Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life
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- $35.99
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- $35.99
Publisher Description
A Los Angeles Times Best Cookbook of 2023 • A WBUR Here & Now Best Cookbook of 2023 • One of Eater's 12 Best Cookbooks of Spring 2023
A collection of recipes reflecting a life affected by immigration, community, adaptation, and experimentation—and sublime, old-world, creamy yogurt.
As founder of much-loved The White Moustache Yogurt company, Homa Dashtaki employs the same traditionally Iranian methods of making yogurt that her family has for generations in her kitchen today. Her passion culminates in inspiring the use of a new ingredient: whey, the liquid gold extracted from straining homemade yogurt. Across 100 recipes ranging from ancient see-rogh to rum cocktails, ghormeh sabzi to lemon meringue pie, Dashtaki weaves in and out of nostalgic and innovative dishes. The result of years of obsessively making yogurt results in a love for every drop of whey that she passes onto home cooks in these recipes. Embrace whey’s bright tang in a summer gazpacho or a pitcher of pineapple margaritas. Enjoy the crispy edges it lends to creamy pancakes.
Enlivened by hand-drawn illustrations and dreamy photographs, Yogurt & Whey is a beautiful homage to Iranian yogurt traditions—past, present, and future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dashtaki, founder of the White Moustache yogurt company, debuts with an edifying and delicious exploration of Zoroastrian cuisine and the many innovative uses of yogurt and its usually discarded by-product, whey. Whether taking center stage in recipes for labneh ("the creamy yogurt cheese you get from straining yogurt for a full day") and kashk ("soured, dried yogurt balls that last for years") or playing a supporting role in condiments (including whey-fermented kimchi), stews, rice, and meat dishes, the eponymous ingredients prove to be amazingly versatile. A lengthy and detailed introduction transports readers to the author's homeland of Iran, stating that the collection connects her family, food, and business "across time and place." This claim rings true, with dishes that will be less familiar to American palates, including fesenjan ("an ancient, celebratory stew") and parsi sev (breakfast noodles), as well as some more familiar items such as blueberry muffins and pancakes. The thorough introduction to yogurt-making itself examines key decisions such as which milk to use and whether to strain. Dashtaki proves a skilled and thoughtful writer, and her reverence for the dishes she offers makes this a treat.
