Najmieh Batmanglij - Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies

food of life MAGE PUBLISHERS FOOD OF LIFE ANCIENT PERSIAN AND MODERN IRANIAN COOKING AND CEREMONIES NAJMIEH BATMANGLIJ Copyright 1986, 2021 Najmieh Batmanglij Acknowledgments, Credits, and Permissions are on pages and All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher. mage publishers inc. chevy chase, md, usa Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Batmanglij, Najmieh, author. Food of life : ancient Persian and modern Iranian cooking and ceremonies / Najmieh Batmanglij. p. cm. cm.

Includes index. ISBN 978-1-933823-47-8 (fourth hardcover edition : alk. paper) Cooking, Iranian. Food habitsIran. Persian literature. I. Title. Title.

TX725.I7B3713 2011 641.5955dc22 2010042123 ISBN: 978-1-933823-47-8 (Hardcover) ISBN: 978-1-949445-13-8 (Kindle) ISBN: 978-1-949445-27-5 (ePub) Hardcover Book Printed in Korea

To the memories of my mother and father and my past in Iran and to the future of my sons, Zal and Rostam To fast and lead a frugal life Was all I ever wished. But the Food of Lifes temptation Is too muchdo not ask! Boshaq Atameh, circa 1400 Please browse. I am very excited about this new edition. After thirty years of cooking outside of Iran, and in response to the input of my readers and fellow cooks, I have refined the structure of the book in general and each recipe in particular. With this edition I have unified, streamlined, and turned some of the recipes that began as my mothers into my own. Most recipes now have a photograph of the finished dish facing them, and for some of the classics, such as saffron rice with golden crust, jeweled rice, fillet kabab or baklava, I have included step-by-step photos to guide you.

I have also included vegetarian cooking variations for many of the recipes. Here and there are some of my food memories from my childhood in Iran. Colorful spreads with information about some classic Persian ingredients such as saffron, bitter orange (narenj), and the rose are scattered through the book. There are also some street food scenes from contemporary Iran. The first edition of Food of Life appeared when my sons, Zal and Rostam, were toddlers. Now, as grown men, they have inspired me to redesign the book and make it accessible for a new generation of readers and a broader audience.

None of the recipes requires cooking techniques that are unusual or difficult to learn. To help in planning, Ive listed preparation and cooking times for each dish, indicated whether it can be made in advance, and noted how many people it will serve. These days, almost all of the ingredients in the recipes are available at your local super- marketnot the case in the 1980s. Those that might not be or that require preliminary preparations are marked with an asterisk, which indicates that they are discussed in How To Make and Store Kitchen Ingredients on page and also in A Glossary of Ingre- dients, Terms and Persian Cooking Techniques on page Please do checkeven read throughthe glossary: The entries describe the history of each ingredient and its use in Iran, and explain how to shop for it and how to prepare it. I suggest you try to find the original ingredients since they are widely available in the U.S. The guide to Iranian Stores and Restaurants on page offers a comprehensive list of shops around the country that sell specialized ingredients.

Several of them have a good Internet presence and can ship you whatever you need, wherever you are. I want you to use this book to get together, to cook, to laugh, to tell jokes and stories, and to recite poetry, just as Iranians do. Nush-e Jan! literally food of lifea traditional wish in Iran that a dish will be enjoyed. ask najmieh Follow me on Instagram: @najmieh; or visit . on using this book

CONTENTS food of life Food of Life is the result of thirty years of collecting and testing recipes and creating new techniques for cooking Persian food in the West. Its intended audience are those new to Persian food and culture, those who enjoy having creative fun in the kitchen, and gourmet cooks.Next page