The Middle East Institute's Arts and Culture Center is pleased to host renowned art gallerist Leila Heller for the Washington, D.C. launch of her newly released cookbook Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from A Family Table (Phaidon, 2024), co-authored with Lila Charif, Laya Khadjavi and Bahar Tavakolian.
Written in honor of Heller’s late mother, Persian Feasts blends intimate stories of family and tradition, exciting cuisine and the region’s rich culinary history. Featuring 100 dishes, the cookbook channels the warmth of the region’s hospitality and the central role of food and cooking in every day’s life.
Leila Heller will be joined in conversation by author and moderator Nazila Fathi for a discussion about her journey writing the book, her memories of Iran, and the meaning of food and cooking in her life.
The event will be followed by a book signing and food tasting presenting four dishes from Persian Feasts. Books can be purchased on MEI's registration link and will be available for pick up at the event. A limited number of books will be available for purchase on-site.
Speakers:
Leila Heller
Author, Persian Feasts: Recipes and Stories from A Family Table;
Founder and President, Leila Heller Gallery
Nazila Fathi (Moderator)
Author, The Lonely War: One Woman’s Account of the Struggle for Modern Iran;
Former Correspondent, New York Times
Extended Speaker Biographies:
Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller is President of Leila Heller Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New York and Dubai, featuring an international roster of artists. With food, art, and culture, she bridges the gap between East and West. She has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Art News, Art in America, Forbes, and The Financial Times. She is based in New York.
Nazila Fathi is a former New York Times journalist and the author of The Lonely War: One Woman’s Account of the Struggle for Modern Iran (The Guardian, Vogue and Foreign Policy Association named The Lonely War the best non-fiction of 2014). She reported out of Iran for the New York Times for nearly two decades until 2009 when government threats forced her to leave the country. She has published five children’s books about Iranian history. My Name is Cyrus and Avicenna, the Father of Modern Medicine are among them.