Fifteen years ago, in its humble beginnings, was nothing more than a simple collection of Persian recipes. As a young newly-wed, I started to try out and collect these recipes, in an attempt to make my husband a happy chap.

At the time, I couldn’t find a single Persian cookbook in the bookshops. So, as a former graphic designer, I set out on a mission to make a small home-made book for personal use. Subsequently, it occurred to me that photos would help with the visualisation process. The first digital camera I owned took two AA batteries that would last about 12 minutes. That made things challenging and the quality was poor, but things progressed.

My husband always candidly told me if the dishes and photos were not quite as they should be, and suggested ways to improve them. And so I persisted, made changes, and more changes until the recipes and photos finally evolved into what they are today. My overall goal was to recreate these recipes as close to the traditional ones as possible.

As time passed, the recipes evolved and my love of cooking and photography grew even further. And then one day my husband stopped me and said that I had spent enough time on this project and should get it printed.

The name Jewels of Persia came about because of the many beautiful ingredients resembling jewels used in Persian cooking, such as pomegranates and barberries. So finally, here it is. I hope you enjoy it and have as much fun with it as I have.