Hey Folks, I’m very excited that The New Persian Kitchen has made it to the final round of Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks. (Update: The New Persian Kitchen took the top prize! Read about the decision, and check out all of the other wonderful contender cookbooks, on Food52.)

Whatever happens, I’m thrilled with this review of the book by chef/impresaria (is that a word?) April Bloomfield.

And by this point, Chef David Chang has already looked at the book, and hopefully cooked from it, so that right there is pretty great. The decision goes down tomorrow, root for me!

As the next winter storm approaches, my mind is on spring. The first day of spring is March 20, and the vernal equinox is when Iranians and Iranian expats the world over celebrate Norooz, the Persian New Year, and I’m gearing up for some fun Norooz celebrations in my hometown of Philadelphia. My March 18 book dinner at the wonderful Zahav restaurant with Chef Mike Solomonov is sold out, but for those who couldn’t get seats, I’m doing a Persian Feast for Spring at the beautiful Cook space (above) just off of Rittenhouse Square about a month later. Please join me!

Thanks everyone for all your support, here and on Facebook and Food52, and the great advice you’ve been sending me about my upcoming trip to Iran. Stay warm, and remember, spring is right around the corner!