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Question
What to do with old eggs?

I have sum egs that ibot in the old contree b-4 the big trouble. irinien egs tast soo good, special after mericann 1's. can they stil b fresh after soo miny ears? how can i bee sur b-4 i fri them. Plse ansir rite now as the egs r'nt gitting enknee fresher. misses yakchall. thank uu. B.

Eggs in this condition are best used for making what we used to call shirini-taarof: the shirini that Khanomjaan kept locked up in her cupboard for years on end, and brought out only for guests who had dishonored her by waiting too long since their last visit.

My friends Carolyn and Majid Ardalan have solved the egg problem by keeping a few Iranian chickens at their beautiful vineyard in northern California. These chickens lay eggs with more yolk than white, and they seem to get along peaceably with the much bigger American chickens. I'm not sure how they got here, or whether they have green cards yet, but I believe they snuck in through Mexico.

If you are forced to use American eggs which have too much white, then make a shirini that uses only egg whites, like this:

Nan-e Badami
(Almond Cookies)

In a blender, grind 1 lb. blanched almonds to a powder. Do this in small batches or you'll have a mess of chunky almond butter.

Separate 6 eggs and beat the whites until stiff. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups sugar, the almond powder, and a generous pinch of ground cardamom.

Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and drop the batter in teaspoonfuls, widely spaced, on the paper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes.

Comment for The Iranian letters section Comment for the writer Ashpaz Baashi