As I write this, my heart is with the people in Iran, especially those on the hot southern coast, under bombs that impact their water and electricity access during extreme heat these days. Hoping for hydration and nourishment for everyone this summer.

Hot Summer/ Heatwave Meals

• Saffron Pistachio Ice cream

• Noon-Panir-Sabzi plates/ fresh Persian Breakfast for any/all meals

• Watermelon rose refresher

• Ab doogh khiar, Iranian cucumber summer soup

• Honeydew melon salad

• Watermelon and feta, with bread (noon panir hendoonde)

Watermelon Rose Refresher

Ingredients

• 1/2 small/personal watermelon

• 1/5 tbsps rosewater

• 2 tbsps honey (more if the watermelon is not sweet enough)

• 1 tbss ruhafza rose syrup (optional)

• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Scoop all the watermelon out and add to a blender. Scrape the watermelon with a spoon where the fruit meets the skin, until you reach the white part of the rind. Pour into the blender.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Chill in the fridge for an hour. Shake before pouring; ice is optional. Garnish with mint leaves or dry rose petals.

4. Keep in the fridge in an airtight bottle for up to three days.

5. Enjoy and stay hydrated!

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Abdoogh Khiar (Cold Cucumber Summer “Soup”)

Every time I grab my big blue bowl to make Abdoogh Khiar in the hot summer, I think about my dear friend Leila. When I first moved to the US, she was probably one of my only true close friends for a while. Leila and I spent hot Sacramento summers slurping up bowls of ab doogh khiar in her kitchen. The ice cubes melting over our conversations and laughter, our tummies cool and happy in the 110-degree heat. I hold these memories so tenderly. (Leila just published a book! You can get it here)

Years ago, when I first shared this recipe on the internet, I received my first-ever hate comments. A lot of people didn’t get it, and I have now decided that’s okay, because it could never stop me from making Abdoogh Khiar every summer. This nourishing “soup” is a classic for many Iranians, the nostalgic food that kept us cool in the summers. Families have their own recipes, and the fixings might differ slightly. But the combination of cucumbers, icy yogurt, walnuts, and herbs creates a refreshing summer meal that hydrates, nourishes, and cools you down.

The cold soup is often served with ice cubes and crackers to crush into it, making it full of different textures. Abdoogh khiar is so flavorful and easy to make, and definitely doesn’t require turning on the stove. It saves my life during every heatwave, and now maybe yours too. <3

Recipe:

Makes 4-6 portions

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)

• 3 large Persian Cucumbers, grated

• 1/4 cup golden raisins

• 20 oz (~2 1/2 cups) Plain Yogurt* or Plain Kefir, (2 cups if using a thick Yogurt)

• 3 cups cold water (2 cups if using Kefir)

• 2 tbsp dried mint, no stems

• 1/3 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

• 1.5 tbsps salt, more to taste

• black pepper to taste

• Dried rose petals for garnish (optional)

• Ice cubes for serving

• Crackers or crunchy toasted flatbread for serving

Notes

*Yogurt: If using a strained/thick type of yogurt, you can add more water. Taste and add salt if necessary.

*Herbs: If you don’t have access to dried mint, you can use finely chopped fresh mint as well. Some people also put other kinds of chopped herbs in Ab Doogh Khiar, like fresh dill or scallions, so you can experiment.

Directions

1. In a large bowl, add the grated cucumbers, chopped onions, dried mint, and salt them generously. Give them a mix and taste; it should be a bit salty.

2. Next, add in the raisins, chopped toasted walnuts, and black pepper. Pour in the yogurt and the water. Mix everything together really well.

3. Alternatively, you can whisk/blend the yogurt and water together separately, and then pour it into the rest of the ingredients. This is preferred especially if you are using a thicker yogurt that might need more mixing to get rid of lumpy parts.

4. It takes quite some salt; don’t be surprised. Once everything is mixed, taste for salt and adjust. It should be gently salty.

5. Ideally, once ready, allow it to chill in the fridge for an hour, up to four, for maximum refreshing-ness. This rest time will also give the raisins time to absorb water and become plump and juicy. However, if you want to serve immediately, make sure to add in a few extra ice cubes and a touch more salt.

6. Once ready to serve, add in 10-12 ice cubes. Top with half of the dried rose petals, saving the rest for garnishing individual bowls.

7. When ladling into bowls, keep in mind that all the goodies sink to the bottom. So make sure to ladle some from the bottom of the serving bowl. Once poured into individual bowls, add in more ice cubes if desired, and garnish with more rose petals.

8. Crack some crackers or crunchy flatbread into the bowl. Enjoy and stay cool!

Honeydew Melon Salad

Recipe

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Hello dear one,

I hope you are feeling loved and nourished by the spring sun.

As the complicated times continue to unfold for Iran, I am finding it hard to think or talk about anything but our friends back home. For many of us Iranians, time has lost all meaning since the January massacr…

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Trigger warning:

This essay discusses graphic content: trauma, instances of state violence, and killings

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In today’s newsletter:

• Rainy day itinerary

• Winter recipes

• Black Sesame Halva Cookie Recipe

Happy holidays and belated winter solstice, dear one. I hope these days find you in ease and joy. And I wish you a beautiful transition into the new year.

…
The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of one;
I cure the ailment of the other.

I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.

I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.

…

-Excerpts from Khalil Gibran’s poem, Song of the Rain.

What does rain inspire/awaken in you?

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

It’s been raining here for quite a few days, which I cherish more than the sky knows.

Today’s piece is a love letter to rainy days. It is an invitation for you to curate your days to your needs; to put nourishment at the center of this season (and all seasons). To fill your days with what feels good and feels nourishing. To step into the sunshine or the rain, to embrace the seasons of incubation and darkness, and appreciate them as much as the seasons of light and rebirth.

I count the days for a rainy day to come. I look forward to them and really try to make the most of a rainy day. Rain has always held me in ways I cannot explain. So when it arrives, I try to plan my day centering the rain; in an attempt to appreciate its ethereal nature. What follows is a rainy-day itinerary that might be my ideal cozy day. It is an aspirational dream itinerary for solo days/ days off/ recovery days. It is really meant to work as inspiration and encouragement to make every day special in a way that works for you.

I love to plan baking projects for a rainy day. In fact, that is probably what I would be doing all day when it rains if I could have the day off. Rainy days are for simmering, braising, baking, and frying. In the sections that follow, I have also compiled a list of winter recipes from the archive that could inspire nourishing meal plans for your next rainy day.

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Rainy day itinerary

Morning

1. Morning practices/routines

2. Make cardamom coffee/ Orange-cinnamon-spiced tea

3. Tea/coffee by the window with a sweet treat

4. Reading/journaling

5. Cozy slow breakfast

6. Preparing soup for lunch

7. Baking/cooking/braising while listening to soft music

Afternoon

1. Cozy soup lunch

2. Watching a few episodes of your favorite show

3. Taking a walk in the rain/ listening to the rain while drinking more tea

4. More baking/ preparing bread dough to bake the next day/ preparing dinner

Evening

1. Candlelit dinner, enjoying what you’ve braised all day

2. Watching the new season of Great British Bake Off/ any feel-good show/movie

3. Unwinding with cinnamon hot cocoa/ spiced chai/ your favorite hot beverage

Reporting from the past few rainy days, here are things I made space for:

• Watching childhood movies. Cardamom tea. Braising beef.

• Baking all day. Recipe testing for: apple butter cake, black sesame halva cookies (recipe below), coconut lime cake, banana cookies, coconut rice pudding, and more.

• Finishing the new season of Great British Bake Off

• Reading some favorite poetry books: Audre Lorde’s poetry collection, Andrea Gibson’s The Madness Vase, and Fereydoun Moshiri’s collection

• Practicing music and moving meditations

What’s your favorite rainy day activity?

Winter recipes from the archive

Sweet

• Spiced Saffron Rolls

• Date Olive Oil cake with banana and pecan

• Lemon Blossom Cake

• Pomegranate Swirl Rose Cake

• Passionfruit Curd

Savory

• Turkey Poblano Makaroni (Persian Spaghetti)

• Jeweled Rice with Tahdig

• Carrot-top Zhough

• Haleem (wheat and chicken porridge)

• Leek & White Bean Soup

• Harvest Bowl/Salad Formula

• Pomegranate Soup

• Tahchin (Saffron Yogurt Savory Rice “Cake”)

Black Sesame Halva Cookies

Black sesame is one of my favorite dessert flavors, if not my absolute favorite. These cookies are perfectly soft and chewy, with crispy edges. If you're unfamiliar with halva, it's a candied sesame paste enjoyed for breakfast or as a sweet treat in many cultures.

I grew up having pistachio halva for breakfast alongside bread, tea, butter, and cheese. When I started testing this recipe, I saw that it melts a bit while retaining its integrity, and caramelizes so nicely, almost like white chocolate chips. This creates a beautiful textural addition to the cookie alongside the black sesame seeds. Overall, I think this may be my favorite cookie. I made four batches of these cookies, and friends who came over loved them so much that they almost finished them. I hope you share them with loved ones, too!

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Recipe

Makes 6-8 cookies. Double the recipe for 12 cookies.

Ingredients

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• Dec 7, Monthly Persian Breakfast at Tea at Shiloh, Reserve a spot here

• Dec 9, Monthly Poetry Night, شب شعر at Astralab, RSVP here

• Dec 19, Winter Solstice Celebration, Reserve a spot here

If You Come Softly

If you come as softly

As wind within the trees

You may hear what I hear

See what sorrow sees.

If you come as lightly

As threading dew

I will take you gladly

Nor ask more of you.

You may sit beside me

Silent as a breath

Only those who stay dead

Shall remember death.

And if you come I will be silent

Nor speak harsh words to you.

I will not ask you why, now.

Or how, or what you do.

We shall sit here, softly

Beneath two different years

And the rich earth between us

Shall drink our tears.

-Audre Lorde

Hello dear one,

I hope this piece finds you sipping your favorite beverage. Cozy days are all around us, and I hope we don’t take the softness of fall and winter for granted this year. These days, I am trying to make more time for rest and softness. I am sipping chamomile and barley tea, taking sunset walks, and avoiding social media. I have been listening to the rain and lots of Tar instrumentals. When I am not working, I am recipe testing with the season’s abundance of apple and pear and squash, reading poetry, crying/dancing to Viguen, and (re)watching movies from my childhood.

This past month has been all about revisiting the many different events and accomplishments of the past year. I have been trying to take some space to honor past creations instead of rushing to create more. For me, that means welcoming a season of incubation and reflection. And for you, that might mean more recipes from past events or more recaps of the pop-ups or community events we have brought to life so far. So please, if you have recipe requests from a past event or a food memory, please ask, and I shall deliver. Thank you for being here.

Stories

On that note, today’s post truly honors some all-time autumnal favorite from the previous seasons of bigdillkitchen. Years ago when I was making lots of custom cakes, passionfruit curd was one of my favorite things to incorporate into a cake. They say Iranians don’t have a sweet-tooth, they have a sour-tooth, and maybe that is why I always tried to incorporate tart flavors into cake comissions. The passionfruit curd is tart and sweet, refreshing and creamy, and would make a wonderful addition to any dessert/cake/trifle/cheesecake. I was gifted so much passionfruit this year by dear friends with passionfruit vines, and this is what I made with all the abundance of the fruit, the perfect way to preserve the beauty and flavor of short-lived passionfruit season.

And of course, the pomegranate soup aka Aush e Anar has been a staple on my fall and winter menus over the years. Queer soup night was the first time I ever made this soup for the public; a party for queers and by the queers, highlighting queer chefs, feeding soup to the queers, and raising funds for various important causes. In the winter of 2023, queer soup night, hosted a party in Oakland, where a few fellow chefs and I joined in to make soup for the night. But once we got to the venue, the power was out in the area and the venue could not host us anymore. There we were, three young queers with 6 gallons of soup each on Fruitvale ave in Oakland winter. With nowhere to serve it at.

For a few minutes, we had all contemplated what it would mean to have to throw away most of the soup. As the QSN organizers called every restaurant in the area to see if they could host us, we sat with our soups, processing the effort that had gone into filling those giant cambro containers. Everything eventually worked out. Good to eat dumplings, had power and accepted to host us. We rerouted to Emeryville with our soups. We warmed the soup in batches and fed hundreds of hungry queers. At the end of the night, the organizers told me the Aush-e anar was the most delicious soup they had ever tasted. That gave me the courage and excitement to put it on every fall and winter menu since.

So please enjoy these recipes. Know that they are meant to be shared and cherished. Especially Aush-e Anar, It is a dish that is particularly special this time of year, as the winter solstice approaches and pomegranate season comes to abundance. I feel so fortunate that every time I have made this soup, it has been a giant pot that has fed many. I hope that you also make it with the intention of sharing with loved ones and bringing nourishment to yourself and others.

Recipes

Passionfruit Curd Recipe

Ingredients

• Pulp and juice from 8 passionfruits

• 6 egg yolks

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup butter*, cold, cut into cubes

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

*Substitute vegan butter for a dairy-free passionfruit curd.

Directions

1. In a saucepan, add in the egg yolks, all the passionfruit, sugar, and vanilla. Place the saucepan on medium-high heat and whisk vigorously until you feel the mixture begin to bubble.

2. Turn the heat down to low. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens.

3. Once the curd passes the spoon test, it is ready. Remove from heat. Allow the curd to cool slightly.

4. Next, using a hand mixer, whisk in in the butter cubes one at a time. (you can do this with a stand mixer too, or just lots of elbow grease, whisking rigorously with a hand whisk) Once fully combined and fluffy, the curd is ready. Strain out the seeds if desired (I like to keep them).

5. Pour the curd into a container. Cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic directly touching the surface of the curd.

6. Refrigerate until cold. Use as a filling or topping for trifles, cakes, tarts, pastries, or any dessert. Enjoy!

Pomegranate Soup Recipe

Aush-e Anar (Aush: soup, Anar: pomegranate) is traditionally sometimes made with meat, often ground lamb or beef. Please feel free to incorporate that into the recipe. I am not sure if the beets are traditional, this is just how I have always made it.

If you are unfamiliar with Aush, they are thick soups loved in Iran, Afghanistan, and much of central Asia. The process of making Aush, is characterized by skill and patience; as it takes a while for the soup to develop and thicken. To our culture, Aush is so central to the cuisine and the art of cooking, that the term for cook is Aushpaz, “aush cooker.”

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Coming up

• Persian Brunch at Tea at Shiloh, Nov 2, Reserve a spot here

• Micah’s Night Market + album release party, Nov 7, RSVP

• Sabzi and Sofal Workshop at POT, Nov 23, Info and tickets here

• Shabe Sher, Monthly Iranian Poetry Night at Astralab, Nov 25, message @ bigdillkitchen on Instagram to RSVP

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Happy belated autumn equinox. I hope you felt some moments of hope and ease during this challenging summer. And if not, I hope the autumn gifts you some of those moments.

Summers are often the busiest time of the year for me. Weddings, celebrations, and various events fill my calendar before I even start sensing the warmth of summer.…

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My mom makes the best Tahchin. And although it has been years since I’ve been able to see her or taste her Tahchin, I can taste the Tahchin when she shows it to me on FaceTime, or sends me pictures of it. I see the golden brown and the overflowing barberries an…

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I grew up amongst plum trees more than anything else. I spent most summers cradled in their arms at my grandfather’s orchard in rural Isfahan. Golden sweet plums, kissed by the sun, slightly blushed pink. Black plums, with a juicy, pink, sour interior.

And the dark purple plums, when you bit into them, looked like the sunset inside. Buckets of plums everywhere all summer. An abundance of stonefruit that we harvested as a family, year after year. Cheeks full of plum, lips stained from black mulberries. Heart full.

Those were my summers. So when I found myself within the brick walls of one rental room after another in the US, there was nothing I missed more than sitting under the shade of a plum tree.

Years later, when the plum tree in my Oakland home found me, I may not have been ready to heal yet. But slowly, over the years of sitting under her shade, watching her bloom in the spring, and making jam and lavashak out of her sweet and sour gems, I slowly began to come back to life. I crunched on the plums when they were green and filled my pockets with them. I collected them from the ground when they were too ripe and mushy to make preserves and vinegars. I found myself under her shade, again and again. I slowly began to reconnect with who I used to be and where I came from. I remembered the plum trees that raised me; the buckets of stonefruit that shaped my summers; the distance I had traveled with these memories. I learned to celebrate who I had become.

All thanks to a single abundant plum tree. One year, she broke one of her branches because it was so heavy with the abundance of plums. But she came back every year, with the most beautiful blossoms, floating in the air like confetti, with every breeze. Blessing us with the most gorgeous plums and generous shade, in all her glory.

During our last summer at that home, I made this honey plum cheesecake with the plums she gave us. I just wanted to treasure every plum. I also made so much plum lavashak with it, but I will dedicate a whole newsletter to that, probably next summer.

I served this beautiful honey plum cheesecake at Big Dill Cafe last July. Big Dill Cafe was a limited series cafe pop-up concept with the intention of bringing the energy of cafes of Iran to Oakland sidewalks. A space for friends and queer Iranians to find a soft place to land, have a taste of home, and lots of tea. It was just an excuse for me to live my cafe dream, while serving tastes of comfort foods and teapots filled with aromatic cardamom, saffron, and rose.

Today’s newsletter is a love letter to the plum tree that brought me home. The recipe for this honey plum cheesecake that Big Dill Cafe visitors could not get enough of, is now yours to make when you want to treasure the gifts of stonefruit season.

Recipe

Spiced Honey Plum Cheesecake

with an Almond Crust

Ingredients

Spiced Honey Plum Preserve

• 5-6 ripe black or red plums

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced

• 2 tbsps water

• 1 tsp rosewater (optional)

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Saffron ice cream is a taste of comfort for many of us. For years after immigrating, I was searching for a simple way to recreate the saffron ice cream I grew up with, but most recipes I found involved melting store-bought vanilla ice cream, infusing it with saffron, and then freezing it. And to me, that is the opposite of making your own ice cream, but I appreciate the though. So I took some inspiration and decided to take matters into my own hands.

I developed the recipe for this no-churn saffron pistachio ice cream years ago. Since then, hundreds of you have made it. Some people have made it over and over again and have told me it is now a family staple. I returned to this recipe this year, when I was dessert planning for my dinner pop-ups with a broken oven. I served the creamy saffron ice cream along with rose Jell-O, and guests kept ordering seconds. I think it was my sign to bring back this gem for this summer of sunshine. The recipe is so simple to make that you may find yourself returning to it every time you want a frozen treat or a taste of home. All you need is some time, patience, and a love of saffron.

Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe

From the archive

This recipe is not only my favorite but also Instagram’s favorite. Ever since I shared this video, so many friends have been making it. And for good reason; It's easy, delicious, and best of all, does not require an ice cream maker!

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Ingredients

• 12 oz heavy cream

• 6 cardamom pods/1 tsp cardamom powder

• 1 1/4 tsp crushed saffron strands

• 9 oz sweetened condensed milk

• 1 tsp rosewater (optional)

• Crushed pistachios (measure with your heart)

Formula: 1 part cream and 2/3 part sweetened condensed milk. You can play with it and adjust the portion size to make it into a larger or smaller batch.

1. In a saucepan, add the cream, along with saffron and cardamom. Place on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Do not let it overflow! Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and allow the saffron to infuse into the cream until it cools to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

2. Place the saffron cream in the refrigerator to chill it thoroughly overnight or for at least 6 hours.

3. Add the saffron-infused cream to a cold bowl and whip just until stiff peaks form (see video). Don’t overwhip it or the cream will break.

4. Gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk to fully combine. Pour the mixture into the dish you are using for freezing.

5. Add in the crushed pistachios and gently mix. If your crushed pieces are not super tiny, they will sink to the bottom, which is okay. But if you want to prevent this, you can either gently stir them into the top half of your cream mixture or thoroughly grind them into a powder.

6. Freeze this deliciousness until fully frozen. About at least 4 hours, depending on how large your batch is, your container, your freezer, etc.

7. Once fully frozen, when you’re ready to eat, remove it from the freezer for 3-5 minutes before serving.

8. Scoop into bowls or onto cones. Top with more pistachios, rose petals, and flaky salt. Enjoy!
   

Nooshe Jaan نوش جان

May it nourish your soul

Thank you for being here.

As always, please share any thoughts, musings, or recipe requests in the comments.

Booses,

Helia

“So carry your homeland wherever you go, and be
a narcissist if need be/
The outside world is exile,
exile is the world inside.
And what are you
between the two?”

— Mahmud Darwish, Edward Said: A Contrapuntal Reading

Hello sweet friends,

I hope you are taking the time you need to care for yourself and your heart. Thank you for being here. I took a couple of weeks away from this space because everything that was happening in LA and Iran was too much, and continues to be. When fires, literal and metaphorical, finally stop burning, things don’t go back to normal. We are left with navigating the ruins and the aftermath. Community care, however, has been the magic throughout all of this. Through connecting with caring and resilient people, I return home to myself time and time again. And through the beautiful energy that I receive from those around me, I get to pour energy into us, into this space that is so precious to me. With that, I have queued a few comforting recipes for us all to enjoy over the next few weeks. Starting with the literal, crown jewel of all, Jeweled Rice.

Countless variations of Jeweled rice can be found throughout the Middle East, each mountain of rice adorned with aromatics and ingredients typical of the local cuisine. Fried onions, golden raisins, pomegranate seeds, tiny meatballs, lentils, slivered nuts, and so much more. This breathtaking pile of rice, crowned with golden ingredients, is the centerpiece of every tablescape. Although rice is often thought of as a side dish, in this case, Jeweled rice is a part of the main show. Everything else revolves around it. Rice is what brings everything together and makes every other element make sense.

Tahdig 101

Tahdig is not a “rice dish.” Tahdig simply refers to the crispy bottom of a pot of rice (Tah: bottom, Dig: pot). The tahdig itself is not always necessarily made of rice; it can be made of bread, potatoes, lettuce, and more. For this jeweled rice, we will be learning the classic and simple rice tahdig.

The key to making a good tahdig is developing a relationship with your stove and learning her through practice and trial and error. Every stove is different, and tahdig is extremely delicate and sensitive. It requires a steady combination of low heat and time, to crisp without burning. After making tahdig a few times, you will get the hang of the right setting on your burner and the right length of time that your tahdig needs on that particular burner. You want to use the largest/widest burner for tahdig, on low or medium-low heat. The lowest setting on some stoves might be hot enough, while you might need to turn some other burners up slightly higher. You will find the right heat for your tahdig after making it a few times and learning more about your stove. Just trust the process.

All of that is not to intimidate you; it is to encourage you to try it, enjoy the process and the results, no matter how imperfect they may be, and perhaps learn more about your stove along the way. If you’ve never made tahdig because it scares you, this is your sign to think of it as play, and let go of perfectionism. I also have a free tahchin recipe, which can be great for practice.

Jeweled Rice Recipe

Serves 4-6 Iranians, 8-10 non-Iranians

Ingredients:

Rice:

• 3 cups Basmati Rice

• ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes

• 2 tbsps salt

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 3 tbsps neutral oil

Jewels:

• ½ cup barberries

• 1 tbsp sugar (optional)

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• 1/4 cup slivered pistachios, if available, or roughly chopped pistachios

• 1 cup rosewater, for soaking nuts (optional)

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced orange peels, boiled and drained1 (optional)

• 1 cup fried onions, piaz daagh, recipe here

• 1/4 cup golden raisins or green Persian raisins

• 2 tbsps butter

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Prepare for the best marinade of your life. (*me at the chicken pieces*)

Kabob is a big part of Iranian social culture. Much like any barbecue culture, it is an opportunity to gather around the fire, cook, bask in the warmth, and enjoy grilled treats with loved ones. Jooje kabob was the taste of summer in Iran for me. Growing up, my weekends were mostly spent at my family farm in the outskirts of Isfahan, and that usually involved enjoying jooje kabobs. Piping hot, golden chicken kabobs, marinated in saffron, crisped on the cement grill, now tucked under their bread blanket. Always accompanied by mountains of saffron rice, a long spread of condiments, yogurt, and fresh, tender herbs from the farm.

Jooje kabob was always on the menu, my dad was always on grill duty, and the kabob was always perfect. Over the years, as I got older, I began to grow tired of visiting the farm every weekend and eating the same jooje kabob over and over again. I took for granted all the things that I would soon miss the most in exile. The plum picking. Sweeping the outdoor rug with the handwoven straw broom. Doing the dishes in the outdoor sink. Jumping into the ice-cold sapphire pool. The cement grill, built into the cement wall, under the mulberry tree. The weekly jooje kabob. The same, beautiful, golden kabob, week after week. The big and small things that I would give anything to see again. What a privilege that I understood the value of, way too late.

It would be my dream to have jooje kabob at the farm every weekend again, but I know that is unlikely to happen again unless Iran is liberated within our lifetime. So I must take matters into my own hands and make jooje kabob for every holiday. And that is how it has been since my story in California started. Every time we have a picnic with friends, whether for holidays like Sizdah Bedar1 or birthdays, I make jooje kabob. It is a food that is associated with gathering around with loved ones, and it almost comes to me without thinking. We’re going to the park? You’re bringing the asada? Oh, okay, I’ll bring the jooje.

And today, I write this newsletter with overflowing grief about what is happening in Iran. I don’t know how long my family’s home or the beautiful farm that fed us and the many others will be standing. But I will be here. And I never stop talking about Iran. I will never stop writing to you about all the ways my people are human and beautiful and complex and deserve a life. And amidst the never-ending atrocities and grief, they still manage to hold each other and feed each other. So I will write to you, and share the memories and the joys and the grief that come with being Iranian. And I will share my jooje kabob recipe with you, as a way to hold those memories closer. All we can do for now is make jooje kabob for each other, and fantasize about one day making it at the farm together.

Recipe

Today’s newsletter has been a love letter to Jooje Kabob, and a guide for you to make it without limitations. The star is the marinade, so you can still have this kabob if you don’t eat meat. Use the saffron yogurt marinade for vegetables like eggplant and cauliflower, or marinate tofu, paneer, tempeh, any meat alternatives, and whatever your heart desires. This guide reminds you of your power and free will; make jooje kabob without the jooje (chicken), make kabob without a grill- you can do anything.

If you have a grill, think of this recipe next time you are planning a grilling day. But no grill? No problem. You can still enjoy the saffron kabob you are craving.

Anywhere Joojeh Kabob guide and

Saffron Yogurt Marinade Recipe

This recipe is inspired by my dad’s secret joojeh kabob recipe. However, transparently, you should know that he does not endorse this recipe, because he doesn’t believe in turmeric in joojeh kabab marinade.

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I made a whole career out of serving this fresh, delicate platter all around California, filled with tender bounties of herbs and colorful earthly offerings. I’m not doing anything new, though. Our mamans, grandmothers, and ancestors have been doing this far longer and better than I ever could. What I offer is simply an homage to them. And so, I write this guide for you, as a way to honor them through the act of remembering, sharing, and gathering.

This guide isn’t just a recipe; it’s an invitation. To gather and savor. To bring beauty into the everyday. Noon-panir-sabzi (bread, cheese, and herbs) is more than a breakfast spread or appetizer plate. It is lifetimes of history and ancestral knowledge. It is nourishment and care.

A quiet celebration of togetherness, a testament to the beauty of simplicity.

This vessel for gathering holds the ultimate truth about Iranian food: that it is meant to be shared.

Noon-panir-sabzi (bread, cheese, and herbs) is often served for breakfast, as a side dish, or as a shareable appetizer. It adds color and life to every meal. It also stands on its own as the perfect fresh and light meal or snack for any time of day. You can use this guide to inspire your next breakfast spread, snack plate, cheeseboard, or anything else you are preparing for sharing.

The ingredients of this spread vary across regions of Iran, shaped by geography and lineage. What follows is a general guide on how to make and enjoy an Iranian-inspired spread around herbs, and an overview of the most common ingredients in a traditional Persian breakfast.

The Spread

Common elements of a Persian breakfast spread can be:

• Fresh herbs (sabzi)

• Tomatoes and Persian cucumbers

• Walnuts

• Fruits, commonly watermelon or grapes

• Fresh dairy: feta cheese, butter, clotted cream

• Honey and jams

• Eggs, simply fried, boiled, scrambled, or dishes like املت (ómlet: tomato scrambled eggs) or نرگسی (nargesi: spinach eggs)

• Sesame Halva or Tahini & Honey

The various elements of this spread are enjoyed with fresh bread, over black tea, and conversation.

لقمه: Loghmeh/ How to enjoy

Enjoying a spread of Persian breakfast is a grounding ritual, an opportunity for loved ones to connect, slow down, and be present together.

To enjoy your beautiful breakfast spread, tear a small piece of bread, build your own bite on that piece of bread, and fold it into a small taco-like bite. Each small bite that you create is called a Loghmeh لقمه. There are many different ways to assemble your Loghmeh; sweet or savory. For a sweet loghmeh, spread butter or clotted cream on the bread and top it with jam or honey. Savory variations of the loghmeh are countless, because there are so many variations of toppings that you can use.

To make a savory loghmeh, spread some of the creamy feta cheese on the bread, then top it with your favorite combination of fresh herbs, nuts, cucumber slices, etc. The basic version of a loghmeh contains cucumbers, tomatoes, and walnuts. But you can choose your own adventure. Mix and match different toppings, experiment with various herbs and nuts to find your own favorite combination.

My favorite combination is walnut, mint, and grape on top of creamy feta. What’s your favorite Loghmeh?

نون: Noon/ Bread

There is nothing quite like butter melting on fresh, toasty bread. Taftoon, sangak, or barbari, are some of the widely used types of Iranian flatbreads, all of which are perfect to enjoy with your Persian breakfast. You can find these breads at many Iranian/ Afghan/ Middle-Eastern grocery stores. If there are no sangak or barbari bread available where you live, some alternatives can be lavash, pita, or any flatbread that is accessible to you. Make sure to warm your bread to a toasty level before enjoying this magical breakfast spread.

سبزی: Sabzi/ Herbs

In Farsi, Sabzi means greenery, but it also refers to herbs as a general category. Some of the common fresh tender herbs for noon-panir-sabzi are: dill, mint, basil, cilantro, tarragon, savory, parsley, scallions, and chives. Choose a variety of herbs, wash, dry, and remove the hard part of the stems, and use your creativity to arrange them like a bouquet, on the platter, along with your other breakfast ingredients.

What herbs do you include in your noon-panir-sabzi spread?

پنیر: Panir/ Cheese

The iconic cheese of Persian breakfast is a creamy feta, so creamy that it is spreadable, often made with sheep or cow’s milk. This can also be found under various brands at your local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean grocery store.

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Fried onions are the pillars of Iranian comfort food. They are the topping of choice for every Aush and Haleem, and often find themselves tucked into elaborate mountains of jeweled rice. They are crunchy, savory, and so beautifully umami. They add a richness and playfulness to many dishes, and are a crucial ingredient for so many others.

These golden beauties are usually arranged on top of dishes like Kashk-e Bademjoon and Aush-e jo, and are what cousins fight over. Think of your favorite Iranian comfort food, perhaps Kofteh Tabrizi or Dolmeh or something more hearty like Aush-e Reshteh, they are all incomplete without this humble topping.

Using fried onions as a base for a dish can also add a depth of flavor and richness. They are stuffed into peppers, eggplants, and grape leaves to make dolmeh, or cooked down with the eggplants in Haleem Bademjoon. There are so many ways fried onions simply make things better and more delicious, and Iranian food highlights that beautifully.

Below is a simple step-by-step recipe on how to make Piaz Daagh. This legendary and humble friend is surprisingly simple to make. All you need is quite a few onions and… quite some oil.

Piaz Daagh Recipe

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My memories of ma’ajoun, an Iranian energizing street dessert, inspire this cake. Ma’ajoun typically comes in the form of a milkshake or ice cream cup, filled with bananas, dates, nuts, cinnamon, sesame seeds, and other energizing ingredients.

I celebrated my birthday last week, while grilling saffron chicken kabobs for friends and meditating under the moonlight. I took myself out for a one-day river trip the next day, and to conclude my birthday weekend, I went to the Sunday farmers market to find flowers for my birthday cake.

I wanted to find some rhubarb and make a rhubarb and custard cake for myself, but it was too early in the season, and the universe had other plans for me. Even though I couldn’t find any rhubarb at the market, I still had the most magical time there. Every spring, I revel in the magic of blooming trees and flowering sidewalks. Almost as if I am experiencing this magic for the first time every year. As the earth transitions into spring, color slowly returns to farmers’ market stands. And I watch in awe, as the farmers market baskets overflow with colorful spring produce and the last of the citrus leftover from the California winter.

That weekend, the market was filled with blooming spring flowers and branches, promising brighter days and a softer season. Confetti of tiny lilacs perfumed the air as people walked by, holding their bouquets of blooming lilac and spring spirit.

I bought a few stunning bouquets that spoke to me and returned home to bake my cake. My oven has actually been broken since January, so this cake had to be baked in the air fryer. I decided to make a date cake inspired by the birthday cakes I would get in Iran. When ordering a birthday cake in Iran, it is often filled with bananas, walnuts, and sometimes pineapples between the layers. The whipped cream in between the fluffy layers of cake is light and airy, with a hint of rosewater working its magic. Last year, I made an Iran-inspired mocha cake for the birthday of my fellow Aries buddy; if you’re curious, you can read about that cake in this piece from last spring.

For my cake this year, I wanted to bring the vibes of the cakes of my childhood, with a touch of classic whimsy. I had been craving a date cake for a while, but I find dates and cakes too sweet, so making a not-too-sweet date cake seemed like a significant challenge. I used no added sugar to see if the natural sweetness of the dates came through, and it was so subtle, warm, and beautiful. When following the recipe, you can optionally add sugar, as it does have an impact on the cake's structure, and without it, the cake is not very sweet. But altogether, the olive oil and the less-sweet nature of the cake add a touch of salty-savoriness that complements the orange blossom cream cheese whip and the cake fillings perfectly.

For the cake filling, inspired by the walnuts stuffed into the cakes of my childhood, I made a pecan cream for a decadent nutty flavor, because I’m slightly allergic to walnuts (I don’t tell anyone about this because I feel it makes me a bad Iranian, so this is just our little secret). Then I filled the cake with the pecan paste, banana slices, and the frosting. I decorated the cake with another pool of gorgeous, fluffy cream cheese whip and a dusting of cinnamon, along with the lilacs and pink cosmos that stole my heart at the market.

Date Olive Oil Cake Recipe

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I write to you as I munch on leftover Kuku Sabzi from my Nowruz pop-up. Thank you for being here. Happy spring!

To welcome in the season of rebirth, it is our tradition to eat all things green and herby for the final meal of winter. As a way to honor this tradition and share it with others, I have been serving Nowruz feasts around California, filled with bounties of herbs and love and a touch of spring.

This past month, my kitchen has been filled with so many piles of herbs and stacks of Kuku Sabzi. There is nothing quite like the aroma of fresh herbs or freshly fried kuku sabzi filling the air.

Kuku sabzi, “herb frittata,” is a beloved dish in Iran; it is green, vibrant, and simple to make, so you can often see it on many families’ Nowruz tables. Sometimes, it is filled with walnuts and barberries, which bring a special crunch and flavor to this dish. I really enjoyed serving this spring classic on every menu this month, and the feedback I received was heartwarming. Much like me, those I cooked with, were also drunkened by the scents of fresh herbs and baking kuku sabzi in the kitchen every time. I am very fortunate for that, because there was no way I could have gotten through all those herbs without the help of friends and volunteers.

No matter where I served Kuku Sabzi, friends and strangers were comforted by it. And I only have the beautiful herbs and the ancestors to thank for that. Thank you for the recipe(s).

We connect with our ancestors [and therefore to ourselves], through the ways we engage with food. This isn’t just a whimsical idea of mine—it’s woven into many different cultures around the world. Food rituals and traditions have long been a bridge between generations, a way to learn from those who came before us, honor them and the cycles of nature. Food is more than sustenance; It is a connector beyond borders and generations. It is a thread that ties us to our roots, a lifeline that carries stories, love, knowledge, and meaning across time.

If you have ever sat down during or before Nowruz, enjoying a bite of Kuku Sabzi, think about how many generations have had to engage in the same rituals and make the same dish, for you to to enjoy it today? How many generations of people has this recipe nourished?

How many bridges and oceans and lives has this recipe passed through to get to you? How many people, with how many stories, have made kuku sabzi to celebrate the new year and spring, for you to carry the same ritual, generations later, worlds away?

Recipe

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• Serenity Nowruz, March 23, in K-town, LA. Tickets and info here.

• Pot Bazaar, A Nowruz Market of SSWANA vendors, March 29, LA. Info here.

Don’t worry, things will be better by spring. Spring is right around the corner, and when it arrives, it will promise kinder days and sweeter fruit. The season of rebirth will wash everything away, bring new li…

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For this soup, you can use any broth you may have on hand, including my 24-hour chicken broth recipe at the end of this post.

Leek and white bean soup is best enjoyed with a crusty, buttered piece of bread, such as a French baguette or slice of sourdough. Stay cozy and enjoy!

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Happy love day. Don’t forget to blow a kiss in the mirror today for the most important love in your life.

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Here’s the most important love song in Persian music history imho:

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