Sackler Persian Treasures

We haven’t been inside the Sackler museum for quite some time. So last week when we were walking about the Smithsonian gardens we decided to stop in for a visit. We have been there so many times before. The most appealing section is the Iranian treasures. I have had the good fortune of visiting Iran - not once, but twice.  The first time was to meet my husband’s family back in 1996. It was very interesting to say the least and I got to meet my brother and sister in law and their three children, along with a lot of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. We also were hoping to adopt, but unfortunately those plans fell through even though we met a three year old little boy. We retuned to Iran in 2009 with a couple of our American friends. We went on a tour all over the country from one end to another. So when we saw the treasures at the Sackler I am reminded of the treasures we saw at the museums and historical sites all over Iran. Many of the artifacts represent the places we visited. We still keep I touch with our family in Iran and the nieces and nephew are all grown, married, have children and are successful in their careers both inside and outside of the country. It’s been an interesting journey experiencing a different culture and understanding that there is more to life than our little world. Visiting these places reminds us of that. They have been around a lot longer than we have. Perhaps we could learn something from them. 

The Divan Experience

We love Persian food. So when Divan opened a new restaurant just down the street from us we wanted to give it a try. Since we pick up orders still, we looked at the menu for options. The website did not have an order out option so I emailed and asked if they did. We would need to call rather than use an app, so we did. The prices are high compared to Moby Dick that we go to regularly since we moved to DC sixteen years ago. But this would be considered a “higher end” place. But they had paella on the menu - which was different and something we wanted to try since there aren’t any Spanish restaurants near us. So we ordered that and a few of the traditional items that we always get - soup, eggplant appetizer, herb/egg appetizer, yogurt and French fries! When we drove up the restaurant itself was very nice with outdoor seating. We used to go to that same spot when it was another restaurant and we walk past it on the weekends during our morning walks. That’s when we knew there was going to be a new restaurant there. It looked really nice when we opened the packaging. But the bread was a huge disappointment! The food was “average” but the fries were really good! When we looked at the reviews there were raves about the service - and that I believe. The people working there are outstanding in the usual Persian way - but the food was just “okay.” It definitely is a place to try for the ambiance and presentation and perhaps for out of town guests. Perhaps we didn’t select the right items. But for take home? I think Moby Dick will do. And now Maman Joon will be opening soon. In all honesty, bringing food home rather than dining in tends to always be a disappointment. We rarely dine in any more. Maybe we should start again because we really have forgotten that whole experience. 

The Homes We Have Lived In

Today is the one year anniversary of the first time we saw what was to become our new home. It was a brand new building, and we saw four different units. I really wanted a western exposure and we finally made up our minds within a week or so. The contract was written up in February, our two DC condos were sold within a few weeks, and we moved in April. We had been searching for a new location even before I retired four years ago. We looked in Wisconsin, Florida, the DC area, and a few places in Virginia. Our time on Capitol Hill was memorable, but a bit inconvenient at this point in our lives. We eventually moved to northern Virginia ten months ago. That got me thinking about all the homes we have lived in. I once had a collection of photos of our homes over time. One photo is my husband’s home in Iran where he grew up. My childhood homes are in Florida, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Together we had places in Wisconsin and DC. Now we are in Virginia. So I decided to highlight them all in a digital art collection. It always takes a while to figure out where to start. I have an idea in my head, and then it goes from there. It started out very uniform, then I tried painting the actual home colors but didn’t like it. Then I painted the background in a color that would match our living room decor. Still a no go. I added the location names, and our lovely borzoi in front of the Wisconsin house. Then I tried something different - moved a couple houses around and exaggerated the images and repainted each one. My husband didn’t like the colors. So I deleted the color but kept the original background. Somehow it looked better. That ended up being the final draft. I ordered the print, along with the family portrait and “me and my husband over time” and created a collection of memorable images for our living room space. Now every time we look at the images they remind us of something - happy things. They are all the places we have lived, our closest family members, and our life together. And I know it is one of a kind. 

Marjan in Vienna

One of the reasons we moved to northern Virginia almost ten months ago was that Moby Dick is located just a couple of blocks away from our new house. We used to have to drive to Arlington from DC to pick up and bring home the best Persian food around. We are always on the look out for other options and found Yekta in Rockville. We usually go there on Sunday afternoon when the weather is bad rather than go out in the evening. A few months back we tried Marjan in Vienna. It is more of a take out/catering and very a ethnic, one if a kind type of place. It’s near Yas - a bakery/grocery store we go to for cookies, cucumbers, jelly, and a hot relish mix my husband loves. So today we went back to Marjan for tonight’s dinner - especially for the fall off the bone and tender chicken dish with little berries and rice. Aside from that we always get eggplant, but also the noodle/vegetable soup and potato salad. Everything looks so fresh and healthy. So we are looking forward to having dinner this evening. If you haven’t tried these wonderful recipes, you really don’t know what you are missing. 

A Visit to Yas

The last time we were in Yas was on Christmas Eve on our way to Lynchburg. We always stop there to pick up some Iranian treats - a wide assortment of cookies and other tasty items. So after lunch today we drove to Vienna and made a stop at Yas. My husband was in need of some sour cherry jelly, a sour relish concoction, small cucumbers and nectarines. I needed a pistachio replenish. Of course we also picked up some cookies, but not the usual amount. On the way out we saw one of our favorite appetizers in a bunch of containers - made of eggplant, garlic, and onion. So we picked one up to have with the leftover pizza and tiny meatballs we had at Cafe Assagi’s for lunch. You could say it was a very ethnic day again - Italian and Iranian. The other day it was Iranian and Turkish. We were searching for a Persian carpet that lead us on a wild goose chase and then stopped at Kazan for lunch. We spent a lot of time in this neighborhood before we moved to Virginia a few weeks ago. The best part is now it takes us half the time to get back home. Capitol Hill is ten miles further. Now we go just when we feel like it and make sure it’s not during rush hour, baseball games, and other traffic jammed events. 

Persian Treats from Yas Bakery and Supermarket in Vienna

One of my friends and colleague from the Library of Congress retired about a month ago. We are hoping now we will have more of an opportunity to visit. We were invited to dinner at their home last evening. We always bring something along. So yesterday we drove to Yas Bakery in Vienna, Virginia to put together a goodie bag of Persian treats. We have brought cookies before, but this time we wanted to mix it up. So I thought about filling a six bottle wine cloth bag with something different for each slot. And since our friend enjoys cooking, it was so much the better. So we picked out a sour cherry jelly, quince jam, rose water, seasonings for kabob and rice, pistachios, tea and cucumbers. Of course we also got a little container of cookies. We were at the Safeway grocery store just before the Yas trip and picked up some filler paper to wrap each selection. When we got home I put together the items and it looked more interesting than what appeared to be six bottles of wine. We ended up tasting the seasonings on the dinner that was cooked by our friend, and had a cookie along with the dessert that was prepared. It’s always an enjoyable affair and it was such fun thinking about what we would get them. I wonder what we will do next time? 

So 

Sackler Cats, Bells, Buddhas and Persian Lux

We visit the Sackler Museum at least every year. The Smithsonian Freer and Sackler recently reopened after a long renovation. We saw the Freer galleries last week, so we decided to stop in the Sackler this week. We usually visit Smithsonian museums and other places when we are on our daily morning walkabouts on the National Mall. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are best if you want to avoid the crowds, but it really depends on the time of year. On entering the Sackler, one passes through the "terminal" made from brass containers connected with threads. We then ventured to the cats of Egypt which included a coffin for a special feline. I much preferred the dogs. There was a section for ancient Chinese bells. If you like Buddha, you won't be disappointed with this variety, including a temple filled with them. The last section we visited was luxury Iranian pieces. I wouldn't mind having a few of those! It was an interesting experience and there is a lot more to see if you are so inclined. The museums connect to each other underground so it makes for easy navigation. Usually we stay above ground and love the fountains and gardens - especially as the seasons change. There is something about natural beauty, but it doesn't hurt to see the other stuff every once in awhile.