Brains

Persian-Inspired Brain Frittata (Kuku-ye Maghz)

October 31, 2023 By Janine Farzin 1 Comment

Persian-Style Brain Frittata (Brain Kuku) in a pan coming out of the oven and sizzling with butter

Brains and eggs are a great combination since they have similar textures. This version of Persian-styled Brain Frittata (or Kuku/Kookoo) feels like an improvement on simpler single-dish servings. I simplified a recipe I found by skipping the poaching and mixing raw brains directly into the raw eggs. Of course, every time I make kuku, it reminds me of a celebratory New Year’s dinner several years back. Brain Kuku has all the love and delight of that meal and will have a repeat performance in our home….

Chocolate Mousse with (Hidden) Brains

January 2, 2023 By Janine Farzin Leave a Comment

Chocolate Mousse with Brains served in a ramekin and garnished with cream, mint leaves and raspberries

Happy new year! I used to be opposed to hiding offal in anything. I wanted to respect and honor it and I wanted offal to be front and center, named and acknowledged. But now it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll serve it anyway, anytime. I am not ashamed of it, I am not exactly hiding it, but if no one asks, I don’t need to assert it anymore. A Hunter’s Pie can just be served. And the same goes for Chocolate Mousse….

Scrambled Brains with Beets… and a Halloween Scare

October 30, 2019 By Janine Farzin Leave a Comment

Scrambled Brains with Beets, garnished with parsley and pistacios

Happy Halloween! Scrambled Brains with Beets are so beautiful, but also worthy of a Halloween scare. In honor of Halloween, I digress from my usual nutrition soapbox or nudge toward self-care. I am finishing Permanent Record by Edward Snowden, and want to comment on something truly scary to me: our collective loss of privacy and civil liberties at the hands of the US government.

I have no idea how this could play out in the long term. Like everyone else, I am reluctant to completely fall off the grid because I appreciate the connections and joy that I stumble upon using technology. This blog. Social media accounts. Twenty plus years of email. I’m writing this post to create more awareness. The thought of all this truly scrambles my own brain and I’m asking you to take a moment, over Scrambled Brains perhaps, to think about how complicated this is….

Sauteed Brains inspired by the discipline in Stand and Deliver

October 11, 2019 By Janine Farzin 5 Comments

Stand and Delivery-style Sauteed Brains served with tomatoes, onions and oregano over rice

“Tomorrow is just another day. I’m afraid you’re going to screw up the rest of your lives…”

Sauteed Brains were inspired by the 1988 film Stand and Deliver. And are a reminder that every day is our best day. That tomorrow is no different. That we already have everything we want. Use your mind, harness some discipline, and shape your life as you dream it be.

Stand and Deliver

I was too young to watch Stand and Deliver when it was released, but was always intrigued. I’m just catching up 30 years later. It’s loosely based on the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante. He leaves his professional job to become a teacher at a working class school in Los Angeles. He realizes his students have untapped potential and works to bring them up to their grade level and then beyond, taking AP Calculus by senior year.

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Grass-fed brains for Empanadas con Sesos (Brain Empanadas)

August 7, 2019 By Janine Farzin 2 Comments

Brain empanadas with chile-herb-brain filling and a wedge of lime

Crispy fried dough gives way to tender brains, super flavorful with chile and herbs. Brain Empanadas are a great vehicle for getting this cholesterol-rich superfood into your family.

Brains are having a revival, but quality matters and it’s up to us to know our farmers, ask our butcher and chefs about their sourcing, and procure grass-fed meats and organs.

Yes, the USDA intends to regulate beef brains to ensure quality – but quality goes much deeper than USDA guidelines. Insist on feeding your family pastured meats. All of our ruminants should be grass-fed, grass-finished to respect the animal, benefit the land and improve our health….

Sumac Brain Fritters (marinated in lime juice) to Celebrate Nowruz

March 20, 2019 By Janine Farzin Leave a Comment

Sumac Brain Fritters

Nowruz Mobarak! Happy Iranian New Year!

Today is the vernal equinox; the first day of the Iranian calendar (year 1398) and the first day of spring here at home.

After a warm introduction, the Iranian New Year has become one of my favorite holidays. The solar calendar resonates with me and I love any opportunity to bring many of my favorite Persian foods and spices to our table.

In anticipation, this week we spiced up our Monday night organ meat dinner with Sumac Brain Fritters!…

Pozole, Mexican pig’s head soup

January 3, 2018 By Janine Farzin 4 Comments

I’ve cooked Pozole a few times, and Menudo dozens of times, but just recently realized how similar they are. In short, you’ve got a rich broth, flavored with toasted chiles, topped with some fresh condiments. Where Pozole uses the pigs head for the rich broth (and hominy), Menudo uses marrow, trotters, and tripe. …

Brains and scrambled eggs

October 17, 2017 By Janine Farzin 4 Comments

As long as I’ve been cooking brains, I’ve stuck with brain fritters and hidden within casseroles. Though the idea of this blog is to force me to try new recipes. Either those that have been on my list for a while, or new ones entirely. (Do you have one to share?) This recipe definitely falls into the former category – it’s been on my list….