Title: Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride
Author: Reyna Simnegar
Publisher: Feldheim
Savor the flavor and laugh along with the author as Reyna Simnegar teaches you about Persian cookery and life. Feldheim Publishing has done an outstanding job of presenting a handsome cookbook with references to normal human interactions in dating and marriage rather than pretending everyone adheres to “Three Dates and You’re Done” behavior. Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride is as much about the author’s cross-country courtship and marital adjustments as it is about food. The bonus is that you’ll eat wonderfully aromatic, delicious food by following the author’s simple recipes and her cheerful path to a well-adjusted life.
Simnegar explains how she met and married a man from a different cultural background, settled happily into Orthodox Jewish life and learned to prepare dreams to dine on. Her handy references to kitchen tools and food essentials (plus how and where to buy them!) are complemented by health tips. Readers learn how to avoid extra “artery-clogging” calories by baking some foods instead of frying them. Marginal comments about cancer- and other disease-fighting ingredients in her recipes are Simnegar’s other terrific tips for more satisfying meals.
Her “Tricks of the Trade” comments alert conscientious cooks about how to prepare her recipes in pareve fashion, too. Yes, they’re delicious.
Use a sturdy, clear page-protector when you set this book on kitchen counters. Soiling it with kitchen splatter would be a shame. Full-color photographs show first-time cooks how the finished products should look. That can be helpful to anyone unfamiliar with the recipes or Persian cuisine.
The only drawback to Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride is the lack of photos of Reyna Simnegar. We see her manicured nails and wristwatch, the faces of her children and beautiful kitchenware in many shots, but never “meet” the author herself. Perhaps we’ll get to see her smiling at her entrees or readers in the next edition of Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride Book II: More Good Food.
Yocheved Golani is the author of paperback and E-book “It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry If I Need To: EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge” (www.booklocker.com/books/4244.html).
Advertisement
