I always knew I was in for a day of adventure and rebellion when my maternal grand-mother used to babysit back in Iran. My mother would take out a container of khoresh—stew—from the freezer and ask her to serve it with some rice for our lunch. But as soon as my parents left for work the khoresh would go right back in the freezer, and we’d go about setting and breaking our own rules. A quick boiled potato and egg smooshed on a piece of lavash or sangak bread, drizzled with plenty of olive oil, and sprinkled with dried mint for lunch was our little act of rebellion. This simple treat is regular street fare in Tabriz, my grandmother’s hometown. Years later and oceans away, this is still my preferred “fast food” lunch or dinner, always prepared with a twinkle of rebellion in my eye.
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