Pomegranates & Artichokes: A Food Journey from Iran to Italy, written by Saghar Setareh, features a beautiful collection of recipes from Saghar’s time in Iran, Italy, and places in-between alongside gorgeous photography and captivating stories. A few highlights include Naan-e Sheermal (Milky Bread), Morgh-e Shekam Por (Saffron Roast Chicken Stuffed with Dried Fruit), Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini Patties with Feta & Dill), Imam Bayildi (Turkish Eggplant in Tomato Sauce), and Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpea Soup). I will also be sharing her recipe for Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Interlink Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Saghar Setareh
Saghar Setareh is a professional photographer, author, and cooking instructor with Persian and Italian cooking classes across Italy.
She was born in Tehran, moved to Rome in 2007 to study at the Fine Art Academy, and created her food and photography blog, Lab Noon, in 2014.
Her work has been featured in Food52, Condé Nast Traveler, and National Geographic. This is her first cookbook.
Pomegranates & Artichokes
Saghar begins Pomegranates & Artichokes with a short introduction from her time in Iran to moving to Italy at the age of 22 and how these memories have shaped her passion for food.
Chapters are divided according to location: Iran, In Between, and Italy. Each chapter has a pantry guide with descriptions of notable ingredients for Iranian, Italian, and Eastern Mediterranean/Levantine cooking.
Saghar also provides the stunning photography. Many of recipes are paired with a beautifully styled quarter to full page photo of the finished dish. You will also find landscape photography across the pages.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English with the original language underneath. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, personal stories, serving ideas, yield, and helpful tips.
Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) has long been a favorite summer salad of mine and I was so excited to see a recipe for it in Pomegranates & Artichokes. It highlights all the best of summer and is a wonderful use for leftover bread.
Stale pieces of crusty bread (use the unsalted Tuscan bread if available) are revived with a bit of water, then tossed with quartered tomatoes, cucumbers, onion slices, and basil. This mixture is seasoned to taste with plenty of salt, olive oil, black pepper, and vinegar (I used white wine vinegar).
If desired, you can serve the bread salad alongside some mozzarella.
Soak the onion slices in water and a splash of vinegar before using to remove some of the sharpness.
Saghar mentions the similarities between this Panzanella and the bread salads of the Levant (such as Fattoush) and the combination of vegetables with the Iranian Salad Shirazi (both recipes in book). I personally love seeing connections like this.
Other Dishes
I also made Chai-e do rang (My Grandmother’s Bicolored Tea), Fereni (A Simple Porridge with Rosewater), Pesteh-ye shoor (Salted Saffron-Toasted Pistachios), and Muhammara (Scarlet Spread of Bell Peppers, Pomegranate Molasses and Walnuts).
The Chai-e do rang (My Grandmother’s Bicolored Tea) was the first recipe I made from the book. It was such an incredible start. I was immediately drawn to the striking contrast between the clear layer on the bottom and tea on top. Saghar’s instructions were perfect and I was so excited when the layers stayed intact!
Fereni (A Simpel Porridge with Rosewater) was another easy and comforting recipe. Milk is simmered with rice flour until thickened and flavored with rosewater and sugar. Saghar recommends serving the Fereni hot, but it can also be refrigerated and served cold.
Saghar has provided recipes for both saffron-toasted almonds and pistachios. I have tried the pistachios so far, but can’t wait to try the almonds next! The pistachios are toasted until fragrant, then soaked in a saffron infusion with lemon juice and salt. The mixture is then heated again to dry thoroughly.
The recipe for Muhammara (Scarlet Spread of Bell Peppers, Pomegranate Molasses & Walnuts) comes from the In Between chapter (connecting the dots between Iran and Italy with recipes inspired by the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean). She first tried the dip at Hummustown. This organization by Shaza Saker, a Syrian-Italian woman, focuses on giving independence to Syrian refugees in Rome.
Pomegranates & Artichokes is a fantastic pick for those interested in Iranian and Italian cuisine (and more) with personal stories and memories behind the recipes. The dishes range from quick and simple meals to more extravagant options perfect for entertaining. Servings are generally for 4-6 people.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include rice flour, rosewater, dried barberries, golden raisins, cardamom pods, tahini, pomegranate molasses, filo pastry sheets, sumac, orange blossom water, farro, and chestnut flour.
Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) Recipe
Excerpt from Pomegranates & Artichokes
Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
Ingredients
- 2 small onions or 1 large one
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) vinegar, such as white wine vinegar plus extra for the onions
- 1 pound 2 ounces (500 grams) good-quality crusty bread a few days old
- 1 pound 2 ounces (500 grams) tomatoes
- 2 large cucumbers peeled and quartered, then deseeded if particularly seedy
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) olive oil
- Large handful basil leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions and leave them to soak in a small bowl with some water and a small splash of the vinegar, just to take the sharpness from the raw onions.
- Cut the hard crusts off the bread and place the crusts in a large bowl.
- Add a splash of water so that the crust starts to soak.
- Dice the remaining bread and add to the bowl with enough water to soak the bread without losing its consistency; the exact amount of water depends on your type of bread and how old it is. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and leave for 10-20 minutes.
- Now slice and quarter the tomatoes directly above the bowl of bread, because we don't want to lose even one drop of the tomato juices.
- Drain the onion and add to the bowl, together with the cucumbers.
- Add the salt, olive oil, and remaining vinegar. Tear in the basil leaves.
- Give it all a good toss, then season to taste with more salt and some black pepper.
- The Panzanella is best served after resting for about 30 minutes. You could serve some milky mozzarella on the side.
Carrie Robinson
This is one of my absolute favorite salads to make with summer tomatoes and fresh basil! So good. 🙂