The journal.

The long road of saffron, from the field to your plate

10 August 2026 · 3 min · ingredients

It takes about seventy thousand flowers to make a pound of saffron, and every one of them is picked by hand before the sun is properly up. Here is how ours reaches the kitchen.

What makes a good tahdig, and why we argue about it

5 August 2026 · 3 min · kitchen

The crisp golden layer at the bottom of the rice pot is the most fought over thing in any Persian kitchen. Here is how it is made, and why no two cooks agree.

A night in our kitchen, from four in the afternoon to close

30 July 2026 · 3 min · behind the scenes

Most of what happens in a restaurant kitchen happens before anybody sits down. Here is one ordinary Friday, hour by hour.