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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There is a chill in the air, but I can still sense spring. The days feel longer, the birds seem chirpier, and there is a whisper of optimism in the air accompanied by hope. Can you feel it? Of course this year’s springtime aspirations are deeper than winters past, with heavy hopes of collective healing from the pandemic trauma for our global village. These days, this winter, I reflect often on the hibernation the pandemic has forced us into. Some,…

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In honor of the beginning of Autumn and recent Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to share a piece I wrote on the blog about “change” linked below. Today is the fall equinox, the day both the Northern and Southern hemispheres will experience an equal amount of daylight. I love both the science and poetry of this. For awesome facts on the subject, check out this great article from Vox, And, as the earth continues to turn on its tilted axis,…

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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.    

The seasons honor the passage of time… I like that.  As the days get shorter and temperatures lower, my love for the beauty of nature grows.  Each season has it’s own charm but the scarlet, saffron and gold hues of Fall are uniquely special.  The days wane and the nights arrive sooner as we turn back the clocks- but there is much warmth and comfort to be found in the hues, flavors and traditions of fall. Beautiful foliage hikes, apple picking,…

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