Sarah Hodge

Food writer and cookbook reviewer

I’ve had the pleasure of teaching numerous students from Azerbaijan, and they were always willing and gracious to share their culture with me. Azerbaijani cuisine features influences from neighboring Turkey, Georgia, Russia (salad Olivier, known in Azerbaijan as “Capital Salad”) and Iran (polos, kukus, khoresht, fesenjoon). The incredible diversity from its various regions offers multiple variations to try; personal favorites include the pierogi-like half-moon dumplings with butternut squash and farmers cheese, the flaky flatbread and shorgoghal, as well as the delicately layered almond pastries, but you can’t go wrong with any of the recipes in this Gourmand Best in the World -award-winning book!