Before the Cookbook Arrives

I figured I can wing it on a simple appetizer like cucumber dip "Mahstoh Khee-ar." I took out every last cucumber we had and started skinning them over the trash can. Interestingly enough, I didn't notice that if they start to narrow out more in the middle that they will break in half right into the trash. So, I was more cautious to hold them in the center as I was skinning them to not feed the dumpster. I cut the cucumber into hair-thin slices then heavy chunks when I got tired. I dumped about half of a cup of chopped and diced cucumbers into the plain white yogurt (Mountain High brand is my favorite). I understand that some places don't have this yogurt as I painfully learned while in Illinois (which was an odd surprise since they actually celebrate Persian New Year). A Like-Kind-Quality alternative is Greek Plain White Yogurt.

I looked around the kitchen for mint and my mother dear gave me a bag of dried mint with the stems attached. I poured in a tablespoon and mixed it in, my face slowly puckering into a sourness as I realized that the fresh mint would have been better.

I sat the bowl down in the center of the table and we ate dinner that my step-father cooked; French stew with French bread. I watched my fiancé devour the stew and excuse himself from the table. I asked him to come back and try my dip. He pretty much ran up the stairs.

I offered the dip to my step-dad who ate every last bite, however said that it just wasn't made right. Alright, so even the easiest things are way out of my grasp right now. I think back to when Julia originally enrolled in the beginners cooking class and was over-it because she thought learning to boil an egg was too easy. I would LOVE to learn the basics.

Julie and Julia

I just finished watching Julie and Julia and have a new found belief that I can also be a gourmet cook.  Growing up in southern California almost every family is a two-income household; that being said, neither of my parents did much cooking. I grew up on take-out, dine-out, and on special occasions home cooked gourmet Persian cuisine.

I survived college on pb&j sandwiches and fries. I met an Anglo-American and we fell in love and got engaged, and continued eating lunchables and cheese sticks. After watching this delightful movie, I have gained the desire to learn to cook. Persian cuisine is typically very pricey and we are saving money for our new home so to enjoy the refined flavors of Iran I owe it to myself to create designer dishes in my own kitchen.

There is no Julia Child for American's to learn create gourmet Persian goodies so I spent hours searching the web finding highly rated Persian cookbooks that I can use in my attempt to be a respected meal maker.

So here's to me, my fiancé's picky taste buds, and my desire to not be teased when I walk into a kitchen.