Free Online Cooking Demonstration: BUILD LONGER TABLES | RISOTTO & POLOW

Two of SISCA's favorite chefs--one Iranian and one Italian--will join forces at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, Saturday, December 10, for an online cooking demonstration to help increase awareness of the extraordinary uprising underway in Iran and to raise funds in support of underprivileged Iranian children and their families.

Registration is FREE. Donations will go to the U.S-based and authorized non-profit Child Foundation charity still working on the ground in Iran during this exceptional time.

Please join us as SISCA Board Culinary Director and Chef Omid Roustaei (@thecaspianchef) and Chef Paola Albanesi (@paolas_Italian_kitchen) present a lively online cooking class featuring Iranian and Italian dishes.

Food reminds us that nations have more in common than what divides them. A great example is the similarity of dishes known as risotto in Italy and polow in Iran. Paola will prepare Risotto Alla Milanese, a classic risotto from Milan made with Carnaroli rice and saffron, cooked to a creamy perfection then sprinkled with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Omid will demonstrate Shiveed Baghaleh Polow, a traditional aromatic Iranian rice pilaf layered with fresh fava beans and dill and served with crispy saffron Tahdig and a seasonal fillet of fish.

Online via Zoom on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 10 am to 11 am PST.

Registration is free. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing instructions for joining the event. Recipes will be made available to all registrants.

This event aligns with SISCA’s mission to elevate Persian culture and promote people-to-people collaborations stripped of political views and agendas. Please join us to help raise awareness of the extraordinary uprising underway in Iran and to support underprivileged Iranian children and their families during this time.

THE CHEFS

Paola Albanesi

An Italian foodie in Seattle, Washington, shares her love for sustainable, local, and seasonal food through Italian cooking classes. Combining the Pacific Northwest food bounty with her knowledge of Italian regional food, she created her first cooking class in 2011 and has been enjoying every minute of it. A member of the IACP, International Association of Culinary Professionals, Paola teaches in-person and online cooking classes. Her classes are fun, engaging, and warm, rich in stories about food and her Italian upbringing.

Omid Roustaei

Omid Roustaei is passionate about sharing Persian culture and traditions through food and story-telling. Also known as The Caspian Chef, Omid is an Iranian-American psychotherapist, a regular contributor to The Spruce Eats and The Kitchen, a Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy Board Member, and a culinary activist. His mission is to spread awareness of Persian culture and cuisine, which he does by writing his blog, teaching cooking classes online and in-person, and through his work with SISCA.

THE DISHES

ABOUT SISCA

The Seattle–Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA) is a dynamic organization made up of citizen volunteers – Iranian-Americans and allies – from the greater Seattle area who seek to reverse decades of hostility between the United States and Iranian governments by developing people-to-people relationships between the U.S. and Iran.

DON'T FORGET! SISCA is now listed as a charitable organization on Amazon Smile

The Amazon Smile Program is a simple and effective way to give back to SISCA. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to SISCA when you shop at smile.amazon.com. More information here.