javaneh29

Yay!!!

Now we're getting somewhere!  Now that we've got the First Ladies of iranian.com on a roll, we're almost there!  IRANdokht... get your butt in here too! 

This is said TOTALLY tongue-in-cheek and I hope you know it... but "more of a feminine touch".... from Rosie?????  Who'd of thunk it!  Although from your picture, you reek of femininity...:-). 

We're all in agreement on one thing... Javaneh is THE one to start this.  If we can't get a section and have to update articles from time to time, so be it.  I think the amount AND quality of interest will be surprising to many.  As many of y'all have said already, Iranian men are great cooks.  I have a fantastic cookbook... I'll have to check and see if it's the one by JJ's coz.

My first attempt also created kateh... just one big ole mushy mess is what I ended up with...lol. 

It's fun... I love it.  Probably more the emotional satisfaction of seeing my husband's face light up when I at least ATTEMPT to fix him something... I always know I'm in for several minutes of "I remember when my mom did this..." and it warms my heart no end.

He laughs at (no, WITH) me when I attempt something and it, hmmm, isn't quite right.  He understands that I only want to give him a little tast of the motherland and if his sisters and mother aren't here to spoil him rotten, it falls to me!!!

I'll be looking forward to your article Javaneh!!!

Why don't you start a blog or better yet write an ARTICLE

on cooking? Inviting recipes in the thread and discussions of them  and more such articles? Actually this place needs more of a feminine touch. Why keep it hidden here? That's been one of the big problems with this website lately...the innovative discussions winnd up buried willy-nilly on old threads--

I'm keeping a very low profile as I ease my way out but sometimes I see something I jjust need to comment on..there is one persian woman who writes articles about cooking every few weeks or so maybe coup[le of months now but...why not do an article with some recipes inviting a collaborative participaton on recipes on the thread. that's DIFFERENT...It would be fun..some men cook here too very well i understand...

i doubt yo'll get a SECTON, there aren't any sections here really, what you'll get is a VERY popular REGULAR ARTICLE on the homepage...  Javaneh think about it...

btw did you know that jj's cousin pari ardalan wrote one of the big books on persian cooking? he seems to be quite well-disposed to food articles... runs in the family...

Robin

ps if it were me i'd .call it something like: loobiya polo--surgical strike or change from within? and expain at the beginning that if i just change the temperature i heat something (or freeze) that is change from within, but if i add new innovative spices, especially foreign ones,  that is a surgical strike...but that would be MY article...and well...you all know how i am...

is my ghormeh sabzi a zionazi?

iranian food

The Mrs janam .... your welcome, anytime. Iranian cooking is not so hard but is definatley improved by practice. My first attempts  to cook polou was completely a disaster and I felt sorry for my friends who politely ate it and told me it was khosh mazze!

The secret to  good tah dig is enough oil, vegetable oil, not olive oil as it can burn food quickly, and time. I learnt my cooking skills from a man as it happens not my maman! Iranian men are often great cooks if they have lived by themselves and aren't too lazy.

And you're right.... I have an english friend married to an Iranian man who does all the cooking and she feels inadaquate and unskilled. She can't get practice much and he cooks with all the best intentions but not to intimidate her. However she is learning with a some little help from her friends! And is slowely and surely becoming quite good at some dishes. It takes a lot of tenacity ( is this the right word?)  and confidence to cook another countries food and  I am always impressed when someone makes the effort to try.

There are some basic rules to Iranian cooking and once you have mastered those you csn make almost anything. Im sure your hubbie will know what they are.

You're right food is such a great subject and something everyone enjoys ..we should start a food column!  I will write to jj about it.

best wishes

Javaneh

Okay so I recruited my

Okay so I recruited my mother this time for loobiya polo. My ratio was wrong on the first attempt. The rice turned out like kateh and everything was wet. She helped me out but I'll be damned if I can duplicate it. She's Khorasani and calls loobiya polo Eslamboli polo. She swears her people call it that. Do I dare dispute this? Your thoughts?

A cooking section would be great

 I have already learned to cook Persian rice and Ghormeh Sabzi. I did really well. I want to learn to cook more Persian dishes. I will look up a recipe for loobia polow on the web.

solh va doosti/paz a vosotros/paix et amitié

Bless you!

Husband was saying just last night that the rice cooker is a mixed blessing.  Convenient and quick... but doesn't always work well with traditional Persian receipies.  Made Albolo Polow last night with turkey meatballs... it was de-lish!  (Ebi... feel free to suggest any little special hints you have for yours!) Since he is the master of the rice cooker, I've taken on the task of perfecting the traditional way of cooking rice.  HELP!  No, it wasn't tooooo bad but getting the tah dig just right is NOT easy!  What... was this one of the first things your momma's taught you!!!  I will try your loobia polow... it's one of my favorites and his too...and I WILL get it right. 

anonym...your wife is probably intimidated like I was...lol.  The biggest thing I've noticed with cooking Persian is the time element.  Most dishes require more time and attention to detail.  On the other hand, the things I'm USED to making that seem so involved to Persian family members are things I do automatically. 

Practice Practice Practice!!!

Lobia polou in a rice cooker !

The Mrs ..... lubia polou can be made very well in a rice cooker too. My rice cooker stopped working so im back to making polou on the cooker! Which actually Im really enjoying.

Cook your meat as normal on the cooker allowing it plently of time to soften and absorb the flavour of the sauce, simmer on a low heat , about an hour, and reduce till the sauce is thick.  Add the lubia about 5 to 10 minutes before you put it in the rice cooker.

I usualy make sib zamine tah dig in the rice cooker too just thin slices then I add the rice and salted water and butter. Wait until most of the water has gone ( that is until its not so visable about 1/4 left)  then add your meat and sauce as a layer over the rice and gently mix it with the top layer of the rice . Dont forget to wrap the lid of the cooker with a a cloth to absorb the steam. Usually the rice cooker goes off when the water has gone but keep switching it back to cook to get a good tah dig and again add some butter.  I allow about an hour to cook it well. Stir in the layers before you serve.

I hope this helps. Let me know how you get on!

A food section would be great .... I dont know how to go about it? Perhaps JJ can advise us

best wishes  

Javaneh

anony / skatermom

I can't wait to hear your comments on loobia polow... I've tried a very simple version to a pretty damn complicated version and just can't seem to get it right.  One problem is the way we do our rice... we use a rice cooker now and it doesn't seem to jive with directions for the meat mixture.  The more complicated version has a zillion persian spices and DEFINITELY adds that extra something to the mix. 

Javaneh... we're still waiting for that food section you and Ebi are going to start...:-)

what kind of Loobya_Polo (to skatermom)

Skatermom, I wanted to give myself (and the good moderators) a break from the Nuclear article and give you the recipe, but I wasn't sure if you were talking about cheshm_boloboli (black eyed Pea) loobya_polo or the polo_loobya sabz? Some people here call me apologist but I am a cookologist (because my wife can't cook Persian).

thanks JJ and team

thanks guys.....

I'm a new comer and I love

I'm a new comer and I love this site. I love seeing the pictures and reading the posts. Most of all however I love how passionate Iranians are about EVERYTHING and I mean everything. I do agree with American wife though. If we can have a dancing cat as Iranian of the day why can't we have a food related section. I did make loobya polo for my American friends thinking it was a no brainer and it was terrible! I know I veered off course with this one. I have noticed though that tends to happen a lot on this site. One minute you're talking about Peykans the next minute you're being called a Zionazi or whatever that word is.

javaneh

you are tops darling, you really are.

Nothing is sacred ...

Why is Iranian.com one of the most popular forums among Iranian Diaspora?; Well other than the fact that its domain name is “Iranian” (lol), it just might be that freedom of speech actually exists here. Iranian.com is popular precisely because, in it, nothing is sacred hence nothing is censored.

You can post blogs criticizing or promoting religions, governments, political
as well as apolitical groups, or any other subject; nothing is off limits
(except for excessive vulgarity I guess). Basically it’s a site for the people by the people.

Overwhelming majority of us, who are secular/moderate independent
minded people, love it but a handful of religious fanatics (Kharmazhabs), IRI
supporters, and even Neocons might hate it but hey, even they are allowed to post blogs and comments in Iranian.com … why? Because “Nothing is sacred”.

Peace,

I've read it

I had read it last night Rosie. Don't worry, I think many people read it already. Problem is, nobody will change his/her set of mind. It takes too long for us to come to an agreement. Hope it will work..

please read the blog i wrote last night in response to the

discussion going on here about who is responsible for moderation and how. the reason why people leave is because the site is not being run collectively in the optimal way although jj always wanted it to. the solution is blogging it will upgrade the system, i explain why, the b.log is called who runs this site anyway? it is buried under the unfeatured by now. but it is there anyway. please read it. input to jj on a systematic basis will very quickly upgrade all aspects of the site and then the best people will return.

Dear Irandokht

What 'Contributor' said in his comment below is something that others have said repeatedly throughout the site.

Please don't get defensive about this issue. Without talented and gifted individuals contributing to this site, this site will inevitably become, at best, an 'Average' site.

I am sure that you wouldn't want such a thing to happen :) - Do you?

how disrespectful

You think you can do better, start your own web-magazine and keep your good writers happy. I promise we'll all congratulate you!

oops I forgot we can't tell who you are... easy to hide and throw rocks at people, isn't it?

IRANdokht

Dear 'Contributor'

Perhaps what you are saying regarding the way that Jahanshah treats his contributors (writers, poets, etc.) is true.

I can count at lease 5 or 6 writers and poets who used to contribute on a regular basis to this site, and whose talents were far suprior to what we have right now, but have stopped contributing within the past 5 to 6 months.

It's truly a shame - But, then again, what can one do? It must be a personality issue!!

Javaneh Jaan !!

Dear email me,I love to help poeple with my " food fetish".

How about Aalbalou Polo,Yummy.I made it last night,mmmmmm.

P.S.

American wife

did my email help you with embedding video clips?! 

Javaneh

I love the way you subtlety tried to change the subject...   :-).  I tried but it didn't work...LOL.

I know a lot of people will scoff at attempts to introduce a food section (not Ebi though...LOL) but I think it would be a great idea.  My husband is a great cook himself and we love to experiment.  Sometimes reading a receipe just isn't enough!  And I know this is where the experts are and I can pick up some great suggestions.  So I am hoping you'll start a movement to feature a food blog!!!!

Rights like free speech don't always extend online.

There was this Yahoo item earlier this month. Here's the link:

//news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_DISAPP...

and the Digg and discussion:

//digg.com/world_news/Free_Speech_Rights_Not_...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rant all you want in a public park. A police officer generally won't eject you for your remarks alone, however unpopular or provocative.

Say it on the Internet, and you'll find that free speech and other constitutional rights are anything but guaranteed.

You are all missing the point

We are all good and polite and from good families and good looking and aftab mahtab nadideh and the best in the world, in this thread.

If someone or someones come here and starts verbally abusing others and personally attack people on this thread, whose job is it to clean it up? Does it even need cleaning? If it doesn't then why does he delete some? If it does then why does he delete some and not the others?

I believe if you can't see this problem it is because you do NOT want to see it. It is like there is a flat tire and you keep driving. Of course you you can always drive with a flat tire.

At work I know a lot of people who turn a blind eye to problems. Dilbert makes his living by drawing cartoons about this subject.

my point exactly

where to start?

Ok...I have read all your contributions and I respond generally to the theme of your reponses not to any one response in particular.

I want to answer these points:  In all sincerity I did not mean to make offence to any specific religion or religion generally. The 'yawn yawn' referred to having  just woken up ( I usually log on first thing in  the mornings)  and the 'sigh' to the fact that any blog with any religious context and even those that dont, becomes an excuse to 'bicker' abusivley among the few who seem to look for any opportunity to jump on a word or phrase to turn the writters words into  something other than what it was intended to be. In this you proved my point, although I can see why in this instance and I apologise to those who felt I offended their religious beliefs. I learn my own lesson for not having clarified my 'yawn yawn sigh'.

Why are you attacking JJ? None of us here are babies, we are adults and should take responsibility for ourselves. Why should JJ or any moderator have to police or protect us?  We should all know how to be civil and discuss our opinions without resorting to perssonal attacks or abusive dialogue. Do some really feel they need a rule book to  guide us on how to behave.  Shame of those who cant express themselves  without some respect and dignity and without having to resort to abusive remarks.

There was a  suggestion here that all the 'good' writters leave because of the level of abuse ... there are many well written and thought provoking blogs here, 'Zerengi' by Taymaz to name just one in the last few days. People leave for many reasons, such is life, It has not to do with JJ, I dont know him but he seems to be impartial and surely that is a good thing, assumng that we want to have freedom of speech. JJ and the other moderators are not here to be our teachers .. we learn our own lessons in life.   

I dont know what goes into running this site but it seems obvious that JJ and the others behind the scenes give a proportion of their time and energy in doing this and I appreciate that and that was what this blog was about,

Thanks for all your contrutions and bless you all.

Javaneh

ps: The Mrs .... can help you with lubia polou! I need help with the names of sabzi for Khoreshte in english?

Amir Nasiri jaan

If IRI supporters are banned from this site, that's the first step towards dictatorship,

then it would be Israel supporters, then MEK supporters, then Pahlavi, Mosadegh, ............and before you know it ..........."aboli moond-o houzesh"!!!!!!!!

Let's do this instead,.............DO NOT FEED THEM !

In other words, let's "gharbeel" OUT whoever you don't approve of or agree with!

HOW? you may ask? don't click or don't add a comment ! as simple as that!

IRI, Israel, Pahlavi, Bakhtiyar, MEK, Mosadegh, fadaaee-e khalgh, Bahaie, sunni, Basiji supporters are no different than you and I !

They are excercising their law granted (or God given) right to ............freedom of speach !! and.........that's the "KEY WORD" my friend  !

"agar fanar ro ziaadi feshaar bedi, dar mireh va mikhore be tokhmet.............. Aaaaaaaaaaakh!"..............LOL

Have a great day my friend.

My dear Religious

You know how I feel. You and me have always been agree on this subject. I am all agree with you on what you just said here too.

Problem is , JJ and his close friends enjoy this "anonymousness" side of the Iranian.com. They are all here as gold fishes. They comments and ask our opinion, even sometimes they Critic !!! others.

So as long as this is the Politic of the owner of the house, what else are you looking for ?

I come here now, specially for the variety of the subjects, not for their qualities, quality is dead. Of course I also visit some other sites too.

You too, you have been a registered member, enjoying all the advantages of it, but now preferred to keep anonymous because of those abusers.

Now, I am surprised how you didn't get the publisher's message yet: "Anonymousness is the best way for all of you! 

You can insult and abuse without paying for that ! And if others do it to you in return, who care ? Nobody knows you !"

So my friend, let's  not turn around the same circle all the time, dear.

Shab khosh.

Great web site for ex and current IRI supporters

It is a great web site no doubt about it. Thanks to MR. JJ and everyone else

But the sad part is too many IRI supporters are on it

Oh What the Hell I blogged the damn discussion on

moderation.  Too important to let go. Blogging is the only REAL solution to these problems. Don't intend to take part much on that blog until/unless it takes off or people really want me to. Tired of being called a tryant. Tired of being the receptacle of people's hate...tired of being called a drama queen, ridiculed, etc. etc. But still want to do my best for this website I've been devoted to for almost a year. My best.. That's all.

Religious, JJ only is Mayor if you appoint him, he never wanted

to beone one, he instituted moderation  reluctantly and gradually because of his absolute commitment to free speech. He hoped against hope that people would learn to govern the website threads  themselves and they couldn't so he HAD to step in. It isn't a role he enjoys. So of course he oscillates between laxity and rigidity. How can he find the middle ground alone, anyway it's all still NEW really. BLOGGING IS THE SOLUTION. When people blog on issues concerning the functioning of the website, he often features them, and leaves those blogs up for days, usually comments, always reads them and often changes according to what he reads there.

This discussion for instance should be on a blog. JJ always WANTED a blogging democracy. It's just that not enough people accept that collective responsibility....and at the end you get what you pay for...

Btw, Religous, this website is a THOUSAND TIMES more civilized than it was last fall. And you can't compare it to other websites because it is yTOTALLY predicated on free speech so this whole (still relatively new) blogging adventury shoud be an ONGOING EXPERIMENT IN COLLECTIVE DEMOCRACY. If you want it to be...that's what jj always wanted...if you don't what a lost opportunity! 

I realize you're having this discussion between the two of you, you and ID,  and you're ignoring me, but Iit's okay :o)  Anyone who's following it carefully will follow me too (unless they hate me  :o)  )

and so someone somewhere will hear me. In this nebula.

Robin

As an Anonymous fish that I

As an Anonymous fish that I am, I only have control over MYSELF and what I think do and say. (to a great degree of course)

I will treat people as I would like to be treated myself. --I am not bragging since you do not know me now nor will I ever come back to say , hey guys, that was me and I told you so! I promise!

If I don't like what you say here, of cousrse I could jump down your throat and say pretty much a lot of nasty things and .... and .... but I don't, since I wouldn't like to be treated that way.

I could say the same thing without attemping to slap you across the face in cyberspace! Believe me it is possible and it has been done!

Javaneh I agree with a lot of what you say, but not all.
Of course the 'yawn yawn sigh' category is interesting to a lot of people ...so shouldn't there be freedom to read or skip those parts? (I skip most of them)

By the way you are obviously completely entitled to your opnion.

I appreciate what JJ has done these years.

AF

JAVIDOCRACY??? Mordam az

JAVIDOCRACY???
Mordam az khandeh.
In Jahanshah bacheyeh khodeh maneh. Hich kas hagh nadareh aziatesh koneh! Be joz khodeh man.
And yes, his communication skills are weak but who cares. He's like a freaking teddy bear.
Khanumeh javaneh, with much digging, I've found a couple of other sites that are pretty good. There's no interaction there and it has kind of the format of old iranian.com. But I think that's a blessing. But I will leave it for you to dig and find.