Publication Date: October 24, 2023
It’s a story of food across borders – how, like us, it evolves, assimilates, and sometimes transforms completely
Maman and Me – Introduction
What to Expect from this Cookbook
This cookbook has a wonderful collection of recipes from an Iranian-American mother and daughter with food that represents their family, experiences, history, and cultures. It’s a story of immigration and family expressed through food. That’s what makes this book unique! Roya’s and Gita’s love for food is apparent on every page, in every recipe, in every photo, and in every story.
Some of these recipes are still very much Iranian, and some have been adapted to create something new; sometimes there’s an Iranian twist on an American dish and sometimes an American twist on an Iranian dish. For instance, there’s the typical American french toast to which cardamom and orange are added, and a beautiful salmon topped with a very American ranch ressing tweaked with saffron and turmeric! Then there are sambusas made with wonton wrappers. Who doesn’t love a trick to simplify a recipe and save time?
There are some specialized ingredients that might need to be sourced in Southwest Asian grocery stores or online. The book has suggestions for online sources. However, most of the ingredients you can find at your local grocery.
The Recipes are broken down into the following sections:
- Breakfast
- Mazzeh: Snacks and Sides
- Salads and Soups
- Rice and Pilafs
- Main Dishes and Stews
- Drinks
- Desserts
What I Like About This Cookbook
- Each recipe includes a lovely picture and a brief story about how the recipe is used in the family, how it was developed, why it is culturally important or why it was popular in a specific region of Iran.
- The recipes are written in a clear and easy to follow format.
- All of the recipes include the fascinating blend of sweet/savory or sour/sweet/salty that is typical of Iranian food, even if the recipe isn’t a traditional Iranian recipe.
- There are many vegetarian and vegan options. In some recipes with meat, vegetarian options are provided.
- Because herbs play such an important role in the cuisine, there are directions on how to dry herbs in the microwave or how to best store fresh herbs.
- There is a great tahdig 101 primer before the rice recipes. It’s worth reading!
Experience Level Needed
This cookbook can easily be used by beginning cooks and more experienced cooks. The recipes run the gamut from simple to complex. Some are simple enough that they would be fun to do with children.
Testing Recipes (Pictures coming soon)
All of the recipes I’ve tried have worked exactly as described in Maman and Me.
Perhaps the simplest recipe in the book is labneh toast. I’ve kind of become hooked on it as it is so simple and filling first thing in the morning. Like with all of the recipes, the authors encourage cooks to explore the flavors and add what they like as toppings. My personal favorite is apricot jam. And the salt really does make a difference. I’ve also tried it with sun-dried tomatoes and once with roasted peppers as an afternoon snack.
The pantry section of the book mentions the importance of tea culture in Iran. Gita makes her own tea blend using 5 types of loose leaf, and being a tea geek I had to try it. I couldn’t find one of the brands so I added a different Earl Grey. Mine might not be exactly the same, but it is delicious! I also found sugar cubes with saffron. Wow!
The orange blossom yogurt parfait is a perfect breakfast or snack. Fast, filling, nutritious and delicious!
The Noon Paneer Sabzi (morning herb and cheese platter) was delicious! I personalized mine a bit with peppers rather than radishes. I was amazed at what a difference soaking the walnuts and almonds made!
I will be testing out more recipes as soon as I have a working kitchen. The next on my list will be the citrus roasted almonds. Honestly, I didn’t see anything here that I don’t plan to try, but I’m especially excited about the salt pickles and tahdig.
Rating 5/5
I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed it so much that I have already pre-ordered a hard copy!
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About the Authors
Roya Shariat is a Brooklyn-based writer and social-impact professional. She has worked for leading brands and organizations, including Chobani, Glossier, the ACLU, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Shariat writes a weekly newsletter on food and culture called Consumed and runs a popular cooking TikTok with her mother, Gita Sadeh, that has over sixteen million likes across the platform.
Gita Sadeh is a Maryland-based chef and early childhood educator. She has more than four decades of teaching experience and five decades of culinary experience. Sadeh is known for her cooking online and offline-she has catered events and gatherings from her home kitchen and taught Iranian cooking classes to families throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Her thousands of fans on TikTok call her the “CEO of tahdig.”
Photo credit to Farrah Skeiky.
You can find out more about Roya on her website or follow the pair on instagram @mamanandme.
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