PERSIAN PLEASURE: INDUSTRY NIGHT AUGUST 31, 2023

INDUSTRY NIGHT

So much to chew on in this episode of Industry Night.

First! I’ve been eating:

  • The people of DC love to brunch. LOVE IT and the people at the Gaylord are here to feed that beast! In the newly renovated and relaunched Old Hickory, they are now doing a baller brunch, 3- courses — to me it is a little bit too much — but based on the reactions of the other diners I was in the minority. The first course is served on a massive board with hot out of the oven pastries, granola and yogurt, a selection of local cheeses, big berries and sliced fruit oh and baked oysters. That’s to start. Then we got a pancake board for the table - 10 massive pancakes with little pots of Nutella, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, butter, jam and hot maple syrup. There was a steak & egg sandwich and the last course, a tiered tray of composed pastries and cookies. Like I said way too much, but brunch lovers that is for you.
 
  • Got a little wellness into my busy schedule thanks to the good people at Balian Springs and DC Magazine. David and I felt like we had arrived at an Indonesian oasis and took full advantage of all the Balian Springs offerings:
  1. Sunning on the rooftop Lounging in the outdoor pool (while being massaged with waterjets)
  2. Sitting in the healing hydrotherapy poolsPopping into several of the detoxifying saunas
  3. We meditated and rung out the evening with a ritual sound bath
  4. An evening of self-care was a magical way to start the week.

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  • Got to sit with one of my favorite women in the restaurant biz — Lydia Chang — the business side and daughter of famous chef Peter Chang. She took me on a tasting tour of all the menu changes and the recently opened downtown spot. The perfect Pekin Duck ( I am there for the pancakes), the crispy rice stew, the bulbous scallion pancake — maybe I should take a breather from all the pancakes The space is so light, bright and modern — love having time with Lydia but honestly love the cuisine and the experience.
 
  • And one quick last one … tis the season for Ice Cream! The Charmery is a well loved ice cream destination in Baltimore and now there is one is Chevy Chase. Basically in my backyard — the ice cream is so smooth and creamy. And I love the flavors — my current favorite is the Ice Cream Sandwich — it’s like they took all these ice cream sandwiches and whipped them together. So so delish.


Um, okay I’ll stop there let’s get on to today’s show:

I am so honored to have today’s guests joining me. She needs no introduction but I am going to give it to her anyway! Najmieh Batmanglij has spent the past 40 years cooking, traveling, and adapting authentic Persian recipes to tastes and techniques in the West. The Washington Post calls her “the guru of Persian cuisine” having written more than 8 books including, Food of Life, Silk Road Cooking, From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table and Cooking in Iran: Regional Recipes and Kitchen Secrets. The NYTimes names her one of seven immigrant women who changed the way Americans eat and most recently she has partnered with Michelin starred chef Chris Morgan to open up Joon, a Persian Restaurant here in the DC Area.

Let’s dig in with Chefs Najmieh & Chris!


Listen to the full episode here. 

Watch the full episode here. 


Our guests: 

Najmieh Batmanglij
Personal Instagram

Chris Morgan
Personal Instagram
Joon Instagram