About

I’ve always loved food – eating it, not cooking it.  My mom is the best Persian cook I know.  And though Persian dishes are beyond delicious, I was never tempted to learn how to cook them myself.  They take hours to make and they’re full of carbs and butter.  So I viewed them as a treat whenever I visited my parents.  For all other meals, I had plenty of great restaurants to choose from and there was always the order-in option – one of the many perks of New York City.

All that changed in 2009 when I renovated my apartment.  I turned 40 that year and the renovation was my best birthday present.  The work started in August.  In November, just before Thanksgiving, I moved back into what was now a beautiful, modern and comfortable apartment.  Thanks to the great work of my architect, Johann Grobler, and my contractor, Liam Callaghan, I was finally living in a space that was both functional and inspiring.  My friends wanted to see the transformation so I had to host a few dinner parties.  I haven’t looked back since.  I now love to cook in my glacier-inspired kitchen.

I take the occasional cooking class at Astor Center and ICE.  The Food Network and Cooking Channel are my favorite networks. I started out with Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals which taught me that cooking doesn’t need to be precise and it’s a great way to get creative.  Rachael gave me confidence.  Then I discovered Anne Burrell.  I now DVR all episodes of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.   

My friend Sean – who was my most frequent dinner guest when he lived in New York – suggested I start this blog as a way to try my hand at Persian cuisine. My initial goal was to make at least two dishes each week from A Taste of Persia, modify them to cut any any unnecessary calories and post my modified recipes on the blog. Then I started adding restaurant reviews as a way to keep track of my own social outings. 

I’ve been diligent about my postings and enjoy writing on a regular basis. So much so that five months since the launch of this blog, I’m expanding the posts to also include short stories I’m writing. So my tagline has evolved from “easy, healthy, delish cooking” to “creating recipes, reviewing restaurants, telling stories”. Hope you enjoy them.

Read about my journey From Iran to America in this essay. 

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