Bright, generous recipes from Persia, the Middle East and beyond, simplified for everyday home cooks
A feast of Persian flavours
Sabrina Ghayour was born in Iran, grew up in London and became known for her popular supper clubs celebrating Persian and Middle Eastern food. Her first cookbook gathers more than a hundred recipes inspired by that tradition, from mezze and salads to slow-cooked stews, grilled meats, breads and desserts, all written for home cooks with ordinary kitchens.
Who will enjoy it
Home cooks who love bold flavours, fans of Ottolenghi, and anyone who wants to cook for friends and family with generosity and colour.
What you will get
A vibrant, approachable cookbook of Persian and Middle Eastern recipes, full of bright herbs, warm spices and dishes designed for sharing with friends and family.
Persiana Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · Middle Eastern cooking · Persian flavours · Sharing food
Length
240 pages · ≈ 7 h
More about this book
The recipes are colourful and confident without being complicated. Think lamb and sour cherry meatballs, blood orange and radicchio salad, simple flatbreads, herb-packed rice dishes, slow-cooked tagines and stews, and desserts scented with rosewater and pistachio. Ghayour uses spices such as sumac, saffron and dried rose generously but sensibly, and she often suggests swaps for harder-to-find ingredients.
Her style is relaxed and inclusive. She is not trying to document strict tradition; she is sharing the food she loves to cook for friends, and many dishes are designed to be placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share. The photography is warm and appetising, and the layout is clear and easy to follow.
Some readers may need to visit a Middle Eastern grocer or order a few spices online, and purists may notice the modern liberties taken with classic dishes. For cooks looking to bring new flavours into their kitchen, it is a joy. Many recipes come together quickly on a weeknight, while others are perfect for weekend gatherings, and Ghayour's chatty introductions make the book a pleasure to browse. About 240 pages in the Mitchell Beazley hardcover.
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