The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Armed with little more than a notebook and a bottle of pomegranate molasses, and fueled by memories of her family's farm in the lush seaside province of Gilan, British-Iranian cook Yasmin Khan traversed Iran in search of the most delicious recipes. 

Her quest took her from the snowy mountains of Tabriz to the cosmopolitan cafés of Tehran and the pomegranate orchards of Isfahan, where she was welcomed into the homes of artists, farmers, electricians, and teachers. Through her travels, she gained a unique insight into the culinary secrets of the Persian kitchen, and the lives of ordinary Iranians today. 

In The Saffron Tales, Yasmin weaves together a tapestry of stories from Iranian home kitchens with exclusive photography and fragrant, modern recipes that are rooted in the rich tradition of Persian cooking. All fully accessible for the home cook, Yasmin's recipes range from the inimitable fesenjoon (chicken with walnuts and pomegranates) to kofte berenji (lamb meatballs stuffed with prunes and barberries) and ghalyieh maygoo (shrimp, coriander, and tamarind stew). She also offers a wealth of vegetarian dishes, including tahcheen (baked saffron and eggplant rice) and domaj (mixed herb, flatbread, and feta salad), as well as sumptuous desserts such as rose and almond cake, and sour cherry and dark chocolate cookies. 

With stunning photography from all corners of Iran and gorgeous recipe images, this lavish cookbook rejoices in the land, life, flavors, and food of an enigmatic and beautiful country.

My thoughts-

I am always on the look out for new Iranian recipes. My husband's parents are from Iran and he loves Persian food (as do I, and as do our children) so it's always nice to find new books with good recipes. Something I have never thought about is Iranian breakfast foods, so it was interesting to learn some new recipes. I can't wait to try a few out, particularly the baked eggs with spinach and sumac. There are many recipes throughout the book that I do recognize, but each a little different from the other times I have seen them elsewhere, something common in Persian cooking, each family will have their own little spin on things. I have my eye on several things to try to see how they compare to the recipes I have learned previously. The Saffron Tales is a great introduction to Persian cooking. I love the way it is set up by region. It includes so many beautiful pictures, both of colorful food and of the gorgeous land and people of Iran.