Learn how to cook a Persian royal feast

If you missed last month's Persian pop-up dinner at Harvest Market, don't fret. There's another pop-up coming on September 1 that you might enjoy when we visit Spain to celebrate the annual Paella Festival in Valencià. But if it's Persian food that you desire, you're in luck! I'll be making the same lamb shank dish again along with the world-famous "Jeweled Rice" recipe at my Persian Classics cooking class on the on September 19. Since this a cooking class, I'll be providing recipes and demonstrating how to make these two dishes plus a luscious Persian eggplant stew.

Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s) is located at the crossroads of the East and the West. Perhaps the most ancient of Middle Eastern cuisines, the Persians like to combine herbs and spices like saffron with nuts and dried fruit to make elaborate stews and rice dishes. Join us as we cook up classic "silk road" inspired dishes that are both sophisticated and simple at the same time.

This Persian cooking class is part of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. All my Urbana Park District classes are for adults and the tuition includes a multi-course dinner complete with wine, beer, and/or cocktails. Registration for the 9th season of this long-running series opens on August 7, 2024 at 10am. Full menus and details are here: www.cooking-with-paul.com/upd-2024-fall.html  

More information about my cooking classes and pop-up events can always be found on my website, where you'll also find over 150 recipes from my classes (no ads!). You can also subscribe to my email newsletter or follow me on Instagram or Facebook and like my posts. Bon appétit!