Redefine Yourself

It has officially been one month since I’ve returned from my around-the-world adventures and I.am.missing.it. Lucky for me, every new day is an adventure. If we let it.

In addition to the yearly skinny-me resolutions, I’ve decided to read a book a week this year. Starting with the little bit sexy, Crack in Forever.

Got me a full-time job at NZ’s best cafe.

Nothin’ beats mama’s homemade muesli. Recipe HERE.


Somewhere between Lake Tekapo and Queenstown.

Probably the most touristy NZ location eva.

Central otago cherries, organic kiwifruit and homemade muesli for dinner. Chur!

So I have a confession to make…

But it is not really a confession. More like a realisation. A sad and rather disheartening discovery of self, if you may. Okay, here it is:

Chef Anisa is not really a Chef.

Allow me to elaborate, in pictorial evidence. The following are “Chef” Anisa’s recent creations: a Mediterranean brunch featuring shakshuka and cannellini-bean dip, a vegan smoothie bowl (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) and a vegetarian lasagna.

Do you SEE what I’m sayin’? I don’t know how to cook. I just know how to cook three/four meals, anew.

Ah, the shame. The utter downright ignominy of it all. I’m Persian for goodness sake. Where is the saffron? The pistachio nuts, the glistening fried barberries atop the fragrant jasmine rice and the mint fried onions swimming in my ASH*?

New Year’s resolution TWO: cook new stuff.

*Ash is an traditional Persian soup. It is green and chunky and full of the good stuff: legumes, meat, noodles, herbs and spice.

2015 ended on a BANG: chickpea chocolate cake

I spent New Year’s eve and day at the Charles residence and it was magical. Seriously. Never in a trillion years would I have ever imagined that I’d be in Japan, not skyrise-Tokyo-Japan but the tiniest village in the middle of nowhere Japan where there are bears, snakes and BOARS celebrating the New Year by eating legit FRENCH food from the best French chef in the world. Never. How do these things happen?! God, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

First, cheese souffle. Next, French onion soup with homemade bread. Then, salad, two kinds. After, goat’s cheese, broccoli, pine-nut and raisin tart. Last but not least, Chef Olivier ended on a BANG with chickpea and chocolate cake; super délicieux!

Chickpea salad:
Chickpeas from a can (drained and rinsed)
Cherry tomatoes (quartered)
Italian parsley (torn)
Dressed in a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Green salad:
Lettuce (cut med-small with scissors)
Avocado (diced)
Raw walnuts
Dressed in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Chickpea chocolate cake (From Nigella Lawson)
1 tin garbanzo beans
0.6 cups orange juice
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar (or honey)
0.6 cups unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Blend the garbanzo beans until smooth in a blender or food processor, and mix in all the rest of the ingredients until blended.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

On NY day, we ate fresh eggs on fresh bread, walked in snow, had Japanese nabe for lunch and more cake.

New Year’s Resolution nombre un: eat more French food.