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This Is Not a Cookbook by Roxana Manouchehri

£17.00

This is not a cookbook uniquely blends memoir with food writing alongside evocative lithographic artwork. The vignettes in the book chronicle Manouchehri’s childhood growing up in Tehran in the 80s following the Iranian Revolution, the profound influence of the women who surrounded her, and the legacy of memories handed down during wartime. Weaving early impressions of politics and repression with the comfort and familiarity of home, Manouchehri offers us a glimpse of a rich but fraught culture seen through the eyes of a young girl seeking to reconcile her roots through the conduit of food.

This is not a cookbook emerges from a wholly unique voice in Irish literature, joining the ranks of contemporary diasporic Iranian writers searching for community and belonging in an elusive past.

This is not a cookbook uniquely blends memoir with food writing alongside evocative lithographic artwork. The vignettes in the book chronicle Manouchehri’s childhood growing up in Tehran in the 80s following the Iranian Revolution, the profound influence of the women who surrounded her, and the legacy of memories handed down during wartime. Weaving early impressions of politics and repression with the comfort and familiarity of home, Manouchehri offers us a glimpse of a rich but fraught culture seen through the eyes of a young girl seeking to reconcile her roots through the conduit of food.

This is not a cookbook emerges from a wholly unique voice in Irish literature, joining the ranks of contemporary diasporic Iranian writers searching for community and belonging in an elusive past.

About the Author

Roxana Manouchehri is an Iranian-Irish multidisciplinary artist, writer, translator and art advisor based in Dublin. She received an MFA in Fine Art from the Tehran University of Art. She teaches art across universities and museums worldwide and has showcased her work in more than 50 group exhibitions and 17 solo shows internationally. She has received awards from the Solstice Arts Center, The Arts Council of Ireland, and the National Youth Council of Ireland. Roxana is a founder of Transnational Arts Ireland, a digital platform promoting intercultural artistic exchange between countries. 

Praise for This Is Not a Cookbook

“A wholly original blend of Iranian culture and history whose deeply personal stories are elegantly woven into a stunning tapestry of universal resonance. This is not a cookbook is not a cookbook: it’s a work of art that makes something brand new from recipes handed down through generations.”
— Sarah Gilmartin, author of Service

“As the title suggests, this book is rooted in food, yet delivers a deep cultural, personal and colourful insight into Roxana’s fascinating life and journey. The recipes are delicious and practical, and I can’t wait to try them.”
—  Award-winning Chef Mark Moriarty

“Within minutes of opening Roxana’s beautiful book I feel the urge to cook my first Shami. Roxana has a magical way of making her memory of her childhood home come to life. The only problem I had is the worry I won’t enjoy my Shami as much as I should without my own ‘hoz’ to sit beside! If ever a cookbook weaved its cuisine, ingredients and sense of place together, it’s this one. Just beautiful.”
—  Chef Gary Hanlon, The K Club

“This book is a poetic and generous invitation into the story of a family, told through food. With her words and images, Roxana has extended the table of these intimate spaces to fit us in as guests. She sets a place for us. We join in by tasting these moments in history, savouring these glimpses into Persian culture. This book is a tendril of connection between Iran and Ireland. The ingredients and approaches might be new, but the intent is familiar to us all: food is a language, a way of saying things that can’t be said. It is survival, identity, defiance. It is an act of co-existence.”
— Jennie Moran, Luncheonette Dublin

Publisher: Skein Press

Date Published: 29 September 2025

Paperback, 66 pgs.

ISBN: 9781915017062

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