Coming Out While Iranian: My Tastemade Cooking Show Debut

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL EPISODE ON TASTEMADE

Can you imagine preparing, on camera, one of the most beloved and complexly nuanced/symbolic dishes of your country of origin—while sharing intimate and vulnerable details of not only your coming-out story, but of the subsequent challenges that have come with navigating the world of dating, family, and community as your intersectional queer self?

I was invited by Tastemade to take on this very unique challenge when I was asked to prepare Ghormeh Sabzi, one of the most iconic dishes of Iran (and dare I say the Persian Empire) while I shared stories about my journey as a queer, Iranian, Muslim-raised immigrant womxn.

This all came about when the Director of Original Series at Tastemade read the piece I wrote about coming out to my parents in the 90’s while cooking Ghormeh Sabzi (out of my tiny NYC kitchen) for a couple of queer Iranian friends who were visiting me from San Francisco. See full story here.

He invited me to come to Tastemade headquarters and do a full episode cooking show for a new series called Cooking With Pride, where I would share my stories with host Ingrid Nilson—while simultaneously showing her how to prepare Ghormeh Sabzi.

No. Big. Deal (!!!)

Ghormeh Sabzi is a very traditional Persian/Iranian dish that involves a lot of sophisticated and layered flavors from herbs such as fenugreek, parsley + cilantro; sour + earthy notes from fresh + dried limes (Limoo Amani) and spices like turmeric that meld together in a slow-cooked, savory and verdant stew that is served with a steaming plate of basmati rice.

For me, there was something poignantly symbolic about preparing this layered, complexly flavored, traditional dish on-air while discussing in detail some of the very complex, layered and vulnerable experiences I have had navigating the world as a queer, Iranian-American non-binary immigrant “outlaw” of sorts who came of age in the late 80’s/early 90’s within a tiny, Arizona-based Muslim community that was themselves considered “outlaws” by the larger Islamic communities and countries of the world.

During this cooking show, I share everything from my coming out story-to the awkward trauma around my first kiss—to where my desire has shifted to in terms of the gender(s) and orientation(s) I now date versus who I was dating in the early 90’s. All while preparing a dish that is a national treasure.

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It has been a few weeks since the Tastemade “Cooking With Pride” episode I am on has aired. I have been surprised by the way the Iranian communities around the world have responded to this cooking show.

I have not received any negative or derogatory comments about the fact that I am a very out queer Iranian person who is not shying away from bringing visibility to folx like myself on shows like Tastemade. To me, this is HUGE and a sign that perhaps the collective conscience of the global Iranian communities are much more aware and accepting of the existence of Iranian LGBTQI within their local communities.

What I *have* been surprised by is the number of Iranians who have VERY PASSIONATELY engaged with the brief video clip posted on Tastemade’s Instagram page to proclaim that my Ghormeh Sabzi is not up to their standards and expectations (based on the brief clip showing how the dish was plated and presented on the show).

At first, I felt like I needed to explain to each Iranian viewer who commented that this is “TV” and that I didn’t literally whip up a complex dish that takes hours to cook in 21 minute…and that the finished dish they were criticizing so fervently was prepared by in-house chef/food stylists and shot for TV. Frankly, I thought the food stylist who prepared the pot of ghormeh sabzi for the camera did a fantastic job, considering it was her first time cooking a dish she had never seen or tasted before.

Once I got over the initial impulse to defend myself and the cooking show, I realized that the comments seem to come from a deep sense of pride and respect for the legacy of the Persian/Iranian culture and history. I was actually deeply moved by how strongly some Iranians felt compelled to police and criticize the way the Ghormeh Sabzi dish looked on air.

I know that for many Iranian families (including mine) who have had to flee their motherland for political and religious reasons, one of the only things they can hold onto and continue to nurture and pass on to the next generation(s) is the magnificent and unique Persian/Iranian culinary tradition.

For a scattered population of people, keeping the recipes and oral tradition of the motherland intact is equivalent to keeping the culture alive and well, despite wars, revolutions, displacement and reinventing yourself in a foreign land with foreign flavors.

I understand and have been deeply touched by all the Iranians (both living in Iran as well as the diaspora) who wanted to have their voices heard and who wanted to protect and honor the spirit of their motherland and history by commenting on the cooking video clip on Tastemade.

This only inspires me to want to create more cooking and culture videos where I can continue to explore and honor the stories, food and culture of a variety of intersectional people and communities around the world. Let us celebrate and keep alive the food, stories and heritage of our ancestors while we simultaneously showcase those individuals and movements today that are pushing boundaries and creating new language, culture and social movements.

TAHDIG FEAST ON MARCH 7TH

Announcing the first Persian Supper + Salon of the year: The “Make Tahdig Not War” dinner party!

Inspired by the t-shirt I created to wear on an upcoming Tastemade cooking show “Make This Tonight”, this special gathering will feature three different Tahdig dishes, including a special Iranian “Macaroni” Tahdig based off of a recipe of fellow Iranian chef/food blogger Omid Roustaei, aka The Caspian Chef

Check out the entire menu below and message me here if you would like details on how to book a seat. This is an intimate 12 person gathering, so space is limited!

MESSAGE ME HERE IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO BOOK YOUR SEATS!

This gathering is going to be held at the beautiful Los Angeles home of Iranian-American beauty, Leila Hamidi, who is an organizer + writer for the arts and architecture. She has graciously opened up her home to our gathering, as she wants to advance peace, love, and tahdig for all the peoples.

Want to reserve a seat for this dinner or have more questions? Message me here!

Want your own “MAKE TAHDIG NOT WAR T-SHIRT”? Check out my online shop and grab one for yourself here!

COOKING VIDEO: PARISA'S POTATO TAHDIG RICE ON SEVEN SPICE LIFE

Earlier this fall, I had the great pleasure of being a guest on a Seven Spice Life cooking video, showing the secrets to creating the PERFECT crunchy Potato Tahdig Rice. I had been introduced to Lisa Kiorkis, the talented Assyrian-American woman behind Seven Spice Life, last spring— thru a mutual friend who had a hunch we would have a lot in common and hit it off.

We both are first generation Middle-Eastern/SWANA women whose families live in Arizona. Lisa is currently based out of Phoenix, AZ where she is a boss babe entrepreneur who divides her time between the hair salon she runs with her sister and her work on Seven Spice Life. She has quickly become one of my favorite new people and I find her high-energy, passionate, hard-working and stylish vibe to be magnetic.

We had SO MUCH FUN creating this cooking video. I could seriously spend half my days in Lisa’s kitchen, cooking with her while we just chat about all sorts of subjects— from nerding out about cooking techniques to talking about our varied experiences navigating the world as queer middle-eastern women. The other half of my days, I would want to host delicious, fun, and engaging dinner parties and have guest chefs like Lisa bring their flavors, talents and stories to my dinner party guests.

In this cooking video, you can learn not only how to make my signature Potato Tahdig Rice with its perfect crunchy crust but you will also learn how to make Lisa’s quick and delicious Assyrian Chicken Curry Stew that pairs really well with this rice. For my vegetarian and vegan friends, you can create a vegetarian version of the Curry Stew by omitting the chicken, using vegetable stock, and increasing the quantity of vegetables you put in the stew.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed making it! By the time we finished cooking both dishes, the entire house smelled of fragrant and savory aromas and we were both drooling. Shortly after these shots were taken…we sat down and devoured this meal! Yes, we LOVE TO EAT as much as WE LOVE TO COOK!

I really am confident that if you follow the steps and techniques I highlight in the video on how to make the crunchy Tahdig Rice….that you too will get results like this. I would love to hear from you and see pics of your Tahdig Rice experiments.

Email me at: info@savagemuse or thru my IG: @savage_taste and send me pics of your Tahdig dishes!

NOUSHEH JAAN! BON APETITE! EAT WELL AND PROSPER!

SAVAGE TASTE FEATURED ON EATER LA!

I’m deeply honored to have my SAVAGE TASTE PERSIAN SUPPERS + SALONS featured on EATER LA!

Here is a link to the full article: https://la.eater.com/2018/11/28/18105614/savage-taste-queer-silver-lake-persian-dinner-popup-parisa-parnian-los-angeles

Message me HERE if you’d like to get on the invite list for future dinner parties and gatherings!

Closeup of me holding the Adas Polo (Lentil Rice with raisins + cranberries). This rice also has a potato “tahdig” which is the crusty rice developed at bottom of the pot. Photo: Meghan McCarron for la.eater.com