Dr. Elnaz Rashidian

Fried minced beef, nuts and raisin.

Tahdig of persisn steamed rice with lentil.

Adas-polo ba gusht, with pickles and salad. Persian cuisine.

Our weekend comfort food was "adas-polo-ba-gusht", steamed rice with lentil and tahdig, accompanied by fried minced beef, lots of crushed nuts and raisin. You can serve this with a refreshing salad, tangy pickles, or a yogurt. It smells heavenly due to cinnamon and tastes even better the next day.

My brother and his bride, officially wed, on the same day as USA bombed the nuclear sites in Iran.

Update: They sent me photographs ❣️.

Ceasefire after 12 horrific days. On both sides, innocent lives lost, homes destroyed, children traumatized. The international community has failed the UN Charter. The civil movement for democracy in Iran is now sevearly damaged and under more pressure. Iranians in diaspora left numb. #Iran #Israel

My brother and I, in our childhood home, sw Iran. 1980s.

Who could have guessed, the horrible news of USA distroying nuclear sites in Iran and the wonderful news of my brother and his fiancé getting wed officially, would reach me through broken internet on the very same day. I could not give my brother a hug, or a small gift for his bride. #Iran #Israel

How wonderful. This looks good. 😊

Red and green trees and a blue sky.

Devastated by the ongoing madness and disappointed by the disgusting reaction of German politicians, I went to work. My colleagues' empathy overwhelmed me. While drones scar my first home's sky, I look up to my new home's sky to hold my tears. Can we not just live in peace like trees? #Iran #Israel

Thank you. On both sides, innocent people are hurt, because of a few angry old men....

How kind of you. I appreciate it. 🍀

My mother, standing in front of a nicely decorated haft-sin, celebrating the Persian new year, 2013.

"Israel has a right to defend itself". From my mother, a pensioner teacher, a foodie dance lover, who has already lost her every thing in the Iraq War and its aftermath? From my brother, a hardworking and kind young man, who is preparing his wedding?
How is Israel safer, if they die? #Iran #Israel

The fith day of Israeli attacks on Iran. Finally reached my mother. I weep. Her voice cracking due to slow internet. "Do not worry. I am not afraid.", she says...
Flashback to my childhood home, a ruin after Iraqi bombs, I weep. My mother looks me in the eye, "Do not worry. I am not afraid." #iran

Yet another sleepless night.... They are seriously bombing each other....

This looks gorgeous and yummy. 😍

Khoresh-alu-esfenaj, steamed safran rice, cabbage tahdig and coleslaw.

Khoresh-alu-esfenaj.

Cabbage tahdig and steamed rice.

A portion of Khoresh-alu-esfenaj, steamed safran rice, cabbage tahdig and coleslaw.

Our weekend comfort food: khoresh-alu-esfenaj, spinach and plum stew with tender pork and minced almonds, a tangy coleslaw of pointed cabbage, and steamed safran rice. The crispy tahdig is made with cabbage leafs and ghee. Cabbage, nuts, and fruits are often used together in the persian cuisine.

Peony flower

Pond with waterlily and reeds.

White roses climbing a grid.

Pink roses with a ton of half blooming buds.

Enjoying a sunny & carefree day of my privileged life with my loved ones in a rose garden. Looking at all these beings, heavy under the weight of tons of roses waiting for their turn to fully bloom; trying not to think about the news of mothers refusing to let go of their tiny starved babys in Gaza.

Wow. This wonderful. You need to publish it. 🍀

As a mother, one might forget to solely focus on their own needs once in a while. I had to keep reminding myself of this.

Ash-reshte Persian herb & nudel soup

Maybe ten years ago, I made ash-reshte, the persian herb and nudel soup with beans and lentil, just for me. A pot full of wholesome aromas to enjoy quietly in my then solitude. The photo popped up on my timeline the other day, reminding me of my responsibility to care for myself once in a while.

Indeed. ☺️

Persian cuisine. Steamed rice with tahdig and fessenjun.

They can call the Persian Gulf wrong names and get rewarded brand new airplanes from guys on the wrong side of history. But they can not take away our privilege of home-cooked Fessenjun, chicken braised in a sauce of tangy pomegranate syrup and finely minced walnuts, served with rice and pickles.

Rain man

Our young birch tree

Our young maple tree

Here is an update on them, both triving in the spring sun.

Persian stew of beans, herbs, and meat. And crispy steamed rice.

Ghormeh-Sabzi

Steamed rice with crispy tahdig.

Our comfort food for today is Persian herb stew (ghormeh-sabzi) with steamed rice and a crispy crunchy tahdig. Tahdig is always a challenge and can go wrong any time. The stew needs to cook slowly on low heat for the aromatics to evolve into a dark oil on top. My family is happy and I am grateful.

He likes dark coffee and short poems. So, I am sure that he will smile today thanks to you. ☺️

This is wonderful. I'm repeating your poem under my breath to memorize and recite it later to a loved one...

Explosions and a rainbow

Apple tree blossoms

W. Turner

Explosions in a port in Iran, another unnecessary catastrophe. Heartbroken, I turn to look at the apple tree blossoms exploding in the most gorgeous colors. Then turn to Turner to ease my eyes from the burden of this dichotomy. Even in the midst of disaster, the apple tree blooms every spring.

Not if you need to catch a train to go to the office afterwards. My coffee tastes bitter on such days... brunch on the hand, is the best time of the day for me :-)

Flowers on a table cloth.

The joy of sitting in your corner in the garden, absently arranging a few flowers on a table cloth, seeking solitude and peace in a world full of absurdity.

This is beautiful.

Birch tree

Maple

Before moving in with my husband, a little thing grew on my balcony, which I adopted and took with me. It turned out to be a maple tree. He had similar luck with a birch. We put them in pots and promised to find them a home. Recently, we could finally plant them into earth. And look at them now. 😍

I am not a fan of Hamlet. But your drawings are sweet and funny. ☺️