I keep trying, experimenting food. Beautiful cuisines, a plethora of ingredients, a variety of recipes. This time however, it was another facade about cooking that enthralled me over the simplicity of food.

It comes out we have become very rigid about how we want to shape our lives or instead how we want to explore it. You see, when I first began cooking, it was all about the refined, over the top dishes and the minimalistic style of cooking for me and yes I was very content in doing so, but like any other beautiful moment of life, serendipity struck! Not until the previous weekend did I know that clean, elegant dishes belonged to the restaurant and Instagram rather than in the deep, warm part of your heart. If you’re planning to broadcast your culinary skills and hit that 10000 likes mark, fine dine is surely your card (is mine too) but not always is it going to give you the satisfaction of a real, home – cooked, hearty, rustic meal. And this is what is amazing about food and life jointly. You do not have to be so rigid in what you do; just take different paths, holding different hands and the universe will do the rest.

This time, when the air of this hit me, it took all of my family and loads of love to deliver what we have. Mid – eastern cuisine was the calling here, and Azerbaijan screamed on the top of its lungs, for what is heartier than deep, rich flavours entangled with years of history, heritage, and secrets to the making of a great cuisine?

All hands on deck, the tips from Mommy, the skills from Dad and well, the critique from my sister, is all that has taken for making this amazing Azeri pilaf speckled with almonds, pistachios, cashews, sultanas, and pomegranate a hit! Running with earthy flavours of various spices and served with what had to be the freshest tzatziki ever, I have to admit that too many cooks did not spoil the broth! A time well spent cooking together and a nice, homey meal has got me to the conclusion that, “Moments spent together are very much like spices. They are rare and difficult to master, but in the right amount can enhance life like nothing else can.”