Welcome to my Happy Place!

This is where my passions collide. Food, Flowers, Family, Tradition, Beauty, and the influence of my Persian culture which is the poetic filter I see the world through. I love food and I love sharing food with people, mainly because I love people and their stories. Where better to connect, than when breaking bread together over savory meals and an appreciation for building connections.

The idea of this blog came to fruition when I decided to make changes in my life. I took a break from the corporate world after years of being consumed by it, and took time to work on myself, better myself and learn to love myself. I didn’t know how to approach this. My entire life had previously been defined by my career and I never had the time for the things I loved (and I’m interested in SO many things!). I wasn’t happy and just pushing through the grind like so many other ambitious New Yorkers. That needed to stop. I needed to rebuild, to recharge, and to find inspiration again. To be… happy. So I slowly started shifting focus towards the things that made me happy. The simple pleasures — like cooking, gardening, hosting intimate dinners, learning about wine, exercising frequently, reading, traveling, learning Farsi and Italian, meditating, and dating.

As I went through these experiences, I was often inspired to cook a beautiful meal. Now, I had the time to buy the ingredients and curate what my imagination was twinkling about in any spontaneous moment. I shared these meals with loved ones and posted photos on Instagram. This visual diary became an inspiration that encouraged me to create more. Slowly, life started changing. I began to feel happy again. I visited old friends which I hadn’t seen in years. I planted more roses in the garden, along with many other flowers and herbs. I cooked beautiful meals and I started dating a handsome and loving man.

Although this was solely the beginning, and self-growth is a continuous, arduous process, for the first time in a long time I could say that I felt happy. Throughout my journey, I learned that happiness is a kind of courage. Rumi says, “Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.” Basil and Roses is my homage to cultivating that love.

If you know me, we’ve shared many meals together. You’ve seen me enthusiastically rave about the color and texture of the individual ingredients, the song they compose together in the overall dish and the pure elation of complementing that with a wonderful wine. Based on my sheer joy, someone across the room may think you just gave me a vintage Harry Winston diamond. But, the fruit of the earth, and all that we authentically create with it, is far more valuable than any precious stone.

If you don’t know me, and we haven’t broken bread together yet,  I’d like to invite you to my table. “Befarmaaeen” (welcome) –  as we say in Farsi; to my home, to my garden, to my table, to my heart…  to my happy place.

With love,
Nazanin