Najmieh Batmanglij

Hailed as “The guru of Persian cuisine” by The Washington Post, Najmieh Batmanglij has spent the past 30 years cooking, traveling, and adapting authentic Iranian recipes to the tastes and techniques of western cuisines. The 25th Anniversary Edition of her book “Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies” was called "this summer's (2011) most coveted tome" by Vogue. Her Silk Road Cooking: “A Vegetarian Journey” was selected as “One of the 10 best vegetarian cookbooks of the year” by the New York Times; and her “From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table” won the 2007 Gourmand Cookbook Award for the world’s best wine history book. She is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and lives in Washington, DC, where she teaches Iranian and Silk Road cooking. As well, she provides consultations for restaurants around the world. Her most recent book is “Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year.” At 2013 Tirgan Festival, Najmieh will demonstrate some classic, gourmet Iranian cuisines, including the secrets of using saffron and rose water in Iranian cooking.