Enter a World of Saffron, Rose Petals, and Family Stories
Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
By Naz Deravian
(Flatiron Books, September 2018)
In Bottom of the Pot, Naz Deravian, a Los Angeles-based writer and home cook, shares her world of saffron, rose petals, pistachios, dried limes, tamarind, memories, music, and poetry to introduce over 100 recipes. She describes the book as “a collection of recipes and stories from the past and present.”
Part of that past is Deravian’s own journey. She left Iran with her family when she was eight years old during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Over the following ten years, the family emigrated from Iran to Rome and then to Vancouver, carrying various keepsakes along with their family recipes.
The cookbook shares some of Deravian’s personal history together with recipes that are easily managed by home cooks. They use produce and herbs that are readily available here in the East Bay. I made an easy chicken dish with saffron, onions, garlic, and lemon over jasmine rice that paired well with a simple recipe for roasted okra with two dipping sauces, one made from tamarind and maple syrup and the other with yogurt and dill. Like other recipes in the book, both could be prepped and cooked quickly on a weeknight. Soups, stews, breads, sweets, and other dishes are tangy, flavorful, and satisfying. Many involve rice in various styles Deravian describes in the book.
Meet Naz Deravian in conversation with Cheryl Sternman Rule:
Saturday October 6, 3-4pm
Omnivore Books on Food
3885a Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco
Info: here
Edible East Bay’s book editor Kristina Sepetys is eager to share her ideas and book recommendations with
our readers.
