Every member of the household also from the baby to the granny gets a new head-to-toe outfit: everything from socks to shoes and coat and even the unmentionable undies! This is called lebasseh eid (clothes for the fête) and while they may be purchased months in advance, the items are strictly reserved to be worn for the first time only for Norooz and not a day earlier.

Did va Bazdid  | Visiting and hosting family and friends

Did va Bazdid = Visiting & being visited | Norooz Illustration

The two weeks of celebrating Norooz are spent in a dizzying round of did va bazdid (literally “visiting and returning visits”) of all of one’s extended family and friends. One also opens one’s house and in turn receives family and friends. In the Iranian culture, the elderly are treated with utmost deference and formal respect, so the protocol is that  the elders of the family sit tight and hold court and receive the younger family members who come to call on them. During these visits, best wishes and pleasantries and gifts to the children (usually crisp bills or maybe shiny gold coins) are exchanged; much sweets and tea and fruit and ajeel are consumed, chit chat takes place, and then one ups and leaves to make yet another round to another house on the list.

This is what happened when I was growing up in Iran. A new custom though I’ve heard is that people take off and run for the hills, I mean, fun holiday destinations, and dispense with this entire aspect! Whether this is good or bad, I have my personal opinion, but ultimately, change is inevitable and part of life and what is new today becomes an ancient custom in the span of the next thousand years. So that in the year 5000 it is conceivable that a blogger may wax poetic about the delightful ancient Persian custom of Iranians going on lovely family holidays for the two weeks of Norooz!

Remember the Norooz custom of purchasing a new year outfit that I mentioned earlier?  Lebass ‘eh eid is what people wear to make their did va bazdid – these ritualized rounds of visits.

Chaharshanbeh Suri | Often translated as Red Wednesday

Jumping over fire for the Persian New Year charshanbe sori | Norooz Illustration

On the last Wednesday (chaharshanbeh) of the year, every neighborhood makes a few dainty bonfires, lined up in a row. Kids and grownups alike line up and jump over the fire. While jumping, one is supposed to address the fire and chant: Your red for me and my yellow for you.(سرخی تو از من زردی من از تو)  Symbolism: releasing one’s yellow weakness into the burning fire and in turn soliciting robust vigor and energy from the flaming red fire! Again, this is what I recall but I’ve heard this tradition has morphed more into a rather boisterous display of neighborhood fireworks.

The zoroastrian roots of the charshanbeh suri tradition are fairly evident. As a kid, this was my one of my favorite, most exciting things about Norooz. I have not experienced it since we left because … well, because fire marshalls would be called if replicating chaharshanbeh suri here in the U.S! I’ve heard – if not seen with mine own eyes – tales of huge bonfires on the beach in Los Angeles aka Tehrangeles.

Haft Seen – Literally “Seven S” – the Persian New Year’s Beautiful Tableau Vivant

This is more like 5 S than 7 S! | Norooz Haft Seen Illustration

For Norooz a table is set with 7 things the names of which start with the letter “S” in Persian. (Check this earlier post for itemized listing of what’s in a haft seen spread and their symbolic significance.) This spread is called Haft Seen — literally Seven S’s – and it is the primary symbol, icon and cornerstone of the Persian New Year, much like the Christmas tree and the menorah are symbols, respectively, of Christmas and Hannukah.

I like to call Haft Seen the Persian New Year’s “still life tableau” because when all is said and done and all the 7 “S” sounding items and the other traditional items are gathered, what you have is a charming little spread that pleases the eyes and delights the soul. I LOVE everything about haft seen! From coloring eggs, to making sabzeh by sprouting seeds, to the goldfish swimming in a bowl, to the glint of gold of the coins, to the delicious sweets on the table. I will admit, however; that while I like looking at hyacinths, I find their smell overbearing. They are certainly pretty to look at though.

In every household, it is around the Haft Seen spread that the family gathers waiting for winter to end and to celebrate the moment spring begins with hugs and kisses; exchange of best wishes, and the gifting of presents to the younger members of household beings; and eating sweets to symbolize a sweet year ahead. And it is around the haft seen as wel that everyone gathers when visitors, paying their did va bazdid, arrive to offer their best wishes and respects.

It is a beautiful tradition!

Sizdah Behdar | Or “Begone 13!” – A picnic marking the end of Norooz

sizdah bedar | The sabzeh sprout is tossed away on the last day of Norooz

And finally, on the 13th day of Norooz, all good things must come to an end.

This day is called sizdah behdar and literally means “getting away from 13″, with the number 13 having the same “bad luck” rep in the Persian culture as it suffers from in the West. On this day, one is supposed to go on a picnic, somewhere scenic, ideally near a river or stream. There one is supposed to eat and play and have fun and make merry and at some point to take the sabzeh that one spent weeks coddling and coaxing into  sprouting for Norooz and take it and throw it away, ideally in the body of river.

The act of dispensing with the green sprout in this manner is supposed to symbolize ridding oneself of all bad omens and bad vibes. There is also a quaint custom that a young girl wishing to marry may tie and make knots with the blades of grass, while making a chant to be married by next year’s sizdah bedar!

The 14th day of the new year:  it’s back to normal life.  The holiday is over. Bummer! Two weeks isn’t enough?  Let me tell you, when I was a kid, two weeks was NOT enough. Not at all.

Enough, however, of a post that was meant to be a quickie and turned into a longie! I warn you that I’ll be sprinkling a lot of Norooz cheer in the coming weeks.

Spring Still Life with Norooz Haft Seen Elements & blossom

Have a beautiful and happy weekend! Think: spring!

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Is this a dream or a Persian inspired feast? | Photo by Pericle

Persian inspired Orange blossom frozen yogurt dessert by Bojana | Photo by Pericle

A Persian Dinner Party of Dreams … except that it was real!
What follows are a series of images and narrative account of what appears to be a transcendental Persian dinner party of dreams … except that it was real! I did not attend this party (oh cruel destiny) but was made privy to it by Bojana, an intriguing woman I became acquainted with at a party in Brooklyn, who had hosted this gorgeous dinner and made the beautiful Persian-inspired orange blossom frozen yogurt dessert (see photo above and the recipe below.) I beseeched to document the dinner party and Bojana and her partners in artful decadence agreed and sent the pix and the story. What ensues is a beautiful visual and culinary feast we can vicariously enjoy. Before getting on with it though, let’s meet our tasteful, gracious hosts:

Bojana, who hosted the dinner and made the Persian inspired gorgeous dessert (the featured recipe) is an architect by day, baker by night. She loves nothing more than having an excuse for a house full of people eating, drinking and celebrating the simple pleasures in life. (Let me just say that if I had a genie granting three wishes, I would happily use one to attend a dinner party of hers.)

Shukri wrote the copy that follows – narrating the story of how the dinner party came to be and poetically detailing the dishes, several of which he made himself: rice; Medjool dates stuffed with walntus and Roguefort; and doogh, a most excellent and unique salted yogurt drink. Shukri was born in Kurdistan and has lived in Brooklyn for many years. When he’s not working, he either fiddles with bicycles or cameras, or he rides his bicycle, sometimes with a camera. If he’s forced to ride the subway because of endless winters, he likes to take his sketchbook on the train.

Pericle took all the photographs featured in this post. Pericle is an architect and amateur photographer. Amateur is defined as a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. The root of the word being the latin amātor (lover) equivalent to amā-  (stem of amāre) which is: to love. Words are not required to explain that the love shines through the stunningly beautiful photographs.

 OK, then, now that we’ve met our hosts (so to speak) let’s  proceed to get intoxicated in the heady delight of an ample amount of sensual gorgeousness!

Fresh herb platter with feta cheese & walnuts. Served with bread.

The Story of the Persian Themed Dinner Party – written by Shukri:

While waiting for my friend to dine and catch up at the wonderful Cafe Nadery in Greenwich Village, I happened upon a copy of The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafiat in their little library. Noticing they had two copies, I convinced the manager to sell me one. Upon arrival, my baker friend extraordinaire Bojana, immediately volunteered a Persian themed potluck dinner at her place. The date was set and guests were asked to contribute a dish inspired by the Persian cuisine.

Having grown up in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, the ingredients in the book’s recepies were somewhat familiar to me. As the Persian Empire once stretched from Libya to India, Kurdish cuisine shares many of the same ingredients and dishes, although naturally varying from region to region.

I choose three recipes from the book:

• A fresh herb platter with feta cheese; showered with olive oil, baked seeds, and walnuts, and served and eaten with flat bread
• Homemade yogurt with fresh shredded beets and
• A potato and dill salad, served warm

Medjool dates stuffed with walnuts & Roquefort made by Shukri | Photo by Pericle

I made rice the Kurdish way, the way my mother taught me. Neither Kurdish nor Persian, Medjool dates stuffed with walnuts and Roquefort were a personal touch and therefore legitimate Hors d’oeuvre. Finally, I made the ubiquitous-in-the-Middle-East drink of salted yogurt, called Doogh in Farsi, Dao in Kurdish, and Ayran in Turkish. This too I made the way I knew.

Doogh – a most refreshing & unique salted yogurt drink

Although rigidly themed as you can tell, some guests proved unruly and insubordinate.

One guest had misheard the invitation and instead of Persian inspired dishes, he made two Syrian salads. Another guest baked a Dorada fish Mediterranean style.The venison, hunted by a personal friend, was entrusted to a guest who had never before tasted game. With a self described cookbook of intuition and feeling, the honorable deer was roasted to perfection.

Game Venison roasted to Perfection with intuition and feeling | Photo: Pericles

Dorado Fish – Baked Mediterranean Style | Photo: Pericles

And while spirits are not (publicly) part of an Iranian meal, the assembled Diaspora enjoyed the homemade Romanian pear and apricot brandy procured by our friend Pericle, whose beautifully ethereal photographs communicate the atmosphere of our dinner.

For desert, our gracious hostess and recently anointed architect of deliciousness, thought up a delicately layered Persian inspired Orange blossom frozen yogurt.

Let’s look at Bojana’s gorgeous dessert again! Love Shurki’s poetic description of it | Photo by Pericle

The ensemble looked like a mountain, snowcapped with a sweet nest of halva, where two lovers (pistachios) are surrounded by a field of red roses (pomegranate seeds). Our photo shows one pistachio on the peak and one in the crevasse, but so it goes. Moans and groans were heard (for either pistachio) upon the tasting of the first spoonful.

A truly amazing dessert, A worthy ending for the best of Persian feasts.

Here’s Bojana’s recipe and instructions, in her own words:

“I set out to create a desert that was easy and quick to make, subtle in flavor and very light. Knowing that Shukri’s dinner will be bountiful, I wanted our guests to have a palate cleanser at the end of the meal, that has a tart punch and clean finish.”

Persian (inspired) frozen Orange Blossom Frozen Yogurt

• Plain tart yogurt (yogurtland) or for homemade (Ronnybrook)
• Orange blossom water
• Shelled unsalted pistachios
• Freshly cleaned ripe pomegranate
• Shredded Halva

You can make frozen yogurt using your own home-made yogurt. I use Ronnybrook plain full fat yoghurt as a starter and whole milk. Follow any low sugar content frozen yogurt recipe, using an ice cream machine or; You can cheat; I found that plain tart flavor of Yogurtland yogurt is very close to the real thing. It will not be as full body tasting, as they are fat free, but it’s a great alternative.

Bring yogurt to soft serve temperature. Add Orange blossom water and mix in by hand with a silicone spatula. To a 1/2 gallon of yogurt you only need to use a capful of the orange blossom water. Add more to taste, but carefully, the flavor can quickly overpower.

Scoop nicely in a serving dish, sprinkle with pistachios, pomegranate arils and form peaks with your fingers atop of the yogurt with Shredded Halva.

Ta-da! The desert is done. Serve with that sound and smile.

Delighted Guests at a delightful dinner party

Feasting is sometimes a somber business!

It takes many hands to prepare and enjoy a Persian inspired feast

Simply lovely! Thank you Shukri jan, Pericle jan and Bojana jan for a very special feast of a guest post!

” Isfahan Nesfeh Jahan” | The main square in Isfahan, Iran

Kayaking in Iran | The river in Isfahan

You can take a girl out of Iran but … you can’t take Iran out of the girl.

After 35 years I’m returning for a visit to Iran. The country where I was born; where my grandparents are laid to rest; where I’ve left my heart since the very moment I was away.

I’m leaving NY in less than two weeks, arriving in Tehran just before Norooz, the Iranian new year. I’m excited to be back at such a special and festive time. I can’t wait to set foot on the soil of Tehran; I can’t wait to peek at the snowy peaks of Damavand mountain; I can’t wait to take a bite out of noneh sangak; and I can’t wait to see family, and old and new friends.

There are so many things I want to do and see and smell and taste and experience and feel. I want to travel a bit to a few cities — the fabled ones and also some that are a bit off the beaten path. I want to go and have a good cry at the graves of my grandparents. I want to see the children of those who where children when I left. I want to jump over a chanshanbeh suri bonfire and tell the fire: your red is mine, my yellow is yours. I want to see everyone’s sofreh ye haft seen. I want to go for a sizdah bedar Persian picnic by a stream. I want to see a shopkeeper’s rows of Norooz goldfish swimming in bowls, I want to feast my eyes on the sight of all the spring flowers and shirini, I want to live dangerously and eat a roasted corn dipped in salty water off a side cart; I want to go skiing in Dizin. I want to talk to people, go to the parks, take the metro, go mountain climbing, go to the coffee shops, go to all the museums, check out the art galleries in Tehran, and go to the holy shrines. I want to eat chaghaleh badoom and gojeh sabz, I want to taste the sour-cherry lavashak, I want to sit on a good Persian rug and take dainty sips from a hot estakan ‘eh chai with yek habeh ghand. I want to go to a public bath and get a good dal ‘luck rubdown. I do! And if circumstances permit, I want to climb a mulberry tree and eat mulberries, white and red, as many as I can grab off the branches, to my heart’s content. I want to say hello hello hello because I never ever wanted to say goodbye.

Of course, I’m also already homesick for this home right here, too. The quandary of hyphenated people. I’ll miss my family, friends, neighborhood, neighbors, and my beloved Brooklyn. And I already miss all of you! I’m thankful to be able to share this with you.

It will be an emotional journey, a sentimental journey, and God willing, an epic, adventurous and wonderful journey. I’ve already drawn buckets of feelings from the deepest wells in my being and I’ve shed cleansing tears of a mixture of joy and nostalgia and all sorts of smorgasbord of emotions when I made the decision to embark on this trip; when I bought my ticket; and whenever I manage to sit quietly and contemplate the by now inevitable fact that in less than 14 days I’ll be stepping on the soil of a place that sometimes feels like it was only the landscape of a dream. I’d be lying if I said I don’t have the butterflies as well. Because I do. I do.

But ultimately, this is a journey that I’m driven with every fiber of my being to make. It’s love. You see. It’s love. And I’ve been away for far too long.

Tehran, Iran

All the beautiful photos taken by and courtesy of my wonderful uncle John Thompson.

“Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure.” Abraham Lincoln – September 30, 1859 – Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society

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Grow green! No soil required. Just seeds!

If haft seen is the cornerstone of Norooz (the Iranian new year) then sabzeh – the green sprouts and blades of grass coaxed out of lentil, wheat or other seeds – is the cornerstone of haft seen.

I am partial to this pretty tradition of growing sabzeh – it is such an innocent yet profoundly charming thrill. Alas, no partaking in the charm of growing sabzeh for yours truly this year though, as I’m shortly off to have my excellent adventure in Iran.

But if you want to grow your green sprouts for Norooz or Easter or perhaps in honor of Earth Day, fear not fret not, I have 2 archive posts — each a detailed and complete step by step tutorial pictorial guide of how to grow your own sabzeh (wheat grass or lentil grass) without soil. So tiptoe over and check them out:

1) How to Grow Sabzeh for Norooz (or Easter or Earth Day) (2013)

2) DIY Guide for Growing Green for Norooz or Earth Day (2012)

It’s easy! Mostly requiring water, sunshine, and a shiny and patient disposition.

Mind you, to grow sabzeh in time for Norooz (which is March 20th – or check out this site for the Norooz countdown) you should get started no later than this weekend, by March 9th at the latest, as it generally takes 10-11 days from the time you get started till you have a nicely grown tiny field of green sprouts.

Go to it and profit and pleasure from producing delightful blades of sprouting grass! With the tacit blessings of both President Lincoln and the ancient Persians.

Happy growing!

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At one point, I dreamed about driving from Europe to Iran! I’m taking the plane though!

“Where are you going? To Ghandahar?” — delivered in an incredulous tone armed with a figuratively raised eyebrow — is how an Iranian person might address someone who makes a fuss or takes a lot of things with them when going somewhere or on a trip.  I guess back when this phrase of speech started, Ghandahar was the furthest reaches of the earth one’s mind could comprehend. I’m not taking a lot of things with me, and I’m trying not to make a fuss, and I’m certainly not going to Ghandahar, but I am going to Iran. Finally. After 35 years. Well, you already knew that. All told, I will be gone for two months, give or take … approximately … more or less. That sounds like a long time and maybe it will be too long and it’ll drag and maybe it’ll be entirely too brief. Time will tell!

I don’t have any children, so you’d think it’d be oh-so-easy for me to pick up and take off, but, ah … the blog. THE BLOG!

Let me tell you, having a blog is a little bit like having a pet. (Although sometimes I think of my blog as a HUNGRY monster that must be fed again and again and again. But right away, I take it back and say, no no no, oh sweet little blog of mine, you are NOT a monster, you are my moosh ‘eh koochooloo sweet pet.)

You can’t leave your monster, I mean your sweet pet, without food and water and companionship. That’s why I have a few posts I’ve written ahead of time that are scheduled to publish while I’m away. So keep your eyes peeled for those. Further, I’m delighted to say that I have a few interesting and downright fantastic guest blog posts for you as well — thanks to some kind, gracious and entirely adorable blogger and civilian friends. True treats in store for you! I promise. You’ll see! So I hope you’ll continue to come and keep my pet blog company while I’m away so it won’t get lonesome. OK?

I’m not a monster. I’m a pet. I’ll get sad & lonesome if you don’t visit me often.

And keep in touch with me too so I won’t get lonesome either! I don’t know how actively I’ll have Internet access or, more accurately, how often I’ll have the time or opportunity or desire to get online. I mean, odds are, I’ll be stuffing my face with something delicious instead. But, whenever possible, I’d love to share some Norooz festivities and fun highlights of my travel with you.

I’ll probably keep in touch mostly via Facebook. So, can we please be friends? I’m leaving on the 11th of March, so do “friend” me beforehand. You do want to be friends, don’t you? You might also find me on Twitter and Instagram. If we’re not following each other yet, let’s fix that. Find me so I can follow you back.

I’ll miss reading your blogs and keeping up with your doings but I hope to take a good week off when I return to just chillax and catch up with most if not all of your shenanigans. Meanwhile, if there’s any recipe or foodie type of questions that you have, definitely let me know in the comments or send me an email and I’ll do my best to look it up for you.

Before I sign off, this tantalizing specimen of  cholokabab koobideh  is one of the MANY things I hope to eat:

Mouthwatering cholo kabob Koobideh | Iran

Photo of the cholo kabob koobideh sent to me by a friend who obviously wanted to torture me. Thank you Laya!

And this little village near Tehran is one of the places I hope to visit:

Taleghan Village near Tehran | Foothills of Damavand Mountain, Iran

The beautiful photo taken by and courtesy of my lovely uncle John Thompson.

Only a few days away! I can’t wait to get there, honestly! Though I wish I had at least one more week to finish and wrap up things before taking off … And it’s too bad that I’ll miss my lovely mom’s birthday (happy birthday in advance lovely mom) and I’ll sadly also miss a recital by a little adorable rascal … and I’m missing a friend’s very fun birthday party … but, I’m also arriving on the birthday of my good friend who I’m staying with, so … it’s all good. The balance of universe is restored.

I may be poking my nose around around in social media channels until I’m on the plane but as far as this blog goes, this is it, then, this is bye bye for now. Let me grab a couple of Kleenexes. I AM verklempt. Now don’t forget to either find me on twitter or to Friend me - OK?  OK! Let’s please keep in touch! Otherwise, I’ll get really sad and lonesome and I WILL cry.

This trip was for the longest time a dream and now it’s a reality. I’m excited to realize this dear ambition and I wish whatever yours is, it will come true as well. In its time. Under grace.

Happy Weekend & Happy Spring Lovely People! And Till soon!

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Conference of Birds | Collage cutout by Farideh

Today is my lovely mother’s birthday. I’m missing it because today, as we speak, I’ll either be in an airplane or else biding my time in an airport killing time while waiting for the second leg of my flight to Iran.

I’m way too old to be saying this, but: I already miss my mommy!

Lucky clovers | Collage Cutouts by Farideh

This blog got started because I wanted to preserve my mom’s wealth of culinary know-how and her beautiful taste. Aside from sharing her recipes, she deftly and effortlessly styles food and has been the stylist of some of my favorite shots in this blog –  like the one for the Koofteh Berenji (our first recipe post.) She has a good eye and has always for as long as I can remember made things – including collage cutouts. I finally put a whole bunch of her collages together in this book and then this other book and then everyone saw what was evident. My mom is just one of those natural born artists.

Twirling Dervish | Cutout Collage by Farideh

She loves telling jokes, she tells very good stories. She writes funny poems, she writes poignant ones too. Sometimes I think she has the patience of a saint. She’s just a nice person.

I am lucky to have her and I know it!

Happy Birthday Maman joon & may you celebrate many many many more! (So that I can continue to torture you! Ha ha!)

You are an amazing woman and I love you.

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All the collage cutouts by Farideh Hooshiar (aka my mom!)

Till soon mes amies!

Norooz goldfish, cigar box, color pencils | Scenes from Iranian New Year 2012

This post written earlier and scheduled to publish while I’m off on my excellent adventure to Iran.

Hi everyone! A bunch of us Persian food bloggers (there’s a whole host of us out there apparently) gathered together under the tutelage of our fearless leader My Persian Kitchen to offer you a Norooz linkup roundup bonanza. The links to all these amazing Persian food bloggers and cookbook writers is below. (We may each spell Norooz differently, but ultimately we’re paying homage to the “New Day” Iranian New Year, born at the birth of spring, and replete with myriad pretty traditions.)

I’m packing and preparing for my trip as I write this post. Since time is of the essence, I hope you’ll accept and enjoy this pictorial roundup offering of some Norooz-themed vignettes, DIY, traditions and of course food! Infused with the colors, optimism and the beautiful promise of that most charming of seasons: spring!

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Spring is a pretty baby!

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” Rainer Maria Rilke

Well, it’s not spring yet but it will be soon. Soon! Let’s plant seeds!

3 sabzeh amigos & a pretty goldfish

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If you are celebrating Norooz or Easter, don’t forget to grow some sabzeh – sprout some lentil and wheat grass. It’s easy, here’s a DIY guide to growing sabzeh. Just make sure you do a better job than I did with that dude to the right. Poor chap, that is quite a scraggly head of hair. He needs some grass plugs!

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A wheatgrass sabzeh that has seen better days!

Speaking of scraggly hairdos, here’s a sabzeh that is definitely ready for 13 bedar and its journey down a stream!

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Eggs colored with homemade dyes per Martha Stewart’s edict

Do you want to color eggs for Norooz or Easter? It’s a symbol of fertility, birth and renewal and it’s fun. You totally should!

Here’s a step by step DIY guide to coloring eggs with natural homemade dye made following the instructions of the doyenne of good and laborious taste: my beloved Martha Stewart. (If you’re going to try just one homemade dye, cabbage offers the prettiest family palette of hues. I love the cabbage dye for eggs. Love it! Try it!)

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Khoresht ‘eh fessenjan for Norooz

Whether you are of Iranian persuasion or not, let’s face it, it’s always a good time for fessenjoon – the yummy Persian pomegranate and walnut stew. Fessenjoon: akh joon!

Festive Persian Rice with saffron, barberries, almond, glazed orange

And while you are at it, you may want to take a Persian rice from plain to Pawabunga and make a rice dish that is a pretty spectacle fit for any festive feast.

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Warrior Tut! Alone. Brave. Delicious!

Why not mix ground almonds, cardamom, confectioners sugar and rosewater formed into the shape of a mulberry (or even a Rubenesque pear like the divinely talented El Oso Con Batos did) bathed in a bed of granulated sugar and crowned with a pistachio stem? This marvel is tut and it is a confection that is tout delicious and cute. Pop pop pop into your mouth it goes. Recipe here!

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This is more like 5 S than 7 S! | Norooz Haft Seen Illustration

And if you’re still wondering what’s up with haft seen and what do those seven S’s mean, do check out this illustrated Guide to what’s in Haft Seen and the symbolism behind this tableau vivant.

There is an Iranian custom that a traveler must bring back a present for each and every member of family and extended relatives. That present is called a soghati. I definitely hope to bring soghati for all of you. Sharing some of the highlights of my journey to Iran.  Meanwhile, let’s feast our eyes upon a token of the promise of spring’s beautiful soghati - arriving soon at our doorsteps.

pretty spring blossoms found in Brooklyn | circa last year

Now let’s go and check out these awesome Persian food bloggers and taste the wonderful Norooz palooza treats they have in store for you.

Ahu Eats: Norouz 2014 Recipe: Toot – Persian Mulberry Marzipan Candy 
Café Leilee:  Northern-Iranian Style Herb Stuffed Fish
Fae’s Twist & Tango: Naw-Rúz, A New Year Recipe Round-up!
Family Spice:  Norouz Twist on Kookoo Sabzi (Persian Herb Quiche with Chard and Kale)
Lucid Food:  Persian Raisin and Saffron Cookies for Norooz
My Persian Kitchen:  Naan Gerdooee ~ Persian Walnut Cookie 
Simi’s Kitchen: New Blog for Nowruz!
Spice Spoon: Noon Berenj – Thumbprint Rice Flour Cookies with Saffron & Rosewater for Persian Nowruz
The Pomegranate Diaries:  Nowruz Inspired Pistachio, Rosewater and Cardamom Shortbread Cookies 
Turmeric & Saffron:  Loze Nargil – Persian Coconut Sweets with Rosewater and Pistachios for Nowruz
West of Persia: Happy Nowruz, Recipe Roundup, and a Classic: Kuku Sabzi on TV
Zozo Baking: Nane Nokhodchi for Nowruz

To those of us celebrating the Persian new year: Norooz ‘etoon Pirooz!

To all of us on the planet (save for our down-under friends): Happy Spring!

And to our Oz and Kiwi friends: Happy Autumn! (A most poetic season.)

Basically: Happy, happy, happy!

Maria’s Glorious koloocheh atop Maria’s Great Grandmom’s carpet

The Perfect Persian Koloocheh – A Guest post by Maria Dernikos

Koloocheh is a Persian treat baked and eaten at celebrations.  These beautiful round golden discs are fashioned with a decoration of indented circles pressed into the dough. Baked with yeast, milk, butter, yogurt and eggs it has a rich dough but inside lies a rich seam of walnuts mixed with sugar and cinnamon.  As they bake in the oven the whole kitchen is immersed in a cloud of cinnamon perfume.  As they cook the smell creates a real feel good factor and a sense of something promising.

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Until recently I had never heard of Koloocheh nor ever tasted them.  The Fig and Quince kitchen asked if I would like to write something.  I know that Azita and her family are preparing for the Persian New Year and I wanted to bring something that would honour that occasion.  As I like to bake I thought the natural thing would be to produce a sweet of some sort and there starts my journey of learning about Persian food.  One of the things I have learnt is that recipes are handed down and that a Koloocheh recipe alters depending on where you live in Iran.  Scattering poppy seeds on the top being one example of this.

This recipe is not one that has been handed down, it is an amalgamation of all those recipes, which I hope will give everyone a piece of the Koloocheh they know and love. So forgive me if it is not exactly as you know it. On the poppy seed issue I have scattered a few on some of them!

I have made the Koloocheh in both a gas oven and an electric fan oven and there is no difference to how they cook.

As this is a dough recipe containing yeast, the amount of water/milk might need to be altered slightly.  A tighter dough produces a firmer Koloocheh whilst adding a little more liquid will give the Koloocheh a consistency more like that of a brioche.

A delicious torn open koloocheh that’s just asking for it! | by Maria Dernikos

• 250 gms Strong white flour
• 250 gms Self raising flour
• 55 ml milk
• 55 ml natural yogurt
• 85 gms butter melted
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 egg yolk for decoration
• 70 gms caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 7 gms dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 50 ml warm water

Walnut Filling

• 25 gms Walnuts chopped fine
• 25 gms Icing sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Gas Mark 6/200C

1. Start with making the walnut filling.  In a food processor chop the nuts.  Add to this the icing sugar and cinnamon and mix well.  This will be used as the filling.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.  If salt comes into direct contact with the yeast it will kill it off.
3. In a small bowl dissolve the teaspoon or pinch of sugar into the warm water and sprinkle the dried yeast over the top.  The sugar is there to help wake the yeast up. Cover with cling film and leave for ten minutes.  The yeast will start to create small bubbles which will then create a foam top.
4. In another bowl add the melted butter, milk, yogurt and sugar and stir, lastly, adding in the 2 beaten eggs.  Make sure that the butter is not too hot when you add the eggs. Once the yeast has foamed add this as well and stir.
5. Make a well in the flour and add all the wet ingredients.  Slowly stir bringing the flour in little by little until it is all encompassed.  At this point I use a mixer with a dough hook and knead for about 6 minutes.  The dough needs to be silky and elastic.
6. Lightly oil a clean bowl and place the dough in it.  Cover with a teacloth or some clingfilm and allow to rise in a warm place.  This should take about 1-2 hours.  Don’t worry that it hasn’t risen as quickly as you would like.  The slower it rises the better the flavour.
7. When the dough has risen to double in size, remove it from the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead it again for a few minutes. At this point turn the oven on.
8. Taking a small tangerine size piece of dough lightly roll it in your hands to form a ball and then with a rolling pin flatten it.  Hold the dough in one hand and with the other, spoon a heaped teaspoon of the walnut mixture into the centre, bring the sides up and pinch them together, you will find the dough is quite elastic and will bond very easily.  Turn upside down with the join underneath and roll again into a largish disc.
9. In Iran a large brass stamp is used but as I have no chance of getting my hands on one of these I had to improvise by using two icing nozzles. One of the secrets I learnt is to press down quite hard otherwise the impressions you make will bake themselves out as the dough rises.
10. Place onto a baking sheet and repeat until the dough is all used up.  There should be around 11-12 Koloochehs but you might find you have made fewer.  It doesn’t really matter.
11. Taking the egg yolk beat it a little and use it to brush the Koloocheh making sure to cover the edges.  One yolk will just cover 12 Koloochehs so don’t go mad with the first few.  You can always go back and re-brush them.
12. Place in the top half of the oven and leave for 15-20mins.  At around the 12 minute mark, I have opened the oven a fraction to check that they are cooking evenly, if not turn them around.  They are ready when they have a beautiful golden brown colour.  Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool to handling temperature and then eat.

Note: In my research I have also read that a dish of water can be put in the bottom of the oven to create a crisper crust. I have not done this as I like the way they are.

As with all homemade breads that do not contain preservatives these do not last long. After 48 hours they begin to go stale.  Once cool place into an airtight container.  I have made several batches of these and could not eat all of them straight away but found sliced in half they made the most wonderful toast.

Eat it. Enjoy it. And as they say in Greece:  καλή όρεξη – Kali orexi!

♥

To give you guys an insight into the meticulous pains Maria took in creating this recipe I have to include an excerpt from one of our correspondences:

“I like to repeat my recipes until I think I have covered everything.  I have been cooking for decades and in the past nothing would make me crosser than a bad recipe or something left out.  Little did I know how difficult it is to write them!  There is not an English recipe for Koloocheh with yeast.  There is a version but only with baking powder as the rising agent.  The Iraqis have something similar but not quite.  I have researched and researched and translated! “

And you guys, don’t forget to keep in touch with me while I’m away via Facebook and Twitter. or Instagram. Miss you and I’m waiving hello all the way from Iran!

Hi everyone! I made it! I’m in Tehran! Can you believe it? I still have a hard time believing it.

I am digging the snow-laden mountains and the amazing food and getting spoiled rotten by a dear friend. There’s no way I can express or detail the events, feelings, impressions, and my thoughts right now – I wish I could – but I’ve taken loads of pix and videos, and until I return to NY and have time to decompress and reflect, I’ll the photographs do (most of) the talking.

This first photo is one that I took of 3 cute and vivacious young girls who were only too happy to oblige my request to take their photograph. One of them said: "Oh! Let me first take off my ugly thick socks" and promptly did so and then the three of them posed with the skill and ease of Hollywood stars on the red carpet. Turned out they are architecture students. I loved their energy, enthusiasm and zest. Meeting them really cheered me up.

I encountered them in park ‘eh saee (Saee Park) – a most beautiful and elegant park founded in 1950 as a forest reserve by the late Dr. Sa’ee – an engineer and professor at Tehran University. This is a statute of Dr. Saee and if you look closely you’ll see he’s holding what appears to be a budding flower bulb in his hand.
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Within the park ‘eh saee there are waterfalls, brooks and ponds – and there are secluded benched lanes lined with cypress and magnolia and cedar trees. It is a romantic park and as such seems to be a romantic destination. I passed through on a cold drizzly day, even so, several benches were occupied with courting couples. I wanted to ask to photograph them, but felt weary of interrupting their tete a tete.
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The park is also frequented by many many pishi cats! Lots of them lounging or foraging, fanning out their claws to show off their prowess and lack of interest in being a photography subject, or else licking their paws as is their feline way.

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Speaking of parks, there are so very many of them! Lots and lots and lots! Many existed in my time but quite a lot of new public parks have been added since. I should add that back when I lived in Iran, we called these public spaces "parks" but now, the official lingo is reverted back to the Persian word of "boostan" which signifies the same thing.

Almost every park has a line of yellow & red colored exercise machines. Men, women and children are encouraged to use them. In some parks, women can use any of them but in some other parks I saw notices that exercising on one side was reserved for men and on another side was for women. I hope you are digging this photo I surreptitiously took of an elderly woman swinging on one of these machines as much as I did. This particular park is one a stone’s throw away from my friend’s house. Do you see the mountains?

Here’s another view of the mountains – taken near my friend’s office.

Tehran’s blessing is that it is lined by the gorgeous Alborz mountains. Tehran’s curse is that these same majestic mountains act as a natural and mighty barrier keeping the air and thus the pollution locked in. All the forestry, parks and trees thus do double duty as not just providing public hangouts but also a step in countering the problem of pollution. Everyone tells me I’m lucky I’m here at this particular time of year because just before I arrived and soon to come, the pollution was and will be so severe as to entirely obscure the view of mountains.

I was making my way from a street lined with bookstores back uphill to my friend’s place of work when I encountered this dinosaur! It is a slide – part of a children’s playground.

A very small but tidy park with benches and this fountain was adjacent to the playground. I really enjoyed encountering the dinosaur and this park. So random!

Speaking of random — here’s a photo of Cafe Lord located at khiyaban e’ Villa (Villa street) where I had coffee with a wonderful UK-based friend who by pure and awesome luck was also in Tehran at the same time.

After she left, I spend some time poring over the map of Tehran. Tehran is vast and much bigger (by leaps and bounds) since I lived here – intersected by numerous highways and sprinkled with many new neighborhoods. I’m beginning, however, to slowly begin to make sense of it.

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Now, tomorrow at approximately 8 pm local time is when winter packs up and leaves and spring begins and that exact moment – called sal’eh tahveel – marks the beginning of the two week Persian New Year festival of Norooz. So let’s conclude this totally random debut post from Tehran with some Norooz related pix.

A street florist – on Vali Asr Avenue (formerly known as Khiyaban ‘eh Pahlavi)

Sabzeh & goldfish and other haft seen accoutrements sold by one of the many vendors in the hustling bustling area of Tajrish

And let’s end with just one of the many haft seens one sees in the storefront windows, shops or in this case, the lobby of a shi shi building in Tehran.

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So! I hope to figure out the Internet connection (ahem) and my way around Tehran soon. I also hope to shake off the remnants of jet lag and start posting missives from Tehran in earnest and with more frequency.

Meanwhile, hope you enjoyed this tour of Tehran and happy spring everyone! And dear irooniha: Norooz ‘etoon Pirooz!

Hi everyone! Happy spring and Norooz Pirooz!

This cute and disarmingly gregarious boy is Elliah. (I met and got to talk to him at a hustling bustling market pulsing to the beat of frenzied shopping for sabzeh, goldfish, fruits and flowers and such accoutrements of greeting the Persian New Year – just hours before spring and Norooz were to sprung.) He is 10 years old and he was shopping for a goldfish and in the course of our convo he informed me that he has his own radio show! Too bad he wasn’t carrying his business cards or else I would have tracked him down for an extended interview! Elliah is holding a colored egg – one of the traditional items placed in the Iranian New Year’s Haft Seen spread.

Just in case you still don’t know what a haft seen (the Iranian New Year’s "tableau vivant" as I like to call it) is exactly, here are some real life honest to goodness examples of it.
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My friend’s haft seen at home

My friend’s haftseen at her office

The haftseen at my dayee and zan dayee (uncle and his wife)

And finally, a pretty haft seen at one of the houses we went for did va bazdid (the tradition of paying a visit to friends and family during Norooz) with my uncle and his wife.

I wish I could post and write a lot more but I have to rush off to get ready for the ardous task of going over for a festive and certain to be delicious lunch at a relative’s. Don’t you feel tremendously sorry for me? Ha ha. I have been merrily eating my way in Tehran and I promise a post entirely devoted to at least some of the many amazing things I’ve had to eat so far. Soon! But until then let’s end with this shot of some Persian cookies traditionally served at Norooz that were handmade by my friend’s friend.

Aren’t they something? Clockwise from left: nooneh nokhodchi, shirini bernji and the one at the bottom is a cookie with topped with handmade jam.

And on that teasing note, untll soon!

Hi everyone! As part of the continuing series of guest posts scheduled while I’m off on my excellent adventures in Iran, this post is by the lovely, artistic and witty Angie of the Novice Gardener. Angie does everything beautifully – cooking, gardening, baking, writing, blogging, guest blogging — with an offhanded and effortless enchantment and a vibrant sense of infectious excitement. She also throws awesome and rowdy Fiesta Friday Parties. (If you are a food blogger, you should RSVP a resounding yes to the next one!) And in the same vein of just being an awesome person, she generously insisted on creating a Persian inspired recipe specifically for Fig & Quince! How did I get so lucky? I’m stunned by the beauty of these treats she’s made and beyond touched by the beautiful gesture of her friendship. Now let’s go and nibble daintily this charming and delicious morsel and treat!

♥

Persian Big Apple Treats | by the divine Angie of The Novice Gardener

She’s a little bit Iran, she’s a little bit NY. That’s Azita, Iranian born, Brooklyn bred. By the time you read this, she will already be in Iran, fulfilling a life-long dream of traveling back to a place where it all began for her. Good grief, that sounds too serious, but anybody who reads her blog knows that Iran runs deep in her veins. My thought on hearing the news was very much like how I felt when a close friend found her dream job in a far-away place. I was excited and happy for her, yet sad that I wouldn’t be able to see or talk to her anytime I wanted to. Thankfully, with the internet and Skype, the distance was made shorter. I expect the same will be the case with Azita. I expect that she will stay in touch and keep us abreast with all the merriment she’ll be having. I have a feeling she’ll have the time of her life.

She is saying she’ll be staying for about 2 months, give or take, more or less, approximately. Is there a catch? I’m thinking there’s a chance she might like to extend her stay. I’m thinking that 2 months can possibly stretch into 3, maybe 4. I’m thinking there’s a likelihood that she will forget about us. I’m thinking there is a need to remind her that there are people waiting for her here, in her other home.

And I’m thinking we need to send her off in style. So, I’m sending her off with these special treats that doubly serves as a reminder. I call them the Persian Big Apple Treats. It’s a little bit Iran, it’s a little bit NY, just like Azita. Persian because of the saffron and pistachios and rose water and NY because of the apples.

Apple pastry with pistachios, saffron and rosewater. YUM!

And I’m thinking let’s not say good-bye, let’s say instead, au revoir. Au revoir, Azita! Until we meet again!

Persian Big Apple Treats 
(Made specifically for Azita) | [Editor's Note: What a touching honor! How lucky am I!]

• 2 apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar (or more, if you prefer sweeter)
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• A generous pinch of saffron threads
• 2 tsp. rose water
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 sheet (9 x 9 inch) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1. In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the apples until they are cooked but not mushy.
2. Mix the sugar with the flour and cardamom. Sprinkle over apples and stir to mix thoroughly.
3. Add saffron threads and rose water and continue to cook until sauce is thickened.
4. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry with a pin to make it thinner (about 12 x 12 inches)
5. Cut pastry into 3 x 3 inch squares. You will get 16 squares.
6. Fit the squares into mini muffin pan, pleating the corners so they will form a cup. You can clip the corners for a more rounded shape.
7. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, just until pastry is cooked but not brown. If centers of “cups” puff up, just push them down with a small spoon.
8. Fill each cup with 1 or 2 teaspoons of apple filling, sprinkle top with chopped pistachios and return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

♥

Thank you Angie joon for graciously allowing me to post one of your beautiful recipes!

And you guys, don’t forget to keep in touch with me while I’m away via Facebook and Twitter. or Instagram. Miss you and I’m waiving hello all the way from Iran!

The other day I met my friend Maryam at a cute cafe right around Tajrish Square (meidaneh Tajrish) which is a neighborhood in the far north of Tehranat the foothills of the Alborz mountains.

We had coffee and plotted our potential adventures …

,,, and Maryam charted our expedition options!

There were people hanging out outside the cafe, but inside, we had the place entirely to ourselves. Maryam told me this was only due to the Norooz (Persian New Year) holiday flux and that ordinarily there is a long line of thirsty Tehranis in a line spilling out into the street with no place to sit and hangout.

This lovely Iranian barista, whose name is Raha, confirmed that the cafe is ordinarily hopping and so busy that they have a 20 minute maximum hanging out/lingering policy.

As we took our leave, I snapped a few pix for your entertainment and amusement. Re the menu: I’m assuming the “cocktails” are virgin ones as alcohol is not permitted in Iran. People do imbibe. But not officially. Cough cough.

We then gingerly strolled to and through the old bazaar of Tajrish where you can find practically everything.

From fresh unripe dates called Kharak …

… to Konar, the fruit of the ceder tree, new to me, but apparently quite popular to eat in the southern regions of Iran, that tastes something like a combination of apples and pears …

… to dried mint and dill and other herbs used in cooking …

… to counterfeit perfume (the second one from right reads: “coco chanel”)….

… to musical instruments ..

… to a caged bird whose chirping filled the passageway of the bazaar with her song …

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After having lots of fun browsing and perusing the Tajrish bazaar, we finally ended up in a traditional tea house restaurant.

There was a baker right by the entrance rolling dough and baking fresh nooneh taftoon bread with a series of swift, expert moves that were hypnotic to behold (I took a video which I can post when I’m back in the U.S.) and there was an accordion player who was walking around playing a soulful tune. People were sitting on wooden beds covered with carpets – a traditional set up for this type of establishment — eating and drinking.

A waiter climbed the stairs carrying a huge tray laden with steaming saffron rice and plates of kabab and I pretty much drooled. Not the one pictured as I didn’t move fast enough to capture that particular scene. Speaking of tantalizing glimpses of yummy Persian food though: I know. I know. I know. It’s what most of you want and are waiting for and I am quite mean for not writing one yet. But if it’s any solace to you, I’ve been doing quite a lot of primary research and field practice by eating a lot of it. Isn’t that a solace?

So back to our story, Maryam and I went upstairs and sat on a carpeted wooden bed of our very own and drank tea. (I have nearly entirely given up coffee and turned into an avid tea drinker since arriving in Tehran.)

A nice waiter took our picture.

I kept looking around, trying to take it all in with my eyes and ears, and had a hard time wiping off my grin. It can safely be said that I was absolutely in hog heaven. Simply having a blast. I WISH I could share the feeling with you and as we say in Persian: jatoon khalli. “Your place was missing.”

Truly!

Khoda hafez until soon!

This is a lunch I had by myself at a tiny kabab and halim establishment. I got a window seat decorated with the Norooz trappings of sabzeh and goldfish and hyacinth and ordered the Kabab that came with grilled tomatoes nestled inside two generously sized, soft and stretchy layers of freshly-baked-on-the-premise taftoon bread. What a luxury! I also had yogurt – a "whole fat" one – that really hit the spot. I pretty much ate this entire meal with my fingers: tearing off pieces of bread, making a sandwich with a piece of kabab then adding a dollop of whole fat yogurt. So satisfactory. So yummy. I was very hungry and this food was very tasty and I confess I polished most of it off. You can’t say you blame me.

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Shortly after my arrival, my friends took me on a day trip to Lavassan – a mountainous region to the north and just outside of Tehran – where people go for skiing in winter, and for horseback riding and hiking and the fresh mountain air in the summer. For lunch, we had the most delicious abghusht dizi in a restaurant famed for this classic Iranian dish (but I’m saving the pix for its own separate post) and then we drove around feasting our eyes on the beauty of the road and the mountains and toured the outrageously expensive mountain top villas (we’re talking several million dollars and up) in the region. On our way back, my friends bought a big bunch of freshly picked celery from this young boy and his father – it ended up making for a tasty celery stew with enough left over to last us through numerous dinner salads and proved to be crisp, tender, and very tasty.

This is kaleh pacheh and it was my very first meal in Tehran. I arrived at the airport at 4:30 a.m. My uncle and a cousin picked me up. Dawn was breaking out as we approached the outskirts of Tehran. My uncle said: "Would you like to have kaleh pacheh for breakfast?" I enthusiastically excalimed: "Would I!" If you don’t know what kaleh pacheh is, I’m not sure I want to tell you just yet. I can tell you that it is a traditional (albeit extremely occasional) early breakfast and that it was a fun way to start my trip. We chased it down with some tea and lemon.

That same day, after taking a jet-lag nap, I woke up to be greeted by the sight of this take-out deliciousness for lunch — courtesy of my friend. And if you think this cholo kabab spread is sinful, wait till I tell you that for dinner we had jujeh kabab (grilled chicken) and rice! Yes my friends, my first day in Tehran started with Kaleh Pacheh, followed by cholo kabab, and ending with jujeh kabab. Somehow, I still fit in my jeans though. Glory be and hallejlujah!

A few days before Norooz I was invited to lunch by a very dear relative. The snapshot does not do the festive spread justice. It was fava bean rice with meat (baghali polo va gusht) served with torshi (Persian pickles) and tadig and accompanied with salad and a bowl of cucumber yogurt beautifully decorated with dried mint and crushed rose petals. Super delicious! Nearly as delicious as the company.

For the Norooz countdown and celebration I was invited to my friend’s family party. There was dancing and cheering as we did the countdown to the moment winter ended and spring began and then afterwards we sat down to a very traditional new year dinner of sabzi polo va mahi (fresh herb rice with fish.) There were 3 different types of fish served. Smoked (which is salty and is meant more as mazeh for taste instead of being a main course); a type of fish we call "white fish" which is the super traditional offering; and also a very tasty fish called "halva" which is favored by the people in the southern regions of Iran. Instead of lemons, we had halved bergamots (narenj) to press and season the fish – one of my favorite things about the meal. There was also tadig (of course!) and salad and an assortment of homemade Persian relish and pickles, including torshi ‘eh anbeh (mango relish) and piyaz torshi (small pickled onions.) A yummy way to begin the new year.

And for dessert we had bastani akbar mashdi (old fashioned Persian ice cream) with faloodeh (thin stretchy dessert noodles) – an amazingly delicious combo and an incredibly rare treat for me. We also had blood oranges and a birthday cake … and of course: tea!

Here’s my friend’s cousin preparing to serve the fresh herb rice we had for Norooz dinner. I have barely begun to scratch the surface of my lusty food tour of Iran but let’s end on this peppy note with a promise to cheerfully dole out more in the posts to come.

Khoda Hafez and happy weekend y’all!

Anaarbij | A delicious herb infused meatball stew from Gilan (Northern Iran)

Hi everyone! As part of the continuing series of guest posts scheduled while I’m off on my excellent adventures in Iran, this is a guest post, made possible by Laila – a lovely reader of this blog – and chef Hanif Sadr. Laila’s story; the story of Golestan (a full immersion Persian preschool in Berkeley); and chef Hanif Sadr’s delicious recipe for this lush meatball stew hailing from the Northern region of Iran are all fantastic – so let’s just hurry and get to those. Enjoy!

A Gilaki Dish and Golestan for Kids in Berkeley - A Guest Post by Laila:

I stumbled upon Fig and Quince while looking for cooking inspiration, and I found the holy grail… I have seriously been hooked since. (Editor’s note: Thank you!) I am a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, the first of three children of an Iranian father and an American mother, married to a Jewish Mendocino County native. Quite an eclectic mix we are!  I have been so lucky to have recently found opportunities to get in touch with my family’s culture and history, and to give my own children access to the richness and depth that comes with being Iranian.  I’m a psychotherapist/social worker by day, but lately my passions include kitchen adventures involving cilantro, cumin, and pink sprinkles, attempting to put together the intriguing puzzle that is the Persian language, and being exhausted by the dizzying delight that our little ones, Soraya and Ezra (ages 3.5 and 10 months) bring us.

The Golestan Center for Language Immersion and Cultural Education (Golestan Kids) in Berkeley, California, is a multi-classroom preschool, after school program, and resource for educators worldwide. Founded in 2007, thanks to the tireless efforts of a handful of families, Golestan has become a haven for anyone seeking connection with Iranian culture. The program is for children ages 2-5 and elementary school aged children as well, and is conducted entirely in Persian. The school day is steady and rhythmic, and includes art, science, movement, story-telling, gardening, music, outdoor play, and of course, food to tie it all together.

Soraya – the adorable 3 year old who can distinguish between parsley and cilantro!

The children participate in the cooking and preparation in whatever ways they can, and are learning to distinguish tastes and textures. They eat family style, and respect particular mealtime rituals including setting the table, the before-meal blessing, an after-meal gratitude song, waiting until all are finished to get up from the table, and clearing their own dishes after the meal. As a result, children feel excited about and involved in the process of choosing food, preparing it, and eating together.  In fact, while chopping the sabzi for the recipe below, my three-year-old daughter came and peeked over the counter, asking for a “taste of herbs, please.”  I gave her a piece of what I thought was parsley, she tasted it, made a face, and stated with confidence, “Spicy.  This is NOT parsley.  THIS is cilantro.”

The kitchen is the center, the heart, of Golestan. The chef, Hanif Sadr, takes thoughtful measures to ensure that the food that the children and staff eat represents the culture at our roots and stays true to the school’s mission flowering above us.  Hanif does all of the school’s grocery shopping by bicycle, feeding approximately 40 children and 15 staff daily. The philosophy behind the cooking at Golestan is this—fresh, unprocessed food makes for happy children and a healthy planet.  Organic and local produce and ingredients are used whenever possible.  Pasture raised, organic grass-fed meat is sourced from a farm nearby.  The only processed food is organic pasta.  Even the whole grain bread and crackers are made in-house.  The menu is chosen to reflect the children’s increasing awareness of the world around them—on Fridays, they eat foods from the country they learn about that day.

Chef Hanif Sadr

The recipe below comes from the Gilan province of Northern Iran. Gilan’s lush, humid climate allows crops such as tea, rice, citrus, and kiwi to flourish.  Parsley, cilantro, mint, and spinach are indispensable ingredients used in most all cooking.  Pomegranates, as well as the thick-skinned, sour citrus fruit Narenj, are reduced down to make tart, concentrated syrups that impart bright flavor to Gilaki dishes. Hanif is from this region and prepared this dish for the children at Golestan when they learned about Shab-e-Yalda. It was very well received by their tender taste buds!  It is generally eaten with rice—Kateh, to be precise.

Because the school has a “no nuts” policy due to allergies, Hanif replaced the walnuts with sunflower seeds. This did make the dish slightly less deep and rich, but it was still quite successful. He uses ground beef in his recipe, but chicken or turkey could be substituted easily, or the meatballs could be omitted entirely for a vegetarian version of this delicious, simple dish.

Fresh herbs for Anaarbaji – BEFore!

Fresh herbs for Anaarbaji – AFter!

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (turkey, or chicken) for meatballs

For stew:

• 1 pound walnuts
  ¼-1/2 bottle (5 oz. or so) Pomegranate molasses (or to taste)
  3 white onions
  2 cloves garlic
  ½ bunch mint
  1 bunch parsley
  2 bunches cilantro
  2-3 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
  1-2 tsp turmeric
  salt & pepper

1. Make meatballs separately in whatever method you prefer; mixing the ground meat with a grated onion, salt, pepper, and spices if you desire, and either steaming them or frying them to brown their outsides. It is not necessary to cook them completely, as they will be added to the stew to finish cooking.
2. Chop herbs coarsely and pulse, along with garlic and ½-1 onion, in food processor until finely minced.
3. Sauté minced herbs, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and sauté over medium heat until the herbs lose most of their water (5-10 minutes).  If you want to accentuate the pomegranate flavor, add 2-3 tsp of pomegranate molasses to the herbs.
4. In a food processor, puree walnuts and 2 onions. You may need to add water to make the mixture resemble a thick paste.  Move mixture to heavy bottomed saucepan, add 1-2 cups of water, salt, pepper, and 1-2 tsp turmeric, and boil for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Add meatballs and sautéed herbs to boiled walnut and onion mixture.  Add pomegranate syrup to taste, using additional lime juice if you prefer a sour stew, and/or additional pomegranate syrup if you prefer a sweet stew.
6. Add ¼-1/2 cup water if needed, and boil ingredients together for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, and watching closely to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot.

Note: If the stew is too thin, you can add ¼-1/2 cup rice flour – whisked in ½ cup boiling water – to thicken it.

Best served with rice. Nush-e-jan!

♥

Thank you Laila jan & Hanif Jan for a yummy recipe and a lovely guest post. Now I wish I were a kid in California and I could go full immersion to Golestan!

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And you guys, don’t forget to keep in touch with me while I’m away via Facebook and Twitter. or Instagram. Miss you and I’m waiving hello – as I eat a fresh out of the oven noon’eh sangak – all the way from Iran!