Introduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 4 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Getting Started with Persian Cooking 7 Chapter 1: Exploring Persian Culture through Food 9 Going Back to the Beginning 10 Having some give and take with China, India, and Turkey 10 Seeing how the Arabs introduced Persian food to North Africa and Europe 11 Identifying the influence of Islamic dietary restrictions 12 Recognizing the similarities and differences from region to region 12 Understanding the philosophy behind Persian cooking 13 Eating Persian-Style 13 Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade 15 Pots and Pans 15 Nonstick pot 15 Braiser 16 Saucepan with lid 17 Wide skillet 17 Crêpe pan 17 Roasting pan 17 Sheet pan 17 Knives and Other Cutting Tools 18 Other Miscellaneous Tools 19 Kitchen Appliances 20 Chapter 3: Shopping for Essential Ingredients 23 Meat, Poultry, and Fish 24 Lamb 24 Chicken 24 Fish 24 Dairy and Eggs 25 Milk 25 Yogurt 25 Kashk 25 Cheese 26 Eggs 26 Produce 26 Fruits 26 Vegetables 27 Herbs 27 Fats 27 Pantry Items 28 Flour 28 Rice 28 Noodles 29 Legumes 29 Tomato and tamarind pastes 29 Molasses 30 Nuts 30 Pickles and preserves 30 Canned goods 30 Aromatics 30 Tea and coffee 31 Flavorings and Garnishes 31 Spices 31 Sugar 32 Vinegar 32 Verjuice 32 Edible leaves and flowers 33 Part 2: Getting Comfortable in the Kitchen 35 Chapter 4: Common Persian Kitchen Techniques 37 Peeling Away the Unappealing Parts 38 Tomatoes 38 Butternut squash 39 Eggplants 40 Ginger and garlic 40 Cutting Vegetables Like a Pro 41 Washing and Drying Fresh Herbs 43 Cleaning and Washing Barberries 43 Caramelizing Ingredients for Flavor 44 Orange peel 45 Barberries 45 Onions 46 Toasting Nuts and Noodles 46 Nuts 46 Noodles 47 Frying Onions 47 Making a Mint Garnish 48 Removing Bitterness 49 Eggplants 49 Orange peel 50 Seeding and Juicing Pomegranates 50 Seeding a pomegranate 50 Juicing a pomegranate 51 Soaking Ingredients to Remove Impurities and for Tenderness 52 Legumes 52 Persian shallots 52 Dried herbs 53 Dried Persian limes 54 Making Kabobs Sizzle 55 Smoking Vegetables 56 Eggplants 57 Butternut squash 57 Making and Using Ghee 58 Making Panir 58 Making and Thickening Yogurt 59 Making yogurt 59 Thickening store-bought yogurt 60 Making kashk 61 Chapter 5: Using Staple Ingredients in Persian Dishes 63 Adjusting Seasoning to Taste 63 Understanding the Five Basic Tastes 64 Digging into Common Ingredients in Persian Cooking 65 Barberries 65 Bitter oranges 66 Date molasses 66 Dried fruits 66 Garlic 66 Ginger 67 Grape molasses 67 Grapes (unripe) 67 Herbs (fresh or dried) 67 Limes (fresh and dried) 68 Onions 68 Pomegranate molasses 68 Sumac 68 Tamarind 68 Tomatoes (fresh, canned, or paste) 69 Vinegar 69 Verjuice 69 Chapter 6: Delicately Spicing the Persian Way 71 Blooming Saffron 71 Making Your Own Advieh (Persian Spice Mix) 73 Cooking with Persian Hogweed 74 Grinding and Toasting Spices 75 Chapter 7: Bringing It All Together in a Persian Meal 77 Sampling Several Persian Menus, for Every Occasion 78 A weeknight dinner 78 A party for guests 80 Jazzing Up the Look of Your Dishes 82 Part 3: Appetizers and First Courses 83 Chapter 8: Healthy Yogurt Vegetable Dishes, Salads, and Sides 85 Chapter 9: Egg-xotic Egg Dishes 99 Chapter 10: Fill ''er Up! Stuffed Vegetables 111 Chapter 11: Warm and Hearty Soups and Porridge 121 Part 4: Main Courses 135 Chapter 12: Rice Is a Very Nice Dish 137 Choosing the Right Type of Rice 137 Washing the Rice 138 Choosing the Right Pot 139 Cooking the Rice 139 Chapter 13: Practicing Patience for Braises 163 Chapter 14: Sticking It to Kabobs and Roasts 181 Chapter 15: Savoring Meatballs, Patties, and Casseroles 195 Chapter 16: Fixing Fish Entrees 207 Part 5: Side Dishes, Desserts, and Other Delights 217 Chapter 17: Pickles and Preserves 219 Chapter 18: Pastries, Sweets, and Candies 233 Chapter 19: Delicious Desserts 247 Chapter 20: Breads and Street Food 257 Chapter 21: Thirst-Quenching Beverages 269 Part 6: The Part of Tens 277 Chapter 22: Ten (or So) Time-Saving Tips for the Kitchen 279 Figure Out the Proper Prep Order 279 Wash and Chop Herbs 280 Clean and Wash Barberries 280 Soak Legumes 281 Peel Garlic 281 Cook Crispy Fried Onions in Batches 281 Store Your Spices Efficiently 281 Choose the Right Size Pan and Use a Lid 282 Use a Rice Cooker, Multicooker, Food Processor, and Electric Mixer 282 Chapter 23: Ten Myths about Persian Cooking 283 Persian Food Is Different from Iranian Food 283 Persian Cooking Doesn''t Fit with Modern Cooking Practices 284 Persian Food Is Only Kabobs 284 Persian Food Is Unhealthy 284 Persian Food Is Fattening 284 Persian Food Doesn''t Look Good 285 Persian Food Takes Too Long to Cook 285 Persian Food Is Too Complicated to Make 285 Persian Food Is Expensive to Make 285 Persian Restaurants Represent Persian Cooking 285 Chapter 24: Ten Tips on Persian Table Manners 287 Eat with a Spoon and Maybe a Fork (not a Knife) 287 Use Your Hands, Especially with Bone-in Kabobs 288 Use a Serving Utensil to Pick Up Food from a Communal Plate 288 Don''t Double-Dip 288 Don''t Load Up Your plate 289 Show Appreciation to Your Host 289 If You Are the Host, Welcome Each Guest Individually and with Respect 289 Be Grateful to Your Host 289 Wash Your Hands 290 Don''t Leave Too Early or Too Late 290 Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 291 Index 295.