Tonight's delivery delight: Negini Kabob from Restaurang Shiraz! With one end already sampled. 😋

On the side: Some baghali polo (dill and broad or lima bean pilaf). Plus shared side dishes of mixed pickles, Persian tomato-cucumber-onion salad, and mast mosir because why not.

Also, pulled out of the fridge, which he amusingly opened just yesterday:

(Those are like pretty vinegary, slightly hot garlic dills but using sprigs of tarragon instead of dill. And entirely too tasty!)

Good thing the rice is super tasty, because they sure did give me plenty of it!

In all the compartments, under everything else. Not gonna complain.

For whatever reason, they did include a little thing of spread margarine in mine too, even though my celiac ass obviously (and sadly) didn't get any of their fresh bread. He didn't want it, so I guess I have some weird spread margarine for later? Not planning to try it on anything I did order, no.

I never tried a Negini Kabob before, and was surprised when I opened the container to find one kabob rather than two. Looked from the menu like you were getting a ground lamb kabob, and also a chicken filet kabob.

Nope! It's two in one. And absolutely delicious. Again, not going to complain!

Also stashed in the fridge for later, because my eyes were once again bigger than my stomach: a pretty big cup of doogh.

Always a little apprehensive ordering from new places, but this one seemed like a success all around! In future, I am also interested in trying some of their saucy-stewy dishes. But, tonight the grilled stuff with rice sounded extra appealing. Partly because I can actually eat that sort of thing now!

Nersses Vanak, 6524 San Fernando Rd, Glendale, CA 91201

Nersses Vanak Restaurant is a Persian restaurant that first opened in 1960. They still make their taftoon bread fresh every day and serve high quality halal meats. The menu includes appetizers, kebabs, salads, stews, sides, and desserts. They have traditional Persian dishes like dizi, ghormeh sabzi, and baghali polo.  Your meal comes with their freshly baked bread, taftoon and lavash.

I didn’t know what dizi was, so I decided to order it. It’s a Persian soup with broth and a mash of lamb, chickpea, tomatoes, potatoes, mint, tarragon, and spices. You can ordered it mashed or unmashed. Some people like to mash it themselves or have it unmashed. By default, it comes mashed.

Dizi ($18.95): I went with the mashed version. There’s a way that you’re supposed to eat dizi but I didn’t know this until after I ate it. I mixed the broth and mash together (they’re served separately). However, it’s recommended that you order it unmashed, eat the meat, mash the rest together and eat the mash spooned on top of the bread. With the broth, tear the bread into pieces and add to the broth, stir together. They also serve it with sliced raw white onions, fresh herbs, and lemon. You probably add those to your bread and mash? Anyway, I ate it the wrong way and still enjoyed the mashed meat and veggies in broth. The flavors were mild and not salty. I thought it would have been good with yogurt or pickles – both of which you can order separately and are typically served with Persian meals.

Baghali polo with fish of the day ($18.95): Ginormous, enough for two people not including the bread. A whole butterflied grilled trout with a huge amount of basmati rice seasoned with fresh dill, fava beans, and saffron. The fish was lightly seasoned and the bones had been removed. I imagine it had a crispy skin but we didn’t eat it right away.

The amount of bread they provided was enough for a family – 2 giant taftoons and three small pieces of lavash. The taftoon is cooked in a tandoor oven till it puffs up. It’s similar to a naan (puffy, chewy) but their version was huge, like the size of a pizza crust.

Online ordering available. Service was very polite. I appreciated how well they packaged everything (even wrapping the container with the broth in plastic). The restaurant looks nice – older building but it seems like they remodeled – the floors looked newish and the room was filled with framed pictures of Iran.

5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

when my moms in a good mood she calls me her lovely girl and im noticing myself call shirin my lovely girl when I talk to her and in the same tone of voice that my mom says it lol

Kotlc crew’s favorite human foods (if they weren’t vegan)

ooh I am also curious to see what I will come up with for this question! Also I am in no way familiar with all the diverse cuisines of the world so if someone has an addition please feel free to share! the more perspectives the better

Sophie: Canonically her favorite food was fettuccine, so I see no reason not to stick with that! Though if I had to pick something in addition, I'd say maybe a tomato based soup of some kind. She's a warm comfort food kinda person

Fitz: Mole. It's got that deep, rich flavor with a hint of a kick to it and is so versatile! It can go on practically anything and instantly elevates it, so it's very highly rated in his books.

Keefe: Seafood of some kind. Maybe tuna nigiri or some kind of roll with crab. I cannot explain it he just has the vibes. Posssibly a dish with scallops involved as well, maybe a nice pasta

Biana: Perhaps spring rolls? They're incredibly customizable and I think she'd enjoy arranging her fillings to look nice and be delicious. I feel like she'd also really like shrimp, but I'm not sure why.

Dex: Something lemon or pineapple related, he just feels like a tart person. Maybe a sour soup, though I don't have an exact soup in mind. That general area of cuisine though

Marella: Something cool because her body runs so hot, so my first thought was cold soba, but a chilled cucumber soup could also be a good contender.

Linh: She feels like a salad person, so shirazi salad. Light and refreshing and cool and bright, it's just so simple yet delicious.

Tam: Curry. I haven't figured out what kind but I'm thinking he'd appreciate something along those lines. Okay I've done a little more digging and I'm thinking a jalfrezi dish. Savory flavor with some kick

Stina: Getting pasta vibes from her but haven't narrowed it down. Something with a thinner sauce, sundried tomatoes and basil. When I look up things in that vein the internet gives me pasta pomodoro, so I'm going with that

Maruca: Kabob koobideh. I do not know why I just thought of them and then thought of her. Smokey and grilled and juicy and rich in flavor, it just feels like it suits her

Wylie: Fried plantains. With a nice texture on the outside and the warmth, they're a nice comfort food. I also don't quite know my reasoning here but just go with me okay

Jensi: pure cane sugar

Vegan Baghali Polo ba Mahiche (Persian "Lamb Shank" with Fava Bean & Dill Rice)

Cook baghali polo ba mahi with me!

Last week for dinner I cooked baghali polo with mahi for my friends. I have enjoyed sharing Persian meals with them throughout my time at Penn as many of them are unfamiliar with the food and culture and have shown an interest in learning more. With Nowruz around the corner, this felt like an appropriate dish to cook, with baghali polo being my lazy version of sabzi polo which requires too much herb-chopping for my liking. While I know people can be daunted by the green color of many Persian dishes, where many American dishes are more colorless, I was happily surprised to see that everyone was excited to try it and enjoyed eating it. Cooking with saffron is also always a nerve-wracking task as one wrong move and I could easily spill $100. The saffron I used is particularly special as it was a gift my relatives from Iran brought when visiting the United States. I have included the process for making the rice and fish below.

After rinsing the starch off the rice a few times, fill the pot of rice with water as well as a bag of frozen lima beans and a hefty amount of salt. Bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, for the salmon, rub olive oil, lemon juice, and saffron evenly along the surface. Then add salt, pepper, minced garlic, and dill weed. Bake until a slight crisp on the edges.

3. Once the rice and lima beans are cooked, drain the excess water.

4. Add oil to the bottom of the pot, allowing it to heat up, then layer the rice mixture with dill, turmeric, and cinnamon, gently mixing to incorporate the spices while being careful not to smush the rice. Cook until tahdig is ready!

هاله

i was tagged by @bl33ditout ages ago to do this (im sorry it took so long to get to this, november was a MONTH) but thank you for tagging me !! ily ♥️

Last song: silver bullet - acoustic by hawthorne heights

Song stuck in my head: temporary secretary by paul mccartney

Currently watching: sullivan's crossing and rewatching gossip girl

Favorite Colors: blue is my favorite color but purple is a solid second

Currently Reading: once upon a december by amy e. reichert

Currently craving: s'mores !!

Last movie: a man called otto - it was alright! book was better but i was really bummed about the iranian erasure :(

Sweet, Spicy or Savory: ooooo this is so hard, im gonna say savory for now but it changes all the time !!

Relationship Status: single !! would like a boyfriend but not rn :)

Current Obsession: the beatles - if y'all witnessed that obsession come back to life im sorry <3

Last Thing Googled: how much to start a fashion brand (research for my entrepreneurship class)

Three Favorite Foods: ghormeh sabzi, baghali polo, kabab-e barg

Dream Trip: in a perfect world, i'd love to go to iran to see where my parents grew up but i also recognize it's not the same country it was before the revolution, so it's not really feasible :/ otherwise probably england! i'd also love to do like a ski trip and just go stay at a ski resort or chalet or something (not that i know how to ski but the idea sounds fun to be surrounded by winter activities)

Anything you want right now: im finally getting back into my painting grind (and finishing commissions) so i would LOVE a new easel bc my current one is so old and never has balanced properly so im always fighting for it not to fall apart mid-painting

tagging (with no pressure ofc):

@borntobewondering @flippinfins @mickeysjones @seancamerons @21-roses-a-day @loveution @jopzer @prettiest-poison and whomever else would like to do this !!

🍥 Ghormeh Sabzi on top of Baghali Polo with a side of Salad Shirazi

🍔YouTube || 🍟Reddit

Persian Cuisine- 5 Unique Ideas

A fourteen day occasion in Iran isn't sufficient to cover the marvelous sights and encounters it brings to the table. In Tehran you can require a fifteen-minute trolley from the edge of a clamoring and rather warm city to a glorious ski slant. It doesn't seem OK, yet that is Iran for you-a great deal of it doesn't check out and that makes it so wondrous and astonishing. I do, in any case, feel like I tested a lot of the stunning customary Iranian foods, and have returned home with a couple of thoughts that will track down their direction into my own cooking.

1) Spices are utilized as a side dish, similar as we use vegetables. Containers of new Sweet Basil, Mint, Parsley and Coriander are presented with each dinner and one of the most well known starters is level bread, cheddar, pecans and new spices. So basic yet so great! One more famous dish is Baghali Polo-rice blended in with expansive beans and dill. By and by the flavors are new and natural and an outright disclosure.

2) Rice is a fundamental piece of each and every dinner, except the Iranians have transformed rice cooking into an artistic expression. Each grain is steamed flawlessly and a fifth of the pot is blended in with Saffron to make improving brilliant examples all through the dish. Then, at that point, the base layer of rice is crisped until brilliant. The fresh layer is then divided for each plate and shrouded in sauce. Who realized run of the mill rice could be this classy!

3) Iranians love prepared flavors. Fesenjan is a chicken stew that joins pomegranate juice with pecans. Furthermore, Ghormeh Sabzi is a sheep stew that utilizes a blend of spices and a sharp sting of lime. Natural products, nuts and spices highlight firmly in Persian food and the flavors are generally complicated and extraordinary.

4) A ton of the food is very hands on. Abgoosht is a delicacy that is delectable and fun. You are served level bread and a pot of thick, soupy stew. First you destroy your bread and spot it in a bowl, then, at that point, you pour the fluid from the stew over the bread and eat it. Then, at that point, you utilize a pestle to squash the stew until it is a substantial past. Press the juice of a L'orange (a hybrid of a lemon and an orange) over your meat, envelop it with some bread with new spices, and you are in Persian food paradise. Another tomfoolery dish is the Isfahani specialty-Biryani. A slice of level bread is doused with a substantial sauce, then a patty of new, delicate meat is laid in the middle and minced offal put as an afterthought. To eat it you need to remove pieces of bread trickling in juice, and use them to make lavish meat and spice wraps.

5) At long last one of my outright top picks is Saffron Ice - Cream with pistachio nuts and cream. The cream isn't just shower canned on top, God help us. Rather a dainty layer of cream is filled plate and frozen. The cream is then broken into bits and sprinkled over the frozen yogurt. The outcome: lumps of strong cream with each significant piece. Also, Heston thought he imagined kitchen science!

rice appreciation post

i love the neurotic way that i write bc i'm less than 500 words into the final draft of my succession fanfic and so far i've "had" to research

effects of cocaine & marijuana

hepatitis incubation period & testing process

how to use a bong

persian hookahs & iranian smoking culture

tahdig & baghali polo & shishlik

milton friedman

could i just write bullshit drawing from my own personal experiences and what i already know? yes. but then it won't have all these little fine details and i won't get to learn about all these interesting topics and who wants that.

Baghali Polo – Dill Rice with Broad Beans https://www.instagram.com/p/CcLzfOJt7iC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

tagged !

Rules: Tag nine people you want to know better man i only got so many pals

Tagged by: @bluespiritfire!! thank youu

Last song: i thiiink “jet pack blues” by fall out boy? like the only song i like off american beauty/american psycho dgkdfh

Last movie: it has been....so long since i saw a Whole Movie oml. we watched part of a raisin in the sun for class, if that counts.

Currently reading: unfortunately no...”actual books”? yesterday i re-read a manga i really like in preparation for when the next chapter is posted (too scared to name it bc it’s...bad gfhjd)

Currently watching: been revisiting some ffxiv cutscenes, but rn i’m trying to catch up on any game playthroughs i’ve been putting off (especially like, stuff from markiplier)

Craving: hhHHH the classic student answer T^T mother’s cooking....but really i JUST ran out of ghormeh sabzi and not even a day later i’m suffering withdrawals....i could really go for that or like...baghali or sabzi polo.....anything with freshly cooked rice honestly

Tagging: i’ll taggg @goodmorningawfulbye @garlemald @heartfeltghost @seth-suffers and anyone else who’d like to do this! but no pressure, ofc~

goose🦆and bagel 🥯 (kisses to you sweet)

goose🦆: if you could be any animal, what would it be and why? maybe a honey bee. They’re hard workers, and and dedicated to their job. Or a quokka because they’re cute AF.

bagel🥯: what is your favorite food and/or restaurant?

My favorite Persian food is baghali polo ba mahiche look it up lol so yeah that’s my favorite food. But other than that I guess either sushi or any Chinese food. 😊

Persian Beef and Chicken Koobideh with Saffron Rice, Grilled Tomato & Salad

Kabab Koobideh (کباب کوبیده‎) or kūbide (کوبیده‎) is an Iranian meat dish made from ground lamb, beef or chicken, often mixed with parsley and onions.

Lamb or beef (precisely 20% fat, 80% meat) is minced twice for a finer consistency. Salt, garlic, black pepper, celery powder, sumac, very finely grated onion (the extra juice is squeezed out and saved for later) and one egg yolk per pound of meat are added. All ingredients are mixed, covered, and left to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The meat is grilled on skewers, traditionally over hot coals, and is served with polo (Iranian rice pilaf with oil, salt and saffron), accompanied by grilled tomato and onions. Sumac is served as a tableside spice. The chicken version uses chives or green onions, parsley, salt and pepper - no turmeric or sumac - and often served over baghali polo (dill and broad bean rice).