Hello, and welcome!

I’m Omid Roustaei, a Seattle-based psychotherapist, trained chef, and culinary instructor with a deep love for Persian culture and global cuisine.

Through this blog, I share my passion for food, storytelling, and the traditions that connect us. From the flavors of Iran to global inspirations, my goal is to bring people together at the table and celebrate community through cooking.

I love taking classic Persian and global dishes and giving them a fresh, plant-based twist, showing how nourishing, vibrant, and exciting this way of cooking can be.

I’ve spent over 25 years teaching and creating recipes, whether in person at The Pantry, The Book Larder, and Seattle Tilth Alliance, or online through Milk Street Cooking School. My work also appears in The Kitchn, The Spruce Eats, Simply Recipes, and Whole30 Recipes.

My journey started with a degree in Microbiology and Chemistry, a career in biotech, and eventually a shift to health, wellness, and natural foods. In 1998, I turned my love of cooking into a career, studying plant-based intuitive cooking and teaching thousands of hours of classes.

In 2025, I fulfilled a longtime dream by publishing a cookbook, Bitter & Sweet, blending Persian traditions with global flavors. Interwoven throughout the book is my life and culinary journey, starting in 1979 and continuing to the present day.

Outside the kitchen, I love gardening, hiking, and climbing in the Cascades and Colorado’s 14ers—46 summits so far!

Nature keeps me grounded and continues to inspire the food I create and share.