add a little fat, mash it up with potatoes and chickpeas. that s good. what do iranians want to eat today? it s a home-cooking culture. i mean farrokh: yes. we didn t have the culture of eating out. this is a culture of secret foods in the house. things, which are unheard of. it s not in the book. secrets. anthony: that s really interesting. farrokh: lot of secrets. anthony: mmhm. maeimeh: have you ever tried traditional iranian food? anthony: uh, it s difficult, because everybody says the great food of iran is cooked in people s homes. maeimeh: yes. anthony: this is a land of secret recipes, passed down within families like treasured possessions. bijan: mr. tony, please. anthony: beautiful spread of food. bijan: she s my wife, and i
am a really lucky man. she is a very good cook. anthony: bijan, like so many other iranians i ve met, has been kind enough to invite me to his home. maeimeh: this is milk soup. milk-and-chicken soup. anthony: oh, it s really good. maeimeh: my mom said that iranian people loves guests, and they will never get tired if the guest likes their food. anthony: mmm! maeimeh: this call it fesenjan. anthony: a stew of fried chicken, onion, ground walnuts, pomegranate, and tomato paste. and this fruit, there s some kind of fruit? maeimeh: yes. there is a dried apricot inside this as well. anthony: delicious! so good! bijan: needed around 24 hours time. anthony: these are very sophisticated, very time-consuming dishes to prepare. always from scratch, and always in excess of what you could possibly need. you tend to kill your guests with kindness around here.
maeimeh: tilapia. that fish is from the south of iran. anthony: from the persian gulf? bijan: persian gulf. maeimeh: yes. and this one is from north. we call it mahi-ye halva. anthony: maybe if i could try some, uh yes, thank you. maeimeh: of course. and that one is gheimeh. we made it with beans, meat. anthony: so good. mmm. fantastic food. bijan: man and wife, both of them working. you know? anthony: so it s hard to do something like this. bijan: yes. anthony: that s what i ve been waiting, that s the crispy rice at the bottom, right there? the, what s it called? tadek? is that maeimeh: tadek. anthony: tadek. maeimeh: exactly. anthony: oh, lovely. merci. maeimeh: my mom and my mother-in-law, they think if they have a guest, they have to, at least two or three kind of foods. anthony: right. maeimeh: and, uh, if they make just one, they think that this is not very polite for the guest. but, uh, nowadays, for example, for my generation, when i hav
food, one appetizer, and one dessert. bijan: you know why? maeimeh: and bijan: you know why? maeimeh: because it s much easier! are you ready for me are you ready are you ready
you know? anthony: so it s hard to do something like this. bijan: yes. anthony: that s what i ve been waiting, that s the crispy rice at the bottom, right there? the, what s it called? tadek? is that maeimeh: tadek. anthony: tadek. maeimeh: exactly. anthony: oh, lovely. merci. maeimeh: my mom and my mother-in-law, they think if they have a guest, they have to, at least two or three kind of foods. anthony: right. maeimeh: and, uh, if they make just one they think that this is not very polite for the guest. but, uh, nowadays, for example, for my generation, when i have a guest, i will just make one food, one appetizer, and one dessert. bijan: you know why? maeimeh: and bijan: you know why? maeimeh: because it s much easier! [ laughter ] be brilliant. be the diamond you are. find dazzling deals on diamonds and more at the zales cyber monday sale. get 30-50% off everything,