Maman and Me

Gorgeous photos - check!
Recipes that feel accessible to the amateur - check!
Mostly easily accessible ingredients - check!

This was a beautiful cookbook sharing the joys of cooking together between Roya and Gita. I loved the variety of recipes in this cookbook, blending old traditions with new adaptations (this also I think helped make the ingredient list so accessible). I loved that all the photos were taken with dishes that were in the mother's collection, and the descriptions of the recipes were really lovely to read. All around a book I can't wait to try some recipes from!

Growing up we had neighbors who were from Iran. I loved when they had us over for dinner. My favorite was the yellow crunch topped rice. This is a pretty cookbook with colorful photos with a helpful description of each recipe.

This is a beautiful cookbook. I love that the authors have made Iranian cooking and flavors so approachable, but still authentic. I was reminded so much of my grandmother and could practically smell through the pages.

Excellent introduction to Iranian cuisine. Lovely photos, easy to follow recipes. The recipes are not very vegan friendly, but lots of flavor inspiration to use if you are strictly meat/dairy free.

There are so many recipes I have never heard of and am excited to try. I love all the family photos. I loved the begining where she touches on how to do certain things and why we do them (I never knew about blanching meat?) This reminds me of a family cookbook that's been handed down with everyone adding thier own touches, which is really lovely.

Note: I dont think this book format translates well to kindle. I'd buy it in hard copy.

This cookbook is so good! I immediately followed Roya on TikTok! I can’t believe I hadn’t stumbled upon her account before. The first thing that stood out to me in the introduction is the idea of food as a link to home. I related to the fear of losing a loved one and wanting to capture those important stories, life lessons, and in this case, recipes. I also appreciated the notes on language and the deliberate choice to use the terms Iranian and Southwest Asian. The Farsi word for del meaning both heart and stomach was eye-opening to the Iranian culture. I found it helpful that the beginning of the cookbook explains the key spices and herbs used to create unique flavors and that Iranian cuisine is not reliant on dairy. We are a mostly dairy-free family so it was so great to go into the book knowing I’d be able to cook most things without looking up substitutions. The cookbook is broken into sections by meal. There’s even an entire section dedicated to rice & pilafs which is a dream! I love rice. I enjoyed some of the Iranian twists on meals I think of being traditionally American like pancakes and French toast for breakfast. Maman and Me has beautifully crisp photos (a picture-heavy cookbook is a MUST for me… especially with foods not in my usual repertoire) and recipes with ingredient lists that are easy to follow. I’ll be keeping this handy on my Kindle to cook from for years to come. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

Lots of background and information. Organized nicely. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful recipe book!

There are great photos of the food as well as helpful descriptions in the recipes. I like that Shariat takes the time at the beginning to explain why she uses the language she does when saying Iranian instead of Persian as well as talking about some of the common ingredients that some of us may not be familiar with. There's helpful information throughout the recipes and a nice collection including breakfast overall. This book is everything you need to make a delicious Iranian feast!

Lovely introduction to Iranian cooking. Accessible ingredients, gorgeous photos, and easy to follow recipes make this a cookbook for beginner and more advanced cooks alike.

Thank you Netgalley and Chronicle Books, Princeton Architectural Press for the ARC!

"Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family" by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh is a heartfelt culinary journey that beautifully showcases the rich flavors and traditions of Iranian cuisine, while also capturing the essence of family and cultural heritage.

This book is a treasure trove of authentic recipes passed down through generations, each dish infused with love and nostalgia. From aromatic stews to fragrant rice dishes and delicate pastries, the authors provide a wide array of recipes that reflect the diverse and vibrant culinary tapestry of Iran.

A collection of Iranian recipes adapted to American ingredients and American dishes given an Iranian touch. Tasty,although many of them are complex, especially the ice dishes.

There are a lot of really great Persian recipes in Maman and Me. My kids are half Iranian, so it is important to me to make sure they have access to Persian food, and since I no longer am involved with their father's side of the family and there are not any Persian restaurants nearby it needs to be home. I have been making them Persian rice with tahdig since they were babies, but this book has a lot of other recipes for me to expand my horizons with and for them to learn to cook Persian food themselves.

Great introduction to Iranian food, with a lot of details about culture and history and the author's family. It felt a bit like reading a family cookbook collected over generations and then shared with the world. Lovely photos as well to help the reader understand what finished dishes look like, which is very helpful to those who are new to this type of cuisine. Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC.

this book will familiarize non-iranian readers with not only iranian food but also the iranian culture that surrounds food and meal times. There are beautiful pictures and easy to follow recipes that will definitely bring a taste of Iran to any home

Special thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. This book provides an outstanding introduction to Iranian food. The recipes are well thought out, easy to follow, and not too hard which could provide many with the ability to cook these meals even if they have no experience with this type of cooking.

Cookbook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Oh man, this cookbook seems like a hidden gem. All of the recipes seem FASCINATING! I've always been hot and cold with cookbooks around other cultures because a lot of the ingredients are either hard to find or get. But everything in this cookbook you can easily find even at a Walmart, which is a major plus!

Top Five:
Rosy Pancakes; this feels fancy, like I need to have high tea with my pinky up in the air during brunch.
Carrot Jam; say what?! Never heard of this, and I'm here for it!
Chilled Yogurt and Herb Soup; this seems like an amazing soup for the summer since it is chilled and refreshing!
Rosewater Whipped Cream. There are quite a few rosewater recipes and it was hard to only pick just one.
Sweet Yogurt Fritters; this looks like a wonderful play on Mexican wedding cookies but with yogurt!


NetGalley provided Maman and Me eBook; thank you, NetGalley and Chronicle Books, Princeton Architectural Press, for the copy in return for an honest review.

There is a Persian restaurant that my family and I love going to as a special treat and one of my favorite dishes there is the jeweled rice that comes with the meal. It is such a small piece of the overall meal, but it's always my favorite part. I love that through this book, I found a recipe (Sweet Jeweled Rice) that helps me recreate that dish from the restaurant.
This cookbook is one made with love and the recipes are easy to followed and well detailed. Highly recommended for any cookbook collection.

A beautiful fusion of family history, current geography, and delicious food. This comes across as a love letter to her mother and all that she did to raise her immigrant family in America.

I love Persian Food, and Iraq is probably my favorite region of said food. My memories of my college bestie and her mom cooking, making, and sharing food with my husband and I are foundational building blocks in my life.

Bu I have to admit: I hated almost every single recipe in this book.

I was hoping that this book would give me homey versions of the traditional recipes, tips and tricks, and maybe a few substituted, but they were not. Instead many of the recipes are abominations of those foods mixed with unappetizing Americanizations, like adding ranch. Ranch.

I have to pass on this chimera cookbook that does not fuse well.

"Roya's Family Kitchen" by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh was a delightful and mouthwatering cookbook that deserves a solid five-star rating. The cookbook offered a loving invitation into the authors' Iranian American home, where they share their cherished family recipes that span soups and stews, main dishes, desserts, beverages, and more.

One of the standout features of the cookbook is its unique approach to Iranian cuisine. Roya and Gita celebrate the evolution of Iranian food in America, offering a blend of traditional recipes and contemporary twists that cater to various dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. This inclusive approach ensures that there's something for everyone, making it a versatile and practical cookbook for modern cooks.

The book was beautifully complemented by lush, full-color photographs that brought the dishes to life, making the recipes even more enticing. Whether I was looking to prepare Garlicky Eggplant Dip (Kashk Bademjoon), Chilled Yogurt and Herb Soup (Ab Doogh Khiar), Sweet and Sour Pomegranate and Walnut Stew (Fessenjoon), or one of the other delicious offerings, I was able to find clear and easy-to-follow instructions that made these Iranian American dishes accessible to me.

"Roya's Family Kitchen" also pays special attention to the art of making tahdig, a beloved crispy rice dish, offering three different tahdig variations and showcasing the versatility of rice in Iranian cuisine.

Whether you're like me and already a fan of Roya and Gita from their popular TikTok videos or new to their warmth and humor, this cookbook is guaranteed to inspire you to create fantastic Iranian-influenced meals that will delight your palate and impress your family and friends.

In summary, "Roya's Family Kitchen" is a five-star gem that opens the door to the rich and diverse world of Iranian American cuisine. Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh's passion for sharing their family recipes shines through in this cookbook, making it a must-have for anyone looking to explore the flavors and traditions of this delicious culinary heritage.

I have not had many opportunities to try Iranian food, so I am not very familiar with it. I love trying food from new countries and cultures, so I was very excited to read this book.

I really enjoyed that it opened with descriptions of the pantry staples of Iranian food, I felt this provided great insight into the flavors I would find throughout the recipes.

I loved how the book is arranged by the meals and how so many of the recipes are approachable even to someone like me who is unfamiliar with the type of cuisine. I will definitely be cooking a lot of the recipes in this book and I can’t wait to so many new foods that look amazing.

I have almost two dozen Phaidon global cuisine cookbooks: Greek, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, etc. They’re beautifully presented and a great way to learn about the cuisine of other cultures. But their expansiveness and lack of photographs for every dish can be intimidating—they’re more a reference and source of inspiration that being a place to go to to learn about a bit about a particular global cuisine that you can use to get a meal on the table for Tuesday night’s dinner.

In contrast, “Madman and Me’ is also beautifully presented, but it focuses on dishes that expose the reader to Iranian American cuisine and cooking methods (such as how to produce the perfect Tahdig) in a way that inspires and is practical for a cook who may not have ready access to specialized ingredients or an endless amount of time. Of particular interest were:

Carrot Jam
Orange and Cardamon French Toast
Rose Pancakes
Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Chicken
Green Bean and Beef Pilaf
Sweet and Sour Pomegranate and Walnut Stew
Saffron Salmon with Ranch Dressing
Spaghetti with Tahdig

The value of this book is that it inspires you to cook and is well-curated, consisting of recipes that make sense for a busy family interested in trying Iranian American cuisine either for the first time or to deepen their knowledge of it.

I received a copy of this eBook for an honest review from NetGalley.

I love this cookbook! So many beautiful pictures of what I assume is deliciously eatable food. I've had very little Iranian food in my life but I think that needs to change. It looks healthy, easy and fun to cook. I will be getting myself a copy of this book.

This was such an amazing cookbook. I was not familiar of much of this cuisine but the ingredients are (mostly) familiar just in the most interesting combinations. And all the recipes sound so delicious. The pictures (of which there are a ton. Added star just for that) are so pretty they will make your stomach growl.

Here is a lovely cookbook that is written by a mother and daughter who enjoy cooking the foods of their Iraninan-American heritage. Those who pick up this book will learn a lot about Iranian food and will enjoy some delightful meals.

Throughout these pages there are many photos to accompany the recipes. Some of these will make readers hungry. Try everything from breakfast to dessert with the rest of a day in the middle.

Start with Sweet or Savory Labneh Toast or with a Sweet Date Omelet. Later, indulge in a Saffron Shrimp Pilaf or a Garlicky Lamb Shank. Then, how about a Sweet Rose and Rice Flour Custard? Readers will be able to enjoy eating these these thanks to the clear directions that accompany the recipes.

This is an appealing cookbook and one that will, perhaps, open up a new cuisine to home cooks.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This cookbook has a wonderful collection of recipes from an Iranian-American mother and daughter with food that represents their family, experiences, history, and cultures. It's a story of immigration and family expressed through food. That’s what makes this book unique! Roya's and Gita's love for food is apparent on every page, in every recipe, in every photo, and in every story.

Some of these recipes are still very much Iranian, and some have been adapted to create something new; sometimes there's an Iranian twist on an American dish and sometimes an American twist on an Iranian dish. For instance, there's the typical American french toast to which cardamom and orange are added, and a beautiful salmon topped with a very American ranch ressing tweaked with saffron and turmeric! Then there are sambusas made with wonton wrappers. Who doesn't love a trick to simplify a recipe and save time?

There are some specialized ingredients that might need to be sourced in Southwest Asian grocery stores or online. The book has suggestions for online sources. However, most of the ingredients you can find at your local grocery.

The Recipes are broken down into the following sections:
Breakfast
Mazzeh: Snacks and Sides
Salads and Soups
Rice and Pilafs
Main Dishes and Stews
Drinks
Desserts

What I Like About This Cookbook

- Each recipe includes a lovely picture and a brief story about how the recipe is used in the family, how it was developed, why it is culturally important or why it was popular in a specific region of Iran.

- The recipes are written in a clear and easy to follow format.

- All of the recipes include the fascinating blend of sweet/savory or sour/sweet/salty that is typical of Iranian food, even if the recipe isn’t a traditional Iranian recipe.

- There are many vegetarian and vegan options. In some recipes with meat, vegetarian options are provided.

- Because herbs play such an important role in the cuisine, there are directions on how to dry herbs in the microwave or how to best store fresh herbs.

- There is a great tahdig 101 primer before the rice recipes. It’s worth reading!

Experience Level Needed

This cookbook can easily be used by beginning cooks and more experienced cooks. The recipes run the gamut from simple to complex. Some are simple enough that they would be fun to do with children.

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed it so much that I have already pre-ordered a hard copy!

Middle Eastern food is awesome, and popular everywhere. Most of us eat it in restaurants, because it is foreign and has some specialty ingredients. However, mother-daughter team, Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh have released an excellent cookbook, Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family, that contains dozens of mouthwatering dishes that are easy to make at home. While the recipes included are not well-known to those of who aren’t particularly familiar with Iranian cooking, they are very appealing.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. Each recipes is prefaced by a paragraph of helpful and interesting comments that help add * to each of the recipes. The recipes are simple enough to be made into picture perfect dishes by cooks both advanced and beginning.

The cookbook includes beautiful professional photographs of almost every recipe which makes it difficult to decide what to make first. The recipes are diverse enough that everyone - even picky eaters – will find dishes they want to eat.

All told, the book covers every category, including appetizers, main dishes, desserts, soups, side dishes and salads. This is one that is worth buying and makes a nice addition to any good cookbook collection. This is a beautiful and excellent cookbook.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.