Andy Baraghani is one among those food world figures whom home cooks trust wholeheartedly. His authority as a chef and an creator is not based solely on where he’s worked previously or what number of Instagram followers he has (though his Instagram is immaculate), but on the authentic connections he’s made along with his fans and followers.
Baraghani began off as a young cook in California kitchens, doing a tour through food media and a transient stint in fashion before ending up where he’s now: a Recent York Times best-selling creator. His recently released debut cookbook, The Cook You Wish to Be: On a regular basis Recipes to Impress, is a stunning curation of seasonal-forward recipes for the curious home cook featuring dishes like Coconut Creamed Corn, Scallops with Grapefruit Brown Butter, and a leveled-up Cacio e Pepe with Chickpeas (shared below).
In keeping with Baraghani, his “deep and innate” love for food is what ultimately shaped The Cook You Wish to Be. “I wasn’t necessarily one hundred pc sure I used to be going to be a cook or a author or an creator, ever,” he tells BAZAAR.com. “Those were ideas that I toyed with and loved, but it surely was more of a core, foundational love for food that all the time existed.”
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Ahead, the chef shares his thoughts on food trends, the ever-changing culinary landscape, and why his experience as a first-generation Iranian American will all the time be on the core of all the things he does.
Tell me what inspired the brand new book’s title, The Cook You Wish to Be.
Titles are all the time a tough thing. The book was originally titled The Cook I Wish to Be, and it traced the teachings that I’ve learned throughout my life as a cook, being first-generation Iranian American, working restaurants across the country, working editorial and traveling. Once I actually began writing the manuscript, probably about halfway, I had this moment where I assumed, This is certainly a really personal cookbook. But I wanted it to feel like an invite to the reader and to the house cook. It is not only about me; it’s really about empowering the house cook and having them evolve and sustain this sort of level of curiosity, each out and in of the kitchen. So eventually, I swapped the “I” for “You,” and I believe it made a giant difference.
Within the book’s introduction, you mention that you just initially tried to avoid cooking as a profession, which I loved because I used to be the identical way when it got here to writing. What would you concentrate on the defining moment while you realized you had to offer in to what ultimately was going to turn into your gift and your talent?
I began working at restaurants after I was around 16 in California. By the point I used to be 21, I had worked at 4 good restaurants. I had worked in editorial. I had an experience working at a food magazine called Saveur. But then, I made a decision to take a pause, and I went into fashion. I used to be working for a stylist who I actually admired, who is definitely very, very, very, very well-known today. Okay, it was Mel Ottenberg! This was right when he got Rihanna. So it was a really special time. I loved that whole experience.
But then, there was a moment where I spotted that my love of food shouldn’t be something that began after I was in my 20s or in my teens, like possibly fashion or design. This was something that was type of uncontrollable, insatiable—a deep innate love that was going to exist whether I pursued a profession in it or not. That is after I switched from restaurants to media. It really put me onto a particular path that I didn’t necessarily plan on. The one thing that I’ve all the time been very sure of was my love for food and cooking.
Food and fashion are similar within the sense that each industries may be very trend based. Is there a food or drink trend possibly that you just’re loving right away? Or possibly one you discover a bit overrated?
In relation to interior design or fashion, I can understand and appreciate trends. I believe with food, probably because I’m so embedded in it, I actually have a slight aversion [laughs].
I wanted my cookbook to evoke a timeless quality and maintain this theme of staying curious and evolving. We’re in a type of renaissance with regards to cookbooks which are more personal, or that deal with a highly regional cuisine. My book aside, it has been amazing to see so many great authors take such a singular approach.
I’m curious—not to place you on the spot, but what’s a food trend you’re thinking that that’s happening for the time being?
I definitely feel that nobody was drinking this many martinis three years ago.
Strong cocktails have come back with a vengeance. I believe there is a desire for the familiar, and classic cocktails like martinis and Negronis are things that we’re wanting which are also delicious. We all know what they taste like, and we all know they’ll get the job done.
Obviously, you are someone who cooks professionally each day for a living. Having that be a component of your life 24/7, how do you stay inspired within the kitchen?
My big way of being inspired is thru my travels. After we were deep within the pandemic, it was a extremely hard time for me. It was a tough time for all of us. While you discover as a creative, you frequently get inspired from simply being outside. It’s totally hard for me to only sit with my thoughts and be inspired to create, whether that’s to write down or to cook. I should be inspired by people, places, and things.
I attempt to travel as much as I can. I used to be seeing people go to Italy time and again this summer, and I’m guilty—I went to Italy too! But I also thought, How do I get to Japan? So I booked a flight to Japan. The town of Recent York, in fact, too, I still have a deep, deep love for. I do not work in restaurants anymore, but I like going to restaurants, and I get quite a lot of inspiration there.
A vital aspect of the book is that it’s extremely approachable. There are quite a lot of people who find themselves simply afraid of cooking. For many who aren’t attempting to be a food influencer or showcase a ceremonial dinner on Instagram, but who really just need to learn to make higher food for themselves, where do you suggest they begin?
Sometimes a recipe just works, and it’s delicious. That was the bottom for all of the recipes within the book. But I desired to go one step further and help people discover a particular ingredient that they could not have been aware of, or try a recent technique, or to learn in regards to the cultural context of a dish. I desired to make sure that there have been these type of lessons sprinkled throughout the book.
Should you’re beginning to cook, because we’re in the autumn months, a extremely good place to start out is definitely the soup chapter. They’re quite simple soups which are very satisfying and filling, and are complete meals.
Within the book, you write about how your culture has shaped a few of the favorite meals and recipes. You’ve got been speaking out on social media about the present movement happening right away in Iran. In times like these, how does food provide comfort for you?
Thanks for asking this. I’ll say there is not a relentless with this answer. Sometimes eating certain dishes from my childhood does provide me an ideal deal of calm. At this very moment in time, I do know that I’m connected with quite a lot of Iranians, each in Recent York and California. I actually have family in Iran: my grandmother, two uncles, aunts, like, six cousins. But when cooking brings any kind of respite or calm, it’s for a really transient moment. I actually have never been so glued to [the news], just wanting to know as much as possible what’s happening in Iran and on the earth than right away.
I’m first generation. I grew up speaking the language. And a giant a part of my job and who I’m, as someone who has by chance turn into a little bit of a—for lack of a greater word—public figure within the food space, is to shine a positive light on Iranian culture, which has probably not been placed in a positive light, especially here within the U.S. I’m very aware of the type of position that I’m in in that sense, and I’ve all the time been very comfortable being vocal about where I stand.
Cacio e Pepe with Chickpeas and Caramelized Lemon
There are various recipes for pasta e ceci (aka pasta with chickpeas). The bulk that I’ve encountered are brothy, almost souplike. This recipe emphasizes each the chickpeas and the pasta but is equally comforting and quite a bit creamier than the same old versions. Much of the magic of this dish lies in crushing the chickpeas, so that they release their starches and transform the pasta water right into a creamy sauce. A few of the chickpeas retain their shape, whereas others turn to delicious mush, and the caramelized lemon lends some chewy tang and brings the pasta back to life post-boiling. It’s incredibly satisfying. If I still must persuade you to make this, know that it was the primary meal that I made for my boyfriend, and he has been attached to me ever since.
SERVES 4 (PLUS, MAYBE, SOME LEFTOVERS, THOUGH I DOUBT IT)
Kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small Meyer or regular lemon, thinly sliced, seeds picked out
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1large shallot, finely chopped
1 rosemary sprig, or 4 thyme sprigs
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound tubular pasta (akin to calamarata, paccheri, or rigatoni)
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Bring a big pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt (about ¼ cup). While the water is doing its thing, set a separate large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and pour within the olive oil. Add the lemon and cook, using tongs to flip the slices until they start to evenly brown and shrivel up, 6 to eight minutes.
Using the tongs, transfer the caramelized lemon slices to a bowl, leaving the oil within the pot. Dump the chickpeas into the oil and allow them to get a bit crisp and golden, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the shallot and crush the rosemary to release its oil and drop it into the pot. Season with salt and plenty and a number of pepper and provides all the things a stir. Cook until the shallot is starting to melt, 3 to five minutes.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until almost al dente, about 2 minutes lower than what the package suggests (it’ll finish cooking within the sauce). Just before the pasta is al dente, scoop out 2 cups pasta water. Add 1½ cups pasta water to the pot with the chickpeas and produce to a simmer, still over medium heat. (This may increasingly seem to be quite a lot of liquid, but it’ll thicken once the remaining ingredients are added.)
One piece at a time, stir within the butter until the pasta water and butter have turn into one. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the sauce. Cook, stirring often and sprinkling within the Parmesan a bit at a time. (Don’t add the cheese , as that could make the sauce split and switch grainy.) Keep stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta, about 3 minutes. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to thin (but know that saucier is good because it’ll thicken because it cools). Turn off the warmth and fold within the caramelized lemon. Sprinkle with an almost ridiculous amount of pepper and more Parmesan before serving.
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she’s not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the identical early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey’s Twitter feed.