Hidden in today’s Sunday Times Culture section is a list of recommended books with one, Persia in Peckham, Recipes from Persepolis by Sally Butcher, highlighted as their Cookbook of the Year.
“This gem of a book mixes alluring Persian recipes with tales of modern Iran and insights about running a corner shop in southeast London. What makes Persia in Peckham so gripping is the engaging authorial voice of Sally Butcher, who explains everything from persimmons to pickles with zip and charm. A university dropout, Butcher married an Iranian and together they run a magical bazaar on Peckham high street called Persepolis. The recipes (which are extremely doable in a Claudia Rodenish way) reflect the food that the coupel sells: moreshish tahini dips and broad bean pulaco, spicy kofta meatballs, sticky honeyed pastries, sour-cherry jam and cooling sherbets. Like a great corner shop, the book is stuffed with unexpected aspides on cinema in Iran, or the link between the Iranian love of saffron fudge and the large number of Iranian dentists.”
Persia in Peckham by Sally Butcher is available from Amazon.co.uk
Shame that it is not in any stores!
Excellent cookbook, and I am not just supporting it from teh Peckham Town Centre Management Groups point of view.
Bought copies of this book as soon as she published it and sent some of them to friends in the States who have now asked me to get more as Christmas Presents for their friends.
Love the style and contents of the book and already made a few dishes which everyone loved.
I am half Iranian and got this cookbook as a Christmas gift from friends. The recipes are diverse and delicious! Next on my list is a visit to Persepolis the shop in Peckham to stock up on ingredients.