Shalma

“Naan (the Persian word for "bread") at the table is not only a constant companion but a revered guest. Wheat is considered sacred, a symbol of life and the beginnings of civilization. Not a single crumb is ever to be wasted and should always be repurposed.”
― Naz Deravian, Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories

“I have a complicated relationship with airports. A space that once held promise, the gateway to summer vacations and adventure, now makes my heart race a little faster, beat a little harder. A seemingly random red strip of tape on the ground, a dated stamp and ink pad, a place of birth forever etched on a passport, and a somber uniformed officer determine our future, our lives.... I wonder what new family is anxiously pacing back there, sleep-deprived and confused, hoping for that stamp to hit the ink, hoping to step into a new life.”
― Naz Deravian, Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories

“Come dinnertime, we could always rely on the permanent fixture of two pots, standing at attention, prepared for their marching orders.”
― Naz Deravian, Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories

“These are the kinds of stews that bring us running to the family table. Whether the table is firmly planted in its destined place or lingering somewhere in between. The kind of stew that bridges the path to a new continent, a new country, a new life, a new kitchen with its own stories to tell.”
― Naz Deravian, Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories