Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple - Najmieh Batmanglij

Completely redesigned for today's generation of cooks and food enthusiasts, this 25th Anniversary Edition provides a treasure trove of recipes, along with an immersive cultural experience for those seeking to understand this ancient and timeless cuisine. This edition is a more user-friendly edition of the award-winning and critically acclaimed cookbook series which began in 1986. The book provides 330 classical and regional Iranian recipes as well as an introduction to Persian art, history and culture. The book's hundreds of full-colour photographs are intertwined with descriptions of ancient and modern Persian ceremonies, poetry, folktales, travelogue excerpts and anecdotes. This edition is a labour of love. The book began in exile after the Iranian Revolution of 1979 as a love letter to Batmanglij's children. Today, as accomplished adults in their own fields, her two sons, Zal and Rostam, encouraged her to redesign the book for their generation. "Food of Life" propels Persian cooking into the 21st Century, even as it honours venerable traditions and centuries of artistic expression. It is the result of 30 years of collecting, testing and adapting authentic and traditional Persian recipes for the American kitchen. Most of its ingredients are readily available throughout the U.S. enabling anyone from a master chef to a novice to reproduce the refined tastes, textures, and beauty of Persian cuisine. Food-related pieces from such classics as the 10th century Book of Kings, and 1,001 Nights to the miniatures of Mir Mosavvar and Aq Mirak, from the poetry of Omar Khayyam and Sohrab Sepehri to the humour of Mulla Nasruddin are all included. Each recipe is presented with steps that are logical and easy to follow. Readers learn how to simply yet deliciously cook rice, the jewel of Persian cooking, which, when combined with a little meat, fowl, or fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs, provides the perfect balanced diet. This 25th Anniversary Edition contains 50% more pages than its 2009 predecessor and special added features: New Recipes adapted from Sixteenth-Century Persian cookbooks; Added vegetarian section for most recipes; Comprehensive dictionary of all ingredients; A glance at a few thousand years of the history of Persian Cooking; Master recipes with photographs illustrating the steps; Colour photographs of most recipes with tips on presentation; Updated section on Persian stores and Internet suppliers; Fahrenheit and Centigrade temperatures for all recipes; Choices for cooking recipes such as "kuku" in oven or on stovetop; Encourages use of seasonal and local ingredients from farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) sources or one's own backyard.75 Persian recipes made many requiring only one pot and less than an hour to cook while keeping the authentic flavors of Iran. Includes many vegan and vegetarian options. In Joon, master chef Najmieh Batmanglij distills one of the world's oldest and most influential cuisines to capture its unique flavors in recipes adapted to suit our busy lives. Najmieh's fans have been making meals from her Food of Life for more than 30 years. For Joon she has simplified 75 of her favorite dishes and shows how, with the right ingredients and a few basic tools and techniques, authentic Persian food can easily be prepared at home. The recipes in this book--each accompanied by a photograph of the finished dish--come straight from Najmieh's kitchen and include not only the classics of Persian cooking, but also some soon-to-be favorites, such as quinoa or kale cooked Persian-style. You'll discover delicious side dishes, from cooling, yogurt-based salads and tasty dips and spreads, to more sustaining platters of grains, beans and fresh herbs; tasty kukus --frittata-style omelets filled with vegetables and herbs; spice-infused fish; mouth-watering meatballs and kababs served on flat breads with tangy sauces; every kind of rice--including the incomparable polow topped with various sweet and sour braises; not to mention, delightfully aromatic cakes and cookies to round off meals or enjoy as a snack in between. Much of Iran's cuisine is essentially vegetarian. Although kababs are popular restaurant fare, they represent only a small sampling of the dishes Iranians eat at home. Persian cooking, with its emphasis on fresh, natural ingredients corresponds with the trend in eating that's spreading across America. "Join the delicious revolution!" as Alice Waters says; "Eat simply, eat together, eat seasonally, shop at farmers markets." Iran and Persia refer to the same place. These days we use "Iran" to refer to the country and "Persia" or "Persian" for the culture, from Persian carpets, and Persian cats to, Persian cooking. Persian, also called farsi, is the language of Iran. Joon means "life" in Persian. It can be used in multiple ways, from a term of endearment akin to "darling"after someone's name to showing great "I love it!" The expression nush-e joon, literally "food of life," is similar to the French "bon appétit," a wish that a meal will be enjoyed.