Yogurt & Whey is the story of my life told through the food I love. Writing the recipes in this book gave me access to feelings and thoughts that otherwise seemed imperceptible to me as I navigated through a life informed by my indigenous Iranian-Zoroastrian history crammed into my survival of America.
I include traditional recipes along with contemporary ones. I give my take on how a yogurt maker tackles pancakes, ceviche and margaritas. I also “introduce” whey, the beloved liquid that’s treated as a yogurt-making byproduct in the west but is almost sacred to those of us who grew up making yogurt at home.
My history has lead to the incredible yogurt that I’m so lucky to dedicate my career to. And it has lead to the gift that is this versatile ingredient of yogurt whey. I am tickled that there is a lemon meringue pie recipe alongside my ancient see-rogh recipe. What a full and complex and obvious thread these stories weave.
Out of respect for my readers, I have cracked myself open writing this book. I have forced myself not to erase the inconvenient or boring parts of my story and been careful not to exoticize the expected parts of my heritage. I wrote this book to amuse and delight my fellow Iranian Zoroastrians who have similar journeys–knowing that by doing so I would provide the richest and most honest peek into our world to all who may pick up this book.
I welcome you to sit back and read this tale as a delicious autobiography. Each recipe is a different chapter, a different mood, a different facet of one woman’s life. My life. I have nothing bigger to share.
If you’d like to read interviews or reviews (including some recipes), I’ve gathered them here.
