Shab-e Yalda 2013 - An Ancient Persian Celebration

On the eve of the longest night (winter solstice), family and friends gather to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness with delicious food, lively music, good conversation, and the traditional poetry reading of Hafez, the great Persian poet.

Please see the following links for previous posts on Shab-e Yalda:
Shab-e Yalda 2012
Celebrating Yalda 2010
Yalda Celebration 2009

Persian Saffron Butternut Squash Dessert and My 5 Year Blogging Anniversary

Five years ago, on a typical cold day in December, I created my little blog. The whole idea of a Persian food blog- its name and format swept over me like a Fall breeze and snowballed into a heightened sense of urgency and passion and that's when "Turmeric and Saffron" was born. I began my new blog with borani esfenaj, a favorite of mine, followed by other amazing Persian recipes such as ash

Moraba-ye Kadoo Halvaie - Persian Pumpkin Jam

I have always wanted to make مربای کدو حلوایی - pumpkin jam but for one reason or another I never got around to it. One reason was knowing that my modified version of this recipe wouldn't turn out as good as my grandmother's. I always knew that I had big shoes to fill when it came to cooking. My paternal grandmother who we called Khanoum Ahvazi (lady from Ahvaz) was known for her

Khoresh Sib o Gheysi - Persian Apple Stew with Dried Apricot

It's October and to celebrate the arrival of autumn, the most delicious season, I've decided to make خورش سیب وقیسی - Persian apple stew with dried apricots. This is a vibrant and tasty khoresh - stew that is made with beef, tart apples, tangy sweet dried apricots, lime juice and a warm flavor of cinnamon.




Fall is also the season for returning back to school, learning and gaining knowledge

Khoresh-e Loobia Sabz - Persian Green Bean Stew with Chicken

 خورش لوبیا سبز - Khoresh-e loobia sabz is a delicious stew cooked slowly in layers of sautéed onion, garlic, chicken breasts, tender green beans, spices and freshly-squeezed lime juice in a tomato sauce served over saffron rice. Green bean stew is one of my all-time favorite summer recipes and I was planning to blog about it early in the summer but I simply did not get around to it till now

Dolmeh Barg-e Kalam - Persian Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

دلمه برگ کلم - Dolmeh barg-e kalam (stuffed cabbage leaves) is a variation of the well-known and popular stuffed vegetables genre known as dolma/dolmeh in Iran as well as among neighboring countries and different regions. This recipe was a staple in our home growing up and one of my mother's personal favorites. I had heard my mother's tale many times of how one Nowruz (Persian New year) when

Bademjan Shekam-por - Persian Stuffed Eggplant

بادمجان شکم پر -Bademjan shekam-por is an open-faced fried eggplant stuffed with ground beef and vegetables simmered in a rich and tangy tomato-based sauce and topped with slivered almonds. This tasty eggplant dish is from the north-western region of Azerbaijan, Iran. I'd just like to point out that although the following words have a slightly different spelling and pronunciation, they all

Father's Day Tribute - !کیک عشق - My Version of Persian Love Cake

A few years ago when I was just starting to blog about the food of my heritage, I came across an image of "Persian Love Cake," a chiffon cake with a few pink rose petals scattered about. My first reaction was: no way, how come I've never heard of this before?! Where was I all that time growing up in Iran when everyone else was eating کیک عشق - cake-e eshgh? After my initial surprise I realized

Kookoo-ye Marchoobeh - Persian-Style Asparagus Frittata with Fresh Herbs, Walnuts and Barberries

کوکوی مارچوبه (Asparagus kookoo) recipe came about as a result of a recent trip to my local vegetable market where I noticed bundles of fresh green asparagus neatly tied and arranged on the shelves. I enjoy the taste of fresh asparagus either steamed or grilled plain with just a little bit of coarse salt. However, as I reached to pick a bundle up, it dawned on me that I had never cooked a

Gozlemeh - Fried Eggs with Garlic Yogurt Sauce - Iranian Style

گزلمه (gozlemeh/gozleme) is a regional dish of استان آذربایجان غربی (West Azerbaijan province) served throughout the capital city of ارومیه (Orumieyeh/Urmia). Gozlemeh is just a perfect recipe for a spring brunch or a light summer lunch. I came across this simple and healthy recipe long ago while going through an old Iranian cooking manual. However, I was a bit hesitant about making a dish I

My Shurka Bazaar Visit - NYC Persian Parade 2013

This past Sunday, April 14th, was the 10th annual Spring Persian Parade in the heart of New York City. The parade took place along Madison Avenue from 39th Street to 26th Street and lasted for several hours. In addition to the parade there was a bazaar along the Madison Avenue park with many vendors showcasing their products such as hand-made crafts, home furnishings, rugs, jewelry, teas and

Soup-e Jo - Persian Chicken Barley Soup

This is a healthy and delicious barley soup recipe with chicken, carrots and a good squirt of fresh lemon juice. This is the kind of recipe that I would highly recommend to college students living away from home that are tired of eating campus food and unhealthy take-outs. This soup is easy to prepare and there aren't too many ingredients. All you need is access to a working stove, a little

Haft Seen Photos - Eid-e Nowruz!

Happy Nowruz (Persian New Year) everyone and welcome to 1392 of the Iranian calendar. I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I have written about Nowruz in the past and photographed every *seen* (s) on the haft seen table. I truly enjoy setting up the haft seen table as I try to seize the moment contemplating the symbolic meaning behind each item and to take in the

Badam Sookhteh - Persian Candied Almonds

It's that time of the year again for setting up the haft-seen table with the gorgeously displayed seven S's, lush green sabzeh, colorful hyacinth bulbs, forever beautiful tulips or any other types of spring flowers, fresh fruits, ajil (trail-mix) and delicious traditional sweets. Memories of past Nowruz celebrations are precious, from shopping for new clothes, receiving eidy (money from

Dizi - Traditional Iranian Lamb Chickpea Soup

Dizi (دیزی), a popular highlight of Persian cuisine, is traditionally cooked in a small stone crock pot or a metal cooking pot. The history of abgoosht goes back hundreds of years ago when it was only made with lamb and chickpeas. However, with the introduction of the new world foods into Iranian cookery and the addition of new ingredients such as potatoes and tomatoes, this modest meat

Hana-Bandan - Iranian Henna Bridal Party

These henna designs were applied by Suhayr, a wonderful friend of my eldest daughter.

 
Recently, I had the great pleasure of helping my dear friend throw a hana bandan/bridal shower party for her beautiful daughter, Parisa. It was a fabulous evening of music, dancing and delicious food.  Hana bandan/hana bandoon is an old Iranian pre-wedding ritual dating back to several hundred years ago. 

Soup-e Morgh o Sabzijat - Maman's Feel-Good Chicken Vegetable Soup

It has been very cold and both my daughters got sick a few days ago. I thought it was time to make my mother's special pot of hearty chicken and vegetable soup to make them feel better. My mother's chicken soup varied each time depending on the severity of how sick we were growing up and the type of ingredients she had lying around in her kitchen at the time or what was seasonally available in