Autumn 2000 (8.3)

Contributors

	Without the enormous help of Farid Alakbarov, we would never have dared to tackle an entire issue on food, as it is much more difficult to write about food than to enjoy tasting culinary delights. But we're a magazine, and we didn't want to fill these pages with recipes. Farid, a scholarly expert in medieval medical manuscripts, provided the historical perspective for numerous articles including: Longevity, Forbidden Foods, Medieval Etiquette and Medicinal Wines.
	To create these appetizing food photographs, Husein Huseinzade combined two passions: his fine eye for photography and his great love of cooking. Not just an artistic photographer, Husein is also a chef who has published several cookbooks about Azerbaijan's traditional food. He credits his family's background in Tabriz, a city in southern Azerbaijan (Iran), for his knowledge of Azerbaijani dishes no longer prepared in the Azerbaijan Republic.
	Culinary expert and food enthusiast Tahir Amiraslanov is very conscious of the dynamic forces at work in shaping contemporary eating habits. He was an extremely valuable resource in shaping this issue. His article, "From Pilaf to Pizza," outlines some of the major trends brought on by the historical, political and economic reversals of this past century. Tahir directs the Azerbaijan National Cookery Center in Baku.
	Jean Patterson is a freelance food writer in California whose articles and recipes have been published in several U.S. food magazines and newspapers. Although she has been a principal force on AI's editorial staff since 1997, this is the first issue to take advantage of her specialized knowledge of food. While she has never been to Azerbaijan, she looks forward to tasting her first gutab, piti and kabab.
	Once you get scholar Tufan Akhundov started talking about Azerbaijan's archeology, he can barely contain his enthusiasm. Here he rhapsodizes about his amazing find near Shaki, in the foothills of the Caucasus-the discovery of what may be the world's oldest samovar, dating back perhaps to 3,600 years ago. Tahir's discoveries show that ancients knew long ago how to conserve energy. It's not a new concept at all.

From Azerbaijan International (8.3) Autumn 2000.
© Azerbaijan International 2000. All rights reserved.

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