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Accompaniments

Tamarind ketchup

Pickled cauliflower

Mixed pickled vegetables

Citrus chutney

Pickled mango and habanero relish

Cilantro-jalapeño sauce

Cucumber yogurt

Watercress mashed potatoes

Sautéed leafy greens

Sweet potato and cranberry cornmeal biscuits

Green rice

Smoky eggplant dip with yogurt

Resources

Index

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my mother, Georgia Shafia, for teaching me how to cook and entertain with style and originality. Thank you to all the Shafias, Schafiyhas, and Shafiihas, especially Ammeh Melih, for your unconditional love and for exposing me to Persian food and culture.

My heartfelt thanks to Brie Mazurek; I’m happy my proposal fell into the hands of an editor who cares deeply about the issues covered here. I’m grateful to Sara Golski, Aaron Wehner, Debra Matsumoto, Patricia Kelly, Kristin Casemore, and everyone at Ten Speed Press for their enthusiastic support. Special thanks to art director Toni Tajima for incorporating a variety of viewpoints and ideas into one beautiful vision.

Thanks are due to my three muses, whose superior senses of taste and style I’ve been lucky to have at my disposal: Jennifer Revit, for her golden palate and honest opinions; Julie Byun, for her willingness to advise even from across the country; and Olga Naiman, for going above and beyond in her generosity as a friend and collaborator. My thanks to Eric Tucker of Millennium Restaurant for setting an indelible example of what a good chef should be. I am also grateful to Michael Psaltis, my agent, for guiding me through the writing process with patience and humor. My army of recipe testers provided invaluable insights: thank you all for your spirit of adventure. A big round of applause goes to the hardworking chefs and servers who helped to pull off all of the wonderful Lucid Food events. I raise a glass of sambuca to Rachael Ray and John Cusimano for their generosity and support.

Finally, my gratitude goes to James Rotondi for in-house editing, endless comic distractions, and for whisking me away on vacation when I didn’t know how badly I needed it.

Introduction

On a sunny summer afternoon in 2003 I was taking the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan when suddenly the lights and air-conditioning went out and the train, thankfully still in the station, came to an abrupt halt. After an announcement that a power outage had taken place, the doors opened and everyone exited the train and went back out to the street. Little did we know that this was the beginning of a now-legendary two-day multistate blackout, which tangled public transportation, made life difficult for many elderly people, and inconvenienced millions.

Ironically, it was anything but a dark evening for many New Yorkers. Instead, as twilight fell, there was tangible excitement in the air, with countless people getting an unexpected night off and pouring out onto the streets to share a sense of wonder and adventure. Because my phone was out, I walked to my nearest friend’s house and called up to his window. He ran down and together we excitedly explored the impromptu street party that was taking place on the sidewalks.

Neighbors were chatting with neighbors; restaurants had set up grills out front and were selling cold beer from tubs of ice; bars and stores were lit with candles; and later there was a marching band parading through the crowds, and even fireworks! It was one of the best nights I’ve ever spent in New York, a special evening when the modern world of bright lights, cable TV, and fast food took a backseat to genuine face-to-face interaction, simple pleasures, and the rediscovery of a true community spirit. And, for the first time in years, a near-full moon was the only big, bright light shining in New York City.

Practical magic

With this book, I’d like to convey the essence of what I learned that evening. Something truly magical emerges when we slow down, turn off our modern gadgets, and approach the shared rituals of food—procuring, preparing, cooking, and even cleaning up—with an appreciation