His personal eating style is extremely simple: “Give me cooked asparagus, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. That’s what I crave when I’m not around my food.” This is a theme that runs through his latest book, Farsina easy – a collection she describes as, “as short, tasteful and straightforward as possible, and hopefully it will boost your confidence”.
The myth of authenticity and why it is highly valued
Ghayur is completely candid about the pressure for authenticity in food writing. He admitted, “I always simplified (the recipes)… I remember how much criticism I used to get from the Persian community.” “They’ll say, ‘We don’t cook rice like that.’ I know we don’t cook rice like this, but I’m trying to teach other people how to make something that matches, it’s similar, but much easier.
For Ghayur, the real duty lies in respect, not harshness: “There is an obligation to be respectful to a recipe only if you choose to name it. In most cases, when I name it, it is authentic in the ingredients. Anything I’ve done a little differently, I explain in the recipe introduction”.
She is adamant that “promoting a culture of judgment” around food is counterproductive. “What people do behind closed doors in their homes is their business. This preaching promotes division…Let them make small modifications and let’s preserve (the culture) that way.”
From hospitality to book deals
Ghayur’s journey from hospitality events manager to culinary writer is the stuff of food folklore. After a cheeky tweet about hosting a “French Latte” supper club for £2.50 went viral, she found herself inundated with bookings, donations and, ultimately, a book deal. But his rise happened overnight. “I had to do ground work for years and, you know, carrying shopping trolleys with knives and chopping boards and hauling groceries up to North London on the Tube. ‘Cause I couldn’t buy taxis and teach all these yummy mummies to cook and throw dinner parties all over the place. All on my own”.
That practical experience shaped her current ethos: “Economy is a huge factor for anyone running a household… The pandemic really took my vanity away from me. I’m no longer buying fancy branded ketchup. I’m turning to dried herbs and using the same thing over and over again. Every single household in this country is the same and wants the same thing”.
culinary confession
Despite his Persian roots, Ghayur’s “refuge has always been Southeast Asian flavors. I like fresh, I like spicy, I like sour flavors, I like zingy”. She also admits that she is “one of those weird people who likes salads in the winter”, craving crunch and dimension rather than heavy meals.
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 fruit – it’s a big deal really. I eat like a pregnant person”.
Food for the soul, not just for the table
For Ghayur, good food is about satisfaction, not show-off. “Good food is something you don’t have to work for. It can be incredibly simple – for me the purest form is 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”.
His advice for home cooks? “Less is more. Buy one good cheese instead of six average cheeses. Appreciate what you have and don’t stress about doing everything the ‘authentic’ way.”
with Farsina easyGyur hopes to empower readers to cook with confidence rather than intimidation. “There’s no structure to stress you out. Just relax. I’ve done the thinking for you. You can take a look at a few recipes and you’ll instantly know – ‘I’ll do this on a day off; it has four ingredients, I’ll do it in the middle of the week'”.
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