Erfaan Mahmoodi CP #6

For Alex and I’s final conversation session, we talked about our family’s traditions of food. Alex told me of a Christmas tradition in the family where his mom prepares a spicy cornbread dressing. Furthermore, I learned his mom also makes green bean casseroles. When I asked more about the Southern food in the area, Alex talked about the relative simplicity of the spices put into all the food (notably salt and pepper being the only ones used in food), and the lacking of restaurants beyond fast-food chains in his hometown; the exceptions are diners that sustain themselves for 2-3 years before going out of business and being replaced by a similar establishment. Alex asked about the bases and general components of Iranian cuisine: I shared with him the pastoral nature of the country’s food, manifesting in the usage of meats such as lamb, the general acceptance of eating offal, and the heavy presence of rice as a base in dishes. I shared as well the stark difference in breakfast between America and Iran; the latter has a very simple breakfast of bread, herbs, and cheese, in stark contrast to the often large-portion, carb-heavy American breakfast. I was able to give very little knowledge on specific regional cuisines, namely how southern Iranian food is spicy (in contrast to general Iranian food just being generally flavorful). It was a fitting conclusion to our time as conversation partners.