The book is printed on plain paper, clearly visible print and many (in my opinion not enough) color photos of many of the dishes. A few of the dishes come w/ a "vegetarian" option, the titles are printed in English in red with the Farsi below in a smaller brown script. There is a small explanation of the dish w/ optional variations & serving suggestions & the number of servings. The recipes & ingredients are clear easy to read & follow... but Middle Eastern cooking takes a bit of time when it comes to preparation, so these are not quick & easy meals.

I really enjoy the discussion of spices, many of which I often use, and I found a better way to prepare my saffron before adding it to my dishes.

The book is broken down to the following sections: Introduction; Overview; Guide to Persian Ingredients; ten (10) sections of Recipe; Menus; Resources; Acknowledgements; About the Author; and Index.

The recipes for the most part are gluten free, use minimal of oil & fat, and call for alternatives to white sugar. There are several Jewish/Kosher recipes, which in my mind do not mix with the other dishes.

Starters & Snacks: As the authors states Iranians really do not serve "appetizers" but a series of small plates to awaken the the palate & appetite.... Whole grilled fava beans; Winter squash fritters w/ rose petals; New potatoes w/ dill & lemon; Turkish roasted tomato & red pepper dip (Armenians serve this too); Garlicky eggplant & tomato spread; Passover Charoset (see...Kosher).

Soups: Cold pistachio w/ mint & leeks; Saffron corn soup (this sounded really good); "Persian 'Matzoh Balls' w/ chickpeas & chicken (Riiiight); Savory amaranth & turkey porridge; Cleansing spring nettle soup; and one of My Favorites Ash-e Reshteh (Bean, herb & noodle soup).

Salads: Chicken w/ potatoes & olives (Salad Olivie); Tomato & Cucumber; Vinegar carrots w/ toasted sesame seeds; & Radish, rhubarb & strawberry.

Vegetable & Egg Entrees: Herb frittata w/ walnuts & rose petals (Kuku sabzi, very often served during lent & easter w/ fish); Roasted stuffed artichokes w/ mint oil (this sounded good); Stuffed tomatoes w/ pistachio pesto; and Tempeh kebabs w/ minty cilantro-lime sauce.

Meat & Fish Entrees: Chilie-saffron fish kebabs; Parvin's tamarind stuffed fish; Lamb kebabs in pomegranate-walnut marinade (fesenjan sauce); Grilled liver w/ cumin, garlic, & fresh basil; and Turmeric chicken w/ sumac & lime.

Main Dish Stews & casseroles: Pomegranate walnut stew (fesenjan); Barley stew w/ lamb & rhubarb; Seared chicken & peaches; Green herb & kidney bean stew w/ dried lemons (Gormeh sabzi, my favorite); and Persian gulf style spicy tamarind fish stew.

Rice & Grains: Saffron rice (my favorite); Sweet rice w/ carrots & nuts; Rice w/ rose petals & barberries (sour); Quinoa w/ french lentils, wild rice & golden raisins; and Rice w/ favas (or limas) & fresh dill (another of my favorites & easy to make).

Sweets: Chickpea & almond flour icebox cookies (yum); Rhubarb & rose water sorbet w/ rice noodles; pomegranate semifreddo w/ blood orange compote; Amaranth rice pudding w/ rose water; and No-bake persimmon & goat cheese cheesecake.

Beverages: Salty mint yogurt soda; Sour cherry spritzer (so refreshing in summer); Cardomon coffee; Naturally sweet dried lime tea; and Winter orchard tea.

Pickles and Preserves: Sour plum pickle; Mixed vegetable pickle; Fig mustard; Tamarind date chutney; and Sour cherry & rose preserves. ( )