Andy Baraghani wants you to stay curious, in and out of the kitchen

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Our cookbook of the week is The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani. To try a recipe from the book, check out: Juicy tomatoes with Italian chili crisp, jammy egg and scallion sandwiches, and chickpea cacio e pepe with caramelized lemon.

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Andy Baraghani sold his debut book proposal with the title The Cook I Want to Be. Then, writing the bulk of it during peak-pandemic times, he had a change of heart. The “I” became “You.”

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Changing that one word made all the difference, says the New York City-based cook, food writer and video personality. Still intensely personal, The Cook You Want to Be (Lorena Jones Books, 2022) is an invitation for the reader to take part.

“I thought, yes, this is very much about me and the lessons I’ve learned,” says Baraghani. “But I also think it’s important to bring the reader in and pass those lessons along.”

At just 16 years old, Baraghani got his start as an intern at Chez Panisse, Alice Waters‘ legendary restaurant in Berkeley, Calif. He went on to work as a line cook at New York City’s Estela, among other restaurants, before moving to food media.

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Over the past decade, Baraghani has developed more than 450 recipes for various publications, including Bon Appétit, where he was a food editor. The Cook You Want to Be presented an opportunity to develop his own writing style, especially when it came to the recipes.

“(People) expect recipes to obviously result in delicious food and to work and be consistent,” says Baraghani.

“But I also wanted to go one step further with the recipes and challenge the home cook and the reader to … (learn) about a technique or an ingredient or some kind of cultural context to a dish. I thought that would make them a more empowered cook overall.”

Even with the switch of focus — from the inward “I” to the outward “You” — Baraghani intended the book to be personal.

Article content

In essays and snippets, he distils the experience of growing up as a first-generation Iranian American in the San Francisco Bay Area, and how it shaped his love for food. Baraghani’s recipes draw on his Persian heritage, solo trips around the world “to (mostly) eat,” and many years of cooking — from catering for his neighbours as a teenager to working at restaurants in California, New York and Paris, and editorial test kitchens.

As someone who has developed hundreds of recipes for magazines and hosted videos for the Bon Appétit YouTube channel at the height of its popularity, Baraghani values the utilitarian nature of cookbooks. “They’re supposed to be used,” he says.

Baraghani also finds cooking with a book at his side more enjoyable than with a phone or computer. As a writer, he appreciated the room to express himself. Cookbooks often take an authoritative approach, he says — a directness in communicating steps and best practices.

Article content

“I wanted to write a book that felt a little bit gentler and more vulnerable. And reassured the reader that it’s very much okay if something goes wrong and you’ve learned something from that, and you won’t necessarily do it again. And to open up your palate and your mind,” says Baraghani.

“I hadn’t seen that enough. So, I tried to make sure that was a common theme throughout the book.”

Too many rules can be stifling, Baraghani adds. But he follows a few guidelines when cooking and encourages readers to do the same.

“Cook the unfamiliar,” he writes when outlining his ethos in the book. Try new ingredients, if your budget allows, Baraghani suggests. Working with a new-to-you ingredient makes cooking more interesting, and it also allows you to learn about other cultures and techniques.

Article content

“The big goal is for people to stay curious, and to stay curious both in and out of the kitchen,” says Baraghani. “I want people to make the recipes and love them, and I hope for them to be a part of their repertoire. But I also really hope that they take that one step further and gather these lessons and apply it to their life and in the kitchen.”

Baraghani also advocates a minimal approach to tools. He has no interest in owning a multicooker or garlic press. But there is one notable exception to his pared back approach to devices: an ever-expanding collection of mortar and pestles, his “most beloved tool.”

Article content

The ancient implement dates back thousands of years, and Baraghani’s assemblage — the subject of one of the book’s striking photos, shot by Toronto photographers Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott — is composed of a range of materials and sizes. Some, he uses often, says Baraghani. Others, he will never use.

More than any other tool, a mortar and pestle requires action on the part of the cook, Baraghani writes. Instead of relying on electricity to break down ingredients, it is manual. He prefers to use his hands as much as possible in the kitchen, so he can slow down and stay connected.

“It’s like removing the barriers and really getting in there and seeing what feels right and what doesn’t — if you’re comfortable with it,” says Baraghani. “I think it’s important to interact with the food because there is very much an aliveness to the ingredients. And I find that it usually gives you a deeper appreciation for the craft.”

Article content

Working in restaurants, Baraghani was used to having resources: there were vendors, prep and line cooks. It was challenging work, he says, but there was a team behind the dishes on the menu.

When he moved to test kitchens at Saveur, Tasting Table and Bon Appétit, Baraghani learned how to translate his knowledge of flavours and plating for the home cook: considering what they have access to, how many dishes are acceptable to dirty and the kinds of ingredients they are willing to source.

Making the switch from restaurants to food media was a bit of a struggle early on, Baraghani recalls. Cooking satisfying dishes was one thing — developing recipes that people could make at home was essential.

“Even with this book, one of my former colleagues commented, ‘This feels like the simplest approach, but still very much your food.’ And I think that’s true,” says Baraghani. “I really tried to strip down to the essence of my flavour profiles and tried to bring it to life in this book.”

After developing hundreds of recipes — and over 100 more for The Cook You Want to Be — there is one thing Baraghani still cannot get over. “To develop a recipe and then have people make it and tag you — it’s a great feeling.”

Article content

Our cookbook of the week is The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani. To try a recipe from the book, check out: Juicy tomatoes with Italian chili crisp, jammy egg and scallion sandwiches, and chickpea cacio e pepe with caramelized lemon.

Article content

Andy Baraghani sold his debut book proposal with the title The Cook I Want to Be. Then, writing the bulk of it during peak-pandemic times, he had a change of heart. The “I” became “You.”

Article content

Changing that one word made all the difference, says the New York City-based cook, food writer and video personality. Still intensely personal, The Cook You Want to Be (Lorena Jones Books, 2022) is an invitation for the reader to take part.

“I thought, yes, this is very much about me and the lessons I’ve learned,” says Baraghani. “But I also think it’s important to bring the reader in and pass those lessons along.”

At just 16 years old, Baraghani got his start as an intern at Chez Panisse, Alice Waters‘ legendary restaurant in Berkeley, Calif. He went on to work as a line cook at New York City’s Estela, among other restaurants, before moving to food media.

Article content

Over the past decade, Baraghani has developed more than 450 recipes for various publications, including Bon Appétit, where he was a food editor. The Cook You Want to Be presented an opportunity to develop his own writing style, especially when it came to the recipes.

“(People) expect recipes to obviously result in delicious food and to work and be consistent,” says Baraghani.

“But I also wanted to go one step further with the recipes and challenge the home cook and the reader to … (learn) about a technique or an ingredient or some kind of cultural context to a dish. I thought that would make them a more empowered cook overall.”

Even with the switch of focus — from the inward “I” to the outward “You” — Baraghani intended the book to be personal.

Article content

In essays and snippets, he distils the experience of growing up as a first-generation Iranian American in the San Francisco Bay Area, and how it shaped his love for food. Baraghani’s recipes draw on his Persian heritage, solo trips around the world “to (mostly) eat,” and many years of cooking — from catering for his neighbours as a teenager to working at restaurants in California, New York and Paris, and editorial test kitchens.

As someone who has developed hundreds of recipes for magazines and hosted videos for the Bon Appétit YouTube channel at the height of its popularity, Baraghani values the utilitarian nature of cookbooks. “They’re supposed to be used,” he says.

Baraghani also finds cooking with a book at his side more enjoyable than with a phone or computer. As a writer, he appreciated the room to express himself. Cookbooks often take an authoritative approach, he says — a directness in communicating steps and best practices.

Article content

“I wanted to write a book that felt a little bit gentler and more vulnerable. And reassured the reader that it’s very much okay if something goes wrong and you’ve learned something from that, and you won’t necessarily do it again. And to open up your palate and your mind,” says Baraghani.

“I hadn’t seen that enough. So, I tried to make sure that was a common theme throughout the book.”

Too many rules can be stifling, Baraghani adds. But he follows a few guidelines when cooking and encourages readers to do the same.

“Cook the unfamiliar,” he writes when outlining his ethos in the book. Try new ingredients, if your budget allows, Baraghani suggests. Working with a new-to-you ingredient makes cooking more interesting, and it also allows you to learn about other cultures and techniques.

Article content

“The big goal is for people to stay curious, and to stay curious both in and out of the kitchen,” says Baraghani. “I want people to make the recipes and love them, and I hope for them to be a part of their repertoire. But I also really hope that they take that one step further and gather these lessons and apply it to their life and in the kitchen.”

Baraghani also advocates a minimal approach to tools. He has no interest in owning a multicooker or garlic press. But there is one notable exception to his pared back approach to devices: an ever-expanding collection of mortar and pestles, his “most beloved tool.”

Article content

The ancient implement dates back thousands of years, and Baraghani’s assemblage — the subject of one of the book’s striking photos, shot by Toronto photographers Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott — is composed of a range of materials and sizes. Some, he uses often, says Baraghani. Others, he will never use.

More than any other tool, a mortar and pestle requires action on the part of the cook, Baraghani writes. Instead of relying on electricity to break down ingredients, it is manual. He prefers to use his hands as much as possible in the kitchen, so he can slow down and stay connected.

“It’s like removing the barriers and really getting in there and seeing what feels right and what doesn’t — if you’re comfortable with it,” says Baraghani. “I think it’s important to interact with the food because there is very much an aliveness to the ingredients. And I find that it usually gives you a deeper appreciation for the craft.”

Article content

Working in restaurants, Baraghani was used to having resources: there were vendors, prep and line cooks. It was challenging work, he says, but there was a team behind the dishes on the menu.

When he moved to test kitchens at Saveur, Tasting Table and Bon Appétit, Baraghani learned how to translate his knowledge of flavours and plating for the home cook: considering what they have access to, how many dishes are acceptable to dirty and the kinds of ingredients they are willing to source.

Making the switch from restaurants to food media was a bit of a struggle early on, Baraghani recalls. Cooking satisfying dishes was one thing — developing recipes that people could make at home was essential.

“Even with this book, one of my former colleagues commented, ‘This feels like the simplest approach, but still very much your food.’ And I think that’s true,” says Baraghani. “I really tried to strip down to the essence of my flavour profiles and tried to bring it to life in this book.”

After developing hundreds of recipes — and over 100 more for The Cook You Want to Be — there is one thing Baraghani still cannot get over. “To develop a recipe and then have people make it and tag you — it’s a great feeling.”