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Naz Deravian Quotes

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Famous Naz Deravian Quotes

“Scatter the herbs across the table, sit together, and pick off the tender stems and leaves. There is a meditative rhythm and ritual to it all. It's one of those rare times we are asked to slow down, and we are able to converse, to commiserate, to gossip, to air out grievances, to share secrets and dreams. Life happens in these spaces, amid a field of greens.”

FoodIranFood WritingPersianPersian CuisineIranian Cuisine
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“When I first moved out on my own, whenever my mom visited she would fill my freezer with individual containers of various stews, kookoo [Persian frittatas], aash [soups], and rice dishes.... These days when I visit my mom, I try to fill her freezer with some of these same favorites. The cycle always comes full circle. Hopefully with a packed freezer ready to serve, feed, and comfort.”

FoodCookingIranComing Of AgeParents And ChildrenPersianPersian CuisineIranian Cuisine
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“Growing up it seemed like all Iranians naturally knew which foods fell into which category, and meals were subconsciously, or at times consciously, due to illness or the weather, designed around this hot and cold concept. Out of respect to the scientists and doctors in our family I will say that none of this is based on hard science, but even the doctors in the family agree that if it brings comfort (like a warm bowl of. . . soup), then that is all the more reason to embrace it.”

FoodComfortCookingIranPersianPersian CuisineIranian Cuisine
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“. . . Baba filled the void the only way he could think of: a faceoff with the two-burner stove, the two pots, and a heaping bag of sabzi--fresh herbs. The permanent lumps lodged in our throats were temporarily soothed by a steaming pot of khoresh ghormeh sabzi--fresh herb stew. The royalty of all Persian stews.”

FatherFoodDaughterCookingParentingIranPersianImmigrantPersian CuisineIranian Cuisine
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“So we improvised and made do, substituting where possible, always with an eye out for the postman and packages from Iran. Packages bursting with dried herbs and spices, well-traveled scents and secrets from home. Envelopes with a few perfunctory words from family (lest officials be monitoring them) and a photograph or two pulled from all the picture albums that were left behind. Substitutes for all the loved ones that were left behind.”

FoodCookingImmigrationIranSpicesPersianPersian CuisineIranian Cuisine
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“There's something that happens to the newly displaced. Whatever power or choice that was stripped away in the process of reluctantly leaving one's homeland is fervently reclaimed in other situations, and honing in on the best spot to sit and enjoy a meal, be it at a restaurant or a lakeside, takes on the utmost importance. . . . If nothing else, we were always prepared for any and all circumstances and with plenty of provisions to see us through.”

ImmigrationIranIranianAssimilationMigrationPersianDiaspora
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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“I have a complicated relationship with airports. A space that once held promise, the gateway to summer vacations and adventure, now makes my heart race a little faster, beat a little harder. A seemingly random red strip of tape on the ground, a dated stamp and ink pad, a place of birth forever etched on a passport, and a somber uniformed officer determine our future, our lives.... I wonder what new family is anxiously pacing back there, sleep-deprived and confused, hoping for that stamp to hit the ink, hoping to step into a new life.”

ImmigrationIranAirportsMigrationPersianDiasporaDiaspora Minority
Book:Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories
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