Iranian cuisine is one of the most acclaimed cuisines in the world, bringing refinement and exoticism to what is basically a combination of Middle Eastern and Central Asian fare. Favorite dishes include pilafs, kebabs, soups and stews and stuffed fruits. Indeed fruits, fresh and dried, are often used in sweet and savory dishes alike.
I was lucky to be exposed to Iranian food early on - many Iranians from my generation settled in Los Angeles after escaping the revolution back home, so there are many high quality Iranian restaurants in this city. I therefore didn't feel the need to explore rice dishes, and instead concentrated on soups and stews. These are the dishes I made:
