Cookbook Spotlight: Iranian Cuisine

Iranian Cuisine is a unique and beautiful cookbook with recipes written in both English and Persian. Author Vida Leveim was born in Teheran and Persian culture and cuisine is close to her heart. The recipes are very authentic with ingredients like rosewater, cardamom and saffron in many of the dishes. It is a great cookbook to use to experiment with a new culinary tradition especially during Purim-time when you can impress your guests with a delicious Persian Seudah!

Hake, like cod, is a white mild tasting yet versatile fish that goes well with many styles of cooking. Vida’a Hake Cutlets are deliciously crispy and the lemon juice marinade is perfect for the fish.  Adding pickled garlic as a garnish is a great addition to the flavor as well.

Although incredibly sour when eaten raw, quince is delectable stewed in this Quince Broth. You have the choice of using beef or lamb and both pair well with the quince. Although some of the ingredients might be hard to find, if you are able to find them this recipe is definitely worth a try.

Saffron is an important ingredient in Persian cooking. The first language to record the use of saffron in cooking is Old Persian, and the references go back thousands of years. Vida includes just the right amount of saffron to her Saffron Dessert, which gives the dessert a lovely yellow color.

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Halva is a sweet dessert that is served in many places in the world, including the Middle East, parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. The two main types of  halva are flour-based and nut-butter based. Vida’s Halva is flour-based and contains many traditional Persian ingredients like date syrup, rosewater, cardamom, and saffron.

To purchase Iranian Cuisine click here.