Interwoven with traditional Afghan recipes is one family's story of a region long afflicted by war, but with much more at its heart. Author Durkhanai Ayubi's parents, Zelmai and Farida Ayubi, fled Afghanistan with their young family in 1987, at the height of the Cold War. When their family-run restaurant Parwana opened its doors in Adelaide in 2009, their vision was to share with the world an authentic piece of the Afghanistan the family had left behind - a country rich in culture, family memories infused with Afghanistan's traditions of generosity and hospitality. These recipes have been in the family for generations and include rice dishes, curries, meats, dumplings, Afghan pastas, sweets, drinks, chutneys and pickles, soups and breads. Some are celebratory special dishes, some more day to day dishes. Each has a story to tell.