cover image Bitter & Sweet: Global Flavors from an Iranian-American Kitchen

Bitter & Sweet: Global Flavors from an Iranian-American Kitchen

Omid Roustaei. Weldon Owen, $35 (240p) ISBN 979-8-88674-183-4

“My mission has always been to make Iranian cuisine more inviting and accessible,” writes chef and culinary instructor Roustaei in his memorable debut. The vast selection of traditional fare includes pomegranate and cucumber salad as a starter, grilled lamb kebabs as a main, and rose rice pudding for dessert. Roustaei also has a gift for incorporating traditional Iranian flavors into dishes from other cultures, exemplified by his rhubarb and orange blossom scones, salmon with za’atar and herb sauce, and feta pesto served on a crispy baguette. He encourages home cooks to pay attention to their senses, describing numerous cues in the recipes that will help boost confidence for newcomers (“Let the stew simmer until the sauce... takes on a deep maroon color,” he advises for the chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce, for example). Lively anecdotes throughout outline Roustaei’s escape from Iran during the revolution and his subsequent move to Arizona, as well as his first days of cooking school and later the launch of his own cooking classes. This clear labor of love serves as both an excellent introduction and a nostalgic ode to Iranian cuisine. (Feb.)