The owner of Big Dill Kitchen just doesn’t make enough money to be a business owner, but that’s fine with her. Helia Sadeghi has garnered a lot of attention for her role in her pop-up game of the booming pandemic and her amazing story as a young Iranian immigrant attending college at UC Berkeley. Her story and how food relates to her life sometimes lead people to think she’s pursuing ownership of the business, but instead, she prefers to open a restaurant. I am also interested in questioning ancestral eating methods and customs.
“I never thought of myself as a business owner until these interviews were published,” says Sadeghi. “I don’t see myself as an educator lecturing people. I just want to talk about developing recipes, working with people to build flavors and elements, and curating menus.” I hope you can explore this too.”
She is working on a website, which will launch in September and will highlight regional iterations of similar foods. For example, the nuances between samosa (and all the different fillings and flavors that originate from South Asia) and Iranian sambuseh. example. She says most of the time people just want a dining experience, but it’s also important to understand the importance of simple ingredients like rice and yogurt, she says.
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Sadeghi says he feels the Bay Area needs more experimentation and explanation when it comes to food. Write a small blurb to accompany it. Meanwhile, a friend of hers recently hosted a pop-up highlighting the fruits that make up Yemeni candy. “It encourages people to ask questions and connect with food beyond feeling full and delicious.”
As for advice on learning more about her favorite foods, Sadegi says she’s no food expert (although some may disagree). But first, you can ask what traditional resources were available in the dish’s original region, such as corn in Central America or lamb in Iran. can reveal the subtleties and details behind each dish.
Of course, her exploration of the unknown history of food began with Iranian cuisine. While she loves her Komaaj for its ultra-local cooking and fermentation methods, she also has her James Beard Award-winning Understory Worker Collective in Oakland giving a shoutout. “They give space to anyone who wants to showcase their cuisine,” says Sadeghi. “It’s not a business owner with just one menu, it’s a place of many cultures and cuisines.” cuisine and empire By Rachel Rhodan, Wildlife care: Native American knowledge and stewardship of California’s natural resources By Kat Anderson, and native way cooking The one by the Cheer Cafe Collective also helps her look at food a little more critically.
She’s not the only baker to lean into her identity for baking and culinary inspiration. Her Hosna Tavakoli of San Francisco designs custom her cakes and Sheekoh Moosavi of Palo Alto molds the bonbons. Both are inspired by their homes in Iran. Ultimately, highlighting underrated and underserved dishes like SSWANA’s is what Sadeghi wants to do. “It doesn’t just happen with popups,” says Sadeghi. “But posting about it and talking about food that hasn’t been noticed or highlighted is part of it. , is to break some of the myths that exist.
Stay up to date with Big Dill Kitchen Instagram Request future pop-ups, custom cakes and events, join Sadeghi’s culinary explorations, and more.