There are many reasons why I love cookbooks, but here’s one of the most important: When I pick up a cookbook, I feel like I am meeting the author at their table, tasting their food, and understanding a little more about the way they see the world.
Take Naz Deravian, for example. Her gorgeous cookbook The Bottom of the Pot is far more than a collection of Persian recipes. It is the story of her family’s flight from Iran during the Revolution, and the nostalgia she feels for the home she knows she can never return to. Her poetic writing and beautiful recipes opened my eyes to a side of Iran that I would never have known otherwise.
This is why I love cookbooks. They are more than recipes. And goodness knows, now more than ever, we need ways to connect, we need diversity, and what better way than over a bowl of delicious food?
Every other week or so I will share a recipe from a cookbook I love. I won’t actually write out the recipe unless I made significant changes, for I want you to seek out the book and read about the recipe from the author’s own words. I guess you can see this more as a tribute to the cookbooks and recipes that inspire me daily.
Naturally, I’m starting with The Bottom of the Pot. I originally got this from the library and loved it so much that I kept it well past the due date (which is a big deal for a rule-follower like me).
There are still many recipes in the book that I have yet to try (so you will probably see it on here again), but I must begin by sharing this simple and comforting rice dish called Green Bean Rice (Loobia Polo). I’ve made it three times now and my entire family (including my toddlers) love it. It’s flavored with cinnamon, tomato paste, and lemon, and it is oh so comforting. It’s not vegetarian but the chicken is so good in this dish that it is one of a handful of non-vegetarian dishes that I still get excited about making these days (though I do plan on experimenting with vegetarian versions in the future).
Naz Deravian has a similar version of the dish on her website, which can be found here: http://bottomofthepot.com/a-green-beans-and-chicken-rice-with-lavash-tahdig-a-friday-night-loobia-polo/). It is not the same as the cookbook (the cookbook version is actually simpler). But this will give you a little preview before you run to your local library or bookstore to get the book (which I’m sure you will do immediately, right?)
Enjoy!
