Shopping for Fresh Ingredients
Today I shopped for the fresh ingredients for my 'Children of Heaven' Iranian dinner. Since I didn't need anything exotic, I figured I could just do my shopping at Safeway. There's a brand new branch on the north end of town, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to see what they'd done with the place. But the parking lot was so jam packed that I could only imagine what a mob there must be inside, so I opted to save the sightseeing for later and shop at the old one near my house instead. Being the last weekend before Thanksgiving, I expected it to be thronged with shoppers gathering all the ingredients for their Thanksgiving dinners, but the store was nearly empty when we arrived. I guess everyone was shopping at the shiny new one uptown.

I quickly and easily found everything I needed for my Iranian dinner, and while I was there, I did all my Thanksgiving shopping as well. So, as far as the ingredients are concerned, it looks like I'm all set for spending the whole week in the kitchen making not one, but two elaborate feasts.
01:34 PM PST Permalink |

A Cooking Lesson
Some days are just more fun than others, and today was definitely one of them. At about 4:30 in the afternoon, I went down to Small World, a little falafel restaurant in downtown Napa, just a few blocks from my house. The owner, my friend Michael Alimusa, had promised to teach me how to make baklava, quite possibly the world's most sticky-sweet and sinfully delicious dessert. Michael makes a honey-golden baklava that will melt-in-your-mouth and turn your knees to water.

All you baklava lovers out there know exactly what I'm talking about, and your mouths are probably already watering as you picture yourselves wrapping your lips around a piece of its flaky perfection. For those of you poor souls who have never had the guilty pleasure...alas, you have no idea what little squares of heaven you're missing. Of course, all you chocolate lovers out there are probably growling and shaking your heads in disagreement, and no doubt, you far outnumber us baklavian non-conformists, but I'd gladly trade a single square of Michael Alimusa's baklava for a whole box of Godiva.

When I arrived at Small World, Michael was just closing up for the day, and we had the whole place to ourselves. We headed back to his tiny kitchen, where he had all the ingredients waiting: a box of ready-made phylo dough, a large bag of almonds, a half pound of butter, a shaker of ground cinnamon, a canister of sugar, and a jar of honey. I took notes as he ground up the almonds in a food processor, mixed them with sugar and cinnamon, and lined a large baking sheet with thin layers of phylo dough, drizzling generous amounts of melted butter on each one. About halfway through, he spread the almond mixture over the pan, topped it with several more layers of phylo dough and sealed the whole thing with the rest of the melted butter. Next, he precut the unbaked baklava into uniform squares, and then made a thin, golden syrup from honey, sugar, lemon juice and water.

While the baklava baked in the oven, we sat down at one of the tables in the empty restaurant for a glass of wine and a chat. Twenty minutes later, we went back to the kitchen, where Michael retrieved a perfect batch of his flaky, golden baklava from the oven. While it was still hot, he spooned a generous portion of the honey syrup over each square, back and forth, and then up and down in the other direction, making sure each square was fully saturated.

While the baklava cooled and soaked up all that honey-sweetness, we returned to our table to catch up on all the local gossip. By seven o'clock the baklava was cool enough to transport in my car. And knowing that Michael would refuse to let me pay him for his time and the cost of the ingredients, I presented him with some pretty gifts for his two darling baby daughters. How could he say no. :>)

After a brief stop at home, I headed to Rene's house for the night, with a whole tray of still-warm, nearly irresistible baklava in hand. However, Michael had warned me that the baklava should be left to sit overnight to soak up the remaining syrup, and wouldn't be ready to eat until the morning. It took all the willpower I could muster to resist devouring the whole thing at once. Rene took a picture of it for my 'Children of Heaven' photo essay, and for dessert, we enjoyed a jicama-orange salad instead. It was crunchy-sweet and delightful...but it wasn't baklava.

I'm definitely going to have a taste of it first thing tomorrow, but I have vowed to leave enough to enjoy for dessert after my 'Children of Heaven' Iranian dinner.
07:02 PM PST Permalink |

Taking Photos of My Children of Heaven Iranian Dinner
My 'Children of Heaven' Iranian Dinner & a Movie will be taking place on a Monday evening just before Thanksgiving. It's a school night for Will, so he will not be in attendance. Last month, we used Rene's digital camera to take photos of my Taiwanese dinner, with very pleasing results. I now have the software for it installed on my computer, so I can download the photos directly, without having to ask Rene to be the middle-man. For some reason, the results always turn out better when Rene is the photographer.
12:23 AM PST Permalink |

What to Wear
The most recognizable Iranian garment for women is the black chador cloak that covers the body down to the wrists and ankles, with a roosari scarf to cover the hair. Of course, this is just for street wear, not at-home wear. According to my Iranian friend Ali, at home, Iranian women wear ordinary clothes, such as skirts and blouses or even jeans and t-shirts. So, for my Children of Heaven Dinner & a Movie, I will be dressing cool and comfortable for the kitchen, and in something elegant and basic black for dinner.

Traditional Persian Garments

Much that is known of traditional Persian garments comes from the renowned miniature paintings of the Timurid and Safavid dynasties from the 14th through 19th centuries. These delicately detailed works of art depicted the styles and textile design of the times, including brilliant colors, metallic threads, rich brocades, silks and velvets.

The traditional Persian robe for both men and women consisted of three or four layers, including a slip, an underdress, an overdress, an outer robe, and a veil or turban. The slip was rarely visible, and the underdress and overdress came in two styles. Both featured long sleeves, with buttoned keyhole neckline for the underdress, and a v-neck worn open to a gathered waistline on the overdress. The outer robe was a simple, long, loose garment with either a short, scalloped sleeve, or a near floor-length sleeve, and three necklines, including a collarless style, a short, standing collar, or a large flat embroidered collar that draped over the shoulders. Headwear included turbans for men, and for women, simple shoulder-length veils, topped with a small white cap, or a circlet draped with pearls.
11:28 AM PST Permalink |

The History and Culture of Iran
Iran is located in southwest Asia, with coastlines on the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea. It shares borders with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, Iraq and Turkey to the west. The terrain of Iran is rugged, with high mountain ranges around its perimeter, a central basin made up of deserts and mountains, and low-lying plains along its coasts. Iran's highest peak is Qolleh-ye Damavand at 18,605 feet (5,671 meters).

The climate of Iran is arid, with subtropical regions along its coasts. It has many seasonal variations in climate, especially in the northwest, where winters are very cold with heavy snowfall, mild temperatures in the spring and fall, and summer temperatures of more than 100 degrees (40 C). Droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms and earthquakes are common, especially along its western border and in the northeast.

Iran's arable land totals only 10 percent, while pastureland makes up 27 percent of its geography. Its natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur.

Iran is divided into 28 provinces: Tehran, Qom, Markazi, Qazvin, Gilan, Ardabil, Zanjan, East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Kordestan, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari, Kohkiluyeh and Buyer Ahmad, Bushehr, Fars, Hormozgan, Sistan and Baluchistan, Kerman, Yazd, Esfahan, Semnan, Mazandaran, Golestan, and Khorasan.

People

With a population of nearly 70 million, Iran's ethnically diverse groups include Persians, Azeri-Turks, Kurds, Turkmen, Baluchi, Qashqai, Bakhtiari, Arab, Jewish, Armenian, and Assyrian. Many of these groups are assimilated into the urban areas, while others have remained tribal societies. Many have their own language, culture, religion and literature.

Religion

Most Iranians are Muslims, with 89 percent belonging to the Shi'a branch of Islam, the official state religion. Another 10 percent belong to the Sunni branch, which is predominant in neighboring Muslim countries. Iran's religious minorities, which make up less than two percent of the population, include Zoroastrians, Jews, Baha'is, and Christians.

Language

The official language of Iran is Persian, also known as Farsi, Parsi, Tajiki or Dari, which is also spoken in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian (Aryan) branch of the Indo-European language family, and there are over 75 million native speakers. Other languages and dialects include Turkic, Kurdish, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, and Turkish. Modern Persian uses a modified version of the Arabic alphabet, adopted approximately 150 years after Persia converted to Islam. It should also be noted that Persian and Arabic are distinctly different languages from different linguistic families, with different phonology and grammar. There are many loanwords in the Persian language, mostly coming from Arabic, English, French, and Turkic languages.

English words that originated from the Persian language include: bazaar, caravan, caviar, checkmate, divan, jackal, khaki, kiosk, kismet, orange, pajama, pistachio, shawl, spinach, sugar, turban, and zirconium.

Literature

The Shahnama (Book of Kings), is the most famous classical epic of Iran. It is a compilation of the history of the kings and heroes of Iran from mythical times down to the reign of Khosrau II (590-628 A.D.), and includes the story of the overthrow of the Sassanids by the Arabs in the middle of the 7th century A.D. The poet Daqiqi of the Saminid court was the first to compose the Shahnama in verse form. However he died after completing only 1000 verses. The work was later continued by Ferdowsi, and in its finshed form, contains over 55,000 couplets, which have been read by the Persian people for more than a thousand years. And alhough it was composed over 1000 years ago, this work is still intelligible to the average, modern Iranian reader.

The ghazal, which literally means 'speaking with women', is another Persian poetic form consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain. Originating in the 10th century, ghazals were written by Persian poets and mystics, including Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi in the 13th century, Hafez in the 14th century, Turkish poet Fuzuli, in the 16th century, Mirza Ghalib in the 18th century and Muhammad Iqbal in the 19th century. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe popularized the ghazal in Germany in the 19th century, and the Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali produced a volume called Real Ghazals in English. The ghazal is still a common form of lyrical poetry in modern day Pakistan and India.

Mythology

Persian mythology is based upon The Avesta, a collection of ancient Zoroastrian sacred religious texts composed in the Avestan language, closely related to Sanskrit, the sacred language of Hinduism. The Avestas were composed over a period of several centuries, the oldest of which are the Gathas hymns, believed to have been written by Zoroaster himself. The original text of the Avesta was destroyed by the Persian invasion of Alexander the Great, and only a fraction of it has since been rewritten from memory by Zoroastrian priests.

Cuisine

Iranian food features a rich variety of ingredients and spices. The primary ingredients include lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, goat cheese, lentils, beans, chickpeas, potatoes, rice, peppers, eggplants, spinach, grape leaves, tomatoes, okra, carrots, onions, lemons, limes, oranges, apples, cherries, rose water, raisins, dates, pomegranates, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. Herbs include parsley, coriander, mint, dill, garlic stalks, black pepper, turmeric, fenugreek, saffron, sumac, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Preparation techniques include Kababs and other grilled meats, stuffed vegetables called Dolmeh, Khoresht stews served with various rice dishes called Polow, pickled vegetables called Torshi, and a tempting variety of pastries and other sweets.

Calendar

Iran uses a solar calendar with a system of leap years, much like the Gregorian calendar with 365.2424 days, but much more accurate and complicated with regard to leap years. The Persian solar calendar was developed in the 11th century by a group of scientists, including Omar Khayyam, also known for his poem, The Rubiyat. The calendar year begins at midnight on the spring equinox, when the sun enters the northern hemisphere. The calendar is 12 months long, with first six months at 31 days each, the next five are 30 days, and the last month has 29 days (30 days in leap years). To compensate for temporal descrepancies, after every seven four-year leap years, the Persian solar calendar observes a five-year leap year.

The names of the Persian months are Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad, Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar, Mehr, Aban, Azar, Dey, Bahman, and Esfand. The vernal equinox, the first day of the calendar year and one of the most important Iranian holidays, is called Norouz, which means New Day.

Traditional Persian Garments

Much that is known of traditional Persian garments comes from the renowned miniature paintings of the Timurid and Safavid dynasties from the 14th through 19th centuries. These delicately detailed works of art depicted the styles and textile design of the times, including brilliant colors, metallic threads, rich brocades, silks and velvets.

The traditional Persian robe for both men and women consisted of three or four layers, including a slip, an underdress, an overdress, an outer robe, and a veil or turban. The slip was rarely visible, and the underdress and overdress came in two styles. Both featured long sleeves, with buttoned keyhole neckline for the underdress, and a v-neck worn open to a gathered waistline on the overdress. The outer robe was a simple, long, loose garment with either a short, scalloped sleeve, or a near floor-length sleeve, and three necklines, including a collarless style, a short, standing collar, or a large flat embroidered collar that draped over the shoulders. Headwear included turbans for men, and for women, simple shoulder-length veils, topped with a small white cap, or a circlet draped with pearls.

To be continued...I'm still composing the history section, so check back in a few days.

12:11 AM PST Permalink |

A Little Background Info on Children of Heaven
'Children of Heaven' is one of the most endearing films I've ever seen. Rene rented it from our local video store a couple of years ago. He is an avid film lover and often arrives with a video for us to curl up and watch after hours, when we've both finished our tasks for the day. His tastes run the gamut, from animation, (his favorite), to action, romantic comedy, mystery thriller, and even the occasional indie or foreign title. I never know what he will bring next.

Written and directed by Majid Majidi, this Oscar-nominated bijou captured the hearts of audiences at film-festivals all over the world. Known in the Persian language as Bacheha-Ye Asemanas, the story centers around two Iranian children, Ali and Zahra, a brother and sister from a financially struggling family. When the boy loses his sister's only pair of shoes, they must secretly share his until he finds a way to get a new pair for her. Amid the plight and pathos of their predicament, Children of Heaven offers a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of a culture that many perceive as mysterious or forbidden, yet still conveys the message that the travails and triumphs of children and families from any culture are often more alike than different.

I've seen Children of Heaven twice... Can't wait to watch it again.
11:40 AM PST Permalink |

Designing a Table Setting
Middle Eastern culture is both mysterious and exotic, and the mention of Persia conjures up images of rich tapestries and carpets, colorful tile mosaics, arabesque motifs, and polished brass. For this month's 'Children of Heaven' Dinner & a Movie, I'm hoping to capture that same feeling with my table setting. I already have several pieces that I think will suit the occasion, but I'm definitely going to go snooping about in our local thrift and antique shops for a few more items to achieve the full effect.
12:10 AM PST Permalink |

About the Fresh Ingredients
The ingredients for my 'Children of Heaven' Iranian dinner include lamb steaks or filets, ground beef, chicken breasts, yogurt, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, scallions, cherries, parsley, and dill. So, because of the delicacy of these herbs and the fresh vegetables, and meats, I will once again be shopping as near to the day of the dinner as possible. I just hope I don't run into a jam at the supermarket as hundreds of frenzied shoppers gather ingredients for their Thanksgiving dinners.

With my limited knowledge of Iranian cuisine, I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by the seemingly endless variety of dishes that can be made with a basic suite of ingredients. They all seem to call for the same basic things, which are then combined and assembled in different ways to produce each unique dish. So, I looked over my recipes once more before heading to the market for my fresh ingredients. I'm sure that once I get started preparing each dish, It will all fall into place and I'll be right at home in my kitchen as usual.
12:04 AM PST Permalink |

Beverages to Go With My 'Children of Heaven' Iranian Dinner
I always like to serve a good wine or beer with special dinners, and my 'Children of Heaven' Iranian dinner is no exception. Although all alcoholic beverages have been banned in Iran since the revolution of 1979, in which the Shah was deposed and the Ayatollah rose to power. However, some of the earliest historical records of wine production and consumption, dating back as far a 6000 B.C, were found around the Caspian Sea and in Mesopotamia, near present-day Iran.

An ancient legend tells the tale of a Persian princess who inadvertantly discovered wine. In a state of anguish over a dispute with her father, the king, she attempted to poison herself with grapes she believed had spoiled while stored in an earthenware jar. Instead, she became intoxicated and soon fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke the next morning, she remembered the euphoria she'd experienced the night before, and returned to the jar for a second helping of this newfound elixir. Thereafter, her disposition improved so dramatically that the dispute with the king was forgiven and the gift of wine was introduced to his royal court.

With my Iranian dinner, I will probably serve a full-bodied Chardonnay, and perhaps a red wine such as Cabernet, Merlot, or my favorite... a nice rosy Pinot Noir.
12:28 AM PST Permalink |

Tracking Down Exotic Ingredients
Finding Middle Eastern ingredients is definitely a challenge in a small town like Napa, California. There are plenty of ethnic grocers in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it would require at least an hour's drive to get to any of them. I've researched online sources and found a couple of possibilities, such as IranStore.com and ParthenonFoods.com, I've also deliberately chosen some alternative recipes that don't call for too many esoteric ingredients.

Some of the recipes my friend Ali Rafiee recommended call for things like dried limes, pomegranate paste, reshteh noodles, and kashk, a thick whey, which is a dairy product that I assumed would have to be purchased fairly close to the day of the dinner. And since my 'Children of Heaven' Dinner & a Movie will happen so close to the busy Thanksgiving holiday, I didn't see myself driving into the city in search of exotic ingredients. Besides, the recipes with readily available ingredients sound just as tasty. As with any ethnic cuisine, it's always the way in which the ingredients are combined and prepared that give a dish its unique qualities.

I can buy saffron at Cost Plus here in Napa, and Chick Pea Flour should be available at our local heath food store. Tumeric and cardamom I already have, leftover from my Indian curry dinner last August. For the Aash-e Reshteh soup and the Gormeh Sabzi, on his visit to his favorite Persian market next week, Ali has generously offered to pick up a package of Reshteh noodles and some Kashk, which he says comes in a jar like mayonnaise and will keep until time to use it. In the event that he is unable to do so, I have chosen an alternative soup called Aash-e Gojeh Farangi, which calls for simple ingredients that I can buy locally.

12:01 AM PST Permalink |

A List of Ingredients for My 'Children of Heaven' Iranian Dinner

Specialty Ingredients:

Basmati Rice, Cinnamon, Dill, Pita Bread

Fresh Ingredients:

Lamb, Ground Beef, Chicken Breasts, Cucumber, Spinach, Lemons, Yogurt, Garlic, Parsley, Dill, Scallions, Lentils, Tomato Sauce, Onions, Green Pepper, Cherries

Basics:

Cooking Oil, Salt, Pepper, Eggs, Butter

11:16 AM PST Permalink |

Deciding on the Dishes for My 'Children of Heaven' Iranian Dinner

Appetizer: Koofteh Sabzi and Pita Bread
Salad: Maast-o-Khiar
Main Course: Shish Kebabs, Albaloo Polow, and Borani Esfanaaj
Dessert: Baagh-lava

12:20 AM PST Permalink |

Designing the Menu
I've done all the recipe research for my 'Children of Heaven' Iranian dinner and have decided upon a couple of finger food appetizers, a hearty meat and tomato soup, a yogurt salad, shish kebabs, a savory chicken mushroom stew, a spinach side dish, spiced lentils, a crispy rice casserole, pita bread and baagh-lava.
12:52 AM PST Permalink |

Planning My 'Children of Heaven' Iranian Dinner
In looking over the recipes I've found on the Internet, I've discovered that all of the dishes I discussed with Ali last week are among them. So, whether I use the cookbook A Taste of Persia, or make the dishes using the Internet recipes, I am now familiar with Iranian cuisine and have a basic game plan for what I want to make. I'm going to follow the standard format of Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Main Course with vegetable and starch side dishes, and a dessert, which I will serve in sequential courses.
12:07 AM PST Permalink |

Getting Acquainted with Iranian Cuisine
Iranian food features a rich variety of ingredients and spices. The primary ingredients include lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, goat cheese, lentils, beans, chickpeas, potatoes, rice, peppers, eggplants, spinach, grape leaves, tomatoes, okra, carrots, onions, lemons, limes, oranges, apples, cherries, rose water, raisins, dates, pomegranates, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. Herbs include parsley, coriander, mint, dill, garlic stalks, black pepper, turmeric, fenugreek, saffron, sumac, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Preparation techniques include Kababs and other grilled meats, stuffed vegetables called Dolmeh, Khoresht stews served with various rice dishes called Polow, pickled vegetables called Torshi, and a tempting variety of pastries and other sweets.

ThingsAsian writer Habeeb Salloum has contributed an article with an excellent overview of Iranian cuisine: The Tasty Foods of Iran - Enshrined in the Aura of History.

01:16 AM PST Permalink |