Tahcheen-e Esfenaj (Baked Persian Rice Cake with Lamb, Spinach & Prunes)

I must apologize for the infrequency of my blog posts over the past year. My new position at the medical school has kept me much busier than I’d ever imagined. Now, a year later, things are finally settling in and I’m hoping to bring this blog thing back to life, if only because the act of writing truly grounds me. One of the better parts of my new position has been getting to know our Qatar-based medical school faculty and staff, who sent me the most amazing Persian cookbook – Saraban: A Chef’s Journey through Persia by Greg and Lucy Malouf. (Thank you Shahrad and team!) This is a cookbook that deserves more than just a look at the recipes (which are amazing), but demands a real sit-down read. Saraban introduces the reader to an Iran most Americans do not know – a complex and beautiful country of both desert and verdant mountains, with warm, friendly people whose culture is steeped in marvelous food, family, literature (especially poetry) and religion. The grief and impact of years of political unrest and conflict are acknowledged, but are not central to this portrait of a people and a cuisine. If only one day there were peace within this region and between our nations. We have so much that is beautiful (and delicious) to share with one another. TAHCHEEN-E ESFENAJ (Baked Persian Rice Cake w/ Lamb, Spinach & Prunes) The authors tell us that Tahcheen means “spread over the bottom”, which describes the tahdig or crispy ri...
Source: The Blog That Ate Manhattan - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Meat & Poultry Lamb Rice Cake Spinach Tachchin Tah-Chin Tahcheen Source Type: blogs