Time for some quarantine comfort baking – “emptying my cabinets” style. I found a can of organic pumpkin, so, since I also still have some confectioner’s sugar, baking project #1 – pumpkin challah cinnamon rolls. As with many of my favorite challah recipes, this one was from My Jewish Learning – The Nosher. I made…
Smoked Salmon and Rice – Mahi Polo
Of all my favorite food treats living in Oregon, I think the quality and variety of smoked salmon is about the top. From salmon candy, to all the different flavored smokes, to what I used here, a moist, smoked salmon stored in a jar, I have yet to work my way through them all. This…
Cumin Chicken & Rice (Morgh Zereh ba Berenj)
Talk about comfort food! And memories of my mother! Another mash-up of my husband’s and my backgrounds. I set out to make a chicken and rice dish with a bit more flavor by adding a good bit of cumin along with turmeric, and bay leaves. When I went to the store today, I was able…
Baklava experiment
In my quest to combine Pacific Northwest foods with Persian foods, I decided to jump into making one of the foods that has always intimidated me – baklava. Not just any baklava, but I wanted to experiment with using hazelnuts and walnuts. Not only that, but I decided to bring my love for orange juice-based…
Persian Rice with Cabbage and Lentils (Kalam Polo ba Adas)
Cabbage, lentils and tomato lie at the heart of vegetarian comfort food. And I do love cabbage. It gets a bad rap, but it is so versatile. Cabbage can be stir fried, braised, stuffed, pickled, or, as I even like to munch on it, eaten raw. And lentils, I hated lentils as a child. They…
Sumac and Honey Hazelnuts
I found a great place to buy hazelnuts on my way to Salem. I buy nuts in the shell; I find shelling the nuts to be a very “Zen” activity. I typically do about 2 cups of nut meats at a time; that way not too many have been opened, so they stay fresh. I…
Qormeh Sabzi – even healthier!
The first Persian dish I fell in love with was Qormeh Sabzi – a vibrant green stew of herbs with kidney beans and served with or without meat. I have posted both beef and chicken versions before. But now that I am in Portland, we have access to local fresh greens all winter. The kale…
Persian Shrimp with Rice
One of the main differences between the Persian Moslem diet and a Kosher diet is that Moslems eat shrimp. So, here is a recipe for a simple shrimp and rice dish – Persian-style. My son is a shrimp fiend, it is a toss up between salmon and shrimp as to which is his favorite protein. …
Chicken Stew with Apples and Dried Apricots (Khoresh-e Morgh ba Seeb o Zardaloo)
Monday was the festival Tu b’Shvat or New Year for the Trees. It is a Jewish tradition to eat tree fruits on Tu b’Shvat, particularly grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, but other tree fruits are eaten as well. What tree fruit says Pacific Northwest if not apples? I had read that apple stew was a…
Steelhead Trout with Pomegranate Salsa
I have truly fallen in love with steelhead trout. It was hard to top my love affair with salmon, but this quintessential Pacific Northwest Fish has won me over. But, never fear, this dish will work just as well with salmon, if that is your preference. This dish was inspired by Baked Salmon with Walnuts…
