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!

24 of 24 found the following review helpful:

A perfect choice for those who eat with their eyes  Apr 09, 2000

The food of Iran is rich and varied and embraces some of the most sophisticated dishes to be found anywhere. This beautifully produced cookbook provides recipes for a wide range of mouthwatering creations for every occasion, from quick appetizers and snacks to slowly cooked, robust stews and exotic desserts. Readers may find some of the ingredients called for, such as angelica, barberries, unripe grape powder, sahlab, and quince blossoms, hard to find, but most staples are readily available at Middle Eastern groceries and well stocked supermarkets. There is much pleasure to be derived from merely looking at the stunning illustrations, which is reason enough to want to own this book.

I also wish to recommend "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen," by Sonia Uvezian. This is a cookbook unlike any other and indispensable reading for lovers of Middle Eastern cuisine.

16 of 16 found the following review helpful:

Amazing book authentic flavours  Jun 27, 2006
By Cheshire Cat "Cat"
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.

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Best Cook Book Around  Aug 10, 1999
By agarcia@crl.ucsd.edu
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!!!

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