"The Grande Dame of Iranian Cooking" Esteemed American chef. Award-winning cookbook author. Persian cooking instructor. Iranian immigrant. Storyteller. Mother of two acclaimed sons - Zal, a filmmaker; Rostam, a musician. Born in the middle of the 20th century in Tehran, Iran. Lives in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. Consults with restaurants around the world. Member of Les Dames d'Escoffier.