Welcome to Paradise!

Take a ten-minute tour of Isla Mujeres, the “Bay of Women”,  in Mexico with me!

 


Behind the Lenses: Beyond the Pictures

“Behind the Lens: Beyond the Picture” is the name of a project I have started since three years ago, capturing professional and amateur photographers in action. To be continued.

Book Cover”: August 2012 Toronto, Designing and shooting “A Sip, A Bite, A Mouthful” #photographer_Mehrab_Moghadasian

Read the rest of this entry »


Sangria

Preparing and drinking Sangria, this Spanish/ Portuguese, wine-based punch does not have to wait for summer time; it is an ideal drink for festivity – or better still, it could make a festivity occasion on its own! Here are the two recipes I recently tried and was quite happy with.

1. Sangria with White Wine & Peach, Orange and Mango

Ingredients: White wine, 1 Bottle (for the list of appropriate wines for Sangria, see here)Peach Schnapps, ½ cup. Sugar, 1 tbsp. Sliced peaches (fresh or frozen), 1 cup.  Sliced orange, ½ cup. Peeled and sliced mango, 1 cup. Ginger ale, ½  liter.

Read the rest of this entry »


Vase ideas4

Spring vase


Happy Spring, Happy Norooz 1392: A video

Check out my 4:20 minute video about hope, renewal and the Persian new year Norooz at Vernal Equinox !  Here at Radio Kooche

Or on Vimeo

Listen to Jian Ghomeishi’s Message on Q: Norooz Pirooz here 

AND SEE MORE BELOW!

Read the rest of this entry »


Persian Rosette, “naan panjareh-i”

Do you know the deep fried cookie called Rosette which is made during Christmas time? Well, in Iran, we make a quite similar type of cookies during the Persian New year, Norooz.

Makes one wonder about the association, hummm…  Ours, when translated literally means “Window Bread”.  It is the first cookie I learned to make in a high school course when I was 14. Still following the same recipe.

Read the rest of this entry »


Fried fish & cranberries

This colorful fish dish is improvised by my sister and besides tasting deliciously sour, helps lift your spirit, especially when accompanied by spinach-avocado-grapefruit salad (see picture below).

Ingredients (serving 2) Read the rest of this entry »


Time to grow Norooz seeds, sabzeh

Once again “Norooz is around the corner” – that’s right, there is only 20 days left to the beginning of Spring and the Persian New Year, Norooz- this year on March 20th at 07:03:13 AM Eastern Time 

Sabzeh (grass), as you might know, is one of the seven specific items starting with the letter “S” which goes in the Norooz table setting. It is also an item which needs to be prepared in advance – just about now, maybe a bit later – let’s say two weeks prior to Norooz.

The common types of seeds to grow for Norooz as sabzeh, are wheat, lentil, cress and green mung beans, with the last three crops growing much faster than wheat. Traditionally, though, growing wheat is the norm and this is the one I always go for.  Not difficult at all; only, just like Persian cuisine, growing wheat requires investing time, along with patience and attention.

Read the rest of this entry »


My baby shot me down

Nancy Sinatra Bang Bang

I was five and he was six
We rode on horses made of sticks
He wore black and I wore white
He would always win the fight

Bang bang, he shot me down
Bang bang, I hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down.

Seasons came and changed the time
When I grew up, I called him mine
He would always laugh and say
“Remember when we used to play?”

Read the rest of this entry »


Chicken & Rapini

Rapini,  as you know, has a “bitter-ish” taste to it, which could be reduced but rarely completely eliminated. If you like that offensive yet pleasant and interesting taste, here is one recipe (among so many) to go with chicken.

Ingredients (serving two):

  • One boneless chicken breast, cut into thin slices and seasoned with pinch of salt and herb de province , or the seasoning of your choice.
  • Red onion, I medium, chopped.
  • Rapini, 1 bunch, trimmed and washed.
  • Garlic, 3 cloves, chopped.
  • Red pepper flakes, as desired.
  • Salt, about 1 tbsp.
  • Fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp.
  • Olive oil, 2 tbsp.
  • Optional: Freshly grated Parmigiano chesses, 1-2 tbsp.

Method: All shown in the pictures, yet here it is: Fill in three quarter of a big pot with water, add ½ tbsp. of salt and bring to a boil. Add rapini and drain after two minutes (this stage is to take the bitterness away).

In a frying pan, warm 1 tbsp. olive oil and sauté garlic and red pepper flakes as soon as you smell the garlic, add rapini, continue frying for another couple of minutes, add lime juice, mix and put aside.

Next, in a frying pan, warm 1 tbsp. olive oil and this time sauté onions for another couple of minutes. Add chicken fillets and fry on each side until cooked through and caramelized.

To serve, simply transfer the rapini to the platter or serving dish, and add chicken pieces on top. You could sprinkle with some cheese.