Food of Life: A Book of Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies

This has become the most consulted cookbook in our household. My Iranian partner loves to cook and he regularly spoils our guests with beautiful Persian dishes overwhelming them with the variety of colours and flavours of his home country. The beauty of Iranian food is in the diversity of flavours. Fresh herbs, aka sabzi are served with most meals. The ways of cooking eggplant are stupendous and once you serve the eggplant dip to your friends or enjoy a fresh herb kuku - an omelette made with an amazing amount of fresh herbs you will wonder why you haven't always eaten persian food. Iranian cooks don't use djheera, chiles or other spices often used in Middle Eastern/Arabian food - ie if you own books on Moroccan/Lebanese/Egyptian, Israeli/Turkish/Greek cuisine some of which are closely related buying this book will add a totally new dimension to your collection, with few overlapping recipes. Iranian food is not hot the spices bring out aspects of the single dish components that will wow you. Saffron is used a lot and fresh herbs find their way into everything, I recommend you plant your own if you plan on cooking a lot of Iranian food. This exquisite book celebrates Iranian culture and food, it contains many recipes, beautiful pictures and information on ceremonies, poems and lists of herbs and vegetables, listing both the farsi and English names, which is helpful when seeking ingredients. There is only one problem - the times given to prepare the meals are generally wildly optimistic, ie where the author states 40 min preparation time, you will need A LOT MORE, but then cooking Iranian food the Iranian way (my partner makes 5 different dishes when we have one couple over.........) is time consuming and not for the hurried, ie tie your apron and prepare to relax in the kitchen.

I am an American who loves many kinds of ethnic cuisine. When I married my husband (who is from Iran), we received this book as a wedding gift. The first dish I made was the fresh herb stew, which is my husband's favorite. He was so delighted with how it turned out, he said, "It tastes very much like what my Mom used to make!"The directions for each recipe are clearly written. There are beautiful pictures, interesting tidbits and cultural info scattered throughout. It is THE book I turn to when we have Persian gatherings at our house, not only for the recipes but also for learning about the culture.I have made many of the recipes in this book and they have all turned out wonderful. I recently made Halva (saffron brownie) which is served in memorial of the passing of a loved one. Our guests could not believe the American wife could make great tasting Halva! Many of the Persian wives either don't know how to make it well or say it's too difficult to bother with. Thanks to the author for helping me to impress our guests!

I consider this book as one of the best cookbooks of all time, and let me just say that I have read a lot of cookbooks in my day. Its recipes, photos, stories and passion for cooking make it an outstanding work. The author knows what she is talking about and mixes her know-how with a love for food and culture. Not only does one learn how to make a meal but also how to enjoy it and where it comes from. There is nothing phony or forced about this cookbook. It is mouthwatering to read and allows me to make mouthwatering dishes for my family and my friends. Kudos! And I think everyone should have a copy and give one out as a gift. I received this book as a gift and cannot think of a better present. It's a door into a whole new world. Thank You.

I was first introduced to Iranian cooking in college while living with an Iranian roommate and fell in love with Persian cuisine. Every dish I have prepared out of New Food of Life has become a favorite in my repertoire of recipes. Many recipes are time-consuming, but well worth the effort, similar to the philosophy of French cooking. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good food and loves cooking. This book is also filled with beautiful photographs, artwork and interesting information about Iranian culture and traditions (esp the last section of the book, which details traditional ceremonies and holidays), which also makes this a nice reference for people interested in Iran's rich culture and history. This is one of my favorite cookbooks. Highly recommended.

This is the best cookbook I own. Its layout is clear and simple. The recipies are easy to understand and clearly written. It is the most complete book I've ever seen. New food of life explains how to prepare fresh spice mixtures for it's own dishes, includes variants for different ways of preparing each dish, contains nice photos which help for presentation ideas, contains conversion tables for ovens, weights and measures as well as historical notes and even a list of Persian markets in the US. This is easily one of the most valuable cookbooks you will ever buy. It's definitely worth the money!!!