The Harvest Moon was magnificent in New York last night- signaling the official arrival of Fall with the Autumnal Equinox arriving in 1 Day, 4 Hours and 42 Minutes from now- marking the end of summer. But I’m not ready for pumpkin spiced lattes quite yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love Autumn and live for the color and beauty that will soon serenade us. But this year, there’s a desire to hold on to summer, just a bit longer….

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Both Lavender and Mint are wonderfully  fragrant on their own. Combined, that heavenly fragrance is even better! Both grow in full abundance this time of year and I like to get creative with how to use these prolific herbs. I recently created “floral” arrangements with these beauties and they were magnificent. Lavender + Mint are also a great combo in iced tea. I like making big batches of it and keeping it chilled in the fridge for hot summer days….

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These days there is much to do in the garden: weeding, feeding and pruning to name a few. But it’s all worth it as everything is literally “coming up roses,” and the garden is seemingly dancing in the sun. June is one of the loveliest months in the garden. We just passed the summer solstice, which heralds the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year. It is when the Earth arrives at the…

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I experienced my first real chimichuri sauce when visiting Argentina and Uruguay in 2009 and it was love at first taste! This fresh, clean, garlicy, slightly spicy green goodness that elevated the incredible steaks we ate in Buenos Aires and beyond. Over the years, I’ve perfected my recipe and use in on more than just steaks. It’s excellent on chicken, fish and my personal favorite- cauliflower steaks! (recipe coming soon). A fantastic condiment that is pretty easy to whip up….

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My favorite time of year has arrived! The first day of Spring marks the Persian New year, celebrated for over 3,000 years. It translates to “new day” and represents a fresh new beginning. Scientifically called the vernal equinox, it occurs the exact moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and spring begins in the Northern hemisphere. The duration of the day and night are equal, on so begins a new cycle of life. As a child growing up in Iran…

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Thanks everyone for the feedback on this recipe! Many of you asked for instructions on how to make our fragrant basmati rice without a rice cooker. We gave it a go and the results were equally wonderful with delicious tahdig (crunchy bottom) to boot! The recipe utilizes the same ingredients as the rice cooker version. Here, I used a nonstick standard pot. Instructions are below. Feel free to share your results and happy cooking!

This salad is light n’ lovely. It’s aromatic and refreshing. It’s also a great choice when you need lots of flavor but don’t have a lot of time. I use Persian cucumbers because the fresh and fragrant taste is  an important part of the success of this dish. The basil’s slightly sweet, lemony and minty aroma delightfully compliments the green and fruity fragrance of the cucumber. If you don’t have Thai basil, sweet basil works great too.    

Rice is the ultimate comfort food. It has been farmed by people for over 10,000 years. In the Hindi language “Bas” means “aroma” and “Mati” means “full of.” Growing up in a Persian family, that beautifully fragrant and earthy aroma  is part of the essential scents of home. The cue of happiness and an eternal symbol of family dinners, celebrations and tradition. Cooking traditional Persian rice (with crunchy tahdig of course) is truly an art form. For how to create a saffron scented…

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This recipe is simply delicious, healthy and fun to make! The rosemary stems replace regular skewers for a beautiful presentation while adding another layer of flavor. Just add chicken and veggies to the skewers, bake and voila! A healthy meal awaits.

Ahhh Rosemary… One of my favorite herbs. “Rosemary” is derived from Latin words “ros” and “marinus”, which mean “dew of the sea” or “mist of the sea”. It refers to the coastal region that is occupied by this plant in it’s wild form.  As the days get shorter and the warm temperatures dwindle in early fall, the Rosemary in the garden is still going strong and one of the last herbs to continue giving to my garden. My inner poet can’t help…

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