June/July selection Kitchens of the Great Midwest

For the June / July edition I chose the novel Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (July 2015)

On our club's website, we have a page where people can suggest readings. One of them caught my attention and when I followed up and looked at Stradal's books, I was intrigued by the words on the publisher's page "a novel about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the iconic chef behind the country’s most coveted dinner reservation." Such an introduction is hard to resist. 

The structure of the book also sounds intriguing:  

Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal’s startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity.

I hope the novel will make for an pleasant read and a source of inspiration in the kitchen.

Simona, briciole

Deadline for contributing your post: Friday, July 31, 2026.

Leave a comment below with a link to your post or email me at simosite AT mac DOT com

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Remember that membership in our book club is open to anyone and we hope you will join us by reading these selections and creating inspired recipes. New participants are always welcome and so are returning ones. For more information about participating, click here.  

Crying in H Mart: The Roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club October-November edition for which we read Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. 

As I've done in the past, I will present our club members' contributions as a menu organized in courses. For each dish, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a quote from it, a taste: follow the link and read the author's take of the book and how the reading inspired the cooking. 

Cook the Books Club's Crying in H Mart-Inspired Menu 

Soup:

Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

Main:

Makgalbi-jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs)

Kimchi-jjgae (Korean Stew)

Korean Style Short Ribs (à la Chongmi)

Midnight Kimchi Fried Rice

Side dish:

Green cabbage with honeynut squash and chestnuts 

Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the menu.

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Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

"This Korean Chicken soup is flavored with garlic, onions, and ginger creating a flavorful broth served over freshly steamed rice... This soup appealed to me because I was having 10 people for dinner and this soup could be made ahead of time. I boiled my chicken and made the broth the day before dinner. I steamed the rice the morning of the dinner but did not refrigerate it. I did enjoy the food descriptions and it made me long for a trip to the Asian Market, an hour's drive from my house, to enjoy food at the little cafe in the corner." 

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Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures cooked Makgalbi-jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs) 

"Lots of great foodie moments and I think many who lose loved ones, especially at a young age can find this memoir relatable. As she writes, the author mentions tons of Korean foods her (sometimes overbearing) mother made for her in childhood and beyond, so there was lots of inspiration... I decided to poke around the inspiration blog [Maangchi] and see what I could find, which were these fantastic short ribs! Flavorful and delicious, this recipe will satisfy the whole family!"

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Claudia of Honey from Rock prepared Kimchi-jjigae

"Some parents can be so overbearing even in their love, wanting to direct every aspect of their children's lives... The inspirations for cooking were just too many to list.  All Korean food!  And I had only recently posted on that. Getting Into Jang, by Mingoo Kong, A Whole New Cuisine.  Anyway, I fixed a traditional Korean favorite, and one of mine as well: Kimchi-jjgae. Which is a stew in which you put some aged kimchi [spicy pickled cabbage], pork, tofu, and various seasonings."

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Debra of Eliot's Eats cooked Korean Style Short Ribs (à la Chongmi)

"Zauner and her mother [Chongmi] do seem to bond over food. Korean-Chinese food was the first thing they would seek out when they arrived in Seoul for their scheduled family trips. Some of Chongmi’s more gentle lessons seemed to revolve around cuisine... It might have been food that actually kept Zauner sane... I kept coming back to Chongmi’s marinated short ribs. I pieced together a recipe that included green onions, 7-Up, soy sauce, and sesame oil... I put together a couple of recipes and then used the tips from the book on how her mom made them." 

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Marg of The Intrepid Reader prepared Midnight Kimchi Fried Rice

"One of the things that I enjoyed was when Michelle Zauner started trying to learn to cook more Korean food by watching Youtube videos from a person called Maangchi... I chose to take inspiration from a very popular Korean dish, Kimchi, to make a version of fried rice... did have a Korean workmate who suggested that this recipe was overly complicating things and all you really needed was some rice, some kimchi and some tuna and you had a delicious lunch, but we definitely enjoyed this when we made it, and it is an easy mid-week meal."

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Simona of briciole (your host) prepared
Green Cabbage with Honeynut Squash & Chestnuts

"The book inspired me to look at a food from my upbringing, something not only Italian, but from my family traditions. When I was in Italy last month, the smell of roasted chestnuts... reminded me of my mother. Every October, she would buy a large amount of chestnuts from someone in Casperia, the village in central Italy where she grew up. Then, in the following weeks, we would eat them often, as dessert at the end of dinner, alternatively roasted and boiled... The side dish is earthy and sweet (almost dessert-like) and it's vegan."

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A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. If you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll pass the baton to Claudia of Honey from Rock who is hosting the December 2024-January 2025 edition in which we are reading the novel Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of briciole

Pomegranate Soup: The Roundup

It's time for the roundup of Cook the Books' Club February-March 2020 edition for which we read the novel Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran (2005).

The three Aminpour sisters, protagonists of the story, move to Ballinacroagh, County Mayo, Ireland and open the Babylon Café in the location that used to house an Italian bakery. In honor of the sisters' Persian food eatery, I will present our club's contributions as a menu, with the dishes in each section ordered alphabetically. For each, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a quote from it — a taste: follow the link and read the author's take of the book and how the reading inspired the cooking.

Cook the Books Club's Pomegranate Soup-Inspired Menu

First Course:
Red Lentil Soup à la Tina
Red Lentil Soup à la Cathy

Second Course:
Fesenjoon (Chicken Stew with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce)
Kabob Koobideh (Ground Meat Kebabs)
Kuku Sabzi à la Claudia (vegetarian)
Kuku Sabzi à la Simona (vegetarian)
One Skillet Cabbage
Torshi Tareh (Persian Sour Herb Stew With Marbled Eggs)

Accompaniment:
Lavash Bread

Dessert:
Elephant Ears
Persian Drizzle Cake

Make yourself comfortable, then enjoy the meal.

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Tina of Squirrel Head Manor prepared Red Lentil Soup

"You could substitute any middle eastern family trying to run a cafe in any small town, in Ireland or the U.S. for this plot... The plot plays out predictably with the women and their Irish neighbors, the cultural differences accepted. Well, by most people. Definitely a foodie book with over a dozen recipes included throughout. There were so many interesting dishes served up in this book but the recipe for lentil soup grabbed me right away. I had been wanting to make red lentil soup for a long time."

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Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats prepared Red Lentil Soup

"Did you know that lentils are super healthy? I didn't but learned this in researching them for this post. In fact, this humble legume has shot up to the number 1 slot for healthy foods... Author Mehran writes about lentil soup: 'Red lentil soup, although quite seductive in scent, is as simple to make as its name suggests. In the recipe book filed away in her head, Marjan aways made sure to place particular emphasis on this soup's spices. Cumin added the aroma of afternoon lovemaking to the mixture for instance'. Now that's quite a statement... I cut this recipe in half from what was published in the book... This was totally enough to feed more than a few people."

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Elizabeth of CulinUrsa cooked Fesenjoon (Social distance-adapted)

"As I was reading this novel, there was a scene in a crowded pub, and the thought went through my head, 'Why are all these people out in a group together?' Already the fears of viral spread had become ingrained in my thinking, and I have wondered when and how will I feel comfortable being with people again, touching the door handle of a store again?... There was not a single [recipe] for which I had all the ingredients at home, and, trying to minimize shopping trips, I didn’t want to venture out for anything. But I felt I could improvise enough for the fesenjoon. I have read many times about this iconic chicken stew with walnuts and pomegranates, and always wanted to make it. Despite all the changes and substitutions I made, it was fantastic!... It is often spelled fesenjan."

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Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
prepared Kabob Koobideh (Ground Meat Kebabs)

"Though Mehran doesn't shy away from the traumas that can occur during political upheaval, she achieves a delicate balance of reality and sensitivity. It's quite a remarkable book that has me longing to read more about the Iranian revolution... I'm sharing my version of Iranian Kubideh or Koobideh, ground meat kebabs... Though this wasn't specifically mentioned in the book, it is something that I envision Layla packing on a picnic to go meet Malachy. And because I remember eating fresh herb salads at my Iranian friend's table, I decided to serve my kebabs with a thick herb paste, similar to Argentinian chimichurri."

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Claudia of Honey from Rock prepared Kuku Sabzi (Persian herb frittata)

"In contrast to local descriptions, the background on the Iranian women, who are all of course beautiful, was interesting, their preparations to open The Babylon Cafe absorbing, together with accounts of their food and cooking, lovingly rendered, tantalizing, and well-written... Kuku Sabzi made a lovely, light evening meal with some steamed sweet potato (fresh bread or toast would also be good) and a glass of white wine. I discovered that at room temperature, the next day for lunch, the herbal flavors all came through beautifully."

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Simona of briciole (your host) prepared Kuku Sabzi (Persian herb frittata)

"I was particularly intrigued by the description of 'a good apple khoresh, a stew made from tart apples, chicken and split peas' (page 60 of the hardback edition), but while I was searching for a recipe for that, I read about Kuku Sabzi, a kind of herb frittata traditionally prepared for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that is celebrated on the spring equinox... The idea is that you can use greens and herbs you like and have available. A different combination means a different flavor, so this is a recipe that can be repeated without becoming boring."

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Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm prepared a One Skillet Cabbage Dinner

"You get to know each of the residents as well as the back story of the Aminpour Sisters.  You will love some and you will hate some but you will, definitely become involved with all of them and their lives. I enjoyed this novel very much and the food descriptions of the meals prepared in this restaurant were heavenly... I absolutely adore Persian food but as I read a common thread that ran through this small town was that all the residents were sick and tired of eating cabbage for dinner.  As luck would have it, I had planned on having this Skillet Cabbage Dinner during the week I was reading this novel and it fit in so perfectly that I had to share it."

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Deb of Kahakai Kitchen
prepared Torshi Tareh (Persian Sour Herb Stew with Marbled Eggs)

"There are delicious recipes woven into the chapters of book (why I am so disappointed that I couldn't find my copy) so the overall feeling is like a mix of Like Water For Chocolate and Chocolat, only with the clash of Irish and Iranian culture. I recommend it to foodies who don't mind a touch of magic in their books... I love everything about this stew--the exotic herby flavor, the acidity, and the touch of lime 'sourness' and the jammy eggs and creamy spinach. At first, I thought the smoked fish accompaniment was a little odd but it rounded out the flavors nicely."

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Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures baked Lavash Bread

"I prefer that authors stay realistic... or go full on Harry Potter magic... Despite my criticism, the book was good enough and I loved that the author included recipes at the end of each chapter. I decided to make a Lavash, using the recipe directly from the book.  The Lavash was delicious... The kids went crazy over the Lavash, begging me to make more. I used my favorite spice mix in this recipe (Everything Bagel), because I knew my family would love it. This bread is best enjoyed hot and fresh from the oven."

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Debra of Eliot's Eats made Elephant Ears

"The amount of food in this book is staggering... There’s so many herbs and spices, Persian food, Italian food and Irish food, I just couldn’t keep up... I decided on a sweeter recipe: Elephant Ears... They were interesting. I did not roll mine thin enough so they were more doughy (read donut) than a thinly fried treat... I would recommend this book to friends (and will).  It would make a great beach read (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  Mehran’s writing style is descriptive and sometimes romantic. (I mean that in a good way.)"

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Marg of The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader made Persian Drizzle Cake

"I loved all the food content, the descriptions of the way that Marjan in particular nurtured those around her through her food. I liked that there were a number of recipes included in the book, and enjoyed the almost magical realism feel to it, focusing on the power of food to change the way that you are feeling. I guess I would call it magical realism lite for want of a better term... Overall, it's a readable book, without being amazing... I chose to top my cake with Turkish Delight Easter eggs rather than rose petals."

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A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.

I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. However, mishaps are part of life, so if you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.

And now, I’ll turn things over to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who is hosting the April-May edition in which we are reading Hippie Food by Jonathan Kauffman.

Arrivederci a presto!

Simona, of briciole

Announcing Our Next Four Selections

Are you ready? Here are the next four selections of our book club, with which we will keep each other's company during the year 2020:

Deb (Kahakai Kitchen) opens the series with Hippie Food by Jonathan Kauffman (published January 2018) for the April/May edition

For our April/May 2020 pick, I had to go with the book that was just edged out by The Food Explorer as my choice or the last round: Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat by Jonathan Kauffman. Food history fascinates me and I want to learn more about how tofu, brown rice, and veggie burgers made their way into the mainstream. It's also a good excuse to hit up my Moosewood Collective cookbook collection for some hippie fare.  

From the publisher:

An enlightening narrative history—an entertaining fusion of Tom Wolfe and Michael Pollan—that traces the colorful origins of once unconventional foods and the diverse fringe movements, charismatic gurus, and counterculture elements that brought them to the mainstream and created a distinctly American cuisine. 

Food writer Jonathan Kauffman journeys back more than half a century—to the 1960s and 1970s—to tell the story of how a coterie of unusual men and women embraced an alternative lifestyle that would ultimately change how modern Americans eat. Impeccably researched, Hippie Food chronicles how the longhairs, revolutionaries, and back-to-the-landers rejected the square establishment of President Richard Nixon’s America and turned to a more idealistic and wholesome communal way of life and food. 

From the mystical rock-and-roll cult known as the Source Family and its legendary vegetarian restaurant in Hollywood to the Diggers’ brown bread in the Summer of Love to the rise of the co-op and the origins of the organic food craze, Kauffman reveals how today’s quotidian whole-foods staples—including sprouts, tofu, yogurt, brown rice, and whole-grain bread—were introduced and eventually became part of our diets. From coast to coast, through Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Vermont, Kauffman tracks hippie food’s journey from niche oddity to a cuisine that hit every corner of this country. 

A slick mix of gonzo playfulness, evocative detail, skillful pacing, and elegant writing, Hippie Food is a lively, engaging, and informative read that deepens our understanding of our culture and our lives today.  

And how can you resist that cover?!? 

Aloha, 
Deb

Deadline for contributing your post is Sunday, May 31, 2020

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For the June/July edition, Claudia (Honey from Rock) chose Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah (published February 2010)

I read Kitchen Chinese last year, loved it, and immediately thought it would be a great pick for our Cook the Books Club. Though fiction, it resonates with the author’s real life experience. Not quite memoir, though the novel is loosely based upon her own experiences in China, when her husband was posted there. Mah says, “My husband’s diplomatic career brings frequent international moves, as well as lots of fresh material (and occasional angst) to write about, and we always have another relocation on the horizon.” 

Ann Mah's funny and poignant first novel about a young Chinese-American woman who travels to Beijing and in the process discovers food, family, and herself, is a delight--complete with mouth-watering descriptions of Asian culinary delicacies, from Peking duck and Mongolian hot pot to the colorful, lesser known Ants in a Tree that will delight foodies everywhere. 

Her tale of clashing cultures, rival siblings, and fine dining is also the story of one woman's search for identity and purpose in an exotic and faraway land. After her magazine career comes to a halt, Isabelle Lee, the author’s protagonist, leaves New York, wanting change, and hoping also to reconnect with her family roots in China. Her older sister is an attorney living there, so she has a place to stay. However, her familiarity with the language and culture is limited to 'kitchen Chinese'. 

Isabelle lands a job at a magazine for the expatriate community in Beijing and finds a circle of friends. However, her relationship with her big-shot attorney sister, Claire, who's lived in China for a while, gets off to a rocky start, with the two not knowing quite what to make of each other. Isabelle's Beijing immersion provides a refreshing and fun narrative, with insights into modern China and the expatriate experience, making for an enjoyably intriguing read.

Aloha,
Claudia

Deadline for contributing your post is Friday, July 31, 2020

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For the August/September edition, Debra (Eliot's Eats) has chosen Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (December 2019)

  

I am always on the lookout for a new Cook the Books suggestion. I was rambling through a book store recently and saw a table devoted solely to Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown. 

The blurb on the inside cover had me. This tale of two women in two different times (yet in the same house) had me. I figured that if the book had "recipe" in the title (and with at least one reference to meatloaf in the first few chapters), I decided I would choose Recipe for a Perfect Wife for my turn at hosting. 

From the publisher: 

In this captivating dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home’s previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman’s life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband–and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society.

Debra

Deadline for contributing your post is Wednesday, September 30, 2020

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To round up the list of selections, for the October/November edition Simona (briciole) picked the novel The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams (October 2017)

This book caught my attention first because of the words "book" and "scone" in the title, then because it revolves around a bookstore, whose owner, Nora, having once been healed by books, has chosen to do the same to other people. And finally, because it is a mystery.

Besides Nora, the society of the title includes three other women, quite different from each other, each with a secret to share, a story to tell. One of them is a baker, one with a special gift (which you will find out about when you read the novel). There are no recipes in the book, but food plays an important role and I hope the story will inspire you. 

Simona

Deadline for contributing your post: Monday, November 30, 2020.

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Remember that membership in our book club is open to anyone and we hope you will join us by reading these selections and creating inspired recipes. For more information about participating, click here.  

As always, specific announcement posts can be found at Cook the Books at the beginning of each two-month period and the current selection is always shown on the right side of the homepage.

To recap:

April/May: Hippie Food by Jonathan Kauffman (hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen)

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June/July: Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah (hosted by Claudia at Honey from Rock)

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August/September: Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (hosted by Debra at Eliot's Eats)

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October/November:The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams (hosted by Simona at briciole)

Happy reading and cooking!

Our August/September 2014 Selection: A Thousand Days in Venice

Ciao!  

A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance was one of those paperback novels that you pick up on those ubiquitous "Summer Reading" tables at the bookstore.  Call these "beach reads" or "fun reads," I typically don't expect a whole lot from this genre.   That being said, this "Summer Reading" table is where I was first introduced to Marlena di Blasi.

Di Blasi, a former chef from St. Louis, chronicles a solo trip to Venice, a trip in which she falls in love with the "The Floating City" and with a Venetian named Fernando.  She speaks a little bit of Italian.  He speaks less English. A Thousand Days follows her spontaneous decision to live life and share her heart with Fernando (“the stranger”),  immersing herself in the food, culture and people of Italy.  It is a love story between a man, a woman and a truly beautiful city.  Di Blasi also includes some authentic recipes such as Prugne Addormentate (Sleeping Pears), Pappa al Pomodoro, and Porcini Brasati con Moscato (Wild Mushrooms Braised in Late-Harvest Wine) to name a few.  In this very romantic memoir, she describes their exploration of the city, their developing romance, and the realization that they have both found their soul-mates.

I soon became an über fan.  A Thousand Days in Venice led me to the sequel, A Thousand Days in Tuscany, which led me to The Lady in the Palazzo, then to That Summer in Sicily, and finally Antonia and her Daughters.   (All of these books follow Marlena and Ferdinand as they explore Italy together.) She is also the author of two regional cookbooks:  Regional Foods of Northern Italy (a James Beard Foundation Award finalist) and Regional Foods of Southern Italy.

I am sure that re-reading A Thousand Days in Venice will spark me to pick up di Blasi's other books: Dolce e Salata (a book that falls between their adventures in Venice and Tuscany) and Amandine: A Novel.  

Di Blasi and Ferdinand currently reside in Orvieto, Italy.

Submissions for this round of CTB are due September 30, 2014.  Anyone can join in the Cook the Books fun by reading and blogging about the book and cooking up a dish inspired by its contents. Just contact me when your entry post is up by commenting on this post and/or sending me an email at eliotseats@gmail.com.

If you're new to Cook the Books, check out our About and Guidelines pages or leave a question in the comments here.   Please also check out some of the previous Round-Ups for examples of members' posts.

Arrivederci,

Debra (Eliot's Eats)

Postscript: I am also über excited to be hosting my first CTB selection as an official co-host, so I hope you all enjoy this selection and get inspired to make something romantic, decadent, and delicious.  

Cook The Books June/July 2014 Selection: "The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen" by Jacques Pépin

I was off-the-rock (aka Hawaii) and back for meetings in my old stomping grounds of Seattle in 2004, having dinner at the house of one of my favorite and coolest foodie friends and former co-worker. She had just finished The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin and offered up her copy, saying how much she liked it and how she thought I would enjoy it. Mary is the person who way-back-when introduced me to the perfection of crisp and bright green haricots verts (growing up at my house they were slightly mushy, olive-colored, and called green beans) and taught me the joys of creamed baby leeks and the swoon-worthy pairing of figs and dark chocolate. The week she moved to Seattle from San Francisco, she pulled a heavy pan and a container of aborio rice from her boxes and effortlessly stirred together a simple but amazing risotto (my first) while we drank wine and caught up in her mostly unpacked kitchen. Based on my experience, if it was food related and Mary said I was going to love it, it was pretty certain that I would.  

This proved true with The Apprentice. It's hard not to respect Jacques Pépin and be charmed by his warmth and amazed by the career he has had in his over half-century of cooking from his first apprenticeship in a restaurant at the age of 13. Now approaching the age of 79, Pépin is a prolific chef, teacher and author, writing over 20 cookbooks and hosting or co-hosting 13 different cooking shows over the years. In The Apprentice, Pépin, tells of growing up in France and working in his mother's kitchens, his time spent training and cooking in Paris, his move to the United States in 1959 and many stories of the kitchens and the people he worked with--including some of the greats like Craig Claiborne, Julia Child, and James Beard. 

Going through my stacks of hoarded books library, I came across my gifted copy and had the urge to re-read it and make it our June/July 2014 CTB selection. I hope you all find it as entertaining and engrossing as I do. (Hey, even Anthony Bourdain called it "an instant classic!"). I'm sure there will be plenty of cooking inspiration to be found with the inclusion of some of Pépin's favorite recipes in the book--not to mention the vast amount of recipes available in his plethora of cookbooks and online.

Submissions for this round of CTB are due Thursday, July 31, 2014. Anyone can join in the Cook the Books fun by reading and blogging about the book and cooking up a dish inspired by its contents. Let me know when your entry post is up by commenting on this post and/or sending me an email at: debinhawaii@gmail.com.

New to Cook the Books? Check out our About and Guidelines pages or leave a question in the comments on this post. 

Bon appétit! 

Our April/May 2014 Cook the Books Selection: Funny in Farsi

Hello Everyone! I am happy to make the formal announcement of our next Cook the Books pick: Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America, by Firoozeh Dumas. I have great affection for this book of autobiographical essays, since it made me repeatedly laugh out loud and bug my husband with constant interruptions so that I could read portions to him.

Dumas is a wonderful storyteller and her upbringing certainly was interesting. Born in Iran, she moved to Whittier, California with her family in 1972 when she was seven years old. Her father, Kazem, is a petroleum engineer and a constant source of amusement throughout the book. He's a bit of a dreamer, an enthusiast for American game shows, a constant dieter and someone who thoroughly baffled Albert Einstein when he had the chance to meet with him.

There is enough mention of Persian foods and Firoozeh's hilarious anecdotes about how her family encounters and experiences American ones to get us going in the kitchen, so I hope you will also enjoy this very  funny, but also touching, book as much as I have.

Submissions are due June 1, 2014. As always, anyone can join us in this round of Cook the Books buy reading and blogging about the book, including a dish that you have made which has been inspired by its contents. You can let me know that your post is up by posting a comment below or by sending me an email at: oldsaratogabooks AT gmail dot com.

-Rachel

P.S. Bon Appetit in Farsi : (befarma'id) بفرماييد (nooshe jan) نوش جان