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My cookbook: "Tehran to New York"

On the Norouz day of 2020 spring, I finally published my book. The manuscript is titled: "Tehran to New York: A culinary bridge between Persian and Western cultures" and aims at presenting a unique blend of classic and contemporary Persian recipes, as well as samples of Western-style cuisine, offered in a Persian context. It is important to build bridges between cultures, and not walls. This book aims at constructing a bridge between the Persian and Western cultures. The book may be ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/Tehran-New-York-culinary-cultures-ebook/dp/B0861H47GS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tehran+to+new+york&qid=1584810930&sr=8-1  

Persian yogurt and saffron roasted chicken


My New Yorker brother-in-law invented this roast by combining the American style of grilling large bone-in pieces of chicken with the Persian style yogurt and saffron marinated chicken kebab (see Joujeh kebab). The story began from that day when he had marinated some chicken in a rich yogurt marinade for outdoor grilling. Thanks to heavy rains and storm, he had to adjust and roast the chicken inside. Since then, his saffron marinaded chicken is never grilled; the chicken roast is a family favorite after that incident. Yogurt, very effectively, tenderizes the meat. The tartness of yogurt is balanced with the sweetness of caramelized onion pieces in this recipe.

Ingredients:
4.4 Pounds (~2 kg or 8 medium) chicken thighs
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1½ TSP salt
½ TSP white pepper
10.58 Oz (~300 gr) non-fat thick Greek yogurt
½ TSP granulated garlic
2 TBSP rich saffron solution*
1 TSP dried tarragon (rosemary, savory, or mint are great alternatives) 
* Crush a few stems of saffron to a powder and mix with warm water.



Mix all the ingredients (except for the dried herb) in a deep container and marinade over-might.
Arrange the chicken pieces on a baking tray in a single layer. evenly Spread all the marinade on top, temper to the room temperature, and bake in a 400 F (~230 C) preheated oven for forty minutes.

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