When I was in my very early teens, my summer job for several years was to help out around my father’s architectural studio. I answered phones, made blueprints, figured out how to use workable fixatif to make postage stamps reusable (not that I actually reused any, because that would be a felony), and learned some […]

When I was in my very early teens, my summer job for several years was to help out around my father’s architectural studio. I answered phones, made blueprints, figured out how to use workable fixatif to make postage stamps reusable (not that I actually reused any, because that would be a felony), and learned some Farsi. There were two Persian architects who also worked in the studio, Kathy and Mohsen. I was intrigued by their Post-It notes written in Farsi. Noticing my curiosity, they bought me a Farsi reader, taught me the alphabet and the first few pages, and I was off on my own. This summer, when Naz Deravian reached out to me about her first cookbook, Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories, I told her how happy I was to see a new book about Persian food. After a few emails, we discovered that we both had in common living in Italy (though now she lives in Los Angeles) and learning from the same Farsi reader! I am beyond thrilled to share her recipe for Tahcheen-e Morgh, or Baked Saffron Yogurt Rice with Chicken. It is a baked dish which is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, layered with juicy chicken and saffron rice. W...