Cuisines of the Axis of Evil

Foreign policy analyst Chris Fair dishes foods from geo-political hot spots in her book, Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States: A Dinner Party Approach to International Relations. She explores the gastronomy from Iran, Iraq and North Korea, countries which were coined the "Axis of Evil" by President George W. Bush.

Khoresh-e-Hulu (Chicken and Peach Stew)

• 1/3 cup ghee (or less ideally, vegetable oil), plus an additional 2 Tablespoons for the peaches

• 3 large white onions, sliced into thin rings

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into strips (You can use chicken tenders to minimize prep time. Some folks use veal, duck or even beef.)

• 1 Tablespoon advieh, a Persian spice mixture (There are several variants; most include cinnamon, cardamom, and dried rose petals. Available through online vendors listed in the appendix.)

• 2 1/2 tsps salt (Fair uses either rock or sea salt)

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 cups water

• 12 firm peaches

• 3/4-1 cup lime juice (Fair likes key lime juice, store-bought or freshly squeezed)

• 1 cup demerara or raw cane sugar (you can substitute the white stuff if you must!)

• 1/2 tsp saffron, ground with either a sugar cube or 1/8 tsp rock salt in a mortar and pestle dissolved in 3 Tablespoons of warm water (If it doesn't completely dissolve, don't worry. Just be sure to get all the saffron mixture into the pot when required. You can even rinse the mortar out with another 3 tablespoons of warm water.)

• Parsley, finely chopped

1. Heat a large skillet that has high sides and a cover. (Cast iron works well.) When warm, add the ghee or oil. When the ghee has melted or the oil is hot, add the onion and fry until translucent. Add the chicken strips and cook with the onions on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

advieh, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes.

7. Garnish with parsley.

Music break: Tuxedo Junction by The Original Checkmates