Sunday 15 January 2012

The Blood of Flowers

Around the World in 52 Books Challenge:  3/52 (Iran)

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

My Goodreads Review


I want to fly away on a magic carpet - over the oceans, across the mountains, high on the winds.  I want to feel passion.  I want to infuse the senses with aromas and strong but succulent flavours.  I want to be a succulent woman.  I want to eat pistachios, pomegranates, dates.  I want to buy a Persion carpet, hand knotted in rich colours.  I want to paint my walls orange, red, saffron.  I want to walk into my house and smell cloves, cardamom, cinnamon.

Okay, so I've lost my mind.  I  have a lot of "wants".  One can only dream.  *sigh*

I decided to make some of it happen.  I brushed off the old apron and pushed my husband away from the stove.  I reclaimed my kitchen.  Tonight, for supper we had Persian Pomegranate Walnut Chicken .  (You will have to follow the link because I'm too lazy to type the whole thing out.)

Twice in the book, the protagonist (nameless throughout the story) talked of a Pomegranate Walnut Glazed dish.  I don't remember the meat that was cooked with the glaze.  That's the problem with audiobooks; it's hard to go back and find little things like names of dishes.  The first time she mentioned it, her aunt had her grinding the walnuts into a fine powder.  The second time, her mother made the dish for her and ground the walnuts a little coarser because that's they way they liked it.

Whether or not my dish was even remotely similar to the one in the book doesn't matter.  What does matter is that it rocked!  The sauce was so infused with flavour that it tickled my taste buds.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  It had a nutty flavour with an underlying hint of sweetness mixed with garlic, onion, and cinnamon.  The chicken was tender and moist.

Next time I make this dish, and I will make it again, I will not let my husband make the accompanying rice dish.  It was a spicy fried rice, Szechaun in style.  Its hot spiciness downplayed the richness of the chicken dish.  I'll make a saffron rice next time if I can find any saffron.  It was an inappropriate mix of cultures.

This small taste of Iran has only whet my appetite.  I want more!

I think I'm far enough into the post to change the subject.  Many people will have likely quit reading by this point and will miss this seque into another fantasy trip inspired by the book.  Should I say by a small part of the book? 

Sex!  Oh!  Gasp!  I said it!  Shame!

I rather enjoyed that part of the book.  I think I'll read a bit more smut erotica.   Any recommendations?

3 comments:

  1. Every time I read a book that is set in pre-revolutionary Iran, I long for what now seems like the imaginary land of Persia. I've never made a chicken (faux chicken) dish with pomegranate seeds but I must try this eventually!

    I can only unrecommend - not House of Holes by Nicholson Baker, it is the wrong sort. :)

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    Replies
    1. You can get pomegranate juice. You don't need to fuss with the seeds. That reminds me of going to the store as a kid and buying a pomegranate, walking down the street and munching on the seeds. Yum!

      I think our fantasy Iran is a far cry from the reality, even pre-revolutionary Iran.

      Thanks for the non-recommendation. :) I was in a funky mood when I wrote that. Hehe!

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  2. Yum, that pomegranate walnut chicken sounds awesome!

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