If you’ve ever tried to get dinner on the table with a baby on your hip and a toddler tugging at your pant leg, you belong here.
Most nights, I’m wrapping up work, handing the kids a snack to tide them over, and figuring out how to get something nourishing and genuinely delicious on the table in time for family dinner. Again and again, I find myself drawing on my Iranian heritage, my early childhood in Europe, and the fresh, unfussy approach to food I grew up with in California.
I started Sep Cooks years ago as a newlywed living in Silicon Valley. I’m returning to it now from New York City, where my husband and I are raising our two young boys—and where cooking looks a little different than it did when I first started this blog.
These days, the meals are faster and less fussy, but the heart of my cooking is the same: real ingredients, plenty of flavor, and food I’m excited to gather my family around. You’ll find Persian recipes that connect me to my Iranian roots, weeknight dinners influenced by my European upbringing and California sensibility, and plenty of inspiration from the restaurants, markets, and neighborhoods we love exploring in Manhattan.
I’ve been cooking since I was ten, and when my family moved to the U.S., I learned English in part by watching America’s Test Kitchen and Jacques Pépin. I still spend my spare time reading cookbooks, and with a bachelor’s degree in biology, I’m endlessly interested in the science behind good cooking. That curiosity shapes how I develop recipes: every ingredient should earn its place and every step should have a purpose. If something doesn’t make the food better, I cut it—because your time in the kitchen matters.
Some recipes come from my childhood; others are simply what worked on a busy Tuesday night and was good enough that I wanted to make it again. This is the food we actually eat as a family of four: comforting, colorful, practical, and never short on flavor.
Let’s cook something good.
9 Comments
Help! I bought a ton of raw cacao nibs and trying to figure out how to turn them into flat bars without adding anything? I don’t want to add any sugar of any kind/source.
Btw love your food recipes!!!
Hi Sandro! I love the crunch and flavor of raw cacao nibs! I used to make chocolate bars by combining cacao nibs, cocoa powder, and melted coconut oil with maple syrup, then pouring them into ice cube trays and freezing them for a healthy treat. You can try mixing 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil with some of the cacao nibs then pouring them into ice cube trays. Put them in the freezer to let them firm up and break off the amount you need when you’re ready to use them. I’m not sure you would be able to turn the nibs into flat bars without adding at least coconut oil to hold everything together.
Glad you love my recipes, thank you for sending love 🙂
On a recent visit to Napa Valley, my husband and I visited Darioush Winery. I love the pistachios there and we brought back several cans of them. Is there anywhere besides Darioush Winery where I can find such tasty Iranian pistachios? I live in the Midwest.
Thank you!
Hi Romy! Thanks for the comment! I love Darioush winery as well 🙂 I’ve never been to the Midwest but I did find these CandyOut Lemon Pistachios 1 Pound in Sealed Bag
” target=”_blank”>Iranian pistachios on amazon. You can also make your own using this recipe:
Hi Sep. Love your recipes! My husband has recently launched a new website called LemonSalt, which sells special food products and ingredients, including ones used in Iranian cooking. It includes some recipes which then link to the products. We were wondering if it would be alright if we put some of your recipes (or a slightly altered version) on there. We would of course attribute them to you, and put the link there. I wanted to email you privately, but I couldn’t find your email address. From another Sepideh!
Hi Sepideh, That sounds amazing. Let’s connect via email sep@sepcooks.com.
Yes, please feel free to share the recipes with attributions. Looking forward to checking out LemonSalt!
Hi
How many people does your Classic American Goulash serve?
Hi Vicki, This makes 8-10 generous portions or 10-12 smaller portions (especially if you’re serving side dishes).