By Christine Salins.
When Iranian writer and food photographer, Saghar Setareh, moved to Italy in 2007, she was enchanted by the rich food culture of her adopted country. This inspired in her a curiosity in the cuisine of her homeland and the surrounding countries of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean.
The then 22-year-old was born in Tehran and moved to Rome to study at the Fine Art Academy. The artist’s eye is evident in her book, Pomegranates & Artichokes: Recipes and Memories of a Journey from Iran to Italy (Murdoch Books, $49.99).
Setareh did all her own photography for Pomegranates & Artichokes, and the result is truly sumptuous, with evocative photos of scenery and food photos that look like still life paintings in a gallery. It comes as no surprise to learn that as well as running Persian and Italian cooking classes, Setareh works as a professional photographer.
She has also been running a food and photography blog, Lab Noon, since 2014, at the same time contributing to leading publications such as Conde Nast Traveller UK, and National Geographic.
In Pomegranates & Artichokes, she tells the story of the two food cultures that have shaped her life, and the delicious space in between. She describes the many parallels that link Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food cultures, and she shows how ingredients and recipes – unconstrained by borders – are shared and transformed through the immigrant experience.
Divided into three sections representing stops on her culinary journey – Iran, In Between and Italy – the book has more than 80 recipes celebrating the foods of these regions. Among the highlights are a simple Iranian breakfast platter, a celebratory Persian feast, Sicilian-style stuffed artichokes, sweet-sour meatballs from Aleppo, a Roman ricotta and wild cherry pie, and a velvety Middle Eastern milk pudding.
There are indulgences such as tiramisu, baklava, saffron roast chicken stuffed with dried fruit, Iranian jewelled rice, and delicious labneh with rose petal jam. And, of course, aperitivo.
The recipes are lovely, the stories interesting, but it is the exquisite photography that leaves me craving more.
Roasted pumpkin & shallots, toasted hazelnuts & soft cheese
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
700 to 800 g butternut pumpkin, kabocha or mantovana squash, peeled and chopped into 3 cm cubes
3 French shallots, peeled, with the roots left on, then quartered lengthways
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, plus extra for seasoning
olive oil, for cooking and drizzling
2 rosemary sprigs
250g farro
1/3 cup (50 g) hazelnuts
zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon white vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
200 g soft cheese, such as robiola or goat’s cheese
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the pumpkin and shallot on a large baking tray with ½ teaspoon of the salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the rosemary sprigs. Toss to coat the vegetables, then arrange them on the tray so they’re not overlapping. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the shallots are soft with some brown edges. Remove the shallots and, if necessary, roast the pumpkin for another 10 to 30 minutes, until soft with some brown edges.
Meanwhile, cook the farro in a saucepan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions; this usually takes about 30 minutes. Drain the farro, place in a large bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, so it doesn’t dry out.
Toast the hazelnuts in a hot frying pan for just a few minutes until lightly browned, and fragrant with an earthy aroma. Remove immediately to a chopping board so the nuts don’t burn, leave until cool enough to handle, then coarsely chop.
Add the toasted hazelnuts to the farro with the roasted pumpkin and shallot (discard the rosemary twigs). Toss with the lemon zest and juice, white vinegar and another 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Pile the salad onto a shallow platter. Crumble the cheese into large chunks over the salad and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar; of course, another drizzle of olive oil never hurts.
You can keep this salad in the fridge for a couple of days; save the cheese for serving.
Recipe and images from Pomegranates & Artichokes by Saghar Setareh, photography by Saghar Setareh. Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99.
