Her personal eating style is strikingly simple: “Give me poached asparagus, salt and pepper, and a bit of olive oil. That’s what I want when I’m not in and around my food”. It’s a theme that runs through her latest book, Persiana Easy – a collection she describes as “pared back as much as possible, delicious and straightforward, and hopefully builds your confidence”.
The myth of authenticity and why it’s overrated
Ghayour is refreshingly frank about the pressures of authenticity in food writing. “I always simplified [recipes]… I remember how much flak I used to get from the Persian community,” she admitted. “They’d say, ‘That’s not how we cook rice.’ I know that’s not how we cook rice, but I’m trying to teach other people how to get something that matches, that’s similar, but much easier”.
For Ghayour, the real duty lies in respect, not rigidity: “The only time you have an obligation to be respectful to a recipe is when you choose to keep its name. In most instances, when I do keep its name, it’s bang on authentic in ingredients. Anything I have done slightly differently, I explain in the recipe intro”.
She’s adamant that the “preaching judgmental culture” around food is counterproductive. “What people do in their homes behind closed doors is their business. This preaching breeds division… Let them make small modifications and let’s preserve [the culture] that way”.
From hospitality to book deals
Ghayour’s journey from hospitality events manager to culinary author is the stuff of foodie folklore. After a tongue-in-cheek tweet about hosting a “French Lat” supper club for £2.50 went viral, she found herself inundated with bookings, donations, and, eventually, a book deal. But her rise was anything but overnight. “I had to do years of groundwork and legwork and, you know, taking shopping trolleys with knives and chopping boards and dragging groceries to North London on the tube. ‘Cause I couldn’t afford a taxi and teach all these yummy mummies, how to cook and do dinner parties all over the place. All on my own”.
That hands-on experience shaped her current ethos: “Economy is a huge factor in anyone that runs a household… The pandemic really robbed me of my snobbery. I’m no longer buying fancy branded ketchup. I’m turning to dried herbs and just using the same stuff again and again. Every single household in this country is the same and wants the same”.
Culinary confessions
Despite her Persian roots, Ghayour’s “refuge has always been Southeast Asian flavours. I like fresh, I like spicy, I like citrusy, I like zingy”. She even admits to being “one of those weirdos that likes salad in winter,” craving crunch and dimension over heavy fare.
And when it comes to guilty pleasures, she doesn’t hold back: “I always have a snack drawer. Fizzy sweets, jelly sweets, chocolates, salty snacks, crisps, hard candies, dried fruits – it’s really a big deal. I eat like a pregnant person”.
Food for the soul, not just the table
For Ghayour, good food is about satisfaction, not showmanship. “Good food is something you don’t need to toil over. It can be incredibly simple – the purest form for me is just really good bread with decent butter. Food is a privilege. Bread is the stuff of life. Good food is something that makes your soul sigh”.
Her advice for the home cook? “Less is more. Buy one good cheese instead of six mediocre ones. Appreciate what you have and don’t stress about doing everything the ‘authentic’ way”.
With Persiana Easy, Ghayour hopes to empower readers to cook with confidence, not intimidation. “There’s no structure to stress you out. Just relax. I’ve done the thinking for you. You can have a look at some recipes and you’ll know instantly – ‘I’ll do that on a day off; this one’s four ingredients, I’ll do that midweek’”.
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