We consume a lot of eggs, eggplants, olives, plenty of fresh garlic, onions, walnuts, Pomegranate sauce, mixed herbs; not much of red meat! Most sauces- like other Persian dishes- must be cooked at least for one or two hours, low and slow. This doesn’t mean you need to stand there for the whole time. You can fill in the gap between steps with other chores. However, the Non- sauce dishes are quick and easy to make around 30 minutes or so. Traditionally we don’t serve salad on our spreads or tables! What????
Instead, based on the main dish being served and in order to enhance its flavor, we bring few vegetables and herbs in small plates to the “Spread” or table. This deconstructed salad makes it possible for each person to choose how much of what to eat.

See book for the complete list of these food enhancers side dishes! Our most common spices: turmeric and black pepper, a little cinnamon with fatty dishes and off course Saffron with many rice dishes and few other recipes. It is the preparation and combination of those few ingredients that make our dishes mouthwatering delicious. In fact, we use our spices and condiments (cilantro and cardamom, Nigella seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, rose or orange blossom water etc.,) in pickles, sweets, pastry and deserts. If you were looking for extra delicious foods with only few ingredients but big bold flavors, don’t look further, you’ll have them in this book. You don’t need to travel to Iran to taste Food from Northern Iran.