It's hard to believe that it's already October! I am sharing my new favorite cookbook with Foodie Reads Challenge: The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan.* I picked this up while I was reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. You can read about that book here.
I love cookbooks with delicious recipes, sumptuous stories, and delectable photographs. This book has it all. I am considering an entire Persian feast for our Thanksgiving table this year. So, stay tuned. I plan to get a lot of use out of this book.
This is a really wonderful book. The recipes to be written well. The anecdotes made me feel as if I were sitting down and sharing a meal with the author. If you like to travel the world by tabletop as I do, you need this book in your collection.
"...eating isn't just about filling your stomach.... It is an opportunity to sit with one another, to talk about your day, to share your problems, your thoughts, your feelings. This is one of the most important reasons why we cook - so we can share our food and our time with our loved ones" (p.131).
On the Plate
"Using fruit to flavor savory dishes is another defining feature of Persian food" (p.13). I knew that making Gheysavah, a Persian omelette with dates and cinnamon, was exactly what we needed for dinner. I had a cluster of Khalal dates from Pato's Dream Date Gardens in southern California just waiting for inspiration. This dish was it.
Gheysavah
slightly adapted Persian Date and Cinnamon Omelette
Ingredients
- 1/2 C dates, pitted and halved
- a couple of pinches of cinnamon
- a small pinch of ground ginger
- 3 T water
- 3 eggs, beaten
- a pinch of salt
- 1 T butter
Place the dates, 1 pinch of cinnamon, ground ginger, and water in a small pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for few minutes until the dates have softened. The water should be completely absorbed or evaporated.
Add butter to the dates and heat until it's melted and bubbling. Space the dates out evenly, then pour in the beaten eggs. Cook until the omelette is set. Fold in half and slide onto you serving plate. Dust with more cinnamon before serving.
*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.
That sounds like a yummy omelet. You might also enjoy a favorite cookbook of mine, The Silk Road Gourmet, which features quite a bit of Persian cooking.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll look that one up.
DeleteA Persian Feast for Thanksgiving! It's a good thing you live on the other side of the Country or I'd be knocking on your door and crashing your party.
ReplyDeleteYou would be welcome at my table anytime!
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